Julia's eyes glowed in recognition the moment Carolina walked in.
She was taller than most girls, her hair cut pixie-short — bold, sharp, confident — and it suited her perfectly. Her face looked like a living Barbie doll, smooth and flawless. A plain white shirt hugged her frame, complimenting the short leather skirt she paired with black boots.
At least she's way better than me in terms of fashion, Julia thought.
"Mom, you should have at least told the receptionist you had a daughter," Julia complained the moment she spotted her mother.
But the second her eyes landed on Magan, a genuine smile bloomed across her face.
"Goodness," Magan exclaimed, pulling the tall girl into a tight hug. "If you hadn't spoken, I wouldn't have recognized you."
Their familiarity was obvious.
"Aunt, I should be the one saying that," Carolina replied with a smile. "You've changed too. I hope you've been doing well."
"Quite well," Magan said warmly. Then she turned. "Julia, won't you say hi to Lina? When was the last time you two met?"
Julia stiffened slightly as their attention shifted to her. Carolina assessed her with keen, observant eyes.
"N–nice to meet you," Julia said, her voice a bit stiff.
Then she froze.
"Again," she added quickly, realizing how awkward she sounded for someone meeting a long-time acquaintance.
"Nice meeting you again too," Carolina replied.
Julia couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or sincere.
She decided to let it go.
"I heard you're now the chairwoman of Aurexx. Your company is trending all over the internet."
Julia was relieved the conversation shifted to business — not childhood memories. Especially not the kind where the original Julia had pulled ugly pranks on Carolina.
"Little things seem to trend these days," Julia replied lightly.
A woman walked in and handed each of them a menu to pick their treatment.
Julia chose the simplest option — hair and nails.
Why on earth would she pick a full body massage?
"Ms. Julia and Ms. Carolina, this way please," the woman said, leading them into a fancy room filled with comfortable massage chairs. The room glittered in pink, soft and luxurious.
"I never expected you'd pick the simplest choice on the menu," Carolina mused.
"I never expected I'd see you in a spa room," Julia replied. From her memories, Carolina used to be forced into places like this by her mother.
Carolina rolled her eyes. "I was dragged here. My mom even opened a social media account for me. Not even a second later, I had millions of followers."
Julia smiled. Who wouldn't follow the daughter of the founder of Rare Beauty?
"I can barely manage the account," Carolina complained. "Now I have to take pictures every given second. Sometimes I wish we could exchange moms."
"Oops, thanks — but no," Julia said quickly. "I won't like to share your in-plight."
Carolina laughed. "Oh, look who's changed? The former Julia would've called me a tomboy."
Julia gave her an awkward smile.
"People change. Change is constant."
"Yep, change is constant," Carolina said, then smirked.
"So what's the deal between you and the super-hot Kelvin Kings? A company battle?"
"Let's just say we hate each other's guts. If we're ever in the same room, it'll catch fire."
Carolina burst out laughing. "The media is speculating like crazy. I read this morning that you tried to seduce him and now he's mad and wants to destroy your company. Others say you're just chasing clout."
"What?!" Julia's jaw dropped. "Seduce him? In his dreams. Far from that. He started it first — I just danced to the beat of his drum."
"Men are such agnostic creatures," Carolina said.
"They definitely are," Julia agreed.
"I'm glad the seduction story isn't real," Carolina sighed in relief. "I was worried for Magan. If the company goes down, she'd lose a lot."
Lilly's phone rang.
A strange number flashed on the screen.
She hesitated before picking it up.
"Who's this?" she asked, not bothering with pleasantries. She wasn't in the mood to talk.
"Ms. Lilly, you are speaking to Secretary Finn."
Finn's proud voice boomed through the speaker.
Lilly's tone changed instantly.
"Secretary Finn… how may I help you?"
They've probably changed their mind. They've realized they need me, she thought.
"Ms. Lilly, the boss has given you a chance to prove yourself."
Her heart skipped.
"Your first mission — to see if you are worthy to work with him — is to find the person who created the virus."
Silence filled the line.
Lilly panicked.
It wasn't like she hadn't tried — every investigation had hit a dead end.
"Ms. Lilly?" Finn called.
"Yes — yes, definitely. I'll get you everything you need," she said quickly.
"I expect it by tomorrow morning."
Ding.
The call ended.
Lilly ran her fingers through her hair in frustration.
Tomorrow morning?
How was she supposed to get that information?
James.
Lilly's PA.
Her eyes glowed.
She grabbed her phone immediately to make a call.
Julia laughed out loud at a joke Carolina made.
"we have to get going," Carolina said as she stood. "It's futile waiting for those two women."
They walked out of the building.
Julia steps halts,as
Her eyes locked on a familiar face among a group of girls also leaving the building.
Her breath caught.
"June."
This the promised second chapter.