She watched the water shimmer beneath the moonlight, trying to quiet the unease rising in her chest. Julian’s protection had begun to feel like a constant in her life—aggressive, obsessive, and yet undeniably comforting. But this moment, standing alone in a foreign place with no word from him, triggered every survival instinct she’d worked so hard to ignore.
Her phone buzzed. It wasn’t Julian.
Unknown Number: "Leave the terrace. Now. Come quietly to the service path behind the kitchen. Don’t scream. Don’t run. If you want your father to live."
Lexi’s blood turned to ice. Her father. Her heart pounded in her ears as she looked around. The message made her nauseous, not just because of the threat—but because whoever sent it knew exactly how to get to her. She backed away from the railing,
