Chapter 231
“Come on,” Lilly murmurs under her breath, gently tugging me toward the room, even though my eyes remain fixed on the scene.
I pause as the attendant quietly shuts the door behind us.
The suite opens into a sitting room dressed in soft creams, plush sofas, a low marble table, and fresh flowers arranged just so. Tall windows draped in sheer curtains let Paris filter in gently.
Beyond that, two distinct sleeping areas are subtly separated for privacy, each with its own bed dressed in crisp white linen that looks almost too perfect to disturb.
The bathroom is all marble and muted gold with a deep soaking tub, a rainfall shower, and mirrors that somehow make you look more rested than you feel.
I set my bag down slowly and exhale, only then realizing I’d been holding my breath.
“So,” I blurt out, the words escaping before I can stop them, “who’s the woman with Noah p>
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not jealous. Just curious.
“Juliett Ashthorne,” Lilly replies simply, already removing her jewelry.
“Am I supposed to know her?” I ask, not rudely. Just genuinely confused. The way Lilly says her name makes it sound like I should.
She looks at me, then shakes her head. “Do you live under a rock p>
“Apparently,” I say dryly. “Because I have no idea who she is p>
“She’s a socialite,” Lilly explains, “and the sole heiress to Ashthorne Enterprises p>
That, at least, rings a bell. Ashthorne Enterprises deals in steel manufacturing.
“Okay,” I say slowly. “So what’s the deal with her and Noah?” I ask, shrugging off my sweater and unhooking my bra before reaching for something more comfortable.
Lilly pauses, glancing at me with a knowing smile. “And why would you want to know p>
“Nothing,” I reply a little too quickly. “I’m just… curious p>
Lilly’s eyes narrow, but her smile stays firmly in place. “Haven’t you ever heard the saying curiosity killed the cat p>
“Just tell me what their deal is,” I huff, dropping onto the plush sofa.
“Fine,” she says, crossing her arms. “Juliett has had a crush on Noah for the longest time p>
“Seriously p>
“Uh-huh.” Lilly nods. “She’s always wanted him and she’s never been shy about showing it. Chloe hated it. Hated her p>
I can imagine it.
I won’t lie Noah is hot, and because of that, he’s always had admirers. Chloe’s problem was that she couldn’t stand that he was wanted by so many women. She was territorial to a fault.
She warned them off. Sometimes nicely. Other times… not so nicely. I’m talking glue-in-the-shampoo kind of warnings. A not-so-subtle message to stay away from Noah.
Usually, she’d stop at verbal threats, but if someone didn’t heed the first or second warning, she escalated.
Sometimes I wonder how Noah never found out. How he never realized just how unhinged she could be. But then again, I only learned about most of it after I’d already cut her out of my life.
“Juliett once paid Chloe to leave Noah,” Lilly adds casually.
My eyes widen. “Are you serious p>
“As a heart attack,” Lilly confirms. “She wrote her a check for fifty million dollars. Chloe turned it down p>
I blink. “Fifty… million p>
“Honestly,” Lilly continues, rolling her eyes, “I wish she’d taken the damn money and disappeared. Would’ve saved us all a lot of trouble p>
“When was this p>
“Last year of campus, right before Noah and Chloe got married p>
I just sit there, staring at nothing, stunned, because I always thought this kind of thing only happened in movies or novels. Not real life.
“They even fought once,” Lilly continues, clearly enjoying the tea I somehow missed.
“This just keeps getting better p>
“Chloe and Juliett happened to be at the same club,” she says. “Anyway, Chloe attacked her. Full-on catfight. Security had to pull them apart p>
I stare at her. “How have I never heard about this p>
“Because it happened during the time you wanted nothing to do with Noah,” she says simply. “You shut all of that out p>
I go quiet, letting that sink in. Something like that happened—and I had no idea.
“Wait.” I lift a hand as realization hits. “I once heard Gunner mention that Chloe was banned from a club. Is that the one p>
Lilly nods. “Yeah. A lot of things got damaged, and since Chloe started it, she was the one who got banned p>
“And Noah still stayed with her?” I ask, disbelief creeping in.
“Well,” Lilly shrugs, waving a hand dismissively, “love is blind and all that shit p>
She stands and heads toward the bathroom, probably to take a shower before turning in for the night.
I remain seated, staring at nothing. I can’t really argue with her. After all, how many times was I blind to the way Noah carelessly handled my heart simply because I loved him? I’ll tell you: Too many to count.
I was blind once, and I paid the price. I’m not planning on repeating the same mistake.