Page 27 of Julian's Curse

“I don’t think that’s it, Lucie,” he commented quietly.

I glanced up from my dish. Was there something more I wasn’t seeing? For a moment, his eyes caught mine, a flicker of something unreadable passing between us. An embarrassing flashback hit me—of him tearing my clothes off at the samerestaurant several months ago. I quickly pushed the memory aside, my cheeks warming.

Just then, his phone rang, and I saw Valentina’s name light up on the screen. He hesitated, then stepped outside to take the call. “Excuse me, I’ll be right back”

I watched him through the window, silently hoping that maybe the two of them could find a connection. As if seeing him with someone else would somehow reassure me that he was truly in a good place.

I then reflected on what he had said earlier—about sensing something was wrong but not being able to figure it out—and it made me wonder. Why did it seem like Bradley, with his uncanny ability to read people and situations, could always pick up on things I missed? His street smarts, honed by years of navigating the complexities of life, often gave him an edge that I didn’t have. I wondered if he was seeing something in me that I hadn’t yet acknowledged, something I couldn’t quite bring myself to confront. Maybe he had a clearer picture of the situation than I did, or perhaps his experiences had taught him to notice the subtle signs that others overlooked.

Afew more lonely days without Julian started to mess with my head. I tried to keep busy with a packed schedule, but I couldn’t wait for him to be back home from his trip. The grand opening of his complex had been a huge success, drawing in a large crowd and lots of media attention. Unfortunately, he remained on-site, making sure everything ran smoothly as the first transactions began. To my limited understanding, he still needed to iron out a few things regarding the commercial side of his project and why he wouldn’t be back for another week.

We were finally set to grab coffee with Evy, the impressive woman who had briefly taken my place as Julian’s fake girlfriend the previous year. She’d invited me to her apartment, possibly because of privacy. I agreed that Will drove me, relishing the chance to relax in the backseat while I took in the sights of oursurroundings. Judging from our direction, Evy lived near the coast, as we headed down the 52 West. The familiar skyline and bustling streets provided a comforting backdrop as I settled in, enjoying a mindless drive.

It took us about twenty minutes to get to our destination. Her house was just as I had pictured it—lavish yet minimalist tucked away in the affluent La Jolla neighborhood, renowned as the former residence of Dr. Seuss.

Similar to other visits with Julian’s friends, we first had to pass through a guarded gate. She came to greet me with a bright smile, her voice smooth and even melodic. Carrying herself with relaxed confidence, her wavy hair cascaded down her back in shades of chestnut and gold. Since I last saw her, she’d dyed it blonde, a color that complemented her round blue eyes. The brunette phase seemed like a temporary choice when she’d posed to be Julian’s girlfriend, Shannon Kingsley. I remembered her as a femme fatale, but to my surprise, she seemed remarkably approachable, her eyes framed by soft wrinkles. She’d selected a white pantsuit for our meeting, and I guessed she was in her early 40s—hardly evident when she’d posed with Julian for the cameras, her face covered with thick makeup.

I kissed her on the cheeks before she pulled me into a warm hug. It was a French habit that felt fitting for the moment. This gesture perfectly expressed that I had no negative feelings, even though initially I’d felt all sorts of ugly emotions toward her thinking that Julian cheated.

“Great to finally meet you, Lucie, especially under the right circumstances,” she remarked, her gaze curious—something you’d expect from someone in the Secret Service.

I handed her the large bouquet of flowers I had brought along, accompanied by a personal thank-you letter and a gift card to one of our favorite restaurants with Julian. It was theleast I could do for a woman who had been willing to take a bullet for me.

“These are gorgeous, thank you very much.” She gestured for me to sit on her all-beige sofa, a bold choice considering how easily it showed stains. She definitely didn’t have pets…

“Would you like some coffee? I’ve also made some Galaktoboureko for us to try. It’s a puff pastry, my grandma’s recipe.” She brought out the tray.

“Do you speak Greek?” I queried. It occurred to me that the reason why she’d also been a great fit for the role of Shannon was because she spoke the language of Tarnakis, Julian’s former business partner who later became his mortal enemy.

“Yes, I do. I hope Tarnakis didn’t leave you with a bad taste for Greek culture.” She frowned slightly.

I shook my head profusely. “Definitely not. Actually, one of my dreams is to visit the remnants of ancient Greece. The Acropolis and the Parthenon.” Next, I tried a small piece of her pastry and it was mouthwatering. “These taste like heaven, by the way,” I quickly complimented her baking skills.

She placed the flowers in an ornate vase before coming to sit with me. “I figured I’d make something different, something that you usually don’t have as a treat.”

Silence fell for a few seconds. I didn’t know why I felt so nervous but I did. Meanwhile, she remained serene, like a still pond.

“I want you to know how immensely grateful I am for your help.” I blurted out. “You put yourself into a dangerous situation to keep me out of trouble. Being in the middle of a shooting had to be terrifying.” She’d become a living target at a gala in Los Angeles to play the role of Julian’s girlfriend.

She waived it off as ordinary. “My pleasure, Lucie. Besides Oliver is a good friend of my husband, so when he reached out,I knew I had to help. Do you know that I protected a few US presidents in the past?”

It didn’t surprise me. “That’s impressive, Evy.”

“Public service. It feels good to make a difference in a world full of evil. We can both agree there is a lot of it around us.”

I gave it a nod. “Julian still can’t seem to move on from it all,” I opened up to her.

“Yes, the whole thing was traumatic for him.” Her voice was full of empathy and kindness.

“I still wish he had told me when he found out there was a threat.” She had a husband, so she’d be able to relate to this yearning.

She shook her head with fervor. “Lucie, he did what was best for you two to stay alive. At one point we managed to convince Tarnakis that you two were but just another meaningless relationship.” She then began to recount an exchange that took place between the two men in his office. Tarnakis essentially warned Julian that any woman he loved would soon pay for the death of his wife.

“Evy, do you think there’s a chance I could still be a target?” I felt compelled to bring it up. Julian’s paranoia had a way of rubbing off on me. Just because Tarnakis was in prison didn’t mean he suddenly had anything to lose. I wouldn’t let fear get in the way. But staying informed could sometimes mean staying alive.

“We don’t believe so, Lucie.” She confirmed calmly. “We’ve struck a deal with him in regards to his son. Thankfully he does have one person he still cares about.”

Julian hadn’t mentioned this part. I felt sudden relief wash over me.

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