Julian wasn't built for this.
This — the trembling, the tears, the fragility of it all. He could negotiate billion-dollar deals with a stare, walk into blood-soaked rooms without blinking, silence entire boardrooms with one word. But standing in front of a girl who'd just unraveled in his arms?
That shook something in him.
And he didn't know what the hell to do about it.
So, he did what he could.
He helped her sit, careful not to crowd her. Then he got her water — no idea if that helped, but it felt like something. He hovered by the edge of the chair like a statue unsure of its place in a museum. Her quiet sniffles chipped at his chest, but he didn't move closer. He didn't trust himself to say the right thing, and he'd never been one to fake comfort.
"...Better?" he asked eventually, his voice low.
Rose gave a weak nod, wiping the last of her tears from her cheeks. Her eyes were red, lips trembling, but she managed a small breath of calm.
Julian cleared his throat. "Your brother—Daniel, right? Is he here?"
She blinked up at him, startled by the shift in tone. "No, he went out. With Addie."
Julian's brows pulled together. "Addie?"
She let out a soft chuckle, still watery. "Adeline. My aunt."
A pause.
Julian's eyes flicked around the room, his sharp mind catching on the new detail. "The three of you stay here?"
Rose nodded slowly, unsure. "Yeah. Why?"
"How many rooms?"
"Three."
He was quiet for a long moment, gaze drifting across the modest living room. Something in his eyes had shifted again — not softness, not warmth. Calculation.
Rose tilted her head. "Why the sudden interrogation?"
Julian turned back to her, unreadable. "Just seems... small."
She arched a brow. "Addie's only visiting."
He didn't push further. Didn't ask anything else. But the silence between them thickened with something unspoken.
And then he looked at her again — really looked.
"You're not safe," he said suddenly.
The words hit like a cold wave, fast and final.
Rose's brows drew together. "What do you mean?"
Julian's jaw clenched. His voice, when he spoke again, was quieter. But sharper.
"I need you to stay low, Rose. No late walks. No unnecessary trips. No opening that door unless it's Daniel or Adeline."
Her heart skipped.
"Julian… What's going on?"
He didn't answer right away. His gaze dropped to the healing bruise on her arm. His lips parted, as if he might explain—
But then he stopped himself.
A beat of silence passed. Then another.
Finally, he said only three words.
"They know now."
The room fell still.
Before she could ask what that meant — who they were or what exactly they knew — Julian's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, expression darkening in an instant.
He straightened his coat.
"We'll talk soon. Lock your doors."
And just like that, he was gone — leaving Rose standing in the center of the room, heart pounding, stomach twisting, and her mind spinning with more questions than she had answers for.