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Chapter 13: The Falling Mask

last update publish date: 2026-07-03 00:07:47
​The silence of the apartment was supposed to be a victory lap. We had torn down the Eclipse empire, bankrupted Victor, and stood on the precipice of a future that belonged only to us.

For two days, we didn't leave the apartment. We slept, we talked, and we tried to scrub the smell of the manor from our skin.

I watched Julian from across the room, seeing him smile for the first time—a real, unburdened smile that made me believe the worst was behind us. I was wrong.

​It began with a ping o
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... This one hurt… Did you feel it, too?
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