Chapter 117: Negotiations

“Julian?”

My stomach dropped the second his voice reached me.

What was he doing here?

How long had he been standing there? And worse how much had he seen?

After Lewis publicly stripped Julian of his rank at Hale Group, he’d vanished. His standing in the pack was gone. His scent had faded from gatherings like this. I thought he’d stay away from anything tied to Camilla. Or this house.

I forgot one thing.

This place used to be ours.

Julian and I had spent countless nights in this backyard. Sitting under the open sky. Sharing dreams we thought were unbreakable. Promises that meant nothing now.

Maybe he came here out of habit.

Or guilt.

Still why him? Why tonight?

I was crouched on the balcony, heart pounding, seconds from jumping down, when he bent and picked up the journal I’d dropped.

His fingers brushed the cover slowly.

Too slowly.

Like he already knew what it was.

His eyes lifted to mine. Sharp. Guarded. Alert.

“You were in Elena’s room?” he asked.

He flipped the book open.

“This belonged to her, didn’t it?”

So he saw everything.

I had planned this carefully. Lewis was inside keeping the Morrigans busy, holding their attention with calm dominance so I could slip away unnoticed. I was only supposed to grab the journal and leave.

I didn’t plan to run into anyone.

Especially not Julian.

Panic rose in my chest, hot and fast. I forced myself to move.

“Give it back,” I said, climbing down quickly.

My hands shook when my feet hit the ground.

I wasn’t ready for this. Not for him. Not now. Everything had been under control, and suddenly it wasn’t.

Julian tightened his grip on the journal. His shoulders squared, instinctive, like he was guarding something precious.

“This is Elena’s diary,” he said. His voice was low. Tight. “Why were you sneaking around with it? How did you even know it was here? The police searched this place. They found nothing.”

I took a breath. Slow. Steady.

“Because Elena told me where it was.”

His brows pulled together. “What?”

“That day,” I said carefully, “when I collapsed in front of her statue… I heard her voice.”

I swallowed.

“I know how it sounds. But I did. That’s why I told Lewis to search the statue. That’s how they found her remains.”

Julian stared at me.

The doubt was still there. But something else slipped in beneath it. Something unsettled. Something that hadn’t healed.

I pressed on before fear could stop me.

“I’m not lying. How else would I have known about the diary? Or the statue?” I nodded toward the journal. “There are things in there she wanted someone to see. That’s why I came for it.”

His jaw tightened.

I could feel it. The pull of unfinished grief. The ache of a broken bond that never truly snapped.

He hadn’t moved on.

He was still listening for answers.

“If you ever cared about her,” I said softly, “don’t you want the truth? You saw how her family treated her. You know she never belonged with them. She never felt safe.”

Julian looked down at the journal.

His fingers trembled.

“You think…” he said slowly, “the Morrigans had something to do with it?”

“I think someone in this house knows more than they’re saying,” I replied. “And that journal might be the only thing that can expose it.”

Silence stretched between us.

I looked at Julian, unsure of what I was really feeling.

I didn’t want to be tangled up with him again. Not after everything. But right now, this was bigger than both of us. When it came to Elena, we stood on the same side, whether I liked it or not.

So for now, we were allies. Nothing more.

“Deep down,” I said quietly, “I think you already know the truth.”

The Morrigans were blind to it. They lived in denial, wrapped around Camilla’s words like a leash. They followed without question. Julian had sensed something was wrong long before this, but like the police, he never had proof.

Instinct alone wasn’t enough.

“Julian,” I continued, keeping my voice steady, “maybe that diary holds answers. Something Elena left behind for us to find. What you do with it is your choice. But if it ends up in the wrong hands and gets buried, then whatever she died trying to say will be gone for good. And I won’t be able to stop that.”

He studied me closely.

“Before she disappeared,” he asked, voice low, “did she say anything else? Anything at all?”

He hesitated.

“Did she mention me?”

Something sharp pressed against my chest.

Of course that was what he wanted to know.

I swallowed the bitterness and kept my tone calm. “There wasn’t much time. I only heard pieces of her voice. Then… you know what happened. I collapsed. The statue broke. And I think that was when she truly left.”

Back then, Julian had been the only one who believed me.

Everyone else thought I’d imagined it. But not him. Maybe he saw the truth in my eyes. Or maybe he needed to believe as much as I did.

“Alright,” he said after a long pause. “I won’t say anything to anyone.”

Then he looked at me, firm and guarded. “But in return, I want to know everything she told you. All of it.”

I frowned.

I didn’t trust him completely. But I could use this. There was no one else who could confirm Elena’s words. Whatever I chose to tell him, he’d have no way to challenge it.

“I’ll tell you,” I said slowly, “but only when Lewis is with me. I’m not meeting you alone. If you can’t agree to that, then forget this ever happened. I never saw the diary. I never heard her voice. Her truth can stay buried.”

Julian didn’t argue.

He nodded once and slipped the journal into the inner pocket of his coat. He pressed it to his chest, careful. Protective.

I scoffed inwardly.

You didn’t protect her when she needed you. Now your guilt means nothing.

He extended his hand. “Looks like we’re partners now, Aunt Riley.”

I ignored it.

“Elena died horribly,” I said, my voice firm. “Maybe I feel connected to her because we look alike. Or maybe it’s something deeper. But I won’t stop until the truth comes out. You and I we’re not enemies. We’re after the same thing.”

He nodded. “I understand.”

I turned away. “Wait a few minutes before you go back inside.”

“Alright.”

As I walked off, I finally released a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. For now, at least, I’d kept him from ruining everything.

A soft presence brushed against my legs.

Snowflake emerged from behind the bushes, her white fur dusted with snow. I crouched and lifted her into my arms, holding her close.

I won’t abandon you again. Not this time.

Even from a distance, I could feel Julian’s gaze on me.

I couldn’t hear him, but I saw his lips move. The words reached me anyway, sinking straight into my chest.

“Elena… you’ve come back.”

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