Chapter 10
Julie, still at his side, patted his shoulder, her tone light and dismissive. “Honey, calm down. Maybe she’s just sulking because you missed your anniversary. She’s probably trying to teach you a lesson.
“I’m sure if she runs out of money, Daisy will come back. After all, you said she can’t live without you, didn’t you?“;
But Anthony did not respond, his jaw tightening. He turned to the butler and the maid. “Search the house. Look for anything she left
behind”
After a short search, the butler found my discorded SIM card in the trash Realizing Julie was still in the Manor, he decided to keep it away from prying eyes.”
The butler also chose to protect the box as well, knowing Julie could sabotage or intercept anything personal I had left. Downstairs, Julie flitted about like she already owned the place, her voice filling the empty Manor
“I could move in here for a while,” she chirped, her tone saccharine. That way, I can keep you company, honey. After all, it’s such a big house for just one person,”
Anthony, leaning against the banister with a self–assured smirk, nodded. “Of course. Daisy will come back eventually, just like you said. She always does. But she needs to learn a lesson for leaving without a word.”)
Julie grinned, wrapping her arms around his “Then I’ll head back to the villa to pack a few things. We’ll sleep here starting tonight, won’t we, honey?”
Anthony tilted her chin up and kissed her. “Exactly. Take the driver and pack quickly. I want you back here by dinner.”
Julie nodded, her smile widening. “I won’t take long ”
As she left, the butler, who had been silently observing the exchange, approached Anthony with a hesitant expression.
“Sir” the butler began, his voice steady but cautious, “there is something Mrs. Harris left for you in the study. I believe you should see it.” Anthony’s smirk deepened. “See? I told you Daisy wouldn’t leave without a clue. She’s too predictable. Could it be a surprise anniversary gift? She mentioned it at the hospital,”
The butler remained silent, unwilling to confirm or deny his master’s assumptions.
In the study, Anthony spotted the neatly wrapped gift box on his desk. On top of it was a SIM card, deliberately placed by the butler!! Anthony’s brows furrowed slightly as he picked up the SIM card “What’s this? Is there something I should know about this?” The butler cleared his throat. “The maid found it in the trash by your bed, sir, We believe it belonged to Mrs. Harris.“”
Anthony chuckled lightly, twirling the card between his fingers. “Daisy’s SIM card, huh? Maybe she left me a message. Open it. Let’s see what’s inside before I get to the gift box”
The butler inserted the card into a spare phone, his expression carefully neutral. As the messages loaded, he handed the phone back to Anthony.
Anthony scrolled through the messages, expecting something heartfelt, a message pleading for reconciliation, or even an explanation for her sudden departure !!
But his smirk vanished as his eyes darted across the screen. “What is this actually?”
Anthony stared at Julie’s provocative texts on the screen, each word a dagger slicing through his composure.
[Julie: You were sick on purpose to prevent me from being alone with Anthony last night, right? I didn’t expect you to be so cunning after i told you about our relationship.
His face darkened as he read further, his grip on the phone lightening.
[Julie: Our relationship has come this far, so you can’t even do anything about it, Daisy. We even have a without causing trouble
baby, so
so I hope you’ll just accept it
And then, the final blow!
Julie. We’ll be in Japan tomorrow. Make sure not to disturb us anymore, or I’ll share our affair online ] Anthony’s knuckles whitened as his smirk melted into a deep scowl.!!
Then there were the photos–dozens of them–Julie and him in intimate poses: dinners, vacations, moments he thought were private. Each image hammered home a truth he had not been ready to face.
The butler stood nearby, his hands folded neatly behind his back, watching Anthony carefully but saying nothing
Anthony’s chest heaved as he set the phone down, his breaths heavy with a mix of realization and regret X
Without a word, he turned his attention to the gift box on the desk. His movements were no longer confident but sharp and erratic, his unease growing with each passing second
He ripped away the wrapping paper with a sense of urgency, expecting and hoping for a sign that I had not truly left. But inside, he found something far colder than he anticipated
The credit cards he had given me, the car keys, and the divorce papers.
At the very top was a simple note written in my neat handwriting. “I wish you happiness with your new woman,”
Anthony’s hands trembled as he picked up the papers, his eyes scanning the document. The charge listed was unmistakable: infidelity. “Mr. Harris, the butler began hesitantly, “is there anything else you require?”
Anthony did not respond immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the divorce papers, the weight of them heavier than he could have anticipated.
“No,” he said finally, his voice low and clipped. “That will be all
The butler bowed and quietly left the room, leaving Anthony alone with the remnants of what he had lost..
Sitting at his desk, Anthony opened the divorce agreement and reread it carefully. I had asked for nothing–not money, not property
It dawned on him that I had been preparing to leave for some time. The realization hit him harder when he remembered the expensive. items I had sold on secondhand marketplaces.
“Could she have known all along since then?” he muttered to himself, the pieces beginning to fall into place
The message Julie sent me at the party and my reaction when I came home late began to form a clearer picture in Anthony’s mind
Picking up the phone, he called the Harris Group’s front desk. “Did Mrs. Harris come to the office recently?”
“Yes, sir,” the receptionist replied. “She came by weeks ago.
Anthony frowned. “I need the CCTV footage from that day.”
Within hours, he was sitting in his home office, combing through the security footage like a detective piecing together a case.
When he found the footage of me entering the building, his heart tightened. He watched as I made my way toward his office, stopping briefly at the elevator?
Then came the scene that changed everything: the elevator doors opening to reveal him and Julie locked in an intimate kiss. My shocked face was caught clearly on the camera.!!
Anthony froze the frame, his stomach twisting in regret
“That’s when she found out,” he whispered, his voice heavy with disbelief
He replayed the footage, following my movements as left the building. The more he watched, the clearer it become.
I had been close to confronting him, but I had walked away instead.
His hand ran through his hair in frustration. “How did I not notice her?
The truth settled like a stone in his chest. At the office, Anthony had felt untouchable.
Everyone knew about his relationship with Julie and treated it as–normal, so he never thought to hide it. That sense of freedom had backfired in the worst way
Then he saw the ultrasound photo attached to the divorce papers. It was Julie’s baby, the child he had carelessly created in the midst of his lies.5
Anthony leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling as the weight of his actions crashed down on him
“This wouldn’t have escalated if Julie hadn’t provoked her he murmured to himself
Julie’s smugness, her audacity to taunt me, everything about her behavior had worsened the situation.
For the first time, Anthony questioned her intentions. Was Julie truly the innocent, adoring woman she pretended to be?!
Or had she been fueling the fire, ensuring that the fracture in his marriage became irreparable??
He slammed the papers down on the desk, frustration surging through him. The pieces of his life were crumbling around him, and the person he once loved was then out of reach
As Anthony sat brooding in his study, his thoughts tangled in regret and realization, a knock at the door startled him.
“Sir,” the butler called hesitantly from the other side. “Miss Osborn has arrived and is asking for you. She has been insistent about knowing your whereabouts ”
Anthony’s jaw tightened as he quickly hid the divorce papers, the note, and the evidence of Julie’s provocations in a locked drawer. “Never let her into my study,” he instructed firmly
“Yes, sir.”
Taking a deep breath, Anthony smoothed his expression and exited the study.
As soon as Julie saw him descending the stairs, she ran toward him, throwing her arms around his neck.
“Honey,” she exclaimed, feigning a hurt expression. They kept me waiting downstairs. Why couldn’t I see you? It felt so lonely.
Anthony’s features remained stoic as he gently untangled her arms from his neck. “They just don’t know you yet,” he replied smoothly. “Don’t take it personally.”
Julie pouted, playing up her innocent act. “But you promised we’d finally be together here. I thought this place was supposed to be our home now
Anthony forced a smile, his mind already calculating his next move. “Of course, it is. Let’s go to the bedroom and unpack your belongings “I
He led her upstairs, but instead of taking her to the master bedroom, the one we had once shared, he opened the door to a guest room.!! Julie did not know about that yet, so she was so happy when seeing broad bedroom. “It’s so lovely, honey.”
Anthony offered her a brief kiss on the forehead, his lips barely brushing her skin. “Take your time unpacking,” he said, stepping toward the door. “I’ll take care of a few things and join you for dinner later”
Julie beamed at him, completely unaware of the tension simmering beneath his colm exterior!!
As soon as Anthony closed the guest room door, his face darkened. He motioned for the butler to approach.
Assign someone discreet to keep an eye on Miss Osborn,” Anthony said in a low voice.
The butler blinked in surprise but nodded, “Yes, sir. What should they be monitoring?”
“Farthing” Anthony relied curtly. “I want to know her activities her communications her connections–adbins a
8:15 PM CF
The butler blinked in surprise but nodded. “Yes, sir. What should they be monitoring?”
“Everything.” Anthony replied curtly. “I want to know her activities, her communications, her connections–anything she’s hiding. And send
someone to investigate her background, Spare no detail.”
The butler inclined his head. “Understood, sir.”
“Search for Daisy’s whereabout too, I want the answer within a week,” he added. Then, Anthony turned back toward the hallway with racing mind.”
ity, her pro
Julie’s audacity.
ignore.
provocations toward me, and her apparent overconfidence had planted a seed of doubt that he could no longer
“If she’s hiding something,” he muttered under his breath “I’ll find it.”
The Manor felt colder than ever as Anthony walked back to his study, each step echoing with the realization that his once–perfect world was unraveling, and Julie Osborn might not be the partner he thought she was.
