The second Walter tied Julia to the bed, everything clicked for her.
She never had a place in his heart. His kindness was just payback for the time she saved his life.
She had fooled herself into thinking it was more, that his gratitude was affection. She had been lying to herself for years.
It was time to snap out of it.
Julia hid her face in her hands, fighting back tears, but when she looked up, she caught sight of the bodyguard who had not left. He was a constant annoyance.
Her team was disciplined, and they knew better than to interrupt when the boss was on the line. However, that guy? He broke all the rules, brazenly reporting to the boss about Walter, right in front of him!
She motioned to him with a flick of her finger.
The bodyguard came over, bowing so low he was practically staring at his shoes.
From above him, Julia's voice dropped flat and emotionless. "You better have a darn good reason for cutting into my call with the leader."
Her tone was distant as she casually lit up a fancy cigarette. She had always played the part of the sweet, innocent girl around Walter, never touching cigarettes or booze. She never got the appeal of those vices.
However, after everything that went down in Northern Montavia, Julia finally understood. Sometimes a shot of liquor or a drag of a cigarette could wash away all her problems…
The bodyguard, with the Bennison family's harsh punishments looming over his head, felt a wave of cold sweat wash over him. However, he had to tough it out and deliver the news. "Just got word from the hospital—Mr. Foster of the Fosters kicked the bucket. The Fosters are on high alert, and there's not a peep about Evangeline. Can't even buy a hint with cash."
The info trail had dried up, and there was no way to pull off what Julia had asked for.
However, in a crisis like that, the bodyguard had to report in.
"He's gone?" Julia could only meet with Cole because of her connection to Evangeline, and those meetings were few and far between. She remembered Cole as a formidable old man with strong ties to Trey from the Gordons.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Unmasking the Heiress (Evangeline and Walte)