Julian gripped the phone tighter as he paced the length of his office. The city skyline stretched beyond the glass, but his focus remained on Edmund’s voice—calm, deliberate, almost smug.
"You took your time answering," Edmund remarked, the faintest trace of amusement in his tone. "Busy running damage control?"
Julian exhaled sharply. "If you have something to say, say it."
Edmund chuckled, low and deliberate. "You always were impatient. Fine. I thought it was time we had a real conversation—without intermediaries."
Julian lowered into his chair, rubbing his temple. "You don’t call without an agenda. What do you want?"
A pause. Then, "It's not about what I want. It’s about what you stand to lose."
Julian’s grip on the phone tightened. "Isadora put you up to this, didn’t she?"
Edmund
