Chapter 6 - The Confession in the DarkDominic didn't follow her immediately. Instead, he retreated to the surveillance room, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs. He dropped into his chair and pulled up Camera 7.
The screen showed Julian’s room bathed in the soft glow of the desk lamp.
Grace pushed the door open with her hip, walking in with the easy familiarity of someone who belonged there. She didn't knock. Julian didn't look startled.
She placed the mug on the corner of the desk, right beside the stack of manuscripts.
Julian looked up from his wheelchair, his pale eyes tracking her movements. He didn't write anything right away. Instead, he reached out and tapped his index finger twice against the wooden arm of his chair—a private gesture Dominic hadn't seen since they were teenagers playing code games in their bedroom.
Grace stopped. She turned back around, walking over until she stood right beside his wheelchair.
She didn't tower over him. She pulled up a small wooden stool, sat down so her eyes were level with his, and folded her hands in her lap.
On the monitor, Dominic watched their lips move, but the audio feed in the study was muted—a privacy setting Dominic had installed himself years ago to respect his brother's medical consultations.
What are they saying? Dominic thought, panic flaring in his chest. What does she know?
On screen, Julian’s face—usually a mask of controlled, stoic indifference—suddenly crumpled. Just for a fraction of a second. The corners of his mouth pulled down, and his eyes glistened under the desk lamp.
Grace reached out.
She didn't grab his shoulder in clumsy, pitying nurse-fashion. She simply placed her warm, steady hand over his pale, trembling knuckles.
Julian closed his eyes. A single tear broke free from his lashes, cutting a clean path down his cheek before dripping onto his lap.
In the surveillance room, Dominic slammed his fist down onto the heavy mahogany console. The monitors shook. A low, strangled sound escaped his throat—a mixture of agonizing jealousy, raw fury, and a terrifying realization that had been building for seven years.
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His brother wasn't just talking to her.
His brother was trusting her with the one thing Dominic had spent a decade trying and failing to earn: his soul.
