Chapter 18
"Wow, Juliette, I'm surprised you didn't tell me everything from the beginning."
"Sorry, my friend, I was really confused," I sighed.
"I hope you don't get hurt, Juliette."
"Calm down, I know very well that this marriage is fake and sooner or later, it has to end, that's why I don't plan on involving my feelings."
"I'm here to support you, Juliette, and on that day, I'll be by your side."
It was an incredible afternoon. Chloé always knows how to give me courage; now I can move forward with this marriage, but my parents can't.
With this marriage, my parents can't find out. I don't want to disappoint them.
When I got home, my sister was already there.
"Until I see you, Sophie, lately you're hardly ever at home."
"Sister, I have a wedding to plan. I'm very busy; undoubtedly, it will be a big event. There are a lot of details, you understand too, you're getting married soon."
"My wedding will be a bit small, so it's not that complicated to plan," I shrugged.
"Juliette, tell me something, do you really love Gérard, or are you just marrying him for the money?" She looked at me with a mocking smile.
"Do you think I'm as interested as you?" I retorted irritably.
"I'm not interested; I really love Bastian," she replied, annoyed.
"Truthfully, I don't believe much in your love for him; you've always been very capricious and materialistic," I said accusingly.
"I love living well, sister, it's not my fault if everyone treats me like a princess," she fluttered her eyelashes charmingly.
"Anyway, I hope you'll be a really good wife," I said sarcastically.
"Your comments make me think that maybe you're still in love with my future husband," she glared at me.
"Don't get me wrong, Sophie. I'm not interested in Bastian anymore; I just think you're using him solely for your benefit, but you're right, it's not my business anymore," I said confidently, sure of my words.
"Juliette, have you thought about what I said about you not being my sister?"
"Of course, I've thought about it, but then I realized it was absurd; all you're trying to do is attract attention, grow up a little," I rolled my eyes.
"And what if it wasn't a lie?"
"Stop it, Sophie, it's impossible for me to be adopted."
"You know, Juliette, let's leave this topic for another day; I'm really tired. Goodnight, little sister.”
"I only have two weeks left until my wedding.
Chloé has been helping me these days to organize everything; the ceremony will take place at Mr. Simon's place. He has a beautiful garden. There will only be a few of us, but I still want everything to be beautiful.
"My friend, all that's left is the cake and your dress. Are you sure you can find something in such a short time?"
"Relax, Chloé, the cake will be made by the chef of the Durand family, and as for the dress, I'm going to wear my mother's."
"Really, don't you want something more modern?"
"My mom's dress is gorgeous; it's simple but elegant. Plus, my mother is very good at sewing; she's going to modify it a bit, remove the sleeves, and add some embellishments."
"Your mom really has a gift for sewing," she said with a smile. "Apparently, everything is ready."
With all the work we have at the company, I've hardly been able to see Gérard.
I feel sad; I miss him.
"What are you thinking about, my little doll?" I suddenly hear a voice.
"Gérard, what are you doing here?"
"Well, it's my company," he said with a smile.
"I mean here, in my office."
"I miss you, I wanted to see you," his smile widened. "Plus, everyone has already left."
"That's true, it's already late, time flew," I said apologetically.
"Come here, I want to hold you in my arms."
I felt Gérard's hands on my waist, and he pulled me closer to him; his scent was unmistakable.
I noticed the wood with a hint of citrus, and suddenly, I was enveloped in his arms. I really wanted to stay in his arms much longer; the feeling he gave me was indescribable.
"Julie, it's time to go, it's late, and you need rest."
"Yes, but first, let's grab something to eat, I'm hungry."
"Let's go to the nearby restaurant, okay?"
"It's a fast-food place; I didn't think you'd like that kind of food."
"I'm not that picky about food. Of course, I prefer something more gourmet, but once in a while, it's okay to have something like that."
"Wow, now that I think about it, I don't know enough about you," I said almost reflexively.
"You're free to ask me any questions you want about me."
Suddenly, his phone rang.
Someone said something rather serious, and his face even changed color.
"We're coming, Luc."
"Julie, Grandpa fell ill," he informed me, worried.
"Let's go, I'll accompany you to the hospital."
We rushed to the hospital. I was very worried about Grandpa; a few days ago, I had seen him, and he seemed quite well. Hopefully, he'll be okay.
Upon arrival, I saw his cousin Vincent with Alice. Apparently, he's also worried about Grandpa.
At that moment, a man dressed in white came out of the room.
"Doctor, how is my Grandpa doing?"
"Mr. Simon showed signs of high blood pressure, which made him very susceptible to a heart attack. Fortunately, we managed to stabilize him in time."
"That's good news," I said, relieved.
"Tonight, he'll be under our observation, and if his vital signs are normal tomorrow, we can release him. You, as his close family, can go in and see him."
"Julie, I'll go see Grandpa, I'll be right back," Gérard said to me.
He gave me a kiss on the forehead and went into the room with Vincent, leaving me alone with Alice.
"The wedding is approaching, Juliette, are you nervous?" she asked mischievously.
"No, Gérard gives me confidence; I think everything will be fine."
"Likewise, and I don't think you'll end up marrying him; you shouldn't be so calm, my dear," her expression changed; she looked like someone else.
"What do you mean, Alice?"
"Juliette, do you know why Gérard is marrying you? Out of spite, because the woman he really loves is me. Excuse my bluntness, but I hate to see you living in lies."
"So if you're the love of his life, as you claim, why is he marrying me?" I said with a sarcastic laugh. "I regret to inform you that you're no longer part of his life; besides, you're marrying Vincent."
"There was a misunderstanding between us, but soon he'll be back in my arms, believe me, Juliette," she said confidently.
I felt a surge of courage at that moment; it was a whirlwind of emotions just thinking that I could lose Gérard made me feel very insecure.