Chapter 8 - The Interrogation of Shadows
Julian handed the toy back to Leo and pointed toward the hallway.
The boy nodded, turning around and padding quietly back to his bedroom.
The silence returned, but the heavy, suffocating weight of it had been broken by the child’s logic.
Julian shifted his weight on his knees.
He leaned half an inch closer to Elara.
The posture of a boss was entirely gone.
What remained was the solid, unmovable presence of a shield.
"Who did this?"
He did not ask what happened anymore.
He knew what a handprint looked like when it swelled under the skin.
He only needed the origin.
Elara’s breath hitched again.
Her fingers tightened on her torn collar.
She looked into Julian's eyes.
She didn't find pity there. Pity was useless.
She found absolute, cold certainty.
May you like
"My ex-husband."
---
