Judy Herman had been pottering around in the kitchen for hours, but her frustration only grew. She'd made dinner and waited, but the food grew cold, and Jayden Paul still hadn't returned. No matter how busy he was, he always made it home by ten.
Sitting at the dining table, her hand gripping the phone was slick with clammy sweat. She dialed his number over and over, only to hang up each time before it connected.
She stared at the clock in the living room, counting the minutes as another hour slipped by. The room felt vast and empty, and not a sound came from outside the villa. Was he... not planning to come home tonight?
His lost love had returned from the dead. How ecstatic must he be?
Judy desperately wanted to call and demand he come back. Yet, a bitter thought mocked her: for five years, she'd been the one clinging to Jayden Paul. This time, she wanted to be willful. She wanted to gamble. She'd bet that Jayden Paul would ultimately choose to come back to this home.
Her appetite vanished. After clearing away the ice-cold meal, she went upstairs to rest. Tossing and turning in bed for what felt like an eternity, listening to the relentless tick-tock of the seconds, a dull ache began in her abdomen. It gradually intensified into sharp pain. She curled into a ball, pulling the blankets tight around her, but nothing could ward off the deep chill and misery spreading through her.
3:00 AM. Still no Jayden Paul.
Her forehead was damp with cold sweat, her mind foggy. Struggling, she managed to dial her phone. In her dazed state, she called Jayden. It rang a few times before connecting, but a woman's voice answered.
"Hello? Who is this?"
"Where's Jayden Paul?" Judy asked, her voice trembling.
"Jayden?" The woman chuckled lightly. "He's asleep. You can tell me what you need; I'll pass it on."
Asleep...
A dull, heavy pain struck Judy's heart. She curled tighter into herself. "No need."
A comfortable silence hung on the line for a few seconds before the woman replied casually, "Right." The call ended abruptly.
Judy stared, vision blurry, as the screen faded to black. An icy numbness washed over her. She curled even tighter, the cramping pain in her abdomen nothing compared to the agony tearing through her heart.
She had just had an abortion. Here she was, alone and cold in this house, while he slept under the same blanket as his old flame. He hadn't even considered how she might be feeling.
She didn't know how long she lay there in pain before finally sinking into unconsciousness.
When she woke the next morning, the space beside her was empty. Jayden Paul hadn't come home all night.
Standing in the vast living room, Judy Herman tilted her head back, trying desperately to hold it in, but the tears came anyway, streaming down her face.
When she'd cut ties with her parents, all her relatives and friends said she was crazy. That she'd lost all reason over a man.
Judy admitted it. Jayden Paul had long become her obsession. For five years, her world had revolved solely around him. If he was gone, her world would crumble into dust.
Distraught all morning, she couldn't bear to wait any longer. She drove to Paul Family Business. Before she could even get out of the car, she saw Jayden Paul emerge from the building. The woman clinging warmly to his arm – Judy was certain – was Lorelei Voss.
She'd seen Lorelei's photos. But even if she hadn't, she would have recognized that face, those eyes. Because they looked almost 80% identical to her own.
Jayden Paul rarely smiled, but now he gazed down at the woman with unmistakable affection, listening to her chatter and laugh. He seemed utterly absorbed in her.
Judy gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles turning bone white. She didn't get out. She watched them get into a car and drive away. She followed, tailing them until they pulled up and got out at the Paul family mansion.
Judy tilted her head back, surveying the imposing old mansion. Against all reason, a laugh bubbled up. She laughed, and then tears followed, tracing a bitter, acrid path down her cheeks to the corners of her mouth.
The Paul family mansion. She had never once set foot inside. Jayden Paul had never even considered taking her home.
It felt like a brutal blow to her heart. Sitting in her car, face wet with tears, Judy realized: five years of devotion had been nothing but an illusion, a dream. Now the dream was shattered. She felt lost, panicked, utterly adrift.
She drove home in a daze, waiting for Jayden Paul to return. She still believed he would come back. Five years... surely she meant something to him?
That evening, when Jayden's car finally pulled up in front of the villa, Judy flung the door open and ran out, throwing herself into his arms. She wrapped hers tightly around his waist, sobbing with relief.
"Judy, we need to talk." Jayden pulled her away, his expression stern, brows deeply furrowed.
Judy's heart plummeted. Stunned, she looked up at him, then quickly averted her eyes. She turned towards the kitchen. "I'll make you dinner—"
"Don't bother." Jayden pulled her back. Judy stumbled, her legs feeling weak and unsteady.
"I don't want to hear it..." Judy forced a strained smile, keeping her head down, unable to meet his gaze.
"Judy." His voice held an edge of irritation.
Before he could continue, Judy started crying. She sniffed, trying to sound casual. "Go ahead. I'm listening."
"Lorelei Voss is back."
"I know."
"You know I've never gotten over her..."
"So?" Judy lifted her head stubbornly, her forced smile stiff and painful. "If you can't let her go, spend a few days catching up. It's fine. I'm okay alone. Easier, actually, only cooking for one..."
"Judy Herman," Jayden cut her off sharply, his brows knotted into a fierce scowl. "You know what I mean."
"I don't!" Tears instantly flooded Judy's eyes, blurring his face. She laughed through her tears, words tumbling out incoherently. "Be good to her. I don't mind. I understand... getting back what you lost... all those beautiful memories... you can't just forget..."
"Judy..."
The sight of her fighting back tears inexplicably tightened Jayden's chest. He grasped her shoulders, trying to steady her, his tone heavier than she'd ever heard before. "The villa is yours. Name your price for the settlement. If you don't want to stay in Luminaire, I'll send you abroad. You always wanted to see Provence? I'll send you there."
She had wanted to see Provence. But only with him. Without him, she wanted to go nowhere.
Judy pressed her lips together, holding back tears, still unable to look him in the eye. She shook her head. "I wasn't with you for these things, Jayden Paul. I was with you for a lifetime. I never imagined we'd separate. I won't accept this. I can't accept this."
Jayden knew her stubborn streak, but seeing it now, so raw and desperate, only deepened his frown and the uncomfortable knot of irritation in his chest. He loosened his tie, his voice hardening. "Anything else you want. Just name it. I'll give it to you."
Tears blurred Judy's vision. "I don't want anything. I want nothing but you!"
Jayden's eyes darkened abruptly. An uncharacteristic surge of anger flared. "The villa is yours," he stated coldly, his lips set in a firm line. "Plus ten million. Consider it compensation for these five years. If it's not enough, state your price."
He turned and headed upstairs to pack. Judy stumbled after him into the bedroom. She threw her arms around him from behind, clinging desperately. Jayden Paul frowned, peeled her arms off, and shoved her away. Judy was thrown back onto the empty floor!