Page 62 of Goldsin

“Are you sure?”

“Positive,” Adrian replies confidently, finishing off his coffee with a satisfying gulp. “This guy’s been on our radar for a while now, but he only recently stepped into the spotlight. I’m convinced he’s the one behind DeMarco’s murder.”

“All right,” I say slowly, mind racing as I try toprocess this new information. “So what’s our next move?”

“We need to find him and take him down.” His eyes darken with determination. “No one messes with the Harrow family and gets away with it.”

“Do we have anything to go by? A name, maybe?”

Adrian shakes his head. “All we know is that he ... doesn’t exist.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“The Consortium is searching for him.” Adrian looks me dead in the eye. “Has been for years, and they still haven’t caught the man.”

“No one is invisible.” I take a long sip of my coffee, the liquid burning down my throat. “Did he ever kill anyone before DeMarco?”

“That’s the thing. If he ever did, no one knew.”

“Until now.” I echo his thoughts.

This guy isn’t DeMarco’s killer. His killer is sleeping cuddled up under my sheets right now. But it won’t hurt for Lucian to think he’s found him. It’ll give me some time to crack Aurelia open before they figure everything out. Plus, this guy deserves some fair play.

After all, karma doesn’t exist in this life. It’s just a playing card people use to their own advantage.

I’m playing mine on him now.

“Julian?”

Aurelia’s voice rings out from my bedroom down the hall, startling both me and Adrian.

“Is that ...?” Adrian’s eyes widen with disbelief.

“None other,” I reply, feigning nonchalance as I leanagainst the kitchen counter. I can’t help but smirk at the look on Adrian’s face. “She stayed over last night.”

“Stayed ... over?” Adrian echoes, his expression a mixture of shock and anger. He studies me for a moment as if trying to determine if I’m telling the truth. “Are you telling me Aurelia spent the night here, with you?”

“Yep,” I confirm, taking another sip of my coffee. “We slept together.”

My words hang heavy in the air, and I can practically feel Adrian’s rage growing by the second. It’s not like I’m lying. Although she did all the sleeping while I just stared.

“Julian, don’t you dare—” he starts, but I cut him off, knowing exactly where this is going.

“Relax, brother.” I wave a dismissive hand. “It’s not like it’s the first time.”

“Stay away from her,” he bites out, clenching his fists at his side. “She’s not a pawn for you to play with.”

Annoyance flickers in my chest, but I ignore it, keeping my expression cool and indifferent. “And since when did you become her personal bodyguard?”

“Since she started acting suspiciously.” He narrows his eyes at me. “Did you know she was desperate to go to Victoria’s party? I’ve been keeping tabs on her since then. She’s definitely hiding something.”

I freeze on the spot.

Fucking hell, can this morning give me a break?

My mind races with thoughts of Aurelia’s secret. It’s not surprising that Adrian noticed her strange behavior, but hearing him confirm it sends a shiver down my spine.He’s always been more observant than most give him credit for.

His gaze doesn’t waver from mine, searching for a hint of anything. “There’s something going on with her, Julian. She’s not the same girl she used to be.”

---