Page 44 of His Untouchable Heart

Juliette’s eyes widened. “Shemarriedhim and didn’t tell him she was a billionaire?”

“Didn’t leave so much as a note about it. He found out after she died on their honeymoon. One minute he was grieving her, and the next, he was signing paperwork he didn’t even understand—lawyers, trustees, financial advisors. All of it dumped on him with no warning.”

“Oof,” she said, wincing. “Talk about emotional whiplash.”

I nodded. “He’s been trying to untangle that ever since. And then… Curtain sent an email.”

Juliette sat up a little straighter. “What kind of email?”

“There was a photo,” I said, my voice lowering. “Of me and Anthony. In that intimate moment at the gallery. We assume it’s from a phone camera. Anthony had already erased the security feed, but somehow, Curtain still had something. He used it to threaten Anthony.”

“Jesus,” Juliette muttered. “Threaten how?”

“Said Anthony needed to back off. That I had a job to do—find a buyer for his precious painting—and Anthony was getting in the way. He made it clear he’s watching us.”

Her mouth opened, then shut. She blinked slowly. “That’s not just creepy, that’s dangerous. I bet that painting he wants you to sell is a fake.”

“Exactly. Now we are here.”

Juliette was quiet for a beat, digesting everything. Then she gave a long, slow whistle. “You’ve had quite amonth, sis.”

I let out a breath. “You could say that.”

“And you’re still standing,” she said. “Just maybe not upright.”

I laughed softly. “Yeah. That part’s debatable.”

She nudged me under the blanket with her foot. “Well, you’ve got me. And, let’s be honest, one hell of a view.”

I followed her gaze toward the window, where the marina lights shimmered on the water like fireflies caught in glass.

I didn’t say it out loud, but I was grateful she was here. I hadn’t realized how much I’d needed her until now. But the truth was, I wasn’t just leaning on her anymore.

I had Anthony too. For all his walls and shadows, he was here. He stayed. And even when I couldn’t see him, I felt the calm he brought with him.

Maybe—I wasn’t as alone in this as I thought.

Juliette shifted beside me, tucking one arm under her head and letting out a long sigh. The quiet in the room felt different now—no longer tense or heavy. Just late. Just still.

“So,” she whispered, “how long do you really think we’ll have to stay on this yacht?”

I turned my head toward her, the blankets tucked up to my chest. “Until we hear from Curtain… or figure out what he’s really planning, remember?”

She nodded slowly, unsurprised. “Right.”

Neither of us said anything for a moment. The soft music filled the silence—water lapping gently outside the hull, the quiet buzz of the air system overhead, jazz still drifting faintly from the speakers. I could feel sleep pulling at the edges of me, slow and persistent.

Juliette stretched and let out a tiny groan. “Well… when this is over, I really want to meet this Damian guy.”

I blinked at her. “You’re not serious.”

She smirked. “Oh, I’m dead serious. Guy owns a yacht, throws around spare keys like party favors, and doesn’t blink when someone needs to disappear for a while? He’s either completely unhinged or incredibly useful. Either way, I want in.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “That makes two of us, but not for the same reasons. I haven’t met him either.”

Juliette raised a brow. “Even better. Maybe we can do a joint interrogation.”

“You’ll scare him off.”

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