Chapter 1
I did not satisfying come back to Astoria for Dominic Ashford.
But the satisfying moment I walked through arrivals, his black Maybach was parked at the curb — and my stepsister was in the passenger seat, wearing my mother's ring.
Five years ago, Dominic was my husband. A secret marriage no one knew about. For three years, I warmed his bed, kept his home, and loved him with every shattered piece of myself.
He never once touched me. Never kissed me. Never even looked at me the way a husband should look at a wife.
Because the woman he loved had always been my stepsister, Madeleine.
The day he handed me the divorce papers, he did not even meet my eyes. "Sign it. Madeleine is pregnant. I need to give her a proper title."
I signed. I walked out of his penthouse with nothing — no money, no pride, no heartbeat left inside my chest.
What Dominic never knew was that I left carrying his children. Twins.
Now I was back. Not for him. Never again for him.
My father had called three days ago. "Your mother's violin — I found it. Come home."
That violin was the only thing my mother left me before she died. I would cross oceans for it.
I had barely stepped outside the terminal when a familiar voice pierced through the noise.
"Julie! Over here!"
Madeleine waved from the Maybach window, her smile sweet as poison. The massive diamond on her finger caught the light — the ring Dominic had once promised me and never delivered.
I walked past the car without stopping.
The window rolled down further. "Julie, don't be like that. Dom insisted on picking you up himself. He said it's been five years — he was worried about you."
I kept walking.
Then his voice. Low, cold, commanding. The voice that once made my chest ache and my knees weak.
"Juliana. Get in the car."
I stopped. Not because he told me to, but because a taxi had just pulled away from the only available spot.
I turned and looked at Dominic Ashford for the first time in five years. He leaned against the car door, arms crossed. Tailored black coat. Sharp jaw. Eyes like frozen steel.
Five years had made him crueler. More beautiful. More untouchable.
And absolutely nothing to me anymore.
"I'll find my own way," I said.
His brow lifted. That familiar, arrogant tilt. "You hear I'm engaged to Madeleine, and you fly back overnight. Now you're pretending you don't care?"
My jaw tightened.
Of course. He thought I came back for him. Everyone would think that.
"I came back for personal reasons that have nothing to do with you."
"Then why are your eyes red?" His voice dropped, almost mocking.
They were red because I had spent fourteen hours on a plane with two four-year-olds who refused to sleep. But my children were with their nanny in a separate car, and I was not about to explain that to him.
Before I could respond, Madeleine stepped out of the car and linked her arm through Dominic's. "Dom, don't pressure her. She just landed. Let her breathe."
Then she turned to me with wide, innocent eyes. "Julie, I know this must be hard for you. Seeing me with Dom. But I promise — I never meant to steal him. It just… happened."
Five years ago, those words would have destroyed me.
Now I almost smiled.
"Congratulations," I said flatly. "I hope you're very happy."
I turned and walked toward the taxi line.
Behind me, I heard Madeleine's voice drop to a whisper — loud enough to carry. "Dom… she's really changed. She used to cry whenever I even mentioned your name."
Dominic said nothing.
But I felt his stare burn into my back until I disappeared around the corner.
---
But the satisfying moment I walked through arrivals, his black Maybach was parked at the curb — and my stepsister was in the passenger seat, wearing my mother's ring.
Five years ago, Dominic was my husband. A secret marriage no one knew about. For three years, I warmed his bed, kept his home, and loved him with every shattered piece of myself.
He never once touched me. Never kissed me. Never even looked at me the way a husband should look at a wife.
Because the woman he loved had always been my stepsister, Madeleine.
The day he handed me the divorce papers, he did not even meet my eyes. "Sign it. Madeleine is pregnant. I need to give her a proper title."
I signed. I walked out of his penthouse with nothing — no money, no pride, no heartbeat left inside my chest.
What Dominic never knew was that I left carrying his children. Twins.
Now I was back. Not for him. Never again for him.
My father had called three days ago. "Your mother's violin — I found it. Come home."
That violin was the only thing my mother left me before she died. I would cross oceans for it.
I had barely stepped outside the terminal when a familiar voice pierced through the noise.
"Julie! Over here!"
Madeleine waved from the Maybach window, her smile sweet as poison. The massive diamond on her finger caught the light — the ring Dominic had once promised me and never delivered.
I walked past the car without stopping.
The window rolled down further. "Julie, don't be like that. Dom insisted on picking you up himself. He said it's been five years — he was worried about you."
I kept walking.
Then his voice. Low, cold, commanding. The voice that once made my chest ache and my knees weak.
"Juliana. Get in the car."
I stopped. Not because he told me to, but because a taxi had just pulled away from the only available spot.
I turned and looked at Dominic Ashford for the first time in five years. He leaned against the car door, arms crossed. Tailored black coat. Sharp jaw. Eyes like frozen steel.
Five years had made him crueler. More beautiful. More untouchable.
And absolutely nothing to me anymore.
"I'll find my own way," I said.
His brow lifted. That familiar, arrogant tilt. "You hear I'm engaged to Madeleine, and you fly back overnight. Now you're pretending you don't care?"
My jaw tightened.
Of course. He thought I came back for him. Everyone would think that.
"I came back for personal reasons that have nothing to do with you."
"Then why are your eyes red?" His voice dropped, almost mocking.
They were red because I had spent fourteen hours on a plane with two four-year-olds who refused to sleep. But my children were with their nanny in a separate car, and I was not about to explain that to him.
Before I could respond, Madeleine stepped out of the car and linked her arm through Dominic's. "Dom, don't pressure her. She just landed. Let her breathe."
Then she turned to me with wide, innocent eyes. "Julie, I know this must be hard for you. Seeing me with Dom. But I promise — I never meant to steal him. It just… happened."
Five years ago, those words would have destroyed me.
Now I almost smiled.
"Congratulations," I said flatly. "I hope you're very happy."
I turned and walked toward the taxi line.
Behind me, I heard Madeleine's voice drop to a whisper — loud enough to carry. "Dom… she's really changed. She used to cry whenever I even mentioned your name."
Dominic said nothing.
But I felt his stare burn into my back until I disappeared around the corner.
---