C6 When Secrets Strike Like Lightning

Mother and daughter sat elegantly across from one another on plush velvet chairs while staff surrounded them with racks of expensive clothing.

The atmosphere around Emilia alone was intimidating.

She rolled her eyes at the staff members.

“What's that fool doing?”

Every gesture she made carried arrogance and authority.

She hissed and turned towards Guinevere.

“How are your modeling jobs going lately?”

Emilia asked casually while inspecting a dress with visible disdain. “Any trouble on set?”

Guinevere scoffed bitterly.

“Nothing’s changed. I’m still stuck at the bottom.”

Her irritation was obvious.

“I swear that useless manager of mine can’t do anything right. She still hasn’t managed to get Calvin’s attention on me.”

Emilia finally glanced at her daughter properly.

“That reminds me…” she murmured thoughtfully. “I saw Calvin on television recently.”

A flicker of approval crossed her sharp features.

“That man is extraordinary, handsome, capable, and influential.” Her eyes narrowed seriously. “You need to secure him.”

Guinevere’s face darkened immediately.

“I’ve spent SIX YEARS trying!” she snapped furiously. “And he barely even looks at me!”

Her nails dug into her knees.

“All he cares about is that stupid Cleo!”

The name instantly sharpened Emilia’s gaze.

“Cleo?” she repeated slowly. “Didn’t she tell you she was in Castren District years ago?”

“She came back recently,” Guinevere muttered irritably. “Maybe a month or two ago.”

Then her expression twisted with unease.

“But she’s… different now.”

Emilia frowned.

“Different how?”

Guinevere hesitated.

“It’s difficult to explain.” Her voice lowered slightly. “She doesn’t feel like the same Cleopatra anymore.”

A strange chill ran through Cleopatra’s spine while listening.

Guinevere continued wearily.

“She’s no longer calm; she acts smarter and more confident.” Her jaw tightened. “And now she’s suddenly all over Calvin again.”

Emilia’s expression instantly turned ugly.

“How shameless,” her tone dripped with venom. “That girl truly inherited her mother’s disgusting nature.”

Cleopatra froze completely.

“My mother?”

“I could never stand that woman,” Emilia continued coldly. “Always acting kind and righteous while making me look like the villain.”

Each word struck Cleopatra like a slap.

“She spared me the trouble by dying in that accident alongside her husband.”

For a split second, Cleopatra forgot how to breathe.

Emilia laughed bitterly.

“If she hadn’t died early, your father would’ve continued comparing me to her forever.”

Guinevere blinked in surprise.

“Wait… Dad compared you to Auntie?”

“Constantly,” Emilia spat bitterly. “Honestly, if your father hadn’t insisted, I would never have allowed Cleopatra into our home.”

Shock flashed across Guinevere’s face.

“You mean bringing her in wasn’t your decision?”

Emilia scoffed loudly.

“Please. I hated her mother. Why would I willingly raise her daughter?”

The world tilted violently around Cleopatra.

Her vision blurred instantly as tears gathered in her eyes. A suffocating pressure crushed against her chest.

Every sound in the store became distorted, the woman she had trusted, the woman who smiled warmly at her all those years, had secretly despised her family this entire time.

Her knees nearly buckled.

“Ma'am”

The staff member beside her immediately steadied her before she could collapse completely.

“Are you alright?”

Cleopatra’s lips trembled.

Her breathing turned ragged.

“R-restroom…” she whispered weakly. “Please…”

The attendant quickly guided her toward the restroom.

The second she entered.

She stumbled toward the sink and gripped it tightly, and then she opened the tap; running water rushed out. She splashed cold water against her face repeatedly while panic thundered inside her chest.

“What… did I just hear…?”

Her reflection stared back at her in shattered disbelief.

“How could someone smile while secretly celebrating another person’s death?”

Her fingers trembled violently against the marble sink.

“All this time, Auntie had hated me, Mum, and Dad.”

She blinked several times, fighting to keep her tears from falling.

“And somehow hid it perfectly.”

Tears burned painfully behind Cleopatra’s eyes. Her chest ached unbearably; every memory from the past now carried a new meaning.

“Was this something I failed to notice in my previous life? Or has Auntie truly hidden herself that well?”

Cleopatra stared at herself in the mirror for a very long time.

Then slowly, her trembling eased. A dangerous determination ignited inside her eyes.

“Can I really change my fate?”

Silence answered her.

But then, her grip around the sink tightened.

“Yes,” she muttered firmly.

The weakness vanished from her gaze.

“I can.”

Her breathing steadied and her eyes sharpened.

“I refuse to lose again.”

Cleopatra stepped out of the restroom with renewed composure.

Without hesitation, her eyes landed on a dress.

“I will take this.”

The gown was plum-colored with subtle orchid undertones, elegant yet dangerously seductive. The sleeveless design exposed her delicate shoulders while the plunging V-neckline hinted at just enough cleavage to drive men insane without appearing vulgar. The back was completely open, held together only by intricate lace strings crossing delicately against bare skin.

“Yes, ma'am,” the attendant replied politely.

After purchasing the dress, Cleopatra quietly exited through the side entrance of the store.

The evening breeze brushed gently against her skin as she headed home. But the moment she arrived at her apartment, her eyes widened in surprise.

Ana stood outside her door holding several shopping bags.

“Hi, Ana,” Cleopatra greeted with confusion. “What are you doing here?”

Ana stared at her like she’d lost her mind.

“… Seriously?”

She raised the bags dramatically.

“You asked me THIS MORNING to buy beauty products for you!”

Recognition instantly crossed Cleopatra’s face.

“Oh!”

She laughed awkwardly.

“Right, I forgot.”

Ana narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“You forgot?” she repeated slowly. “Cleo, are you secretly dating someone?”

“No!”

“Then why are you suddenly buying beauty products like a woman preparing for war?”

Cleopatra nearly choked on her laughter.

“Come inside first.”

But Ana immediately shook her head.

“I can’t. I’m still working.” Then her expression became dramatically nosy. “But listen carefully, you owe me details later.”

She pointed accusingly.

“And I want EVERYTHING.”

Cleopatra laughed helplessly while taking the bags.

“I’ll tell you later.”

“You better!”

Then Ana rushed away dramatically.

The moment Cleopatra entered her apartment, she headed straight for the bathroom.

Warm water washed away the emotional chaos of the day while silence filled the room.

Afterward she slipped into the plum gown, and the effect was devastating. The fabric hugged every elegant curve perfectly.

The slit revealed flashes of her smooth thighs whenever she moved. The open back exposed enough skin to feel sinful.

She lowered herself before the mirror and began curling her hair carefully. Subsequently, she applied her makeup, soft and enchanting, just enough to make her impossible to forget.

When she finally finished, she stared at her reflection quietly. A smile bloomed across her lips; the woman staring back at her looked mesmerizing.

Just then, softly, almost like a secret confession.

She whispered to herself.

“Now…”

Her eyes shimmered dangerously.

“…It's time to see Calvin.”

—

Calvin swayed in his executive chair, his phone on speaker as he spoke.

“Simon, what do you expect me to think?”

His brows furrowed slightly.

“She suddenly started acting sweet, coming onto me. Fucking annoying.”

HAHAHA

Simon's laughter exploded through the speaker.

“Isn't she an escort now? What do you expect?”

“She said she's a server and not an escort.”

“Bullshit, Calvin,” Simon muttered. “They do fuck servers too; what's she trying to imply?”

Calvin's jaw clenched.

“I guess Anthony has dumped her a$$.”

“Aren't you sure because you're already the CEO?”

Calvin shook his head.

“Even though I no longer understand her, there's one thing I know for certain, Cleo isn't a gold digger.”

“Good for you,” Simon said teasingly, “then I guess she wants your c**k.”

Calvin snorted.

“Never, even if she gets naked in front of me, I will never have an erection.”

HAHAHA.

Simon burst into laughter.

“Are you sure about that? We're talking about your first love here.”

Calvin’s eyes slowly darkened.

“I no longer feel love for her; all I feel is hate.”

Simon clicked his tongue.

“Ahhh bud, I really don't know what to say about this.”

Calvin tapped his finger on the armrest.

“I’m no longer going to Atelier, so we will definitely not be running into each other.”

Simon cleared his throat.

“What if she comes to look for you?”

Calvin smirks dangerously.

“After hurting me and leaving me to heal on my own, she suddenly wants to come back and play the loving woman.”

He paused and said slowly.

“Since she wants a man's attention desperately…”

Each word brimming with contempt.

“… I will have one of my guards f*ck her then.”