The revelation delivered by Dominic hung in the cold morning air like a shroud. The name of the mother Julian had just spent the last twenty-four hours mourning—the woman whose sapphire eyes had watched him from a silver frame while he dismantled his father’s world—was now scrawled on a crate in the loading bay.
Julian moved with the mechanical precision of a man who was fighting to keep his soul from fracturing. He didn't speak as he pulled on his leather vest, the iron key clinking against his belt as a reminder of the secrets he had already unearthed. Elena followed suit, her movements sharp and silent. She didn't ask questions; she knew that in this family, the answers usually came with a body count.
The descent to the freight elevator felt like a journey back into the abyss. The ele
