Book One: Chapter 31


    “Mommy!” Aria greeted as Macey made her way to them.


    “Hello, baby,” Macey smiled as her children clung to their father. She loved to see them like that except


    it meant he didn’t have an arm free for her.


    As if sensing her thoughts Julius carefully set the twins on their feet and pulled her into his embrace.


    He pressed his forehead to hers. Thest of his worries and anger from before drained away. She was


    in his arms and nothing else mattered. Well, maybe there was one thing.


    “So, are you going to tell me about Cap d’Agde?”


    Macey stiffened and said, “Nothing…happened.”


    “It’s a beach…where people are nude…in public.”


    “Julius…”


    “…Macey.”


    “Look…I had just started showing and I was ufortable and bloated and surrounding by young


    college girls with their perfect bodies,” Macey sighed. “Victoria suggested we get away for a weekend. I


    had no idea she made reservations at that resort and the first day I refused to leave my room.”


    “And the second…”


    Macey rolled her eyes.


    “Macey?”


    “Look, it’s a public beach, Julius. It has all sorts of people on it. Young, old, thin, fat.”


    “Nude,” March added earning a warning look from his sister-inw even as Rose elbowed him in the


    ribs.


    “The reason Victoria brought me there was to feel better about my body and the changes it was going


    through,” Macey said. “It takes a lot to feel confident when you’re bloated and nauseous all the time.”


    “I heard that,” Rose sighed recalling the troubles of her own pregnancy.


    Julius frowned, not satisfied but also not wanting to argue. It was yet another trial she had faced


    without him. He should have been there to tell her how beautiful she was. Instead Victoria had taken


    more extreme measures to make a point. But it wouldn’t happen again. For now he would let it go. His


    embrace tightened holding her close.


    “I can’t believe I’m holding a world famous artist right now.”


    Macey chuckled, “Stop. I’m hardly world famous.”


    “I beg to differ,” Julius kissed her temple. His gaze swept over the gallery and found they stood close to


    the first series that had drawn him in: Two Hearts. “I can’t believe this is your vision.”


    She followed his gaze and blushed as she said, “Well, actually those are…sort of…self portraits.”


    “What? What do you mean?” Julius looked at the series again featuring a model’s growing stomach


    alongside ultrasounds. Realization suddenly dawned on him and looked back at her. “That’s you!”


    Macey blushed, “To get ready for school I was taking pictures everyday and one of my first projects


    was a self portrait. Victoria suggested this. She helped me set up thepositions. I tweaked them a


    bit for the gallery but…Yeah, that’s my belly.”


    He held her face and kissed her. His eyes sparkled as he said, “You know, when I first visited the


    gallery I bought that whole series.”


    “You did?”


    “I did.” He kissed her again. “You’re amazing.”


    Macey blushed again. Normally she felt self-conscious in the crowd but near him nothing else


    mattered.


    Julius sighed, “Macey, there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you ever since I saw you at the Barat.”


    “Okay?”


    He stepped back pulling a velvet lined box from his pocket and dropped down to one knee. Macey


    gasped shivering with anticipation.


    “I’ve made mistakes. I’m not perfect,” Julius said, “I can’t promise I won’t make more but I’ll always love


    you. Would you…be my wife again?”


    He opened the box to reveal their wedding rings nestled together. Tears filled her eyes. Had he really


    kept them in hopes of finding her…just for this moment? How? How could they make this work? She


    had to go back to Paris. She hadmitments. The kids had school. He couldn’t just drop out of his


    family’s business either.


    All around them the crowd was bing aware of the situation. They recognized Julius immediately


    and those who were unaware were quickly informed she was the artist of the night. The crowd waited


    on baited breath for her answer.


    “Don’t think, Macey,” Julius whispered. He could see the wheels turning. “Just say the first thing that


    “Y-yes,” Macey stuttered fighting back tears. She couldn’t deny the answer she wanted to give. “I will.”


    He smiled slipping her rings back onto her finger where they belonged. Quickly putting on his own


    Julius stood pulling her into his arms capturing her mouth with his. A wave of pping surrounded them


    but he didn’t care. All that mattered was the woman in his arms. She was his everything. Not breaking


    their kiss he picked her up showing the world the most beautiful woman ever born. And she was his.


    Julius set her back on her feet still not breaking their kiss. She was his again and he was never letting


    go. Never. Finally releasing her lips he hugged her close. Nothing and no one would evere


    between them.


    “I love you, Macey. I always have. I always will.”


    “I love you, Julius,” Macey could barely speak. Those were words she always wanted to hear him say.


    He leaned forward and kissed her again.


    * * *


    Katherine circled the exhibit space trying to calm herself. The redhead…Macey Grayson…M. Gray!


    They were one in the same. How could a talentless hack be an acimed artist? She should be a


    failure like her father! And worse she knew Victoria Laurent one of the most famed wedding dress


    designers ever! Not only did they know each other but they were on good terms. The kids dared call


    her Auntie Vicki like she was some sort of farmer’s wife!


    And the look on Julius’s face. He was bing more and more enamored by his former wife. She had


    to find a way to get between them. There had to be a way to take control of the situation. Over the


    years she put a number of women in their ces, this time would be no different. All she had to do was


    spill a little champagne and when the redhead overreacted Katherine could y victim to the


    sympathetic crowd. It was a ploy that worked before and would work again.


    Then she would be back with Julius and the redhead would be disgraced. Maybe Macey would run all


    the way back to Paris. She would never be able to show her face in New York again. Then she and the


    twins would be out of Katherine’s hair for good.


    It was the perfect n.


    With her new resolve Katherine grabbed a ss of champagne and made her way to where shest


    saw her rival. Not finding Macey at the refreshment table Katherine continued to work her way through


    the crowd, searching. She finally found Macey once again in Julius’s arms.


    His adoring gaze was consumed with her. His arm snaked around her waist letting his hand gently


    caress her curves which she didn’t mind as she leaned into him smiling seductively, a slight blush to


    her cheeks feigning innocence. Suddenly Julius dropped to one knee. He held out a velvet lined box.


    Nestled within was a set of wedding rings: both male and female. Katherine’s mouth dropped open not


    believing what she was seeing. Where had thosee from?


    No! This couldn’t be happening! I have to stop this!


    But the crowd was already taking notice as Macey covered her face with her hands her eyes sparkling


    with tears. Julius just smiled, “Macey, will you be my wife again?”


    Her shoulders shook as she stared at the man on his knee. The crowd gathered sensing a momentous


    asion. Fighting tears Macey finally managed to stutter, “Yyes.”


    Julius slid the engagement-wedding ring set on her finger. He reimed his own wedding band from


    the box sliding it on his hand before standing and taking her into his arms. Without hesitation he


    captured her mouth with his unaware of their audience as cheers erupted around them.


    Katherine was rooted to her spot. She couldn’t move, couldn’t look away. Julius suddenly picked Macey


    off her feet not breaking their kiss as he slowly spun her around. He finally set her down and only then


    broke their kiss. They smiled staring into each other’s eyes before he kissed her again.


    This couldn’t be happening. The room was filled with New York elites, business professionals and


    press. By morning news of this would be on the front pages and all over social media. She had to turn it


    around. How? Her gaze fell on her champagne flute.


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Of course. The perfect n.


    Katherine moved to step forward only to have her hand grasped. She was suddenly pulled back


    through the crowd. Confused she didn’t fight the force until she was finally clear of the throng. Turning


    she found herself facing Stephen.


    “You?”


    He said nothing turning her toward the bar where she found Augustus silently sipping his drink. His


    face was an indecipherable mask but his eyes glinted like a predator. Katherine froze when she saw


    him. He had never been kind to her but perhaps he was as disgusted by Julius’s action as she was.


    This might be the chance she needed certainly with Augustus’s help she would be able to remove the


    redhead from Julius’s life.


    “Dad?” she smiled sweetly. Augustus raised an eyebrow but instead of answering gestured to a folder


    on the bar. She stepped forward to look at it.


    “What’s that?”


    “This…is an analysis of my son’s drink two years ago,” Augustus said. “It appears someone spiked his


    drink.”


    Katherine felt herself pale as he slid the top page to the side.


    “This is a finger print analysis of that same ss,” Augustus said. “There are only three fingerprints on


    the ss. My son’s, though I doubt he would spike his own drink; the bartender’s, who swears he


    knows nothing; and yours.”


    Katherine struggled to maintain a nk expression but she felt a tick as her face twitched from the


    stress building within.


    “And this,” Augustus slid the analysis aside to show her thest page, “is a document showing you


    were receiving fertility treatments at the time.”


    Her mouth dropped open. She stuttered, “H-how did you get that?”


    “You’d be surprised what you can acquire with enough time, patience and money,” Augustus said. “A


    better question would be how you thought I wouldn’t know? Of course all of this is purely circumstantial


    but it tells an interesting story. Anyone who sees it would immediately put two and two together. You


    spiked my son’s drink in hopes of sleeping with him and getting yourself pregnant. That right?”


    “It’s…not proof,” Katherine tried topose herself. “It would never hold up in court.”


    Augustus smirked, “It’s proof enough for me. I don’t need a court to pass judgment. It seems I have


    been ratherx since the birth of my grandchildren. People have forgotten I am not a man to be


    crossed. It’s time to remind them by making an example of you.”


    “Y-you can’t do anything to me. My father will stop you.”


    “We both know that isn’t true, don’t we? By this time next week your parents will dere bankruptcy


    and their creditors will be hounding them every second of every day.”


    “H-how did you know that?”


    “My dear, who do you think made that happen?”


    Realization came slowly but Katherine’s gaze widened. Her family’s financial difficulties, her sudden


    She knew all the best people, traveled in the best circles. She could do so much for Julius, elevate his


    clientele and connections. What could that redhead do with her art?


    “I let you have your fun. It was even asionally entertaining to watch,” Augustus said, “but my ns


    for my son never included you.”


    He nced behind her as the security Stephen quietly summoned arrived.


    “It seems Miss Trent overstayed her wee. See her out.”


    Without a word they seized her by the shoulders and escorted her toward the door. Katherine opened


    her mouth to protest but Stephen gave her a final piece of advice, “Miss Trent, it would be better for


    you to leave quietly. It will not look good for you if you cause a scene.”


    Her mouth snapped shut and she was led away. Her face was red with embarrassment, her mind


    muddled. How? How could this happen? Had Augustus known this entire time?


    “That went well,” Stephen gathered up the folder and the papers hepiled and secreted for two


    years while Augustus sipped his drink. “Are you going to tell them?”


    “No. My sons are smart enough to have their suspicions. We’ll leave it at that,”


    Augustus said looking toward Julius as he slowly released Macey from their kiss. Julius was a proud


    man he would be livid once he learned the truth of Katherine’s deception but there was no reason for


    that not when he had a young wife and twins to care for. It was better that he focused on the future, not


    the past.


    Aria shrieked as she and her brother ran up to their parents. Julius scooped up Caden and Macey held


    Aria bringing their family together. Finally his son had lived up to his expectations and secured a family


    that would prove priceless.


    “In that case, case closed,” Stephen interrupted his thoughts.


    “Hmm. Keep an eye on her for the time being.”


    “Sir?”


    “Cockroaches are survivors after all.”


    “You think she’ll seek out a new target?”


    “It’s guaranteed. I have a good idea where she’ll go. Unfortunately for her he is next on my list.”


    “Understood. I’ll keep an eye on both concerned parties.”


    “Good.”


    “Sir, are you really nning to buy the Trent’s entire hotel chain?” Stephen asked.


    “Good people shouldn’t lose their jobs because their employers are fools though I’ve never had much


    interest in the hotel business…we’ll just call it an investment property.”


    “Of course,” Stephen nodded with a smile. It was the reason why he had remained loyal to Augustus


    DaLair. While the business world had no shortage of cut throat rats Augustus maintained his integrity


    and never used his power to punish those who were innocent.