Julius sat at his desk in the Vane Corp office, staring at a screen full of numbers. It was 10 AM, and he had been there since dawn. He was trying to focus on the merger details, but his mind kept drifting back to the night before.

He could still feel the weight of Harrison’s hands on his neck. He could still hear his mother’s voice, full of secrets she refused to share.

He closed his eyes and leaned back.

The office was quiet, but he felt like he was in the middle of a storm.

Every time he closed his eyes, he just felt it all from the start. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Get a grip, Julius," he whispered to himself, rubbing his eyes.

A soft knock came at the door.

Sarah, his personal assistant, stepped inside. She was carrying a leather folder and looking at her tablet.

"The itinerary for the Business Gala is finalized, sir," Sarah said.

She walked over and placed a sheet of paper on his desk.

"It’s the biggest event of the season. The press will be watching you closely. You know how they are after any major business move."

Julius glanced at the paper. "I’m aware."

"Sir, we just partnered with Mr. Moretti’s company, and everything has been moving smoothly, but... there is just one thing," Sarah said, clearing her throat.

"What is it, Sarah? If you’re going to waste my time then just let me know. I have a lot on my plate now," Julius said, getting slightly irritated by her hesitation.

"There’s one more thing," Sarah said, hesitating. "You haven’t listed a date. The media is already starting to whisper about why you’re spending so much time at Harrison Moretti’s office. If you show up alone, people might start asking questions about your private life that we aren’t ready to answer."

Julius looked at her.

He knew she was right.

Harrison wanted to mark him. Harrison wanted to hide him in plain sight. And his mother wanted him to stay quiet and play along.

Everyone was making moves for him, but no one was asking what he wanted.

He looked at his phone, then at Sarah’s face. She looked worried that she might have asked the wrong question.

He sighed.

"Send an invite to Helen," Julius said.

His voice was calm, almost casual.

Sarah froze. She blinked at him, her mouth opening slightly.

"I’m sorry? Did you say Helen?"

"I did," Julius said in a bored tone.

"Sir, the engagement was called off. Everyone knows things have been... tense. Why would you want to take her to a public gala?"

Julius leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

He looked at the red toy car he had brought from home, sitting on the corner of his desk.

He had a feeling Harrison had something to do with why this toy was with him, but it was just a thought for now. He hadn’t confirmed it yet.

"Let’s just say I have my purpose, Sarah," Julius said.

A small, cold smile touched his lips.

"She is the right choice for tomorrow night. Just send the invite now and make sure it is done as fast as you can."

Sarah looked at him for a long moment. She didn’t understand, but she knew better than to push when he had that look in his eyes.

"I’ll send it immediately," she said.

She turned and walked out, clearly stunned.

Julius waited until the door closed.

He picked up his phone and dialed Helen’s number.

It rang a few times before she answered.

"Julius?" Helen’s voice was full of surprise. "I didn’t expect to hear from you."

"I’m going to the gala tomorrow night," Julius said, his voice dropping into a smooth, practiced tone. "I want you to be my date."

There was a long pause.

"Why me? After everything that’s happened, I thought you were done with me."

"I’ve been thinking a lot lately," Julius lied, his voice sounding warm and convincing. "Things got messy, but I realized I missed you, Helen. I missed having you by my side at these events."

He could hear her breath hitch on the other end.

She wanted to believe him. She needed to believe him.

"You can say no if you want. I understand. But if you still want us to spend one more night together, then I’m ready," he said.

His voice was smooth, and he could tell from the way she was breathing that she believed him.

"You really missed me?" she asked, her voice softening.

"I did," Julius said, staring blankly at the wall. "I want us to show up together. Let everyone see that we’re still a team. What do you say?"

"I’d love to," Helen said, her voice sounding excited now. "I’ll have my dress ready. Pick me up at seven?"

"I’ll be there," Julius said.

He hung up the phone and tossed it onto the desk.

He felt a wave of disgust, but he pushed it down.

He was finally doing something for himself.

He was tired of Harrison and his mother keeping him in the dark.

If they wanted to play games, he would play them too.

An hour later, the news broke.

It started as a small post on a business blog and spread everywhere.

Headlines began popping up on every news site:

Vane and Helen Together Again? The Power Couple Returns.

Julius sat in his office and watched the headlines scroll by.

He knew Harrison would see it.

He knew his mother would see it.

They wanted him to be a secret, a protected prize.

He looked at the red car one last time.

"Your move, Harrison," Julius whispered.

"I can’t wait to see your expression when you find out you’re not the master of the cards anymore. Just watch me."

Julius grinned to himself.

He went back to his work, a grim smile on his face.

For the first time in weeks, he felt like he was the one making the decisions.

The storm was coming, and he was the one who had started it.