The heavy, metallic thud of the car door closing echoed in the quiet driveway.
Brian stopped the engine; his hands remained on the steering wheel for a split second longer than necessary. Through the tinted windshield, he watched a familiar figure approaching the vehicle. The posture, the expensive tailored suit, the unearned confidence in the stride—it didn't take Brian long to piece the puzzle together.
This was Julian, the man destined to join the Davidson dynasty.
Brian didn’t know the intricate details of Lucy’s private life. He was entirely unaware that the very sight of Julian made her blood run cold, or that her heart held absolutely no love for him. All Brian knew was what his eyes had recorded over the past few weeks: he had seen Julian exactly three times at the bustling head
