Helena let out a silent sigh at Julian's words.
She understood exactly what he meant.
No matter what happened, Julian wasn't going to let go.
Finally, she looked at him with quiet resignation. "Julian, this isn't fair to you."
"As long as I know what I'm doing, that's enough," he replied simply.
Helena didn't know what to say to that.
A brief silence fell over the video call.
"Helena," Julian said, his voice completely calm. "Once all of this is over, we're going to start fresh."
After a long pause, she nodded. "Okay."
They didn't need to say anything else.
Yet, Julian made no move to end the call.
Helena didn't rush him.
They were family.
Years of shared history had built an unspoken understanding between them.
Given the current situation, his words were straightforward, but deep down, he was undoubtedly struggling.
Just as she was.
So much of this had been planned, but reality always found a way to throw a wrench in the works.
Every step she took was excruciatingly difficult.
Taking a deep breath, Helena left the call running.
The two of them went about their own business on opposite ends of the screen.
Eventually, Julian looked back at the camera. "Get some rest. I'm heading back to the hotel. I'll call you tomorrow."
"Alright," she replied.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
With that, Julian finally hung up.
Helena stared at the disconnected screen, the phone growing warm against her palm.
She stood frozen in place.

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