Chapter 7 - Julian's Letter
Z
Two weeks later, the dust had settled.
The media frenzy had peaked and faded, satisfied with the narrative of Elias Kane's "retirement" and the heartwarming discovery of the lost Kane heiress. I was no longer a secret. I was a fixture in Adrian’s world, navigating the strange new reality of wealth, security, and family.
It was late Friday evening. Mia was asleep in her new, ridiculously oversized bedroom. I was in the library, looking out at the rain slicking the city streets, when Adrian walked in. He was holding a small, faded wooden box.
"When Julian left the family," Adrian said quietly, joining me by the window, "he left this in my care. He told me not to open it unless he didn't come back."
I swallowed hard, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Why didn't you open it?"
"Because opening it meant admitting he was really gone," Adrian confessed, his armor finally cracking. "But I opened it last night. There’s something inside you need to see."
He handed me the box. Inside, resting on a bed of velvet, was a silver locket and a folded piece of paper. My hands shook as I unfolded the letter. It was Julian’s messy, hurried handwriting.
Ad,
If you're reading this, I’m gone, and I’m sorry I left you alone with the old man. I know you think I ran away, but I was running toward something. I found a girl in Brooklyn, Ad. Her name is Claire. She makes the noise stop. She makes me want to be better than what we were raised to be. I bought a ring. I’m going to ask her to marry me when I get back from the trip.
Tears spilled over my cheeks, blurring the ink. He had known. He had wanted a future with me.
If anything happens to me, the letter concluded, find her. Take care of her. Don't let Dad near her. I trust you, brother. I always have.
May you like
I pressed the letter to my chest, a sob breaking free. All this time, I thought I was protecting Julian’s wishes by staying away. But his final wish had been for Adrian to find me.
Adrian wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against his chest. I let myself break, finally, safely, in the arms of the brother who had kept his promise.
