The next day, Amelia moved through her duties like a shadow, her mind far from the meetings and calls that cluttered her calendar. Every word Liam had spoken last night echoed relentlessly in her head. Every truth she had unearthed weighed heavily on her chest.
She felt lost between two worlds — the one she thought she knew, and the one that had been violently thrust upon her.
When her phone buzzed around noon, she nearly ignored it, but the name on the screen gave her pause: Julian Crane.
Lunch? his message read, followed by, I think you could use a friend today.
Amelia stared at the words for a long moment before typing a short reply: Where?
Minutes later, she found herself in the backseat of Julian's sleek black car, watching the skyline blur past as he drove them to a quieter part of the city.
He didn't take her to one of the glittering rooftop restaurants or expensive steakhouses she might have expected. Instead, he brought her to a small Italian café tucked between brownstones, a place where the waitstaff knew him by name and the atmosphere was warm and intimate.
As they sat in a secluded corner, Amelia finally allowed herself to exhale.
Julian watched her closely, his expression softer than usual, without the usual veneer of charm he wore like armor.
"You look like you're carrying the weight of the world," he said gently.
She gave a small, humorless laugh. "Feels about right."
He didn't press her. Instead, he ordered them both coffee and a few small plates to share, giving her the space to gather herself.
Finally, when she could no longer bear the silence, Amelia spoke.
"Julian… if you found out someone you trusted had been lying to you—about something big—what would you do?"
He leaned back in his chair, considering her carefully.
"I suppose it would depend," he said slowly. "Why they lied. What they stood to gain. And whether I could ever look at them the same way again."
Amelia traced the rim of her coffee cup with her fingertip.
"And if your heart was involved?"
A flicker of something crossed his face — something raw and unguarded.
"Then it would be even harder," he admitted. "Because the heart… the heart doesn't care about logic. It doesn't care about betrayal. It only cares about how someone makes you feel when you're with them."
Amelia swallowed thickly, feeling the sting of tears at the back of her throat.
"Sometimes I think it would be easier if I didn't feel anything at all," she whispered.
Julian reached across the table, covering her hand with his.
"You're not meant to be cold, Amelia," he said. "You're meant to feel. That's what makes you... you."
For a moment, she let herself bask in the comfort of his touch, the steadiness of it. Julian was like an anchor in a storm, grounding her when everything else felt like it was crumbling.
"You deserve better than someone who sees you as a pawn," he added quietly. "You deserve someone who sees you as the whole damn game."
Amelia blinked at him, startled by the intensity in his gaze.
He wasn't just offering her friendship.
He was offering her a different future — one not entangled in old betrayals and complicated family histories. A future where she could be seen for who she was, not as an extension of someone else's sins.
"Julian…" she began, but he shook his head, his thumb brushing lightly over her knuckles.
"I'm not asking you for anything right now," he said. "I just want you to know you have options. You're not trapped, Amelia. Not by him. Not by the past."
His words seeped into her like sunlight breaking through heavy clouds.
For the first time in days, she felt like she could breathe.
After lunch, Julian walked her back to his car, but before she could open the door, he stopped her.
"There's something I want to show you," he said.
Curious, Amelia followed him a few blocks down the street to a sleek glass building still under construction. Workers buzzed around the site, and the scent of fresh paint and new beginnings hung in the air.
"This," Julian said, sweeping his arm out, "is Crane Innovations' new headquarters."
Amelia's eyes widened. She had heard rumors about the project — a revolutionary workspace designed to foster creativity and collaboration, blending modern technology with sustainable living.
"It's beautiful," she breathed.
Julian smiled, a boyish, proud grin that made him look younger, more real.
"I want you to be part of it," he said simply.
She turned to him, startled.
"I'm offering you a leadership role," Julian continued. "Senior creative strategist. Full autonomy. Your own team. The chance to build something from the ground up, without being tied to someone else's legacy."
Amelia's heart slammed against her ribs.
This wasn't just a job offer. It was a lifeline.
"Why me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Because I see you," Julian said. "Not your father's daughter. Not Liam's... whatever he thinks you are. I see you, Amelia. And I believe in what you can do."
Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away.
"You don't have to decide now," Julian added. "Take your time. Think about what you want — really want — for yourself."
Amelia nodded, overwhelmed.
As they walked back toward the car, Julian didn't pressure her with more promises or persuasion. He simply stayed close, his presence a silent reassurance.
When he finally dropped her off at her apartment, he leaned in slightly, his hand brushing hers in a touch so subtle it almost wasn't there.
"I'm here whenever you're ready," he said softly.
Then he was gone, leaving Amelia standing alone in the hallway, her heart pounding and her mind reeling.
That night, as she sat curled up on her couch, the folder from the archives still haunting her from the coffee table, Amelia realized she was standing at a crossroads.
On one side: Liam. Passion, danger, history, a love that felt like it could devour her whole.
On the other: Julian. Stability, respect, a chance to build a future untainted by the ghosts of the past.
And at the center of it all — herself.
Her dreams. Her choices. Her heart.
For the first time, Amelia understood that whatever she chose next wouldn't just define her career or her love life.
It would define who she was.
And she wasn't ready to let anyone else make that decision for her.