Chapter 21
Damien’s pupils contracted sharply. “No! I-
11
“Damien,” Juliet cut him off and enunciated each word with calm cruelty, “What you have now is exactly what you deserve.”
Then, she yanked her hand free and walked away without sparing him another glance.
Damien stood frozen on the spot as snow gathered on his shoulders. At that moment, he was suddenly reminded of the girl who had once waited at the alley’s mouth with teary eyes, hoping he’d turn back.
As the snow fell harder, Juliet stepped through the drifts and hurried forward. Delicate ice crystals were sprinkled over her lashes.
She heard footsteps behind her and knew Damien was still following her.
Just as she turned and was ready to snap at him, a tall figure emerged from around the street corner, dressed in a black coat that flared sharply in the wind. It was Nate.
Holding a black umbrella, he looked at Juliet’s reddened nose with a soft, warm gaze. But when his eyes flicked past her to the man trailing behind, they sharpened and turned cold.
“Juliet.” He strode forward and tilted his umbrella to shield her from the storm.
Noticing that her fingers were raw and white from the cold, he took the design files from her arms without hesitation. “Why didn’t you wear gloves again?”
Relief washed over Juliet. Her tense body relaxed as she moved closer to him. “I forgot.”
Damien stopped just a few feet away. As the men exchanged glances, their gazes seemed to clash and shoot daggers.
“And this is?” Nate’s voice was calm, but he subtly shifted to protect Juliet behind him.
“No one important,” she said as she lowered her head to adjust her scarf. Her voice was muffled in the folds of wool, yet every word was sharp and clear to everyone present.
Damien clenched his jaw. He recognized that look as the warning glare of a man whose territory was breached. He had once used that same stare to intimidate every suitor who had attempted to approach Juliet, but now, with their roles reversed, he finally understood its bitter aftertaste.
When Nate spoke, his voice was cold and frosty. “Mr. Kane, Dunmoor isn’t the safest city. I might suggest you avoid stalking women late at night. You wouldn’t want any misunderstandings.”
Snow fell on Damien, and he felt as though it weighed a ton-so much that he could barely lift his head. His eyes fell on Nate’s hand resting protectively on Juliet’s back, and he said, ” We’ve known each other for eight years.”
“And?”
Nate chuckled as he brushed his thumb against the edge of Juliet’s design files. There was a hint of mockery in his voice as he shot back, “Does knowing each other for eight years give you the right to harass her on the streets?”
Juliet looked up and caught his side profile under the streetlamps. The lines of his face were as sharp and flawless as his architectural models. She’d never seen this side of him. His usually warm eyes, always filled with a gentle smile, now flashed with an icy glint. Even his voice was cold and unyielding.
Damien stepped forward, and snow crunched under his shoes. “This is between me and her.”
“Not anymore.”
Nate shifted as Damien made a move, shielding Juliet completely. His black umbrella drew a clear boundary in the snow.
“Take one more step, and I’ll have the cops escort you to the station for coffee,” he warned.
After a pause, he added, “I heard you just lost Kane Group, didn’t you? I assume you wouldn’t want a lawsuit on top of that.”
His words stabbed Damien like a blade to the chest. He looked at Juliet, only to see her gently tug at Nate’s sleeve.
“Let’s go. It’s cold.”
Nate immediately turned around as the wind carried his final warning into Damien’s ears. Don’t let me see you near her again.”
With that, they vanished into the storm.
Standing frozen, Damien watched as Juliet’s hair brushed against Nate’s shoulder. He saw the woman who had once smiled only for him look up at another man and murmur, “Tilt the umbrella your way a little more.”
Snow slipped beneath his collar, taking away the last trace of warmth in his body.
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Later, Damien was never seen in Novara again. Some said he fled to Solmara, while others whispered he died alone in a snowstorm.
Meanwhile, Juliet’s Broken Wings collection made its debut at Voirelle Fashion Week at the
end of the year, branding her as one of the industry’s brightest designers.
During the curtain call, Nate dropped to one knee and slipped a butterfly-shaped diamond ring onto her finger.
At last, she had eclosed and shed her broken cocoon, soaring toward skies meant only for her. Meanwhile, others remained frozen in the past.
…
At a private arts gala in Voirelle, Juliet stood on the balcony as the stars shone overhead. The new butterfly tattoo on her collarbone sparkled faintly under the warm lights.
It had been five years.
Her brand had grown from Dumoor to the world. Every season’s show felt like a grand farewell to her wasted years and younger self, who used to bow her head so low for love.
Footsteps sounded behind her before Nate approached and slipped a jacket over her shoulders. As his fingers brushed the inked butterfly on her collar, he asked, “What’s on your mind?”
Juliet shook her head and smiled faintly. “It’s just fascinating… how strange fate can be.”
If she hadn’t chosen Dunmoor and had gone to another city or country, if she hadn’t met Nate
.. Perhaps she would’ve been forever trapped in that rainy night, constantly replaying the
scene of Damien and Callie leaving together.
Nate didn’t show much response to her emotional sighs. Instead, he gently took her hand and reminded her, “It’s time to take your bow.”
At the end of the runway, Juliet stood alone in a white gown, the hem billowing around her like butterfly wings. Applause thundered through the venue, and camera flashes rained on her.
As she looked up at the night sky, the cameras did a close-up shot of the butterfly tattoo on her collarbone, a mark of her rebirth.
She had finally survived the storm and flown beyond it.
Late fall in Voirelle, fallen leaves carpeted the winding paths of Bellehaut.
Juliet stood before her studio’s floor-to-ceiling windows and gently brushed her fingertips against the butterfly tattoo on her collarbone. Sunlight spilled through the glass and scattered off her diamond wedding ring, the fractured light dancing across her sketches.
“Ms. Marlowe, this is a delayed letter from Mr. Kane sent before he passed. It arrived today.”
It had been years since anyone had spoken of that name.
Chapter 21
4/4
She accepted the envelope in silence and stepped out onto the balcony alone. There, she opened the envelope to reveal a stack of photographs.
One showed an 18-year-old Juliet hiding behind a basketball court fence to watch Damien play. Another showed a 20-year-old Juliet staying up all night to knit him a scarf, pricking her fingers until they bled. One showed her waiting outside in a white dress and eyes full of hope on her 22nd birthday.
The last photograph showed her silhouette during Dunmoor Fashion Week. There was a single line on the back of it. “If I could do it again, I’d love you
Juliet stared at it in silence before she suddenly smiled.
It was too late.
first.”
She folded the envelope into a paper plane and sent it flying out the window.
“What are you looking at?” Warmth wrapped around her from behind as Nate gently rested his chin on her head. In his hands were newly arrived blueprints from Synovalle. The butterfly observatory model on the desk before them glittered in the sunlight.
“Thinking about tomorrow’s trip to Lundenmire for the awards.”
As she turned around, the tattoo behind her ear brushed against his lips. “Do you think I should mention the inspiration for Broken Wings in my acceptance speech?”
Nate kissed her wedding ring with a smile. “Of course. Tell them how you turned every scar into wings.”
Cheers rose from the plaza below.
Looking out, they saw children racing into the newly established butterfly museum. Its glass dome fractured the sunlight into a rainbow waterfall that poured over them all.
Amid that fleeting kaleidoscope of wings, Juliet caught a glimpse of her 14-year-old self. The girl with scraped knees and a piece of chocolate clutched tightly in her hand seemed to be smiling at her current self.
