All The Wrong Places episode 18

🌼 ALL THE WRONG PLACES🌼
🌻EPISODE EIGHTEEN🌻

It had been years since Julianne had last stepped on the
ice. Today, she felt good about putting her hockey shoes
back on. She grew up playing hockey with her brother and
her cousins. But since the fateful day her father stripped her
of her right to be a part of his family, she had no room for
fun and games.

River was patient with Jared when he taught him how
to balance on the ice. Jared was a very fast learner. Only
one hour had passed and he was already able to balance
himself. He still fell down once in a while, but he was a very
brave kid.

After one and a half hours on the ice, they took a
break for ice cream on the stand beside the rink.
“So, what else is new with you?”
“I found a…” she looked at Jared and chose her words
very carefully. Jared was happily devouring his ice cream
and he didn’t look like he was interested in their
conversation. “Brownstone on Hyde.”
“What are you going to need that for?”
Julianne raised a brow at him meaningfully.

“Oh,” River breathed, quite surprised. “Why?”
Julianne sighed. “My father is putting pressure on
Justin. Said he shouldn’t meddle with the family’s affairs.”
“Well, Justin does like putting his nose in his cousins’
businesses. He cares about you, guys. Like a big brother.”
“I know. But my father is… stubborn. And unforgiving.
He said that he lost millions because of my… indiscretion in
Paris.”

“What did he lose?”
Julianne shrugged, taking a scoop of her ice cream. “I
know that he was brokering a very big merger that year I went to Paris. He was talking about it during our family
dinners. He was so close to signing the deal. And he was
sure he would be the one to get it done. One of the parties
was being difficult. But they trusted my father because of
his affiliation with the McAllisters.”
“Oh, I get it. And since you messed up in Paris, your
marriage to Patrick McAllister was cancelled. And so his deal
was also…”
“Cancelled, yeah. So, in effect, he also cancelled my
membersh¡p to the Sanders clan. And he’s working his way
to make sure that even the Smith clan throws me out too.”
“What do you mean?”
Julianne sighed. She didn’t even know how she felt
about this now. Being disinherited and disowned by your
family is too confusing, too painful that sometimes your best
defense is to turn numb.
“He went to Justin the other day. He gave him an
ultimatum. He will start a war within the families unless
Justin casts me out.”
“Well, your old man obviously doesn’t know Justin
Adams very well,” River snorted.
“I know, right?” Julianne smiled, her heart was filled
with love for her cousin. “Justin wouldn’t budge. He didn’t
care. Wouldn’t. I wasn’t the first cousin he risked the
family’s peace for.”
“Yeah, Mason was a real trend-setter, huh.” River
chuckled.

“And Justin would never give up on us,” Julianne said.
“But I love him and Adrienne too much to risk their safety,
happiness or peace of mind. I mean… why do you think I
couldn’t tell them the truth about Paris?”
River nodded. “So, what are you planning to do?”
“I’m moving out of the Adams Mansion. I found the
apartment already.” She beamed at him. “It’s my very own
brownstone at Hyde Park!”
“Did you check on the neighborhood?” There was a
hint of weary in River’s voice.
“Yeah, I did.”
“What did Justin say?”
“No, of course,” she replied. “But eventually, he caved
in. I don’t know whether it was because of my persuasive
speech or because Adrienne’s arms were around him as she
was helping me plead my case.”
River laughed. “Probably the latter. We both know
there is nothing Justin won’t do for Adrienne, right? That
man just can’t say ‘no’ to his wife.”
“Their love is too intense, it’s ridiculous!” Julianne
rolled her eyes.

“I didn’t think it was possible for two people to love
each other that much.”
“But they’re living proof of that kind of love,” Julianne
said. There was a trace of sadness in her voice.
Once, she thought, she had the same kind of love. She
loved Jas Mathieu with all her heart and even after all these
years, she believed that she still loved him. Until…
Until she found out he wasn’t who he said he was.
When she looked up at River, he was watching her
thoughtfully.

“What?”
“I know who you’re thinking about,” he said in a
teasing tone.
“Ha-ha. You have no idea!”
But she knew her face turned crimson, there was no
denying it. How can Jin Starck have this much effect on her?
“Do you think if you hadn’t left, you would still be
together?”
Julianne shook her head. “No. I highly doubt that,” she
replied. “He has responsibilities. His ambition comes first.”
“You don’t know that,” River said in a low voice. Then
he looked over at Jared. “He’s an adorable boy. What father
would not want him?”
“I don’t doubt that he will love his son. In fact, I was
afraid he would love him too much. He might take him away
from me. And that’s a battle I cannot win.”

“The courts will favor you.”
“As long as I’m capable of giving him a good life. But
we both know there’s a huge difference between the kind of
life I could give him and the kind of life his father could
afford.” Julianne sighed. “And now that I’m moving out of
the Adams Mansion, I’m finally embracing what I really am
now. I’m a single mom, trying to make ends meet to give
her son a brighter future… without the veil of Justin’s
charity.”

“And you’re not okay with that?”
Julianne raised a brow at him. “Of course, I am,” she
replied. “In a way, I’m excited. I’m challenged. I know I can
succeed on my own. I just feel guilty because…” she looked
over at Jared. “I know he could have so much better. All I
needed to do was tell his father the truth.”
“And he would sh¡p Jared to Paris. This little man would
live in his own mansion.”
Julianne nodded. “And he’d have Vanessa Bernard for
a stepmother. God, she’s a first class beatch!” There was a
twist in her stomach at the thought of losing her son or
sharing him with Vanessa Bernard.
That’s why she was sure that Jin Starck couldn’t know
about Jared yet. She needed more time. She needed to get
her act together so that no court could deny that she was
capable of supporting her son on her own.
Moreover, she needed to prepare Jared too. He
needed to be tough and mature enough so Vanessa Bernard
would not be able to bully him or hurt him in any way.

“Are you sure he has no clue about him?”
Julianne shook her head. “I know him. He’s arrogant
and he takes what he wants. He loves kids and he’s fond of
Jared. If he even suspected anything, he would ask me and
he would not stop until he got his answers. And once he knew the truth, I would be counting the days before he went
to court for either joint or full custody.”
“You’re probably right. It won’t be easy to fight him in
court.”
Julianne nodded sadly. “And me, not having my own
place, and always being on Justin’s charity, wouldn’t help
my case. The sooner I moved out, the sooner I got my act
together, the better chances I would have in that battle. As
long as I’m capable, and I could prove that he was safe with
me, I would win.”
“Well, whatever help you need, I’m right here,” River
told her, reaching out for her hand and squeezing it.
“I’ll remember that.”
Julianne turned her hand over and squeezed his hand
back. She wasn’t entirely confident of what she was about
to do, but River’s smile was so contagious, it was hærd not
to smile back brightly at him.
“I can do this!” she breathed.
“Of course, you can. You’re a superwoman,” River
said, nodding at her reassuringly.

***
River dropped them off at Adams Mansion after dinner.
Jared was ecstatic. He was able to balance himself and
skate on his own by the time they left the ice rink.
“Are you coming back to take us ice skating again,
Mister Jefferson?” Jared asked.
“Of course, kiddo.”
“Great! I can’t wait to tell Jeffie!”
River raised a brow at Julianne.
“Jeffrey. Justin’s first son,” Julianne explained.
“Oh. Maybe next time we can all go together,” River
suggested.

“Yes! He will like that! We can race around the rink.”
“Oh no, little man. No racing around the rink yet,”
Julianne said, ruffling her son’s head. “Now, say goodbye to
Mister Jefferson.”
“Bye, Mister Jefferson. Thank you for today. See you
soon!” To her surprise, Jared extended his hand to River.
River smiled widely as he shook the little boy’s hand.
“The pleasure was all mine, sir.”
Then Jared turned towards the house, leaving them
behind.
“Well, thank you,” Julianne said to River.

River nodded, looking into her eyes.
Julianne stared up at River’s handsome face. He
looked so angelic and so good. He was so much the opposite
of Jin Starck, who looked devilish and dangerous.
Right now, she couldn’t decide which one she
preferred. The good or the evil. Her mind was telling her
that she needed warmth, laughter and goodness in her life.
But her heart…
River reached up and pushed a lock of stray hair away
from her face.
“I had a great time,” he told her.
“Me too. And thank you for doing that for my son. He
needed that.”
“He’s an adorable little man.”
She nodded. “He is.”
Then slowly River leaned his face towards hers.
Julianne knew that River was going to k-ss her.

Her heart…
Oh my God! This was going so great!
Her heart…
Do I want him to k-ss me? He’s been such a great ally,
a good friend—the best friend I had in many years.
As River’s face inched closer to hers, she closed her
eyes and let her heart decide.
Just as he was only a breath away, she remembered
the face of the handsome devil whose l-ips felt like velvet against hers. And at that last moment, she bent her head
down, averting her l-ips away from River’s.
She heard River take a sharp breath. Then she felt
both his hands on either side of her face before he k-ssed
her forehead.
“I thought so,” he whispered.
Julianne finally looked up at him. He was smiling
gently at her, telling her that it was okay.

He was… so good for her. So safe! But her heart…
But my stupid heart likes danger!
“Julianne, while you’re getting your act together, do
not close your mind to the other possibility.”
“What possibility?”
“That maybe you and Starck were meant to be
together and you need not worry about losing your son to
his father. Because the best future for Jared is if his parents
got back together.”
Julianne shook her head. “Jin Starck is going to marry
some hotel heiress. It would be good for his family’s empire.

I no longer hold the same status I used to have. I won’t be
good enough for him.”
“Is that why you’re letting him believe that you were
some cheating tramp who enjoyed men’s attention? That
Jared couldn’t possibly be his because you went on so many
adventures before him?”
“Whatever he thinks of me doesn’t change the fact
that we have no future together.”
River took a step away from her. “Jin Starck may have
a reputation of being ruthless, being a monster even. But I
know he has a heart. And I think that heart still beats for
you, Ian. Given the chance, he just might change his mind
about marrying that heiress.”
“You don’t know Jin Starck,” Julianne said.
“I don’t. But I’m a man too, Ian,” he countered. “I
know how a man would react when he had given his heart
and soul to a woman and found her gone the next morning.

And I know how a man would feel when after all these years,
he still couldn’t let her go.”
Julianne shook her head. “I just hope he can leave me
alone. I just want to raise my son to be a good man and give
him a good shot at a bright future. I have a long way to go.”
“Why would you want him to let you go? Jin Starck will
always be in your life. You have a son that’s part him and
part you. Well, actually, maybe ten percent you and ninety
percent him.”
“My son is not a monster,” she muttered.
“Jin Starck is not a monster, Ian. Because if he was, he
wouldn’t have fallen in love with you. Don’t you think maybe
you’re the reason why he became the ruthless man that he
is now?”

Julianne bit her lip, considering what River said. She
knew there was a possibility of that. She remembered the
wonderful man she met in Paris. He was full of charm and
he stole her heart in less than twenty-four hours. Her
rom-nce in Paris seemed like it was pulled out from the
pages of a rom-nce novel. But they were young then. They
were fierce with their passion. And now they both had to
deal with the sudden twist in their fates and live with the
aftermath of their actions. And she had to do it with the
least pain and damage to the person who was the fruit of
that passionate night they shared in Paris—Jared.
“I hope you look closely into your heart, Ian,” River
said. “Because until you get him out of there, I am hopeless
to come in.”
Julianne smiled at him sadly. She wanted to deny what
he said, but she knew that he was right. Any other day, she
would have been over the moon at his confession. But right
now, she knew she couldn’t reciprocate his feelings.

Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, River. You’ve
been so good to me. And I don’t want to be haunted by him
anymore.”
“I know.” River nodded. He pulled her to him and
gave her a hug. “But you still are. And I am not going to
deny that. If we try to force this, we might end up hurting
each other too. I am too fond of you now. I want to keep
you for good… even if it means, I get to keep you only as a
friend.”
She took a deep breath and hugged River back. “Oh,
God, River. Right now, I want nothing more than to return
your feelings.”

But how? How could she fall in love with River when
after all these years, Jin Starck still haunts her? She still
couldn’t get him out of her mind… and out of her heart.
She gently pulled away from River. He looked down at
her and gave her a reassuring smile. “In another lifetime, I
would have been rushing you to the altar right now,” he
said, and then shook his head. “But in this life, I think you
belong to Jin Starck.”
“It’s like you are telling me I am doomed to be
miserable for the rest of my life.” She giggled humorlessly.
He shook his head. “Things will fall into place in good
time, sweetheart. And until then, I will be here to hold your
hand.”
Julianne smiled at him. “Thank you. I’m gonna need
that.”
River leaned forward and k-ssed her forehead again.
“Put me on your speed dial, okay?”
She nodded.
River reached down her hand and intertwined their
fingers. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

“And I will forever be thankful for you,” Julianne said.
She leaned forward and gave him a k-ss on the cheek.
“You’re a good man, River Jefferson.”
“Angel is my middle name,” he teased.
“Could be true actually.” She laughed. Then she
released his hand. “See you later.”
River nodded. “Good night.”
Julianne went into the house. She felt good and bad at
the same time. Good because she knew she found a true
friend in River. Bad, because she knew that her problems
with Jin Starck were far from being over.