Camille had carved out a success story of her own. While Julian and Sophia built empires in business and prestige, she had found her calling in something more personal, yet equally influential—education.
She was the founder of Bright Horizons Academy, an innovative online school designed for homeschooling mothers who wanted to teach English to children abroad. What had started as a small initiative had blossomed into a thriving network of passionate educators, giving mothers the flexibility to earn while making a difference in young lives across the world. The academy had gained recognition for its structured yet nurturing approach, offering not only language learning but also resources in childhood development, early literacy, and parental coaching.
Her name had become respected in academic circles, and her platform had expanded beyond expectations. She had built something meaningful, something lasting.
And yet, at this moment, as she walked along the bustling streets, success was the last thing on her mind.
A Passing Glance
The city was alive with movement—the hum of engines, the rhythmic tapping of footsteps against polished sidewalks, the distant chatter of people lost in their own worlds. Camille had been deep in thought, her mind clouded by the weight of emotions she wasn’t ready to face.
Elias.
Their argument had started as something small, something insignificant. But somewhere between the heated words and the unspoken feelings, it had unraveled into something worse.
A breakup.
She wasn’t even sure if it was permanent, but the silence that followed their last conversation had been too sharp, too final. The kind of silence that didn’t leave room for repair.
She sighed, her arms tightening around herself as she walked past the towering construction site of a hotel in transition. Then, something caught her eye.
A name.
Her steps faltered as she glanced up at the unfinished facade. A large banner hung across the front, bold letters stretched across the crisp fabric:
Sophia Imperial.
For a moment, she stood there, staring.
She hadn’t heard that name in a long time. But attached to a hotel? A grand, luxurious one at that? It took her a second to piece things together.
Julian.
It had to be his.
A sharp gust of wind swept past her, ruffling her hair, and just as she turned her head—
A sleek black car cruised down the street, its tinted windows rolling down just enough to reveal a familiar face.
Julian.
He was leaning slightly toward the open window, his hand resting casually against the car door, his dark hair tousled slightly by the breeze. His expression was unreadable—calm, composed—but there was something about the way his eyes were fixed on the road ahead, as if he wasn’t just moving through the city, but above it.
For the briefest of moments, their eyes met.
A second. Maybe less.
Camille felt her breath hitch in her throat, a strange mix of emotions stirring inside her. Surprise. Nostalgia. A fleeting sense of something she couldn’t quite name.
Did he recognize her?
But before she could even process the thought, the car slid past, disappearing into the flow of traffic, leaving nothing behind but the fading echo of its engine.
She exhaled, pressing a hand lightly against her chest.
Was it fate? Or just coincidence?
It didn’t matter.
Julian was back.
And at a time when she was standing on the edge of something uncertain, the past had found its way into her present.
A Breeze from the Past
Julian didn’t even spare another glance.
Yes, he had recognized her. Camille.
But that was all she was now—a recognition. A name from the past, a face that once held meaning but no longer carried any weight in his life. She was a chapter closed, one he had no intention of reopening.
He had driven past the Sophia Imperial today, intending to take in the familiar breeze—the same air that once surrounded him when he first started here. But instead, he had unexpectedly locked eyes with someone from another life.
A fleeting moment. Nothing more.
Without a second thought, Julian rolled up the window, sealing himself away from the past and everything that came with it.
His gaze dropped to the phone resting on his lap. A smirk tugged at his lips as he saw the message he had been about to send.
Julian: Don’t bother looking for a place for the reception. Just pick the decor—florals, lights, whatever makes you happy.
The venue’s already set.
It wasn’t just any venue. It was hers.
Sophia didn’t know it yet, but her own hotel—the one carrying her name, the one that symbolized everything she had built—would host their wedding reception. The Sophia Imperial would have its first, most exclusive event not for wealthy guests or high-profile elites, but for them.
It was poetic, really. A soft opening not for the public, but for their new beginning.
Leaning back in his seat, Julian tapped the message, adding one final line before sending it.
Julian: Think of it as my wedding gift. Or maybe just another excuse to keep you by my side forever.
He could already imagine Sophia’s reaction—the sharp intake of breath, the spark of surprise in her eyes, followed by that signature playful defiance.
Julian chuckled to himself, tossing the phone onto the seat beside him.
A past that no longer mattered. A future that was finally his.
And he was more than ready for it.