Divorced Heiress
Chapter 119

The trial against the Dubois was getting closer and I couldn't be more satisfied about it, but even though justice was finally being served, Abby was the one truly affected, although she didn't show it, and it was understandable.

Her mother and brother, her own family, were in preventive custody awaiting sentencing and of course, my lawyers were working hard to get the maximum penalty for all their crimes.

The only consolation she had was knowing her father was innocent. In fact, upon learning about the criminal and atrocious acts of her family, he felt so disappointed and ashamed that he ended up handing over the Dubois shares to the only person who hadn't let him down, Abby.

Mr. Dubois didn't want to be involved with the Doinel family in any way, and it was only out of shame. He felt responsible for what his wife had caused.

"Ms. Doinel, the show begins in ten minutes, the models are ready, but I can't find Monica and she'll be opening the Lancaster Collection runway."

I left the champagne glass I was drinking to calm my nerves on the table upon hearing Alexander's assistant's words, and let out a tired sigh.

This couldn't be happening, they should all be ready in the dressing room, finalizing the details for the runway. This woman had done nothing but give us headaches.

"Alright, Cristina, I'll go look for her personally, she'll be back in the dressing room in a few minutes. Go back to the team."

Cristina nodded in response to my order and hurried back to her work.

I looked at the time on my wristwatch, and indeed, there were ten minutes left to start the collaboration show. I had no choice but to go find Monica, and when I found her, I would give her an ultimatum.

I wasn't in a condition to tolerate anyone who wasn't committed to their work. This show was crucial for the future of Doinel and, therefore, the future of hundreds of workers.

I didn't take long to find her, but before reaching her to reprimand her for her lack of commitment, I stopped abruptly when I realized she wasn't alone.

Her companion? Surprisingly, Alexander.

I stood behind the curtain that separated the hallway from the farthest room from the event. I made my best effort to remain as quiet as possible. The only sound was my irregular breathing, and obviously, only I could hear it.

With that, my alarms went off, but I wouldn't do anything reckless. I focused on listening to the conversation they were having, as if I were waiting for any word to make me realize I made a mistake by letting my ex-husband back into my life. "Please, Mr. Lancaster, nobody has to find out, it will stay between us."

I furrowed my brow at the flirtatious tone of that woman, and my fists automatically clenched at my sides. I didn't know exactly what they were talking about, nor did I know if the conversation had been going on for a while. However, it was more than evident that they weren't talking about business.

"Especially, Ms. Doinel, I promise I won't cause any problems for her. It'll be our adventure, we'll have a great time. Look at me, I'm young, beautiful, and I can please you in many ways that Ms. Doinel surely can't."

My mouth opened in surprise at her direct words that made everything clearer than crystal clear. I had the urge to confront her directly for basically calling me old and boring, but I restrained myself because I wasn't going to make a scene minutes before the show, and certainly not over a man.

"Miss Monica, how do you want me to tell you no? I'm not interested in an affair that isn't with Sarah, let alone with you, no matter how young and beautiful, as you say. I only have eyes for one woman. Did you know that you're risking your job with this? Believe me, I have every intention of firing you for your lack of ethics and professionalism. If you brought me here under false pretenses just to make advances, let me tell you that you're wasting your time."

Alexander's icy response made me loosen the clenched fist at my sides and dissipated the desire to enter the room and make a fool of myself.

Alexander was stopping her in her tracks and giving me my place.

"Don't resist, I know you want this as much as I do and..." The insistence of that woman exasperated me and apparently Alexander too, as he silenced her with a voice colder and more indifferent than could send a chill down anyone's spine, but it only made me smile with satisfaction.

"I don't want anything that comes from you, get it together, limit yourself to doing your job for which you are being paid and stop wasting time. If you keep insisting on the matter, I will be forced to terminate your contract.”

Alexander gave her an ultimatum, and if it wasn't because her participation in today's event is irreplaceable, he would have already fired her without mercy.

"If you have nothing more important or intelligent to say, I kindly ask you to leave. The show is about to start and you shouldn't be here. If you don't disappear from my sight in five seconds, I won't hesitate to fire you for the boundaries you have crossed, I assure you that no one will object to your dismissal."

I alarmed immediately because that meant that at any moment, one of them would leave the room, and the encounter would be inevitable. I had to leave before they realized my presence, making as little noise as possible.

"But..." "ONE, TWO..."

Nerves took over me, and I did the first thing that came to my mind. I took off my high-heeled sandals and ran as if my life depended on it, retracing my steps, I took a breath when I was near the dressing rooms, and after making sure that neither Monica nor Alexander had caught me, I put on my sandals while catching my breath and returning to normal.

"Nothing happened here."

"But what are you doing, are you running away from a serial killer or something?"

F**k.

I was elated by the fright I had when I realized that Julian witnessed the show I just gave. And I exhaled when I saw his amused face.

They say there is no perfect crime.

"You saw nothing, this never happened." I said, glancing at the hallway, expecting the presence of one of the people involved in that conversation I accidentally overheard, and I could see Monica approaching with an angry face. But when she saw me, her expression changed, the corners of her lips curved slightly, forming an almost nonexistent smile, as if she had achieved a great feat.

This did not look good.

"Miss Monica, you should be in the dressing room. We don't pay you to walk around the hallways as if you were at home. The show is about to start, and you are the only one missing."

I couldn't help but speak without tact, it had sounded so rude on my part that Julian took a step back as if the place were about to explode.

Even so, Monica didn't erase her expression of arrogance, she gave me the fakest smile I had ever seen in my life and continued on her way to the dressing room without saying a word, ignoring me as if my words had no weight for her, as if I had spoken to a wall. With that, she confirmed that she had something up her sleeve, and I was going to find out.

"Ok, that was intense. Is something going on? You come from the same place as her, and... Oh!" Julian left the words hanging in the air as if his mind had cleared, while his gaze was fixed behind me.

"Sarah, what are you doing here? The show is about to start."

Alexander's voice made me turn around, and I understood why Julian had an expression as if he had just finished solving an imaginary puzzle.

I couldn't even lie because everything was more than clear. He saw me running as if I were fleeing from the same place where an arrogant model appeared, and a minute later, Alexander arrived with a serious face and a hint of nervousness.

He might think, after such a spectacle, that Alexander was fooling me around with that model, but he was far from reality. In any case, I shouldn't have to clarify the matter, my personal life was not his concern, no matter how much he was a partner and a friend. "I can ask the same." I replied, unable to avoid the coldness in my words, but I retracted immediately because it wasn't the right time to talk about what I witnessed.

"We should all be in our places, after all, it's the launch of our collaboration. I'll be waiting for you."

I did not expect any response from either of them and I walked towards the table reserved for the representatives of the brands involved in the collaboration.

I took a breath to focus on what truly mattered, not letting anything distract or disturb me. Today, I would see the fruits of the hard work of the past few days.

"Wait, I'll go with you." Julian said, accompanying me to the table we would share. In complete silence, we arrived at our destination. I thanked him with a smile when he pulled out the chair for me and sat down next to me after unbuttoning his suit jacket. "I don't mean to intrude, but it seems like you saw something you didn't like and that's why you were running barefoot."

I looked at Julian expressionlessly, but quickly plastered a fake smile on my face as the flashes of the journalists' cameras began to appear.

"Julian, I don't mean to sound rude, but I won't talk about the subject with you. My personal life is none of your business. I didn't see anything, and neither did you. Let's enjoy the results of our collaboration." I spoke only for him to hear, as even though there was background music for the event, I didn't want anyone to overhear our conversation.

"You're right, I apologize for intruding into your private matters. I was just concerned to see you running like that... I'm sorry, I didn't see anything. Anyway, let's focus on the runway. That's why we're here today, to enjoy the success of the collaboration of the year." Julian showed no signs of being affected by my words. On the contrary, his face was adorned with a sincere smile as his gaze focused on the stage where the models would appear, showcasing the designs of each fashion company. Somehow, he managed to infect me with his positive vibe.

This only made me realize that, although it wasn't my intention, I treated him unfairly.

"In any case, I appreciate your concern."

Julian turned his gaze back to me and gave me a smile that reached his eyes, relieving the discomfort I felt in my chest from the way I spoke to him. I returned the smile, which lasted no more than two seconds, as Alexander arrived at the table and sat down next to me, placing himself in the middle of us.

"What a lovely work environment." Alexander murmured near me, and I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He had some nerve saying that.

"I feel the same way." I replied, and with his look, I knew he already imagined what I was referring to. He didn't have to think too much to realize that I knew he had been alone with Monica, as they both left from the same place, one after the other. Nevertheless, he only gave me a genuine smile. In his gaze, I could decipher that there was nothing to fear, and that was true. Alexander never entertained Monica's failed flirtations and insinuations.

"We'll talk about it after the event ends." Alexander spoke with confidence and winked at me just as the presenter's voice resounded throughout the hall, signaling the start of the fashion show.

I focused all my attention on the presentation, leaving aside any topic that could distract me from what was most relevant at this moment. I didn't miss the smallest detail of the runway, and at the same time, I glanced at the potential clients.

The reaction was truly positive to the collection presented by each company. We were not mistaken in collaborating with Innova and LC. They did an impeccable job alongside Doinel. Despite the adversities, the results were favorable.

I smiled satisfied with the good reception from the public, but my smile was replaced by a serious expression that concealed the nerves of presenting Doinel's first independent collection under my leadership and in record time.

I had no doubt about Patrick's talent. His designs have always been on trend. It's no wonder he's been a key piece for the success of Doinel. But this was a different occasion, being a last-minute collection. It was the most important collection that would define the future of the company. Everything had to go perfectly.

My heel began to relentlessly tap the floor beneath the table. The nerves were attacking me more than ever as I watched the first model with Patrick's design. One after another, the Doinel garments were showcased, and it was impossible not to discreetly observe the guests. Some exchanged words without taking their eyes off the stage, and I took a deep breath seeing others nodding their heads, satisfied with what they saw.

I stopped moving my leg when I felt Alexander's hand on my knee and his fingers caressed the skin that was exposed by the opening of my dress, as if he wanted to calm my anxiety. I gave him a fleeting glance for that and he gave me a smile that conveyed tranquility.

Okay, I need to calm down and enjoy Patrick's great work.

I turned my gaze back to the stage, but an unusual movement made me look towards the models' dressing room exit. One of the models hurriedly came out and I recognized her immediately.

Monica.

It took me two seconds to decide whether to stay at the table and enjoy the show or if it was a good idea to find out what she was up to.

"Excuse me, I'll be back in a moment." I apologized to the pair of men seated at the table, as I got up from my seat and when I was about to go to the place where Monica disappeared, Alexander's hand stopped me.

"Is something wrong? The show is not over yet."

I swallowed the irritation that was beginning to arise from his interruption to my plans and I just smiled at him as if nothing was happening.

"I need to go to the bathroom, nerves got the best of me." I easily lied, and although he didn't seem very convinced with my answer, he let me go on my way.

With hurried steps and ignoring the people who intended to approach and greet me, I reached the same room from before where Monica's voice came from, away from the noise of the event.

This eavesdropping wasn't my thing, but it was the only way to get answers regarding unusual events that were detrimental to me or my loved ones.

After seeing Paul's true face, I couldn't afford to trust just anyone and even less let opportunities pass by to unmask people.

"And do you think I haven't tried hard enough? He's reluctant, he doesn't give in easily."

Monica fell silent and I knew she was talking on the phone. I immediately related it to her failed flirtations. With that, I knew she was receiving orders from someone, so I did the first thing that came to mind, record her conversation just like Alexander did with Paul and Rachel's conversation.

"I'm not so sure about what you said about 'once is always'. He doesn't give me the slightest opening and believe me, I've been very direct. My task is complicated because he only has eyes for his ex-wife... Don't be an idiot, I can have whoever I want in the palm of

my hand, but... You're asking too much and I haven't seen my first payment... I don't give a shit if you're in prison and if you lost the power of the company that was never yours, I'm not interested. You want results, I want my money, I'm not risking even my career for nothing."

I covered my mouth with both hands, preventing the gasp of surprise from escaping and exposing me.

That precise revelation only pointed to one person who matched the details that Monica had just revealed, and everything was starting to make sense, my suspicions were true.

The person behind Monica's behavior, with the sole objective of causing more harm, was Paul.