Chapter 6 - Shadows on the Wall
Julian stopped abruptly when he saw the photos scattered over the sheets. The color drained from his face entirely, leaving him ash-pale under the harsh white lights. "Elena... where did you get those?" he croaked, stepping forward with his hands raised in surrender.
"Don't take another step," Clara shouted, placing herself between Julian and the bed. "Get out before I call hospital security! You've done enough damage." But Julian ignored her, his eyes locked onto Elena’s gaze, which had hardened into an impenetrable wall of ice. "Elena, you don't understand the context. That man in the photo—he was blackmailing me over my father’s estate. I was trying to protect our family's future."
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Elena gathered the photos and threw them directly at his chest. They fluttered like dead leaves before falling to the floor. "You let me bleed alone. You told me your flight was grounded in Asia while you were sitting in downtown cafes paying off your sins!" Her voice cracked, a raw scream tearing from her throat. "What are these babies to you, Julian? Collateral? A bargaining chip?"
"Never!" Julian fell to his knees beside the bed, uncaring of his wet clothes soaking through to the cold floor. "They are our miracle! I made terrible mistakes, but I swear I never wanted to hurt you. If you leave me, they will hunt you down. You don't know who we are dealing with!" Elena stared down at him, unmoved. "The only monster hunting me is the man I married."
