The heavy, water-resistant parchment of the eviction notice slipped from Julian Hayes's trembling fingers, landing with a soft, pathetic slap against the wet asphalt of the alleyway. The rain had begun to drizzle again, catching in the glow of the security lights, but nobody moved for cover. The cro

"You own them?" Julian repeated, his voice cracking on the final syllable. A nervous, dismissive laugh bubbled out of his throat, high-pitched and hollow. "Elena, you're not making any sense. You're a prep cook. You chop my carrots. You reduce my stocks. I am the one who developed the *L'Aura* signa

The morning sun filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of *Lumière*, casting long, elegant shadows across the imported marble floors. Only twenty-four hours ago, this space had been Julian’s prized domain, a monument to his fragile ego. Now, it was utterly silent, stripped of his presence.

E