The hilltop was quiet, the air heavy with the salty tang of the ocean. Julian’s gaze swept over the endless horizon, where the fiery sun was melting into the sea. Beside him, Madeline rested her head on his shoulder, her fingers laced with his. “It’s beautiful,” she murmured, her voice barely louder than the waves crashing below. “It is,” Julian said, his tone distant. “Like the end of a story.” Madeline tilted her head to study his face. “A good ending?” Julian gave a small, contemplative smile. “I hope so. But endings have a way of surprising you.” Their quiet reverie was interrupted by the faint buzz of Julian’s phone. He frowned, pulling it from his pocket. The caller ID read: Unknown Number. Madeline caught the shift in his expression. “Who is it?” “I don’t know,” Julian said, standing and stepping a few paces away. He swiped to answer. “Julian Grey,” he said curtly. The voice on the other end was low and urgent. “Julian, it’s Steele.” Julian stiffened. “Vict

The night air was heavy, the kind that pressed down with an eerie stillness. Julian sat in his study, the faint hum of the sea barely cutting through the silence. His eyes were glued to the screen, the name Alastair Crane glaring back at him like a ghost resurrected from his past.The sound of Madeline’s footsteps snapped him back to reality. She leaned against the doorway, her arms crossed.“You’ve been here all night. Did you find something?” she asked softly.Julian hesitated. “A name.”Her brow furrowed. “Whose name?”“Alastair Crane.”The color drained from her face. “I thought he was finished years ago.”“So did I,” Julian said, his voice low, measured. “But he’s resurfaced, and I think he was behind Ethan and Eva’s betrayal. It all makes sense now—he was the one pulling the strings.”Before Madeline could respond, Julian’s phone buzzed on the desk. The caller ID showed an unlisted number. His chest tightened as he picked it up, pressing it to his ear.“Grey,” he said.“Ah, Juli

The evening air was sharp and cold, slipping through the slightly ajar balcony door. Julian’s gaze fixated on the muddy footprints that trailed across the marble floor, stopping inches from the coffee table. His pulse thundered as he knelt to inspect them.“They were here again,” he muttered, his voice low and tight with unease.Behind him, Madeline appeared, her arms crossed, her expression strained. “Julian, this is the third time. This isn’t random.”Julian straightened, forcing a tight-lipped smile. “It’s just intimidation. Someone trying to shake me up.”Her frown deepened. “And you’re going to keep pretending it’s nothing? Julian, these aren’t pranks—they’re threats. If you’re in danger, I need to know.”He placed his hands on her shoulders, his smile faltering. “I’ll handle it. Trust me.”Madeline pulled away, her voice rising. “How can I trust you when you’re keeping me in the dark?”Before Julian could answer, a faint vibration buzzed in his pocket. He pulled out his phone. T

The low crackle of the fireplace filled the room, its light casting dancing shadows on the walls. Julian sat in his leather armchair, staring into the flames as though they held answers. His silence stretched between him and Madeline, an invisible barrier she could no longer tolerate.“Julian.” Her voice was calm, but there was steel beneath it. She stepped closer, her gaze fixed on him. “What are you not telling me?”He didn’t look up. Instead, his shoulders tensed, his hand tightening around the glass of whiskey he held.“Madeline, let it go,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.She moved in front of him, kneeling to meet his eyes. Her hands covered his, grounding him. “No,” she said firmly. “We promised—no more secrets.”His jaw clenched, but he couldn’t hold back the storm building within him. “It’s Alastair,” he admitted finally, his voice heavy. “He’s threatening everything—our lives, our future. He’s found something tied to my father’s legacy, and he’ll use it to destroy

The air in Julian’s office was tense, crackling with the weight of revelation. The room smelled faintly of coffee and burnt ambition, a scent that clung to every surface as Julian stared at his screen. His fingers tapped rhythmically on the keyboard, decrypting file after file with precision, while the shadows danced eerily against the walls.Sophia leaned against the desk, her sharp gaze fixed on the screen. “You’re not ready for this,” she murmured, breaking the silence.Julian’s head tilted slightly, his lips twitching into a sardonic smile. “Try me.”She pointed at a name that glowed ominously on the screen. “Gregory Harlow. Dominion Dynamics.”Julian’s brow furrowed as he leaned closer, his voice dropping into a harsh whisper. “He’s the lynchpin.”“Worse,” Sophia interjected, her tone icy. “He’s the gatekeeper. Dominion controls Europe’s data infrastructure. If Alastair wanted to topple a government or bleed an economy dry, Harlow is his weapon of choice.”“Which makes him our ta