The morning dawned gray, heavy with rain. The storm that had rattled the windows all night seemed to have crept into the walls of the Moretti mansion. Every corner felt tense, as if waiting for lightning to strike.
Juliet sat at her vanity, brushing her hair with slow, deliberate movements. Her reflection was calm, poised—but her eyes were sharp, alert. They belonged to a woman who had crossed a line that could never be uncrossed.
She had exposed Nora's secret.
And now, it was only a matter of time before Nora retaliated.
Juliet had no intention of being caught unprepared.
---
At Moretti Corporation, tension had already begun to crack the air. Hendrick's office door slammed shortly after he arrived, and whispers spread through the corridors like wildfire. Something had shifted.
In the marketing department, Nora sat at her desk, staring at the screen. Her hand trembled slightly, though her face remained composed. On the desk lay the printed headline Juliet had used as ammunition:
"Eleanor Blackwood — Heiress Disappears Amid Scandal."
The photo of her younger self mocked her, a reminder of the life she had buried beneath a new name, a new face, a carefully constructed image.
Juliet Moretti had undone it all in one night.
Nora's lips curved into a bitter smile. "So she wants a war," she murmured. "Fine. I'll give her one."
She opened a private folder on her computer labeled Hendrick_Project, though its contents had little to do with business. Inside were hundreds of emails, messages, and photos—carefully curated evidence of her closeness with Hendrick. Innocent enough to deny, dangerous enough to destroy reputations if twisted just right.
Selecting a handful, she forwarded them to an anonymous gossip blog known for exposing corporate scandals.
Within hours, the headline appeared online:
"Is CEO Hendrick Moretti's Marriage Crumbling? Inside Sources Suggest a Secret Affair."
Attached were blurred photos of Hendrick and Nora leaving a late-night event—nothing explicit, but suggestive enough to spark speculation. By noon, Juliet's phone was buzzing incessantly.
---
At home, Juliet answered Clara's frantic call.
"Ma'am, you need to see this," Clara said, breathless, sending over the article. "It's all over business news channels. They're saying Mr. Moretti and Nora—"
"I've seen it," Juliet interrupted calmly.
Clara hesitated. "It's trending, ma'am. People are tagging your name. Some say you confronted her publicly at the dinner—that you caused a scene."
Juliet's grip tightened on her phone, but her voice stayed steady. "Let them talk. Every storm eventually runs out of rain."
"But ma'am—"
"Clara," Juliet said softly, "find out who leaked it."
"Yes, ma'am."
She hung up, leaning back in her chair. The sting of humiliation burned her throat, but she knew exactly who was behind it—and why.
Nora wasn't trying to win Hendrick. She was trying to destroy Juliet's image—the wife, the power, the symbol.
But Juliet had never built her empire on emotion—only strategy. If Nora wanted to play dirty, Juliet would rewrite the rules.
---
By evening, Juliet arrived at Moretti Corp's main lobby. Heads turned. Whispers followed, but she ignored them. She was dressed in an immaculate white suit, crisp and precise, a silent declaration: she was not the broken wife the rumors painted her to be.
She took the elevator straight to Hendrick's floor. His secretary looked nervous.
"Mrs. Moretti, sir's in a meeting—"
Juliet's heels clicked sharply on the marble as she pushed open the door.
Inside, Hendrick sat at the head of the table with three board members—and Nora beside him. Conversation stopped instantly.
"Hendrick," Juliet said smoothly, "we need to talk."
He rose, tension flickering in his eyes. "Juliet, now isn't—"
"I insist," she said, leaving no room for argument.
The board members exchanged glances and excused themselves quickly. Nora remained seated, her smirk tight.
Juliet turned to her. "Congratulations, Nora. You finally got your headline."
Nora's eyes widened, feigning innocence. "I don't know what you mean."
Juliet leaned closer, her voice low, deliberate. "You're good at pretending, I'll give you that. But I know what you did."
Hendrick's jaw tightened. "What's going on?"
Juliet's gaze never wavered from Nora. "Your employee leaked false information to the press. About you. About me. About this company."
"That's absurd," Nora said, laughing lightly. "Why would I do that?"
Juliet reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. The audio that followed filled the room—Nora's own voice, recorded earlier by Clara:
"She thinks she's untouchable. Let's see how strong the perfect wife looks when the world turns against her."
Nora froze. Hendrick's face darkened. "You recorded—?"
"I do what's necessary," Juliet said coolly.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Nora stood abruptly, composure cracking. "You'll regret this," she hissed. "You think you've won, but you don't know the first thing about what I can do."
Juliet smiled faintly. "Oh, I think I do. The difference is—I don't have to destroy others to prove my worth."
Nora's eyes flashed, then she grabbed her bag and stormed out, her heels striking the floor like gunshots.
---
When the door closed, Hendrick turned to Juliet, exhaling sharply. "You recorded her?"
Juliet nodded. "You needed to see the truth for yourself."
He looked down, ashamed. "I should've listened to you."
Juliet's expression softened just slightly. "Yes. You should have."
For a long moment, neither spoke. Outside, the storm mirrored the one inside—a cleansing, destructive force.
"Juliet," Hendrick said quietly, "after everything… why are you still fighting for this marriage?"
She studied him, voice steady. "Because I believe in what we built, Hendrick. But if I ever have to fight for my dignity again, I'll walk away—not out of weakness, but because I'll finally know my worth."
He reached for her hand. She pulled it away gently.
"Win your company back," she said. "Then we'll talk about our marriage."
With that, she turned and walked out, leaving him standing amid the quiet ruins of his pride.
--
Outside, Juliet stepped into the rain, letting it touch her face. Somewhere in the city, Nora was plotting her next move—but Juliet no longer feared her.
In this war of women, she had discovered the most dangerous weapon of all: grace under fire.