Chapter 12 - The Ghost from the Past
That evening, the Mediterranean breeze brought an unusual chill through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the estate. Sarah had put the children to sleep and was sitting on the terrace overlooking the moonlit ocean, a glass of white wine resting untouched on the glass table before her.
Footsteps crunched softly on the gravel behind her. Julian walked out, wearing a dark cashmere sweater, carrying a light shawl. Without a word, he draped it over her shoulders, his hands lingering on her arms before he pulled up a chair beside her.
"You're thinking about Chicago," Julian said softly, his dark eyes reading her expression with effortless precision.
Sarah turned to him, the moonlight catching the diamond band on her left ring finger. "I was thinking about how fragile all of this is. Six months ago, I was counting pennies on Halsted Street, terrified of losing Lily. Now... I live in a fortress by the ocean, married to a man the world still whispers about in fear."
Julian reached across the table, taking her small hand in his large, calloused palm. "You aren't surviving anymore, Sarah. You're living. And nothing—neither the European council nor the ghosts of my past—will ever take that away from you."
"The note today," Sarah whispered, her gaze dropping. "Marco told you something arrived, didn't he? I saw the look on his face when he left your study."
Julian’s jaw tightened, a muscle ticking along his jawline. He didn't lie to her; that was the foundation they had built their marriage upon. Total, unvarnished truth, even when it tasted like ash.
"The old factions in Europe think they can bully us back into the game," Julian admitted quietly. "They want the shipping lanes back. But I’ve already contacted the authorities. By morning, their operations across three continents will be seized."
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Sarah squeezed his hand tighter. "They'll come after you."
"Let them try," Julian said, his voice dropping into that low, lethal register that had once terrified boardrooms and back alleys alike. "I built this empire with blood and steel, Sarah. But I’m burning it down for you and the kids. Let's see who is brave enough to walk through the fire."
