Chapter 13
Elena flinched as if struck, though Julian hadn't raised his voice. She looked up at him then, her dark eyes shining with unshed tears that she stubbornly refused to let fall. "You think I don't know that?" she whispered, her voice cracking for the first time all evening. "Every time I look in the mirror, I see my father's temper staring back at me. I swore I wouldn't become him." Julian stepped closer, his expression softening as he reached out, placing a warm hand on her bare shoulder. The tension in her muscles didn't vanish immediately, but after a second, she leaned slightly into his touch. "Knowing it isn't enough," Julian said gently. "You have to fix it." Elena closed her eyes, drawing a deep, ragged breath through her nose. "I know." She opened her eyes, looking past him toward the dark opening of the service hallway that led down to the kitchens. "Is she still down there?" "She's packing her things," Julian said honestly. "She's scared, Elena. And she has every right to be." Elena nodded once, a sharp, decisive movement, and pulled away from his touch, smoothing the front of her sequin gown as she turned toward the stairs.
