The sternness in her tone makes them obey. They gather their blocks and head upstairs, Finn complaining the whole way while Liam stays silent.
When they’re gone, Helena sits down across from me. “Victor died last night,” she says. “Heart attack. He was pronounced dead at home.”
The teacup slips from my hands. It hits the floor but doesn’t break, spilling across the hardwood in a spreading puddle. I stare at it, watching the liquid seep into the cracks between the boards, and my brain refuses to process what Helena just said.
Victor is dead.
“When?” My voice comes out flat.
“Last night. Julian is taking over as head of the family.”
Julian.
My brother. The one person in the Vance family who ever gave a damn about what I wanted.
“What happens now?” I ask.
“I don’t know. I’m waiting for instructions.”
Helena stands and goes to the kitchen for towels to clean up the spilled tea. I stay on the floor, hands empty and mind racing.
Victor is dead, which means the rules that governed my life for six years are gone. Julian is in charge now, and Julian never wanted me locked away in the first place. He’s told me as much during his visits over the years—he promised things would change when he had power.
But six years is a long time. People change. Priorities shift. Maybe Julian has forgotten about his sister trapped in Ireland. Maybe I’ll be here forever anyway.
Helena finishes cleaning and sits back down. “You should rest. This is a lot to process.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not, but I won’t push.”
She leaves, and I’m alone with the news and the silence pressing down like a weight.
Upstairs, I can hear the twins playing. Their voices filter through the floorboards, Finn’s loud and insistent, Liam’s quieter but just as stubborn.
I close my eyes and try to breathe.
Victor Vance is dead.
And I have no idea what that means for us.
It’s ten at night, and I can’t find the will to sleep. I’m in bed, just staring at the ceiling, when I hear the ringtone. I sit up so fast my head spins.
Helena appears in my doorway holding her phone. “It’s Julian,” she says. “He wants to talk to you.” She hands me the phone and leaves, closing the door behind her.
I press it to my ear. “Julian?”
“Aurelia.” His voice is exactly how I remember it. Warm, steady, the voice of the brother who used to sneak me sweets when Victor wasn’t looking. “I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner. It’s been chaos here.”
“I heard about Victor.”
“Yeah. Heart attack. The doctors said it was quick.”
I don’t know what to say to that, so I say nothing.
“I’m bringing you home,” Julian says after a pause. “You and the boys.”
The words take a moment to land.
