Don't Mind Loneliness, It's Better Than Loving You

Juliana spent a sickly week bedridden, and just as she returned to work, a swarm of reporters surrounded her. Flashing cameras blinded her, making it hard to keep her eyes open.

"Ms. Juliana, after the tragic deaths of Ms. Kianna and Mr. Palmer, and with your brother now in jail, are you really the sole heir to the Palmer family? There are rumors that you plan to sell the company. Is it real?"

"There are also reports of you meeting with a mysterious man at a hotel. Is that why you're selling the company?"

"Ms. Juliana, you've been out of the public eye for three years since your adoptive father's death. Is your reappearance because of an impending marriage?"

The barrage of questions overwhelmed her.

But one word caught her attention. Instinctively, she blurted, "No, the company is my father's and brother's legacy. It cannot be sold."

That simple statement made the reporters, like sharks smelling blood, fixate on her with excitement.

The moment the words left her mouth, she realized her mistake.

She had been secretly thrown into prison for three years, with no one knowing her whereabouts.

"Ms. Juliana, can you tell us what your plans are for the company?"

"Excuse me."

Juliana mumbled as she pushed through the crowd, hailing a cab to escape.

After that day, the reporters camped outside her workplace, making it impossible for her to continue. Eventually, she had no choice but to resign from the hard-won job.

A month later, Juliana returned home after a long, exhausting day.

She lived in a run-down apartment building on the outskirts of the city, the cheapest place she could find.

The hallway light was broken, so she had to feel her way up the stairs in the dark. As she reached her door, she could see some lights of cigarette, and a hand grabbed her wrist, startling her. Just as she was about to scream for help, a familiar voice stopped her cold. "Juliana, you're quite something. I never realized you had such cunning."

Bradley!

It was Bradley's voice.

Her heart pounded, but Bradley's harsh words quickly brought her back to reality.

Juliana scolded herself in her heart, Idiot, what are you doing? Why is your heart racing?

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she muttered, unlocking the door. But before she could shut it, Bradley forced his way inside.

At almost seven feet tall, Bradley made the already cramped space feel even smaller. His sharp gaze quickly took in the dingy surroundings, and he scoffed, "A place like this, even beggars wouldn't stay here. You've gone to great lengths to avoid my investigation."

He had been searching for her for a whole month, never expecting to find her living in such a squalid place.

Given Juliana's supposed love for luxury, he wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes.

She must be plotting something big to get her hands on the Palmer family fortune, he thought.

"The Palmer family's assets belong to Kianna. You really think you're going to steal them?" he sneered.

"I never wanted any of it." She had been grateful enough for being adopted by the Palmer family. The estate of the Palmer family was never something she sought.

"Then why did you invite reporters and say all that?" Bradley smirked coldly.

She hadn't called those reporters.

Juliana opened her mouth but stopped herself from speaking.

"One week from now, you'll hold a press conference and sign this agreement in front of the reporters."

Bradley tossed a contract onto the table. Juliana picked it up and skimmed through it. It was a transfer of shares, saying everything under Kianna's name would be signed over.

Her fingers traced a line on the crisp paper as she closed the document and said, "These things were never mine to begin with. I'll sign the agreement."

Bradley's brow furrowed in surprise. He hadn't expected her to agree so easily.

The Palmer family's assets were worth billions of dollars. Anyone else would have clung to them for dear life.

A small part of his heart wavered, but he quickly suppressed it, his voice cold once more. "Good. Don't try anything stupid, or I'll make sure you wish you were dead."

With that, Bradley forced Juliana to return to the Mccarty's house.

"Until the press conference, you're not going anywhere."