Julia sat comfortably in the lavish, dimly lit private club, sipping her wine slowly, savouring the rich taste as it slid down her throat.
The wine was expensive, perfectly aged, much like everything else in the exclusive club—tailored for those who demanded the best in life.
She admired the quiet elegance of the room—the polished marble floors, velvet chairs, and muted golden lights that bathed everything in a soft, intimate glow.
It was the perfect setting for scheming.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps clicking sharply against the marble. The rhythm was unmistakable. She could sense that someone was approaching her, and her smile deepened in anticipation of what was to come.
She glanced up, her expression carefully neutral, as Amos appeared before her.
He was a man who always appeared well-put-together, but tonight, his usually composed demeanour seemed frayed, as if he were carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
As Amos stood before her, he bowed his head respectfully, his movements stiff with unease.
"Miss Julia," Amos greeted, his voice respectful but laced with hesitation.
Julia flashed him a gentle smile, motioning for him to sit. "Amos. There is no need for formalities. Have a seat."
He hesitated only for a second before lowering himself into the chair opposite her. Julia swirled the wine in her glass, her eyes flicking up to study him with quiet curiosity.
"I'm surprised to see you here," she said, her tone pleasant but with an edge of expectation. "You don't strike me as the type to frequent clubs."
Amos cleared his throat, clearly uneasy in her presence. "I'm not, ma'am, but… it's about Alpha Lucas. He's been beside himself since Aurora left. He's—" Amos paused, his face grim—"not himself."
Julia's lips curved into a knowing smile, though her eyes remained cold. She already knew what was coming.
"He's been searching for her non-stop," Amos continued, his voice laced with frustration. "He can't focus on anything else, no matter what I tell him. He's tearing himself apart."
Julia nodded slowly, her expression thoughtful.
"I expected as much. Aurora's disappearance has unsettled him deeply," she replied.
Amos's brows furrowed in confusion. "You seem very calm about it, Miss Julia. I thought you… wanted Lucas to be yours."
Julia chuckled, the sound soft and deceptively sweet. "I do, Amos. And I will have him. But there's no rush."
Amos blinked, clearly taken aback by her composed response. "But how? If Lucas is this fixated on Aurora, how will you—"
She held up a hand, silencing him with a graceful gesture. "Lucas is a man of deep emotions. He might be consumed by thoughts of Aurora now, but that won't last. People forget. Affection fades. It's only a matter of time before he realizes Aurora is gone for good. And when that moment comes, I'll be there."
Amos stared at her, trying to process her words. "But… what if he doesn't forget her? What if he's still in love with her?"
Julia set down her glass, her fingers lightly tracing the rim as she smiled. "He might still love her now, but love doesn't always last, especially when it's tested by time and absence. Besides"—her eyes gleamed with a quiet, determined fire—"I have a plan."
Amos leaned forward slightly, intrigued despite himself. "A plan?"
Julia's smile widened, a dangerous glint in her gaze. "Lucas may think about Aurora now, but I'll make sure he starts thinking about me soon enough. I know how to get under his skin. I'll be the one who's there when he needs comfort, support, and understanding. Little by little, he'll start relying on me… until he realizes he needs me, not her."
Amos frowned, still uncertain. "And if that doesn't work?"
Julia raised an eyebrow, her voice turning icy. "It will work. I've dealt with men like Lucas before. They might think they know what they want, but they don't. I'll mould his desires, slowly but surely, until he sees me as his future—and Aurora - as nothing more than a painful memory."
She leaned back in her chair, lifting her glass once more and taking a slow sip of wine. "In time, he'll come to me. Whether he wants to or not."
Amos sat back, feeling a chill run down his spine at the calm, calculated way she spoke. He had known Julia was confident, but this level of cold, meticulous planning was beyond anything he had expected.
"And what if Aurora comes back?" Amos ventured, though his voice was weaker now.
Julia's eyes narrowed slightly, her smile fading just a little. "If Aurora comes back…" She paused, her tone turning deadly quiet. "Then I'll make sure she doesn't stay."
There was a finality to her words, a quiet promise of what she was willing to do to secure Lucas. Amos didn't dare ask for details, but the meaning behind her statement was clear.
After a long moment of silence, Julia set her glass down with a soft clink and rose to her feet. "I think that's enough talk for tonight, Amos. You've been very helpful. Now go back to Lucas and make sure he continues to chase after his little ghost. The more he obsesses over her now, the harder he'll fall when I finally pull him back."
Amos stood as well, still looking unsure. "Yes, Miss Julia."
As he turned to leave, Julia's voice called out to him one last time. "Oh, and Amos?"
He stopped and looked over his shoulder.
"Don't get too attached to Aurora. In the end, she's already lost."
With that, Julia turned and walked away, her footsteps echoing softly in the dimly lit club, leaving Amos standing there with an uneasy feeling twisting in his gut.
He wasn't sure if he admired Julia's confidence… or feared it.
Shaking his head, Amos finally turned and made his way to the exit, Julia's chilling words still lingering in his mind.
His footsteps echoed faintly as he moved across the club's opulent floors.
Just as he was about to take another step into the cool night air, his phone buzzed in his pocket, slicing through the quiet tension that had built around him.
Amos frowned, already bracing himself for another of Lucas's relentless demands about the search for Aurora.
He curled his lips in irritation but pulled the phone out anyway.
However, when he saw the name flash across the screen, his irritation quickly shifted to curiosity.
He raised an eyebrow and answered.
"What is it?" Amos asked, his voice low but urgent.
On the other end, a man's voice responded, calm but firm. "I've found some information about Aurora."
Amos's heart skipped a beat as he straightened, suddenly alert. "Go on."
"She's heading to Sumturm City tonight."