Chapter 30

Erica stood at the window of her room, staring out at the world but seeing nothing. The streets below seemed ordinary, peaceful even, but she knew better. There was a storm gathering, one that would consume everything if she wasn’t ready. The weight of her father’s legacy pressed down on her shoulders like never before, and the secrets she had held inside for so long were threatening to come undone.

Julian had left early that morning, a cryptic look on his face. He hadn’t said much, only that he had "business" to attend to. Erica knew what that meant now. There were no more illusions between them, no more half-truths. He was a man who lived in the shadows, and those shadows had crept into her life as well.

Her mind drifted back to their conversation the previous night. The tension in the room had been thick, both of them skirting around the things they truly wanted to say. Erica had seen something in Julian’s eyes, a vulnerability she hadn’t expected. She knew he was trying to make th