Julia's Caesar had disappeared. I'd expected a different reaction, but in the end, all men were predictable. The humiliation of being called Camille still burned. Deep down, I'd hoped that, under the influence of the drug, he would finally confess his feelings for me. Instead, I got his kisses, his desire, but they came with her name on his lips. Caesar had taken my clothes off while thinking about her. Just remembering it filled me with shame and anger. Caesar had passed out before we could go any further. If we'd actually had sex, there would have been a real chance of getting pregnant and turning the lie into the truth. Now I'd have to keep the act going with words alone. I'd have to wait another month before faking the first "symptoms" and endure the distance he'd imposed. I huffed in frustration as I did my makeup in front of the mirror. "Where are you going all dressed up?" my mother asked, looking me up and down. "To look at a commercial property downtown. I want to

Caesar's After Camille ran out, I needed a few minutes in the shadows of the bar to get my body back under control. The air seemed insufficient. Surrounded by the smell of gin and adrenaline, the truth finally sank in. I'd ruined everything. It was Camille. It had always been Camille. Feeling her body pressed against mine, the urgency of her kiss... it had been real. More and more, she was all I could see. I watched every step she took, every smile she gave. I was fucking obsessed with her. And now I would have to endure the torture of working alongside her, feeling the lingering heat of the fire we'd just started, only for me to smother it with my hesitation. My hand throbbed. I looked at my knuckles, red from the punch I'd landed on that bastard. Victor's audacity in suggesting that Camille sell herself had awakened a murderous instinct in me I hadn't even known I possessed. I returned to my office and didn't waste any time. I saved the footage of Victor and sent

Julia's POV "I'm not doing this again!" I shouted at Victor. Ever since the incident with Samuel, I'd already been forced to repeat the job twice. Disgusting men, unbearable smells. With one of them, I'd had to force myself to kiss him, and the disgust had nearly made me pass out. "And you think you have a choice?" Victor growled, cornering me against the cold wall of the empty parking garage. "I know everything. I know you prostituted yourself to some guy on the side. You'll do anything for money, so don't come pretending you have any morals with me. I know you, Julia." My debt to him was a bottomless pit. At that moment, I wished Kyle were still alive just so I could have the pleasure of killing him myself for leaving me this legacy of horror. "I'll send you your next target," he said coldly as he stepped away. "And don't you dare disappear, or I'll finish you." The moment his car disappeared, my stomach churned. I ran to a nearby trash can and vomited until my throat b

Julia's POV I needed to move Caesar. I needed to draw him into this pregnancy so completely that he wouldn't be able to walk away. That was why I chose a pale pink dress to give myself a sweet, maternal look. I left my hair loose and wore nothing but lip gloss. When he'd met me months ago, I'd been nothing but a wreck. But now, life had brought the color back to my face. I picked Adam up in my arms. My son was growing, perfect and clever. Soon, he'd have the home he deserved, with a father who would do anything for him. I ignored my mother's disapproving look. I had no intention of living in that house much longer. I stopped at a baby store, bought a little yellow onesie, neutral to keep the suspense alive, and headed straight to Caesar's apartment. I wanted to surprise him, even though he knew there was a possibility I was pregnant. I had the passcode, so I went upstairs without warning him. Standing outside his door, I took a deep breath. That baby wasn't Caesar's. It was t

Caesar's POV I watched Camille walk out the door, a tightness settling in my chest. It was the pain of losing her. I'd lost her for good. I was sure of it now. Everything I'd done up to this point had been a series of terrible decisions that had put the only thing that mattered at risk. I couldn't go after Camille. I wouldn't do that to her. In the end, she didn't deserve someone like me in her life, not after everything. "Caesar?" Fabian was standing in the doorway. I was still frozen in the middle of the room. "Sorry. I was thinking about something else. Did something happen?" "Maybe it's nothing, but one of the guards noticed some strange activity nearby. A woman who left here got into a car. The vehicle was already flagged by security. They just wanted to let us know... Maybe the security cameras caught something." "I'll take a look. Thanks." "Everything okay? I saw Camille leave, and she looked pretty upset." "Things got complicated." That was all I could say. "I