Monday morning, the Adams private jet took Julianne and two of Adams Industries legal counsels to Detroit. They checked in at The Majestic, a five-star hotel owned by Starck Corp.
They spent the whole afternoon meeting with the Japanese clients from Miyako Tech and working on the terms and conditions of their future partnerships. Julianne and the legal team had spent the whole weekend checking their contract offerings, all possible loopholes and all other alternatives.
She had been relentlessly working since that evening that Vanessa Bernard paid her a visit. It was her best way to cope with the twisted pain she felt in her heart.
Jin had been texting her but she didn’t even read most of his messages. He called plenty of times, but she simply ignored all his calls. She didn’t want to talk to him. Not yet. Her mind was confused and her heart was too broken. She couldn’t decide what to do with him when she was this emotional. She needed to decide what was right, not just for herself, but also for Jared.
She was sure of one thing—she would never become his mistress.
The night after Vanessa left, she searched the internet for news regarding the charity gala they attended in Paris. True enough she saw some pictures posted. She found some of them with Vanessa Bernard, dressed in a gold sequined gown, with a very long, plunging neckline, standing next to Jin. Vanessa looked happy, with all smiles, but she couldn’t make out the look on Jin’s face.
Well, at least one of the things Vanessa said checked out. She said they saw each other that night. And she did say that Jin left her apartment late, around five. That was the time he called Julianne to say goodnight.
And during their last conversation, Jin already prepped her about a talk they would be having. He said he needed to discuss their future together—their arrangement. And according to Vanessa Bernard, that arrangement meant that Vanessa would be the legal wife, and she, Julianne Sanders, would be the mistress.
Well, Jin must be out of his mind if he thought I would allow myself to be someone’s mistress!
In the middle of Miyako’s presentation, she received a message from Jin again. This time she read it.
“What’s going on, ma belle? Is everything okay? I can’t get ahold of you. Please call me as soon as you get this.”
She didn’t reply. She refocused herself on the presentation.
After her meeting with Miyako, she checked her phone and she received about six more messages and ten missed calls from Jin. She ignored it and went to have dinner with her Japanese counterparts, turning her phone off, because it rang almost every minute, it sounded like a hotline, disrupting her meeting.
After dinner, she was able to accomplish at least two things. One, a finalized agreement between Miyako Tech and Adams Industries. And two, she was able to make Jin stop bothering her—at least for the night.
Finally, he got the message!
She must admit, her heart was bleeding. She wanted to gather enough courage for next week. She must prepare herself with what she needed to say to him. It would be hard and she would be heartbroken for the second time, but she needed to do this. She had to break up with Jin Starck!
He cannot have me and still marry Vanessa Bernard. If Vanessa was okay with sharing, well, I am not! If he thinks he could have it both ways, well, he’s got another think coming.
She stared at the mirror before she went to bed. Her eyes were swollen because she’s been working too hard during the day and then crying herself to sleep at nights.
What a fool you’ve been to think that Jin Starck would choose you over his promise to his parents… over his family legacy! He would lose everything he’s worked so hard for in the last seven years. You… are not worth it!
She must admit, for the past weeks, she was on cloud nine, and she’d been dreaming. But now, she’s wide awake and the bitter reality slapped her in the face.
She was in the airport by noon the next day to catch the flight back to Chicago. She planned to go straight to her house first to check up on it and see if she and Jared could finally move back in.
I want to go back to my house and start my life all over again.
When she landed in Chicago, she was shocked to see Jin Starck standing at the arrival area, looking like he was waiting for somebody.
He was wearing a pair of black chinos and a dark gray high collar sweater with a side zipper. His hair was disheveled and his beautiful aquamarine eyes looked tired and weary. He had a cut on his eyebrow and a bruise beside his lips, like he just came from a brawl.
He approached her and her heart pounded loudly inside her ribcage with each step he took towards her.
“Oh my God, what happened to you? You look…” she trailed off. He was bruised but damn, he still looked great. And the bruise and cuts made him look tougher, even more dangerous.
“This is nothing. Don’t worry about it,” he said.
“Okay, then what are you doing here?” she asked. “You weren’t due to be back until the end of the week.”
She was indeed preparing herself emotionally for the time she would see him again. She was definitely not ready to face him so soon.
“I was waiting for you,” he replied.
“Why?”
He raised a brow. “You were ignoring my calls, not answering my messages.”
“I was—I was busy.”
“I was busy too, and I was in different time zones every forty-eight hours, but I make time to answer your calls and if I miss any, I call back,” he said in an annoyed tone. “Have you ever been in a relationship before? Did you not think I would be worried sick if I did not hear from you within a twenty-four-hour period?”
“Now, you know I’m okay,” she said. She had to remind herself that she was going to break up with him. “You can go back to Paris now. I’m sorry for any inconvenience caused.”
He drew his brows together and he stared at her as if she was out of her mind. “Excuse me? Who are you and what have you done to my girlfriend?”
Girlfriend?!
She was about to retort back when her phone suddenly rang. It was Adrienne.
“Hi Yen. I just landed.”
“Good,” Adrienne said. There was something in her voice that somehow rang the alarm bells inside Julianne’s head.
“What’s wrong, Yen?”
“Your parents are here. And Gian’s on the way,” Adrienne replied. “I’m not sure if I should be telling you this. But I have a very bad feeling this concerns you or Jared.”
“I’m going there now!”
Jin instantly read the worried expression on her face. “What happened? Is Jared okay?” He sounded alarmed too.
“He’s fine,” Julianne replied. “But I need to go to the mansion now. We need to talk. Later. But right now, I need to go.”
“What’s the problem?”
She shook her head. “It’s not your concern.”
“Arabella…” his voice was firm and serious. “Your problem is my problem.”
She shook her head. “My parents are not your problem, Jin. It’s my problem alone! And right now, I need to go to the mansion, so I can stop whatever evil plan my father has in mind. I know him. I know he’s out to spread havoc again!”
Her eyes were teary and she was sure he could read panic written all over her face. He reached out to cup her cheeks between his palms.
“Okay, okay,” he said in a more comforting tone. “I’ll drive you there.”
He bent down to take her bags from her. Then he took her hand in his and led her out of the airport and into the parking lot where his green Ferrari was parked.
They drove in complete silence to the Adams Mansion. Julianne’s thoughts were completely occupied with possibilities of what her father could be up to now. She was chewing her thumbnail to distract herself.
I already moved out. Surely, sleepovers are allowed! What more does he want?
If his father wouldn’t believe that she moved out, she would show him a copy of her lease to her new house.
What is he up to now?
Knowing her father, it could be anything. He never failed to surprise or shock her after all these years. She heard that some of their businesses weren’t doing well. He was trying to sell off their Paris glass factory because it was losing a lot of money, but no one wanted to pay the exorbitant price he was asking for.
But what have I got to do with it? Even if he did successfully marry me off to Patrick McAllister, I doubt I would be able to help in that!
Jin parked in front of the mansion. Julianne went down the car, without waiting for Jin to open the door for her. Her hands were sweaty and the knot in her stomach kept getting tighter and tighter.
As she ascended the steps, she felt Jin pull her hand. She turned back to him.
“Hey, it’s gonna be fine,” he assured her.
She took a deep breath and nodded hesitantly.
“I’ll check up on Jared,” Jin said. “If you need me… just call, okay?”
Again, she nodded. Jin reached up and gave her cheek a reassuring caress.
Then she turned back and hurried to the tea room. The door was partially open and she could hear voices inside. She decided to listen in first before she entered.
“Why you are taking out your problems on Ian and Jared is beyond me, Uncle,” she heard Justin say in a grave tone. She recognized that tone. That’s how Justin usually sounds when he’s holding on to the last strings of self-control.
“Julianne does not have any right to the family name anymore,” she heard her father say. “She lost it when she had that bastard of hers. And I cannot allo,w that boy to carry my name too!”
Oh my God!
“So what would you have us do?” she heard Uncle Jac ask.
“The right thing. Respect my decision and stop helping that traitor ex-daughter of mine.”
“Edward, you are being very unreasonable!” Christine said. Julianne could hear the tears in her voice. “Emily, why are you even allowing this?”
“He’s right, Christine. What Ian did caused irreparable damage to our reputation. My husband lost deals here and there. The McAllisters are a difficult family to cross. We’re still suffering the consequences of Ian’s indiscretion. We are losing our businesses.”
“You’re losing your business because of your mismanagement and wrong decisions. Not because your daughter got pregnant and broke off her arranged engagement with a spoiled brat from a powerful family,” Jac said wryly.
“How dare you!” she heard her father raise his voice angrily. “I do not say anything about your family! How dare you insult my decisions and my actions?”
“Stop this! Dad, you were out of line,” she heard Gian say.
“Shut up, boy! Haven’t I taught you to keep your mouth shut when the adults are talking?”
Damn! He still treats Gian like he was ten years old!
At that point, she couldn’t take it anymore. She barged into the room and faced her parents.
“What do you want this time, Dad?” she asked, raising her chin. “I’ve done what you wanted. I moved out of this house so you would not need to bother Justin and his family for helping me out. Me and Jared were just here temporarily because of some works happening in my neighborhood. Surely, this was not counted. I couldn’t understand what else you were asking for.”
Her father gave her a contemptuous look, which broke her heart even more, but she endured it. She refused to make him see that he was breaking her already broken spirit.
“I raised you, you ingrate! Gave you the best of life. And you were born for one purpose in this family! To look pretty and desirable to a man of good stature, who could be beneficial to our business. And you couldn’t even do that!”
“Dad, please stop!” Gian pleaded.
“Her only purpose?” Justin echoed angrily. “As in you had kids because they serve a purpose other than be your children?”
“I do not like children. But I needed an heir. I wanted a boy. Ian was supposed to be a bonus. Now, she’s nothing more than a liability,” her father said dryly. “That’s why I am here.” Her father looked at her directly. “I want you to remove my surname on your bastard son’s birth certificate!”
Julianne stared at her father with wide eyes. She could barely believe what she was hearing.
“Say what?” Jac asked. He sounded like he felt that was the most ridiculous thing he had heard in his life.
“I gave you my surname,” her father said. “You no longer have the right to carry it since I disinherited you. And you most certainly have no right to give it to your bastard. You have no right to give him my name!”
Julianne’s eyes filled with tears. Her parents refused to acknowledge or even meet their grandson. And now, they do not even want him to carry their surname. She looked at her mother, but she simply shrugged apologetically. She knew that she was on her father’s side on this. She always had been.
“Jesus Christ, Dad!” Gian protested. “That’s beyond going overboard.”
“Shut up!”
“So, what name should she and Jared use?” Christine asked.
“She can use any name. She could invent a new one if she wanted.” Edward Sanders spat out the words.
Julianne felt her aunt Christine’s arms around her shoulder. “You can use Smith.”
“No, Christine,” her father said firmly. “That bastard cannot use Smith either. We do not want any more association with them. Bad for business.”
“Oh, sweet Jesus, Edward, you have clearly lost your mind!” Jac said. “If you weren’t my wife’s brother-in-law, I would punch the living hell out of you right now!”
“If you weren’t my uncle, I would do exactly the same!” Justin said, reeling with anger.
Julianne finally recovered from her shock. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She could only be grateful that Jared was not here or was not old enough to understand all this. “So…” she sobbed. “So, what name am I allowed to use? What name would my son use?”
Her father raised a mocking brow at her. “That bastard can go nameless for all I care…”
“With all due respect… Sir!” they heard a booming voice at the door, interrupting their thoughts, pulling them out of the shocked state they were all in.
Julianne turned around and saw Jin Starck standing at the door. He was sporting a look of wrath on his face. And before she could even blink, Jin went for her father. The next thing she saw was Jin holding Edward Sanders against the wall by his collar.
“You call Jared a bastard one more time and I swear to God, I will forget that you are Julianne’s father.” Jin said in gritted teeth.
“Jin!” Adrienne exclaimed. “What are you doing?”
Jin didn’t seem to hear his sister. Everyone else was either too shocked to move or too happy that someone finally had the guts to hurt Edward Sanders like he deserved.
“Jared is your grandson!” Jin barked at Edward.
It took a moment for Edward to respond. “No. That ba-” Jin gave him another hard push against the wall, preventing him from calling Jared a bastard one more time. Edward took a deep breath and continued, “I disinherited Julianne when she told us that she was pregnant. That boy is not my grandson. And he has no right to carry my name, or my wife’s surname.”
Gian went behind Jin and pulled him away. “Come on, bro. Let go of my old man.”
Reluctantly, Jin released Edward. “You disinherited her just because she got pregnant?” Obviously, he never had a clue about this before. And Julianne wished she told him about her real status in her family beforehand.
“Because she shamed this family!” Edward replied, fixing his collar. “She was arranged to be married to Patrick McAllister! I already promised them she would make good of that agreement. She knew her responsibilities to this family and yet she still chose to break it! She brought shame to our honorable name. And her… son cannot carry that name. He is not my grandson!”
Jin gave Edward a look of disgust. “You are despicable, aren’t you, Edward Sanders? No wonder your businesses were losing out.”
Edward looked surprised that Jin knew that. In a defensive tone, he said, “Julianne brought bad luck to our businesses. I was brokering the merger of the year. I lost that deal. I lost millions! I lost my biggest winery clients for my glass factory because they were all McAllister’s friends. Now, I do not want any association with her and her son!” Her father turned to the others in the room. “You all stay out of this. For the sake of the peace and status quo in this clan! You do not want to start a feud. Do not meddle with my decision regarding Julianne and her son!”
“He has a name!” Jin growled.
“What?” Edward turned to him.
“His name is Jared!” Jin gave Edward a murderous stare.
“Would you mind your own business? I don’t even know why you’re in this room!” Edward said.
“I am not a member of your family so I can say or do whatever I want!” Jin fumed. “And Jared is my business!”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Edward Sanders asked.
“You don’t have to pressure anyone to drop your surname in Jared’s legal documents. Julianne would be doing that very soon!” Jin said firmly. “Sanders was not a worthy enough name for him! From now on, Jared will be using the name he rightfully deserves!”
Julianne could feel her knees weakening by the second. Jin turned to her and gave her a meaningful stare. Then he took a deep breath and said, “He will use the name… Jared Adrien… Starck.”
Thud!
She was sure she just heard her heart drop to the floor.
The room fell silent as everybody took time to absorb what Jin just said. Everybody was looking at him, studying his face, deciphering his revelation.
“Starck?” Edward echoed. He looked at Jin in wild confusion.
“Yes! That boy that you were calling a bastard… is my son!”
Julianne closed her eyes as tears fell from her eyes. She heard gasps from the others in the room. Everyone seemed to have stopped breathing.
It was Gian who recovered first. “You fucking asshole! It was you, huh!” Gian went at Jin, pushing him against the wall. “I did think Jared was a spitting image of you, and I found that really creepy! I just didn’t think you’d have met my sister before!”
Jin held his hands up in the air in surrender. He looked at Gian and said, “Go. Knock yourself out. I know you’ve been waiting seven years to beat the hell out of whoever stole your sister’s future. Now, I’m here! Have a go at it!”
Julianne could only stand and watch in horror as Gian’s fist landed on Jin’s jaw.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.
Jin didn’t dock, shield or defend himself. He let Gian beat him up. When Gian was done, Jin held his jaw and shook his head, absorbing the pain. Then he stood up straight and asked Gian, “You done?”
Instead of replying, Gian punched him one more time and then gave him a hard push on the wall. “Now, I’m done!” he growled.
Jin staggered to his feet and then he straightened his face and turned to Justin.
“Your turn, bro.”
Justin went to him and Julianne braced herself for the worst.
Oh my God!
“Honey, no!” Adrienne pleaded. Tears were rolling down her cheeks.
“It’s okay, Yen,” Jin assured her sister. “They need to get it out of their systems. I’ve been preparing for this for quite some time now.”
Justin put a firm hand on Jin’s shoulder and gave it a hard squeeze. Then he growled, “This is not the place and time for that, little brother. You’re lucky my wife is here!”
Then Justin went to Adrienne and gave his wife a tight embrace, as if he needed to be close to her to calm his nerves.
Jin sucked on his bleeding lower lip. Then he took a heavy breath and said, “What I had with Julianne seven years ago was short… but it was deep and beautiful beyond belief.” He turned to Edward. “I get it now. She left me and came back to her family… obviously to honor your agreement. Having Jared actually saved her. Because if she didn’t get pregnant, your decision to marry her off to Patrick McAllister—that scumbag, coward son of the bitch—would well be the worst thing that could have happened to her!”
Edward turned to Julianne. His face was white. “You stupid girl! Why did you not tell me about your son’s father?”
“Would that have made a difference?” Julianne asked her father coldly, raising her chin to him. “You would have come after him. You and Patrick McAllister would have searched for him and made his life a living hell if you knew who he was!”
Edward shook his head. “Well, not if you told me it was Jin Starck!”
Julianne narrowed her eyes at her father. “You’re unbelievable, Dad. I always was just a bargaining chip for you, wasn’t I?”
Edward bit his lip and didn’t answer. But Julianne knew that what she said was true. After all, Jin Starck was a much bigger fish than Patrick McAllister.
Tearfully, she looked at her mother in the eyes. But the latter turned away from her in shame, as she wiped the tears on her cheeks.
Everybody else was silent. No one even seemed to be breathing.
Finally, Jin spoke. “She shouldn’t have come back to you! She should have stayed with me. And I would have given her her own empire. And my son wouldn’t have to suffer the consequences of the decision of the callous man his grandfather was!” Jin gave Edward and contemptuous glare. “Because of her love for you and your family, she ended up being at your mercy, and at the charity of whoever is left in your family that still cared for her.”
No one interrupted Jin’s speech. No one dared.
“You do not use your own children for your own financial gain,” Jin continued. “Your daughter is smart, talented, tough… beautiful beyond belief. She’s worth more than anything you’ve ever owned, ever worked for. You’re a fool for throwing her away and blaming her for all your bad decisions.”
Tears kept rolling down Julianne’s cheeks. She was glad that somebody was finally putting her father in his rightful place. Justin and his family had always defended her, but out of respect and to prevent a feud with the Sanders side of the family, they were trying to resolve the issue diplomatically. But Jin didn’t give a shit about her father’s feelings, or his wrath at all.
“You son of a…” Edward started.
“You call my mother-in-law that word, and I swear Uncle Edward! It could well be the last thing you will say!” Justin bellowed across the room.
Edward glared at Justin. “Of course! You two gang up on me!”
“They are not ganging up on you, Edward. They’re telling you what you need hear,” Jac said, a bit more calmly. But his words were still meant to sting. “You are being an unreasonable, vindictive prick!”
“How much?” Jin suddenly asked.
All eyes turned on him.
“What?” Edward blinked back.
“How much will it take for you to leave your daughter alone? Never to bother her, speak to her and most especially blame her for any of your fucking bad luck?”
“What—what the fuck do you mean?” Edward asked. Although he wanted to sound mad, Julianne could tell from his voice that he was interested. He was, after all, talking to the Jin Starck. If there was anyone who could buy him out of his losses, it was either Justin or Jin!
Jin gave him an evil smile. Julianne could tell he got her father right where he wanted him.
“I heard your Paris glass factory is on sale, but no one wants to pay your asking price. It is unreasonable, just like you are.”
“So? It’s my father’s legacy. I’m not going anything under twenty mil for that! And what does that have anything to do with my daughter and why are you…”
Jin cut him off before he could say anything more. “I’ll give you twenty-five for it, along with the condition that you stay the fuck away from Julianne and my son! You’re not going to see them, bother them… not even speak about them or say their names from your filthy mouth! And you do not have to worry about Patrick McAllister either. He’s off your back. You will not be bothered by him and his family anymore.”
Edward Sanders stopped talking. He looked stunned, like he’s been hit with a shotgun and he couldn’t believe he survived it. Everyone else in the room was just as shocked as him.
Julianne blinked back to reality and when she looked up, Jin was already in front of her. He had a small cut on his lower lip, courtesy of the punches given to him by Gian.
He cupped her cheek gently.
“Are you okay, ma belle?” he asked in the gentlest tone she’s ever heard. She nodded slowly.
Jin wiped her tears with his thumbs. Then he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “Come. Let’s go home.”
She wanted to stay and explain everything—at least to Justin and Adrienne. But when she turned back, she found seven pairs of eyes staring back at them in shock and confusion. She decided it wasn’t the right time. Jin gave her an exit window. She should take it.
She nodded at Jin. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her down the steps.