“Where were you?”
“Out.”
“With who?”
“A friend.”
“Which friend?”
I don’t answer.
Julian sets down the pen he’s holding and looks at me directly. “I’m not Victor. I’m not going to lock you up or control every aspect of your life. But I am going to ask you not to be reckless.”
“I’m not being reckless.”
“You’ve been disappearing for hours at a time. Making excuses. Nadia says you came home the other day looking like you’d been in a fight.”
“I wasn’t in a fight.”
“Then what were you doing?”
“Living my life.”
“With Cassian Rourke?”
The name hits me like a slap.
“How did you?—”
“I’m not an idiot, Aurelia. I know he approached you at the gala. I know he set up that business meeting just to see you again. And I know you left with him after Nadia came back alone.”
I should deny it. Should lie and tell him he’s wrong.
But I’m tired of lying.
“So what if I was with him?” I say. “What are you going to do about it?”
Julian’s jaw tightens. “I’m going to remind you that being with him puts the boys at risk. He doesn’t know about them, and if he finds out?—”
“He won’t.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I’m careful.”
“Careful isn’t good enough. One slip, one mistake, and he’ll figure it out. And then what? You think he’s just going to walk away? You think he won’t demand to be part of their lives?”
“They’re his sons. He has a right?—”
“He has a right to nothing until you decide he does. Those boys are yours, Aurelia. You raised them. You protected them. Don’tthrow that away just because you can’t stay away from the man who knocked you up six years ago.”
The words are harsh enough to sting.
“I know what I’m doing,” I say quietly.
“No, you don’t. You’re playing with fire and pretending you won’t get burned.”
We stare at each other across his study, and I can see the genuine concern in his face. He’s not trying to control me. He’s trying to protect me.
