Elena's POV
The word barely left my lips. It tasted foreign. Wrong.
"I don't know how," Julian said. "But my guy screwed up. He ran with bad intel. I double-checked everything this time. Damian never died."
I turned slightly, just enough that Callum wouldn't see my face twist.
Julian's voice was lower now. "I thought I was protecting you. I thought it would help if you believed he was gone. But I was wrong. I'm so sorry, Elena."
My fingers tightened around the phone. A thousand thoughts collided in my head—none of them made sense.
"Does he know about me?" I asked.
There was a pause. "I don't think so. Not yet."
Not yet.
The words echoed like a warning bell.
"Where is he?"
"I'm trying to find out," Julian replied. "I'll let you know as soon as I do. But you need to be careful. Especially now."
I ended the call without replying. My hands were shaking.
"Elena?" Callum's voice cut gently through the noise. "What is it?"
