FAZER LOGINElena’s POV"I’m going to the store," I told Julian as he stood in the foyer, adjusting his expensive watch."I’ll have the security team pull the cars around," he said. He didn't even look up. He said it like it was a rule."No," I said firmly. "No guards. No black SUVs. I just want to go to the mart with my son. I want to walk through the aisles without four men in suits breathing down my neck."Julian finally looked at me. His eyes were hard. "It isn't safe, Elena. Mark is still out there.""Mark doesn't even have a car right now, Julian. And nobody knows where I’ll be. I am taking Leo, and we are going alone. If you don't like it, you can try to stop me, but I won't come back to this house tonight."It was a threat, and we both knew it. Julian clenched his jaw. He looked like he wanted to argue, but he saw the look on my face. He knew I was at my breaking point."Fine," he said, his voice tight. "I’ll drive you myself on my way to the office. I’ll drop you at the front door. But y
Julian’s POVI walked back into the study. Leo was asleep in my arms again. The mission for the blue cup and the ball-shaped ice had been a success. He had taken two sips, told me the water was too cold, and then promptly fallen asleep against my shoulder as I walked back up the stairs.I sat back down in my chair, careful not to wake him. I looked at the screen. Stefan was still there, a soft smile on his face. Marcus was back to work, but he looked more relaxed."He's out?" Stefan asked quietly."Like a light," I whispered. I looked down at Leo’s peaceful face. He looked so innocent."He's a beautiful boy, Julian," Stefan said. "But be careful. Adrian Visser is a snake. He won't give up. He will look for every hole in the law to take that boy away from you."I tightened my hold on Leo. I felt a fierce, protective fire in my gut. "Let them try. I have spent my whole life building this empire. I have fought off enemies bigger than Adrian. If they want a war, I will give them one they
Julian’s POV The clock on the wall of my study struck midnight. The room was dark, lit only by the soft glow of the computer monitors and a single lamp on my desk. I sat in my large leather chair, feeling the weight of the day. My body was tired, but my mind was racing. On the large screen in front of me, a video call was active. My right-hand man, Stefan, looked back at me. He had just returned to his hotel room after a long work trip in Europe. He looked tired, but his eyes were sharp. "So," Stefan said, leaning back in his chair. "I leave for one week, and the whole world turns upside down. You found her? And the boy?" I nodded, rubbing my face with my hands. "I found them. Or rather, my mother found the boy, and Elena found me. It was a mess, Stefan. Mark and Adrian tried to force her into a wedding." I spent the next thirty minutes telling Stefan everything. I told him about the garden, the missing signature, Elena’s escape, and the moment I saw Leo at the hospital. Stefan l
Julian’s POVThe air in the hospital room was thick. Elena and I were standing on opposite sides of a canyon made of anger and hurt. I wanted to reach out and grab her, to demand she never leave again, but her words about me being choking and "overprotective" were still ringing in my ears."You don't understand, Elena," I hissed, my voice low so the guards outside wouldn't hear. "I am the only thing standing between you and men who want to ruin you.""And who is standing between me and you, Julian?" she countered, her eyes flashing.Before I could answer, the heavy wooden door creaked open. A small, sleepy figure stood there, rubbing his eyes with his fists. Leo looked tiny against the vastness of the hospital hallway."Mama?" Leo’s voice was thick with sleep. "I'm sleepy. Can we go to our bed now? The lights here are too loud."The fire in Elena’s eyes died down instantly, replaced by that soft, maternal glow that made my chest ache. She knelt down and opened her arms. Leo stumbled i
Julian’s POVThe hospital hallway was too bright. It felt like the white lights were burning into my skull. My heart was thumping against my ribs, a wild animal trying to break free. In my arms, Elena was trembling. She was still barefoot, her feet cleaned and bandaged by my private medic in the car, but she looked like she might shatter if I let go.We reached Room 402. Two of my best security guards stood outside the door like stone pillars. They bowed their heads as I approached."My mother?" I asked, my voice sounding like it was coming from deep underwater."Inside with the boy, sir," the guard replied.I pushed the door open. The room was quiet, save for the soft hum of a heart monitor and the rustle of a page being turned. My mother, Lady Catherine, was sitting in a chair by the bed. And there, propped up against the pillows, was the boy.I stopped in my tracks. The world around me simply ceased to exist. He was small. So much smaller than I had imagined. He was wearing overs
THE GARDEN Adrian Visser stood by the stone altar, his face a mask of cold, white-hot rage. He looked down at the unsigned wedding papers. The ink on Mark’s signature was dry, but the line for Elena Montgomery was empty. Without that signature, Mark Montgomery was nothing. He was just a fugitive with no legal standing, no family claim, and no protection."You absolute fool," Adrian hissed, his voice like the rattle of a snake.Mark was pacing nearby, his suit jacket torn, his hair a mess. He looked like a man who had been dragged through a hedge, which wasn't far from the truth. "I’ll find her, Adrian. I’ll find the car. She can’t drive that SUV forever. It has a tracker!""The tracker was disabled three minutes ago, Mark," Adrian said, turning his head slowly to look at him. "She isn't as stupid as you are. She learned a few things while she was hiding from the world."Adrian looked at his guards. They were standing like statues, terrified of the look in his eyes. He thought about







