Hallie's brow furrowed in confusion, her mind racing to understand whatever he was getting at. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't decipher the hidden meaning behind his words.
Sensing her confusion, Julian simply smiled. "Forget about it, Aunt," he said, brushing off her question like dust. His hand stayed on her cheek, stroking it gently, as he spoke again. "Tell me—can you do anything for him?"
Hallie's breath hitched, the words catching in her throat as her mind spiraled. Ivan's hollow eyes—the devastation she had witnessed—her mother's helplessness.
And now Julian, with his twisted game, was forcing her to answer the impossible. The tension in her chest tightened painfully, but she couldn't back away now.
"Anything," she admitted, her voice raw, her love for her son slipping through the cracks in her hate. Her eyes met his again, blazing through the pain, daring him to take that word and try to make her regret it.
