Verena's phone buzzed with a new message. She frowned at the unknown number, hesitated, then typed back, Who is this?
Her eyes widened in surprise. It was from best friend, Juliette. She hadn't heard that name in years.
Sitting cross-legged on the couch, Benny was busy coloring in his drawing book. Verena glanced at him, her mind still spinning from the text.
"Benny," she said gently, "I know I promised to spend the whole day with you, but…"
He looked up at her with wide eyes. "Are you going out?"
"Yes." She hesitated, then smiled.
"Is it a guy or a girl?" Benny asked seriously, tilting his head.
Verena blinked, caught off guard by the question.
"A girl. Actually… my old best friend. We haven't seen each other in four years!"
To lighten the moment, she reached over and tickled his stomach.
Benny squirmed and burst into giggles.
"No! Stop! Go already!"
Verena laughed and pulled her hand back. "All right, all right, I'll stop."
She gave his hair a soft ruffle, her heart warm at how easily he made her smile.
She called the nanny from the quarters and instructed to be with Benny all the time until she came.
Verena arrived at the private restaurant Juliette had reserved. The staff quietly escorted her down the hallway until they stopped in front of a door.
When it opened, Verena's gaze immediately landed on a slender woman seated by the window. Her ash-blonde hair cascaded down her back, and when she looked up, her ice-grey eyes locked onto Verena's.
The woman stood slowly, a mix of disbelief and warmth crossing her face.
"Verena," she breathed, her voice soft but heavy with emotion.
Verena froze for a second, her chest tightening. It had been four years since they had last seen each other, yet hearing her name spoken like that brought back a rush of memories.
The door clicked shut behind Verena, leaving the two women alone in the quiet, softly lit room.
Verena's steps were hesitant at first, but the moment Juliette's eyes softened, she closed the distance and wrapped her arms around her.
"I thought I'd never see you again," Verena whispered, her voice trembling against Juliette's shoulder.
Juliette held her tighter, her tone gentle but firm. "Nonsense. Why would you ever think that?"
They pulled back slightly, and Juliette's breath caught when she saw the tears gathering in Verena's eyes.
She blinked quickly, wiping her own cheeks before reaching out to brush away Verena's tears with her thumb.
"It's a happy moment," Juliette said with a watery smile. Her lips curved into a soft laugh as she took in her friend's face. "You look so much more mature now."
Verena laughed weakly through her tears, shaking her head. "So do you… but you're still the same Juliette."
They both settled and thought about what happened back in the high school which made Verena thrown into prison for 4 years.
"Verena?" Juliette said softly.
Verena hummed in response, waiting. But Juliette didn't speak right away.
Finally, Juliette broke the silence. "Why don't you take revenge on Ariana?" Her tone carried frustration. "Why is she living such a good life while you… look at you. You're not the same as before. Your skin, your smile. it's like prison took everything from you. She hasn't suffered at all, but you're still carrying the scars."
Verena dropped her gaze, her chest tight. Those words echoed the thoughts she had battled countless times in prison. The unfairness of it all.
"I want revenge on the Vandeleurs," she admitted at last, her voice steady. "For everything they did to us."
"Do you have a plan?" Juliette leaned forward, eyes sharp with interest.
Verena met her gaze and nodded. "Yes. But I can't do it alone. That's why I need you."
Juliette's eyes widened with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.
"Me? What do you need from me?"
Verena laid out her plan while Juliette listened, a small smile tugging at her lips. When Verena finished, Juliette let out a soft chuckle.
"Verena, you're ruthless."
Verena's eyes flashed. "This is only step one. Step two is taking Louis away from her."
"Louis?" Juliette repeated, surprised.
Verena nodded. "There's a man who used to visit Ariana. She liked him, turns out he's her cousin. He proposed to me. I'll marry him."
Juliette stared for a moment, then laughed, part disbelief, part admiration.
She become serious and asked.
"Are you sure about marrying him just for revenge? Marriage isn't a stunt, V. It's your whole life. Why give that up when we can destroy her career with Plan A?"
Verena took a sip and shake her head. "My aunt wants him to marry me. I know it's not his choice. He isn't my choice either. We both will use each other."
When she thought about little benny she wanted to be with him all the time.
"Okay. But wait. Ariana is your cousin, isn't Louis your cousin too?" Juliette was curious about their family.
"No his mother was adopted back then. I heard she had affair with Louis's dad but he was already married family didn't accept her blah blah."
Verena shrugged her shoulders, as if the rest was just gossip.