“Let him in,” I commanded.
Julian stepped into the room. He wasn’t in a tuxedo; he wore a dark charcoal suit, no tie, and an expression that suggested he found the entire world mildly amusing. In his hand, he held a small, charred piece of fabric.
It was a scrap of the silk dress Adrian had burned that afternoon.
“You dropped this in the hallway of your apartment building,” Julian said, his voice a smooth baritone. He walked forward, ignoring the security guards, and placed the scrap on the mahogany table between us.
“And you decided to hand-deliver trash to a gala?” I challenged, meeting his gaze.
“I decided to see if the rumors were true,” Julian said, a smirk playing on his lips. “The ‘Invisible Queen’ finally showing her face to execute her husband in front of the world? It was a performance I couldn’t miss.”
He leaned in closer, his eyes scanning the room before settling back on me.
“But be careful, Clara. You’ve just created a vacuum. Adrian was a fool, but he was a shield. Now, everyone knows who holds the keys to the kingdom. And there are people far more dangerous than a disgruntled VP who want those keys.”
The First Threat
