Chapter 211

• The morning began with silence that felt heavier than usual. I made coffee slowly, waiting for the world to stir, waiting for something unnamed to arrive. Julian was still asleep, his breathing steady in the bedroom, while I stood in the kitchen with the radio low in the background.
• It was the voice of the newscaster that pulled me from the drifting haze. I heard Alessia’s name spoken with clipped seriousness, followed by the words bankruptcy and liquidation. My hand tightened around the mug, the sound of porcelain faint against my palm.
• I turned up the volume, letting the report fill the space. The words came with precision, every sentence designed to strike. Alessia’s empire had officially filed for bankruptcy protection overnight, her investors had pulled away, and her boutiques would close within weeks.