I could feel Julian's presence before I heard his footsteps. My skin prickled with awareness as he entered my small apartment without knocking. Typical. Even after everything, he still acted like he owned every space he entered.
"Where is she?" Julian demanded, his amber eyes wild as he stormed into my living room.
I turned slowly, keeping my voice steady despite the rage bubbling beneath my skin. "Hello to you too, Julian."
"I'm not playing games, Aurelia. Where's Violet?" His voice boomed through the apartment, making the walls seem to tremble—or maybe that was just my rage.
Something inside me snapped. Five years of silent suffering, of watching him ignore our daughter, of enduring his coldness—it all came rushing to the surface.
"How dare you!" I screamed, my calm facade crumbling instantly. "How fucking dare you come into my home demanding to know where Violet is!"
Julian took a step back, clearly surprised by my outburst. Good. Let him feel something for once.
