MasukJulian's phone rang at 4:47 in the morning. He reached for it on the nightstand before he had even fully opened his eyes."This had better be good, Leo," Julian muttered, his voice thick with sleep."I found the name, sir." Leo's voice carried absolutely no apology for the early hour. "The account behind the crest commission. It is registered."Julian sat up completely now. He glanced at Eva sleeping peacefully beside him, careful not to disturb her, and slipped quietly out into the dark hallway before he spoke again. "Who is it?""That is the strange part," Leo said, his voice tight over the line. "It is not a real person's name on record. It is an alias. The account is under the name V. E. Thorne."Julian's jaw tightened. "Thorne? Who is that?""Nobody, sir," Leo explained. "That name doesn't connect to anyone in any database I have run. There is no birth record, no tax history, nothing. Whoever set this account up decades ago built an identity that exists only on paper, specificall
Julian stood in his room early that morning, already wearing his dark trousers and a crisp white shirt. Leo stood across from him, checking a tablet. Eva was downstairs."Sir, you have the regional logistics call at ten o'clock," Leo said, looking up. "And after that, the investment committee is waiting for your signature on the Q3 reports. Should I push the committee back to noon?"Julian didn't look at his phone or the documents on his bed. He reached for his watch and buckled it onto his wrist. "Cancel the logistics call entirely, Leo. And tell the investment committee they will have to wait until tomorrow."Leo blinked in surprise, his pen freezing over the screen. "Cancel it, sir? That call took three weeks to schedule with the overseas directors.""My wife has her first official prenatal checkup at ten," Julian said. His voice was calm, but his tone left absolutely no room for argument. "Everything else can wait. Get the car ready."Leo paused for a fraction of a second, a small
** What Clara Heard**The door barely shut before Victor lost it. He spun around, face red, chest heaving, and grabbed a glass off the dresser. He threw it hard across the room.It smashed against the fireplace. Glass flew everywhere.Beatrice didn't even blink. She stood by the window, arms folded, watching him like he was the one acting crazy."Are you completely out of your mind?" Victor screamed, his voice shaking the walls. "You sat at that breakfast table and attacked his unborn child to his face! Julian was ready to murder you with his bare eyes!""Lower your voice, you coward!" Beatrice snapped back, her voice low but sharp as a knife. "I said exactly what everyone else at that table was thinking.""Julian is already digging into my old files!" Victor stepped closer to her, fists clenched tight. "He stood in the study and accused me of planning his wife's accident, in front of the entire household, Beatrice. In front of Mother. And you just stood there today and gave him a rea
Early that morning, Julian stood by the large window of his private study, gazing out at a sky that was heavy with gray fog. A few feet away near the desk, Leo waited quietly while holding a thin notepad in his hands."I want you to look into Sophie," Julian said without turning around, his voice quiet but carrying a firm edge."Sophie Hart, sir?" Leo asked in dupriy, shifting his feet."I don't trust her," Julian replied as he turned around slowly and crossed his arms. "Run a background check on her to see if she has been involved in any suspicious behavior lately, especially whether she has been in contact with any media."Nodding quickly, Leo took a step back toward the door. "Understood, sir. I will start looking into it immediately."---An hour later, the entire family gathered around the long dining table for breakfast, the silence in the room was incredibly uncomfortable.Grandmother Isabella sat proudly at the head of the table, while Victor and Beatrice sat opposite each ot
Julian froze instantly. His hand stopped dead on his collar button, his back stiffening as the words echoed in the quiet bedroom. The silence stretched for several agonizing seconds before he slowly turned around to face her."Pregnant?" Julian asked. His voice was a low whisper, completely stripped of the coldness that had been there for weeks.Eva looked up at him, her vision blurring as tears welled in her eyes. "Yes," she replied, her voice trembling. "Two months."For a long moment, he didn't move at all. He just stood there staring at her, as if the word hadn't fully landed yet. Then something broke loose behind his eyes, and he crossed the room in three fast strides."Come here, baby," he said softly.He pulled her tightly against his chest, throwing his arms around her waist. He held her so close it felt like he was trying to shield her from the entire world.Eva buried her face in his shoulder, her chest heaving as she finally let out the tears she had been holding back all d
Eva woke up first. The weak morning light was just beginning to filter through the curtains. She didn't move. Her right hand was still trapped in Julian’s firm, warm grip beneath the blanket. For a single, fleeting second, a wave of hope surged through her chest.Then Julian stirred.He opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling for a moment before he realized where he was. Slowly, deliberately, he let go of her hand. He sat up, swinging his legs out of bed and rubbing his face in the quiet room."Morning," she said carefully."Morning."Neither of them said anything for a moment. Eva finally shifted, pulling the covers to her chest. "Can we talk? About—""Not now, Eva," Julian cut her off flatly. He stood up and headed to the bathroom, his back completely turned to her. "I have to address the emergency board session today to clean up this mess. We'll talk later.""I'd rather you weren't there for it," he added.He turned around to look at her. "You are staying home today. You are in no







