Revenge In Repose (Valerie and Aiden) novel Chapter 188

The reception was so frosty, it was as if Colette were a completely different person from her usual warm self,

Samantha scratched her head. “That’s odd… Colette is usually the kindest,” she murmured to herself.

Samantha scratched her head and gave Valerie a puzzled look.

Valerie had seen this coming. She felt that Juliette had already badmouthed her to the Shelton family a hundred times over,

‘When I agreed to Russell’s request, Juliette hadn’t even been officially recognized by the Shelton family yet. Had I known it would come to this, I’d never have said yes. Nothing’s worse than being stuck in such an awkward situation,’ Valerie thought.

But fate had other plans. Life had changed far too much this time. Juliette had returned to the Shelton family two years ahead of schedule, and she and Valerie had already had a complete falling out.

‘Now, I just hope Juliette doesn’t go too far,‘ Valerie thought.

As she thought about this, she was suddenly reminded of the welcome ball the Shelton family had thrown for Juliette in her previous life. Unlike this birthday party, the festivities back then were even more extravagant than what she was seeing now.

Valerie had naively believed that Juliette genuinely wanted her to witness her moment of happiness. After all, they had been best friends for so many years. Even though they’d grown apart, there was no open conflict between them.

But when she arrived, Russell subjected her to repeated humiliations, turning her into the laughingstock of everyone present. This gave those in the Walker family, who already had it out for her, endless ammunition to use against her.

“Valerie,” Russell approached with a dark look. As he got closer, he asked, “Is there some bad blood between you and my sister?”

Valerie hadn’t told Russell about her relationship with Juliette yet. She gave a wry smile and said, “We were childhood besties, but later, we had a bad falling out.”

In just a few words, Valerie had captured over a decade of their complex friendship.

Russell’s expression grew complicated, he knew the conflict was far more serious than she let on. He sighed, “Damn, I was actually planning to introduce you to the higher echelons of the music industry. These big shots are all close associates of the Shelton family. But I didn’t expect my sister to bring up her issues with you today… well, she made you sound pretty terrible.”

Valerie nodded. “I figured as much.”

Russell’s expression darkened. “Did you really do those things? Did you actually set her up to be assaulted by those two men…”

Valerie let out a bitter laugh. She couldn’t believe Juliette would go so far as to tarnish her own reputation just to bring her down. Shaking her head, Valerie said, “If you actually want to look into it, the truth isn’t hard to find. That party wasn’t private at all. The Clark family invited plenty of reporters.

But if you choose to believe her, I have nothing more to say.”

Russell immediately said, “I believe you, Valerie. You’re not that kind of person. You’ve always been a stand–up friend.”

Valerie gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you, Russell. Don’t worry, I’ll perform the piece I’ve painstakingly prepared, and as soon as I’m done, I’ll leave.”

Russell quickly protested, “Wait, that’s not what I meant at all!”

“I know, but given how things are, there’s no point in me sticking around,” Valerie said with a reassuring smile, “Alright, I’ve already given my gift, now it’s time to do my part.”

Russell fell silent.

Juliette stood demurely beside the elders, looking every bit the considerate and well–mannered young lady. Seeing how well–regarded she was among

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Chapter 188

the Shelton family’s senior members, the social climbers who’d been angling to cozy up to the Shelton heiress grew even more eager, hovering nearby like vultures circling their prey.

The moment Juliette was left alone, the social climbers immediately flocked to her side.

Juliette absolutely reveled in being surrounded, especially when everyone showered her with compliments from head to toe. Moments like this truly fed her vanity.

Juliette was all smiles, charming everyone around her, when suddenly, a delivery person entered holding an extravagant bouquet. He asked, “Pardon me, which of you ladies is Miss Juliette Shelton?”

The girls who’d been itching for a chance to flatter Juliette gasped in unison. “Oh my god, these are gorgeous!” one of them squealed.

One of the girls teased, “Who sent you these flowers? Could it be from a secret admirer?”

Another said, “I’m so jealous! Being this gorgeous must be such a blessing!”

Juliette’s eyes widened in surprise as she accepted the bouquet, her face lighting up with delight. “Oh, these are for me? Thank you! Who sent them?” she asked eagerly.

The flower delivery guy beamed brightly and said, “A gentleman specially requested this delivery for you, he’s really young and quite handsome, too. Maybe he’s a secret admirer of yours, miss? Would you mind signing here, please?”

Juliette mentally ran through a list of names. She’d met quite a few eligible bachelors lately, and every single one had dropped hints about wanting to pursue her. She knew what they really wanted was the power and prestige of the Shelton family, but honestly, she couldn’t help but enjoy all the attention.

Juliette took the bouquet, brought it to her nose for a delicate sniff, and broke into a pleased smile. She pulled out the accompanying card and instantly recognized the handwriting. [To my dearest Juliette, forever yours.]

Juliette’s face drained of color in an instant. Her hand trembled so violently that she nearly dropped the bouquet.

Juliette’s expression shifted so abruptly that the people around her startled in unison, casting bewildered glances her way.

Juliette’s heart pounded like thunder. Her mind went completely blank

‘The Shelton family would never address me in such an intimate way!‘ Juliette thought in shock.

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