JULIAN'S POV
There’s something terrifying about children.
Not in the horror-movie way. No spinning heads or creepy whispers.
Just… pure chaos in a four-foot frame.
So when I opened the penthouse door and saw Aria standing there with a backpack-carrying, wide-eyed miniature version of her I nearly shut it again.
“Please tell me that’s not yours,” I said.
Aria rolled her eyes. “Julian, this is Mikey. My brother. Remember?”
“Vaguely. He was smaller on the phone.”
Mikey stepped forward like a soldier reporting for duty. “I’m ten. And I’m not scared of you.”
Oh, perfect.
And I’ll be damned if he didn’t look at me like I was the final boss in some video game.
“I hope it’s okay,” she said. “I didn’t want to leave him alone with Lily all weekend. And he wanted to see this place.”
I op
