Chapter 2: What Was Buried
Outside the banquet hall, the night air was cold and still. The city lights shimmered beyond the glass walls of the estate.
Julian stood facing Anna and Sophie, his jaw tight, emotions fighting for control.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then finally:
âWhy does she remember you like that?â
Anna looked down, her hands trembling slightly.
âShe was three when her mother passed,â Anna said quietly. âI was hired as her caregiver during that time. I stayed with her every night because she wouldnât sleep otherwise.â
Julianâs eyes sharpenedânot in anger, but in realization.
Vivian, who had followed behind them, spoke softly for the first time.
âYou never told me she became that attached.â
Anna shook her head.
âBecause I didnât think it mattered⊠until now.â
Sophie tugged gently on Annaâs sleeve.
âSheâs the only one who didnât leave,â Sophie said.
That sentence hit harder than anything else.
Julian turned away, exhaling slowly, as if the truth had been sitting in front of him for years but only now became visible.
âI thought distance was stability,â he admitted quietly. âI thought I was protecting her.â
May you like
No one answered immediately.
Because there was no easy reply.
