The city skyline stretched beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows of Julian’s office, bathed in the cold, gray light of early morning. Inside, the atmosphere was no less frigid.
Julian stood at his desk, his suit jacket discarded, the sleeves of his crisp white shirt rolled up. His phone buzzed relentlessly, a barrage of messages from investors, PR executives, and legal advisors—all scrambling to contain the wildfire Veronique had ignited.
The video leak from the opera house had already spread across global news platforms.
Julian Blackwood—the man who had built an empire on precision, control, and power—was now being linked to the corruption of his father’s past.
Emily stood near the window, arms wrapped around herself. She had barely spoken since they arrived back from the opera house th
