Page 233 of The Rules
But then—
She straightened.
Her spine aligned.
Her eyes found his.
She didn't look away.
Julian watched her. And then, slowly, he smiled.
"There she is," he said.
Not with smugness.
Withapproval.
With something close torespect.
He stand, walking away like the storm had passed.
Then paused, his voice softer, lower.
"Let it burn, sweetheart. Let me see the fire."
Across the room, Ben watched in silence.
Jaw clenched to the point of pain.
Eyes like storm glass—dark, unreadable.
A twitch beneath his cheekbone betrayed the tension.
Still, he said nothing.
Julian didn't even glance his way. He didn't need to.
He'd already won this moment.
And Kath?
She stood there.
Breathing.
Shaking.
Burning.
Alive.
Ready.
The moment passed—but the fire didn’t.
Katherine watched Julian move with practiced efficiency, phone already pressed to his ear as he strode across the room. His voice dropped to that dangerous register—the one that promised swift, merciless action. He was speaking to someone he trusted, someone who operated in shadows deeper than even Ben's world touched.
The trembling in her hands had stopped. The roaring in her ears had quieted to a dull hum. The fear still coursed through her veins like ice water, but it no longer threatened to drown her. Instead, it sharpened her edges, honed her focus to a lethal point.
