Chapter 9 — Julian

I left my mother sitting on the bench, and I walked out into the grand foyer, and at the side entrance the heavy glass doors opened, and Julian Vance stepped through into the warm light.

He was in a dark, tailored suit, composed, carrying that quiet authority that seemed to reorganize a room simply by entering it.

And when his eyes found me — the red lips, the black dress, the steadiness I had put on along with them — his sharp features softened in the way they only ever softened for me.

“Jessi,” he said, crossing to me, resting his warm hand at the small of my back.