Chapter 2
Julian’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the stolen phone, his breathing matching the rhythmic, mechanical wheeze echoing from the speaker. The entire dining room seemed to hold its collective breath, the heavy velvet drapes muffling the distant sounds of the city outside. Evelyn leaned forward in her chic beige lace top, her diamond necklace catching the chandelier light as she strained to hear the voice on the other end.
“Who is that?” Evelyn demanded, her tone dropping into a dangerous register that commanded obedience even from her ruthless son.
Julian didn't answer. He stared at the screen as if it were a venomous snake about to strike.
Elena remained seated, her white button-down shirt stark against the dark wood of her chair. The small drop of blood behind her ear had dried into a thin, dark line, but she felt no pain—only a cold, sharp clarity. She reached slowly across the table, her fingers hovering inches from the phone.
“Give it back, Julian,” Elena said, her voice entirely devoid of its earlier warmth. “He wants to talk to me. Not you.”
Julian yanked his arm back, his tuxedo jacket pulling tight across his broad shoulders. He glared down at the device, his jaw working furiously as he searched for words that wouldn't betray the empire they had all built upon lies.
“You have no idea what you’ve meddled in,” Julian hissed, his voice trembling with a mixture of fury and genuine terror. “That man is a ghost. We buried him twenty years ago.”
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“People like him don't stay in the ground when you keep feeding them secrets,” Elena replied, her eyes never leaving her brother’s frantic face.
Before Julian could smash the phone against the table, the tinny voice from the speaker filled the silent room, speaking a single phrase that made Evelyn gasp and drop her silver fork against her plate.
