Julian’s POV
I did not ask her to meet because I was uncertain. I asked her to meet because I needed clarity.
There is a difference.
When she called to say she would accept the arrangement, her voice carried a tremor she tried to disguise as resolve, and I already knew then that she had not truly understood what she was agreeing to at The Velvet Ember the first time, because people often mistake opportunity for power when in reality opportunity can be the most elegant form of submission.
I told her I would send a car, and I chose the location carefully, not out of sentiment but control. The Velvet Ember is neutral territory, intimate enough for private negotiations and discreet enough that no one asks questions when doors close and conversations turn transactional.
When I arrived, I e
