Owned By Her Triplet Bullies
Chapter 90

Julian's POV

I was stunned as I watched Emma walk away. Part of me wanted to chase after her or hold her back, but I refrained. I didn't want to scare her, making her think I was forcing myself on her. Plus, I was too shocked to react. Our bickering had come out spontaneously, without much thought. It was all a surprise, and I still questioned whether it was really her or if I was hallucinating.

Feeling suffocated in the party venue, I stepped out for some fresh air. As I took a walk to clear my head, I came across someone picking up diamond jewelry from the floor. The moment he noticed me, he fled, and I gave chase, though not with much determination due to my intoxicated state. He dropped the jewelry, unable to retrieve it without risking capture. While he escaped, I stopped to collect the fallen diamonds.

Deciding to wait behind a tree for the owner to return, ensuring no one else got their hands on it, I realized I had nothing better to do. Sitting outside was preferable to returning to the party. After a while, I spotted a small white wolf heading toward the tree where the jewelry lay. I sprang up in surprise. I immediately recognized the wolf but didn't want to jump to conclusions; there could be many she-wolves that looked like her. My heart thumped loudly in my chest. I knew what I was hoping for was next to impossible but I anticipated it anyway.

I silently observed the she-wolf, my heart pounding in my chest. The wolf began to shift back, and I was dumbfounded by the sight before me. This person was the spitting image of Emma. She stared at me in shock, but I was too lost in my thoughts to consider her current state. It was really her. She hadn't changed a bit. But how? She had died in a car accident. We even held a funeral, and the hospital confirmed the body as hers. Her belongings were found at the scene. We mourned her for years. We were still mourning her loss, so how was this possible?

Slowly approaching her from behind while she wasn't looking, she turned towards me in shock. I pulled her into my arms, embracing her tightly, and inhaled her familiar scent deeply. She still smelled the same, wonderfully nice. She attempted to push me away, but I refused to let go. I had lost her once, and I wasn't about to lose her again. I groaned when she broke free from my grasp and fought her way out, leaving me stunned. Was she still angry with us? Why else would she behave this way?

When she spoke to me, I doubted if it was truly her. Her voice sounded different yet familiar. I know it sounded crazy, but it was the truth. The Emma I knew was kind, timid, and somewhat shy. This new Emma I just encountered was bold, rude, fearless, and condescending. How could a person change so drastically? It made me wonder if she was really the same person or if I had made a mistake. I had considered the possibility of her being Emma's twin, but I dismissed that notion. It simply couldn't be. It had to be her; I thought as I began walking back to the party hall. But if it was indeed her, why did she appear genuinely surprised to see me? Did she behave as if she didn't know me because she truly didn't? My head spun with shock and confusion. Emma or Ximena, as she called herself, was the only person who could provide answers. I scanned the hall, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but she had vanished. Where did she suddenly disappear to?

"Julian, we have to go," Philip's voice broke through my thoughts. I glanced at him without answering his question.

"Julian? Can you hear me? Why do you have such a serious look on your face?" he asked curiously.

"I'm looking for her," I muttered, continuing to scan the surroundings.

"Her? Who are you talking about?" he asked in surprise. I turned towards him abruptly.

"Um..." I paused as I noticed Alexander and Hailey walking toward us.

"Let's go, the car is outside," Hailey quickly interjected as they stopped in front of us. I narrowed my eyes on her.

"Why are you in such a rush to leave?" I asked suspiciously. Something seemed off about her behavior. She always enjoyed these types of parties and was never one to willingly leave. It was strange that she had insisted on coming here but now wanted to leave so urgently. It seemed highly suspicious to me.

"What do you mean by that?" she chuckled, glancing at us and realizing we weren't joking or smiling at her.

"I was feeling tired and had a headache. All I want to do is go home and rest. Must you question everything I say or do?" she asked defensively.

"Julian, you were saying something," Philip interjected, ignoring Hailey's response and reminding me of what I was discussing before Hailey and Alexander interrupted. They all turned their attention towards me. I couldn't reveal my recent replaceings now, definitely not in front of Hailey.

"Was I? I can't recall what I was talking about. It was probably not important," I replied. Alexander turned to leave, and we all followed suit. It wasn't the right time to search for her. I would leave it for now and contemplate replaceing her later. We entered the car, and the driver started the engine. We rode in silence. I needed to inform them about this discovery as soon as we arrived back at the pack house. I couldn't handle it alone. I would inform them, and together we could devise a plan and think of what to do. When we arrived at the pack house, we stepped out of the car.

"Guys, I need to talk to you," I said, mind linking them. They both looked at me.

"What's wrong?" Hailey asked when she noticed we had fallen behind.

"Nothing is wrong," Alexander replied. She nodded.

"I'll go up to my room. I need to rest," she said before entering the house. Once I confirmed she had reached her room, we all headed toward Alexander's office. Philip closed the door as the last person entered.

"What's the matter, Julian? You sounded urgent," Alexander asked, taking a seat.

"I saw her," I stated flatly. They both stared at me, unable to grasp my meaning. However, upon seeing the seriousness on my face, Philip's eyes widened, and Alexander sprang up from his seat.

"Y-you saw her? Are you absolutely certain?" Philip stammered. I nodded.

"How? When and where?" Alexander asked calmly. I recounted every detail exactly as it happened.

"All of this occurred in the woods while you were intoxicated, and no one else saw the both of you?" he inquired.

"Yes," I replied, before realizing the true meaning of his questions.

"Wait a minute, do you think I was hallucinating because I was drunk? Do you believe I don't know what I saw and that it wasn't real?" I asked, disbelieving his insinuation.

"I never said such a thing," he responded.

"Your question implied it," I retorted.

"Guys, please, this is not the time for arguments," Philip sighed.

"But, you heard what he said. He's implying that I lost my mind and saw a deceased person. I might have been drunk, but I know what I saw. I touched her. She was real," I insisted.

"But how could that be? We saw her dead body. This is all so confusing," Philip said.

"I have no idea, but technically we didn't really recognize the body. We just followed what the doctors said, the most important thing is that Emma is alive. She didn't die like we had thought all these years," I said happily. Her being alive was a huge relief. "But she didn't seem to recognize me or herself," I continued.

"What do you mean?" Alexander asked.

"She said her name was Ximena, not Emma, and she also said she had never seen me before. I know this sounds crazy, but I'm telling the truth," I replied. Alex nodded.

"Firstly, let's not do anything rash. We will replace this woman you are talking about and verify if she was really Emma, and then we can proceed from there. Especially now that you're saying she doesn't remember you. We need to determine if there's a mix-up somewhere before we move forward," Alex explained.

"But to do that, we need to replace her first. Where do we even start searching for her?" Philip inquired. We don't know anything about her current life except that she came for a business party. I'm sure we'll replace her soon enough. The door suddenly opened, and I looked at Philip in surprise. Didn't he lock the door before coming inside with us?