"Beautiful. Wonderful!"
Mr. Joe's voice broke the stunned silence, snapping the room out of its awe.
"That's a brilliant idea, Miss Roberts," one of the shareholders chimed in quickly.
Julia almost rolled her eyes.
Just hours ago, they had been eager to humiliate her. Now, they were fawning over her every word. Truly, she thought coldly, businessmen were nothing if not consistent in their self-interest.
Mr. Clifford looked as though he had swallowed a fly. Lily didn't fare any better. She had been hoping—praying—that Julia would fail to present a proposal.
But she hadn't.
Lily's gaze drifted to James once more.
I need to do something, she thought.
"Mr. Joe has served this company for years," Julia continued calmly. "His record is clean, and his management abilities are solid."
She paused, letting the weight of her words settle.
"I propose that he serves as CEO for now—until I'm ready to take my rightful position."
The shareholders exchanged glances before nodding in quick succession.
They agreed almost instantly.
Julia had just handed them a future far more profitable than the one Lily offered. Naturally, they chose her. After all, their interests came first—always.
Lily still couldn't wrap her head around what had just happened.
She slammed her car door shut with a loud bang, storming out of the parking lot the very second the meeting ended.
"Haah!" she screamed, striking the steering wheel with her palm. "That fucking bitch!"
Her chest heaved as rage burned through her veins.
She had always believed Julia was stupid.
Always.
Julia grew up with everything handed to her on a silver platter, while Lily survived on scraps. If Julia wanted something, she got it—no questions asked. Meanwhile, Lily had to claw her way forward, working twice as hard just to be noticed.
Even their grandparents preferred Julia.
Julia's father had single-handedly built Aurexx into what it was today, while Lily's father had been nothing more than a professor. Growing up, every vacation at her uncle's house felt like torture. Everything a girl could want—beautiful clothes, expensive toys, attention—Julia had them all.
Even with bad grades.
And still, her parents indulged her.
Lily clenched the steering wheel harder.
She had good grades. She worked hard. She followed every rule. And yet, no matter what she achieved, it could never compare to Julia's effortless privilege.
It wasn't that Lily's parents never gave her nice things—but beside Julia's world, it all felt small. Insignificant.
Somewhere along the way, that comparison twisted into resentment.
Resentment became hatred.
And hatred turned into a belief so deep-rooted it felt like truth—
Everything Julia owned was supposed to be hers
Picking up her phone, Lily dialed her PA's number.
"Caleb," she said coldly, "I want everything you can dig up on Julia's PA. Find out who he is. His background. His weaknesses. Leave no stone unturned."
She ended the call, eyes dark.
Julia's phone rang the moment she stepped out of the meeting room.
Michael's name flashed across the screen.
"Stop at a boutique," Julia instructed as James drove out of the company premises.
James shot her a puzzled glance but said nothing.
"We're going to a funeral," Julia added calmly.
She needed to keep certain things hidden—but if James ever noticed her hatred toward Alex and June, it would raise questions. It was safer to build a solid story around her relationship with Tina. One that no one would doubt.
"Whose funeral?" James asked.
"Tina Wang's," Julia replied. "She hasn't been buried yet. I'm the only one she has left."
James's grip on the steering wheel tightened.
"I… didn't know," he muttered.
He remembered once offering to walk Tina home. That was the only time he'd ever seen her boyfriend. Despite his feelings, he'd kept his distance.
Now he regretted it.
At least she still had Julia, he thought.
"How did you know her?" he asked quietly.
"An orphanage," Julia answered curtly.
Noticing his confusion, she added, "My family visited once. I got lost. She found me. We became friends."
Her gaze drifted out the window.
The truth lingered beneath her words.
She remembered that day clearly—back when she was the orphan. A rich boy had visited with his family, gotten lost, and she'd helped him find his way. He'd promised to come back for her. Promised to take her away.
Young and foolish, she'd believed him.
She'd even bragged to the other children.
She waited for years… before finally giving up.
A faint, distant smile touched her lips.
James pulled into the boutique parking lot, snapping her back to the present. Inside, he stared at the array of flowers, uncertain which to choose for Tina.
Then Julia's voice cut through his thoughts.
"Roses."
He hummed in question.
"She liked roses," Julia said softly. "Red ones."
James nodded, paid the shopkeeper, and returned to the car.
Soon, they were driving toward the cemetery.