Gloria POV
His knuckles rap heavily against the wood, sending vibrations straight into the iron latch under my fingers. I slide the bolt back with a loud, metallic clack and open the door just enough to block the threshold with my body.
Julian stands in the hallway, his face flushed and his hair messy, smelling faintly of sour wine and stale sweat. He steps forward immediately, reaching for the edge of the door frame, but I grip the wood tight and hold my ground.
"Gloria," he breathes out, his voice raspy as he tries to push his way past me. "Let me in before someone sees me out here."
I refused to let him inside, standing in the doorway while he begged and threatened in the same breath, insisting I owed him an explanation for choosing his father over him.
"You need to leave right now
