All Chapters of Fake Heiress, Real Desire: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Julia — First-Person POVThe gunshot still echoed in my head.Not loud anymore.Just distant.Like my body refused to believe it had actually happened.Smoke curled through the apartment in thin gray ribbons. Broken glass glittered across the floor beneath the dim lights, sharp enough to cut through skin—and silence.My breathing turned uneven.Alan stood in front of me like a wall carved from fury and pain. One hand pressed against his side, the other gripping my wrist tightly enough to remind me he was still standing.Still alive.My stomach twisted violently.Blood.There was blood on his shirt.“Alan…” My voice cracked so badly it barely sounded human.His eyes snapped to mine instantly, dark and burning.“Don’t panic.”The command came rough, strained.But beneath it, I heard something far worse.Fear.Not for himself.For me.For the baby.My knees weakened, but he caught me before I could fall, pulling me firmly against his chest. His heartbeat slammed beneath my cheek—fast, vi