Julia's POV
"Julia, come on, let's head inside. What are you staring at?" Kendra's voice cut through the fog in my head, jolting me back to reality. I blinked several times before finally forcing myself to look away from the restaurant's glass windows. My chest felt like someone had wrapped steel bands around it, squeezing until I could barely breathe, but I made myself move and followed Kendra into the boutique.
She was practically bouncing with excitement, chattering endlessly about designer gowns and how tonight's gala would be absolutely magical. But I wasn't really listening. My mind was still trapped outside that restaurant, replaying the scene of Gavin walking in with that woman. The way she'd clung to his arm like she belonged there. Like she owned him. The memory made my throat burn. Was that Belle? The mysterious Belle whose name had been haunting my thoughts for weeks?
