Who Are You Again?

Chapter 9

The private fashion show was an affair of whispered intrigue and veiled secrets, held in the heart of Paris within an opulent 19th-century chateau. Crystal chandeliers cast a golden glow over the marble floors, the air thick with the scent of roses and expensive champagne.

Masked figures floated through the ballroom, their laughter hushed behind delicate lace and gilded disguises. Every guest was someone of importance. Every glance, a calculated move in an unspoken game.

Jae stood near the edge of the crowd, unaware that she had already been noticed.

Her dress, a deep sapphire hue, accentuated her figure in effortless elegance. Her silver mask concealed most of her face, but her crystal-blue eyes—a striking contrast against the darkness of the room—stood out like a beacon.

And from across the sea of masks, Jonah saw them.

Saw her.

The air left his lungs.

Jae.

She was alive. And not only alive—thriving.

For a moment, he remained frozen, a rush of emotions colliding—shock, rage, obsession. He clenched his jaw, his grip on his champagne flute tightening.

How was she here? How had she slipped through his fingers?

Then, his gaze flickered to the man beside her.

Kellin.

Jonah’s blood turned to ice.

His brother stood close to Jae, his hand resting lightly at the small of her back—a protective touch that made Jonah’s vision darken with fury.

Kellin leaned in to murmur something in her ear. She laughed, soft and unbothered.

Jonah took a step forward, instinct roaring through his veins—he had to reach her.

But then—Lucas.

A shadow in the crowd, moving with the precision of a predator.

Lucas stepped into Jonah’s path with an easy, unreadable expression, blocking his advance. "Not tonight," he said, his voice low and final.

Jonah’s lips curled into a sneer. “Get out of my way.”

Lucas simply tilted his head, the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement. "You must be getting desperate if you’re trying to confront her here, of all places."

Jonah’s fists clenched at his sides. “You can’t keep her from me.”

Lucas let out a dark chuckle. “You have no idea what I can do.”

Jonah exhaled sharply, stepping back—but not conceding. This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

And then—the moment shattered.

Onstage, the final model made her entrance.

The crowd hushed as she strode down the runway, golden silk flowing behind her like liquid light. Her movements were poised, elegant—a practiced display of perfection.

Jae barely paid attention. She was more focused on the way the candlelight flickered off the crystal in her glass, the warmth of Kellin’s presence beside her, the way the night had managed to feel almost… normal.

Then, out of nowhere—a sharp gasp.

A sudden thud.

Jae’s head snapped up just in time to see the model sprawled across the runway, her golden gown pooling around her like a fallen star.

The room fell into a stunned silence.

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Some amused, some sympathetic.

Jae turned to Kellin, arching a brow. “That’s unfortunate.”

Kellin chuckled under his breath. “Couldn’t have happened to a better person.”

Jae smirked, watching as the woman scrambled to her feet, looking flustered and humiliated. She didn’t recognize her. From this distance, behind the masks, it was impossible to tell who she was.

But across the room, Jonah knew.

And worse—so did Anessa.

Because the moment she looked up from where she had fallen, her gaze locked onto Vivienne.

Anessa’s breath hitched.

Something about the woman in the front row unnerved her.

A flicker of recognition, buried deep in her subconscious.

She had no idea why, but her pulse hammered in her throat.

Vivienne took a slow sip of her wine, the corners of her lips curving ever so slightly.

Anessa's heart pounded. Who was she?

Jae sighed, placing her empty glass down on the table. “I suppose we should be paying attention to the actual show.”

Kellin shrugged. “Maybe. But honestly, I’d rather watch paint dry than whatever disaster is happening up there.”

Jae laughed softly, allowing herself to relax, if only for a moment.

The fashion show carried on, and she was safe.

Or so she thought.

Because in the shadows, Jonah’s mind was already spinning with a new plan.

He wouldn’t let her go.

Not again.

Backstage, Anessa’s hands trembled as she gripped the vanity table, staring at her reflection in the mirror. The laughter and applause from the ballroom barely registered in her ears. Who was that woman?

Vivienne Deveraux.

The name meant nothing to her, yet the moment she had laid eyes on the elegant woman seated near the stage, something had shifted inside her. A strange familiarity, a ghost of recognition she couldn’t place.

She pressed a hand to her chest, steadying her breath. This wasn’t about some stranger. This was about Jae.

The moment she stepped onto the runway, everything had gone wrong. First, the overwhelming presence of that woman, staring right through her. Then, the unbearable realization.

Jonah wasn’t even watching her.

He was focused on someone else.

She had followed his gaze, scanning the masked faces in the audience. Then she saw it.

A pair of piercing, crystal-blue eyes.

Jae.

Anessa’s stomach twisted, anger seeping into her veins like poison. Jae was here. In Paris. Right under her nose.

Then, in her distraction, she had misstepped. The sharp snap of her heel, the gasps of the crowd, and then—humiliation.

Now, as she sat backstage, barely able to keep her composure, she knew one thing for certain.

This wasn’t over.

Jonah had been patient. Too patient.

Three days in Paris. Three days spent navigating security, dodging Lucas, and waiting for the perfect opportunity.

And now, he had it.

Jae stood at the edge of the ballroom, unaware of his approach. She had always been good at masking her emotions, but Jonah had spent years studying her.

She was uncomfortable.

She knew he was close.

He stepped into her space, his voice smooth as silk.

“Jae.”

She turned, slowly, controlled. She didn’t flinch. Didn’t react.

But her eyes—those striking, hauntingly familiar eyes—held something beneath the surface.

Recognition. Wariness.

Good.

He offered a charming smile, effortless, the same one he had used for years to bend the world to his will.

“I wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again.”

Jae’s posture didn’t change, but her fingers tightened around her champagne flute. “And yet, here you are.”

Jonah chuckled, reaching into his jacket pocket. “I saw this and thought of you.”

Before she could react, he gently took her wrist and clasped an exquisite diamond bracelet around it. It was delicate, shimmering beneath the chandeliers—a perfect trap.

“A reminder,” he murmured, his thumb brushing over her skin. “You were always meant for beautiful things.”

Jae swallowed back the unease clawing at her throat.

Before she could respond, Anessa appeared, rage flickering in her eyes.

“Really, Jonah?” she seethed, gaze locked on the bracelet. “You’re showering her with gifts now?”

Jonah didn’t even look at her. “Not now, Anessa.”

Anessa’s nostrils flared. “You came here for me, didn’t you? Not her.”

Finally, Jonah turned, expression cold. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

Kellin arrived just then, stepping to Jae’s side. His presence was unbothered, nonchalant. “Nice bracelet,” he noted casually. “Gonna pawn it?”

Jae almost smiled. Almost.

Jonah’s eyes darkened. “You always were a nuisance, Kellin.”

Before anything else could be said, a discreet hand landed on Jae’s lower back. Lucas.

“Time to go,” he said smoothly.

Vivienne had appeared beside them, her air of quiet authority silencing the tension between Jonah and Kellin.

“Come, darling,” Vivienne said, voice light but firm. “You’ve had enough excitement for one evening.”

Jonah’s jaw clenched. “You’re making a mistake, Jae.”

Jae met his gaze, her own carefully blank. “I’ll live with it.”

With that, Lucas maneuvered Jae and Kellin out of the event, leaving Jonah standing in their wake.

As they entered the awaiting car, Jae let out a slow breath.

Jonah was in Paris. He wasn’t leaving.

And for the first time since arriving in France, she realized…

She would have to decide just how far she was willing to go to escape him for good.