He pulled it out, looked at the screen, and his face went completely still.

“What is it?” I asked.

Julian looked up, his eyes locking onto mine.

“The security gate,” he said. “Someone just bypassed the main entrance.”

The sound of car tires grinding on the wet gravel driveway echoed from the front yard.

I walked to the window and looked down through the rain.

A sleek black sedan had stopped at the base of the stone steps.

The rear door opened, and a figure emerged, holding a dark umbrella against the wind.

Even from this height, I recognized the slow, deliberate movement of the man stepping out.

“It is Elias,” I said, my heart pounding against my ribs.

Miranda stood up from her chair, her eyes wide with a new kind of panic.

“He cannot be here,” she said, her voice rising. “He has no right to step foot on this property.”

“He has every right,” Julian said, his hand still on his phone.

He looked at me, his gaze lingering on the envelope on the desk.

“And he is not alone,” Julian added.