Chapter 10 Wind in the ears for a brief moment

Chapter 10

Wind in the Ears For a brief moment

The storm inside her quieted. Juliet Johnson had spent days consumed by betrayal and danger, but the key Sophia handed her sparked more than fear-it lit a path back to something purer. Her memories of Mario Telly surged through her, not as a ghost of pain, but as the only man who had seen her for who she truly was. The shadows hadn't lifted, but for now, they softened at the edges. She allowed herself to recall the beginning rather than the conclusion, hoping that the promises they had made to one another would still serve as a guide. Juliet walked alone along the beach cliffs of Casperia, the same jagged coast where Mario had once lifted her onto the rocks and kissed her like the world wasn't breaking. The salty wind bit at her skin, but her eyes stayed soft, wet with longing. Her mind pulled her backward, to the exact moment his hand touched hers for the first time near the old art gallery café. She remembered laughing over spilled espresso, the way he'd gently touched her wrist with fingers that trembled only slightly-like he already knew she'd change his life.

In the haunting stillness that followed her kiss, he felt the stirrings of ambition rise like a tide. It wasn't love-it was strategy. Her lips whispered promises, but he heard only opportunity. Each touch etched a blueprint in his mind, each sigh a signal of vulnerability he could exploit. As she drifted into slumber, trusting and unaware, he stood by the window, eyes fixed on the city lights-his future kingdom. The kiss was a seal, not of affection, but of conquest. Tomorrow, he would move pieces, trigger alliances, and dismantle the empires of men who once laughed at him. Power was no longer a dream; it was inevitable. And it began with the echo of her kiss.

That cliff had become their place. It was where they spoke the truth that no one else ever let them say aloud-about being raised under threats, watched by people they couldn't trust, and yearning for something real. He'd asked her, once, if she believed in peace.

She didn't answer him then. Now she wished she had.

As the ocean thrashed against the rocks below, Juliet sat down on their spot. The book was still hidden in the small crevice beneath the bench-its pages water-stained but intact. She opened it, pulse quickening. Between the pages, a folded letter fell into her lap.

In Mario's handwriting.

She unfolded it slowly, almost afraid to read.

My Juliet,

If you are reading this, it means that I am no longer by your side. But I swear I never left. Not really. They'll say I betrayed you, or ran, or died with secrets-but I promise you, the only secret I kept was the one that could kill us both.

Your family is not what you think. They knew what I stood for. They knew I wouldn't let them erase you. They came to me. I saw the documents. The heritage they hid, the threats they made. I tried to confront them. I thought they'd listen.

But you must not confront them alone.

There's something in the locker-my final words, proof, voices they didn't silence. Use it. Or don't. I trust only you.

And if you return to this city, if your heart still aches for what we had, follow the sound of the wind. I'll be where it takes you.

Always,

Mario.

Juliet pressed the letter to her chest and broke. The sobs were silent but deep, shaking the foundation of her rage. He hadn't abandoned her. He had tried to protect her. Everything Sophia said-the storage locker, the risks-fit into this new picture. Her world was shifting again, this time with clarity.

She remembered his hands again. On her waist. On her hips. His body moving above hers that night on the beach, under the cover of stars. The raw desire. The way he whispered that no other woman ever made him feel seen. That he wanted to be lost in her, over and over, until the shadows gave way to dawn.

She'd wanted to ride him not just for passion but to silence the world-to say through her body, You are mine. You are enough.

The gallery lights flickered in her memory. His smile at the sculpture they both hated. The playful debates, the shared ice cream cone, the way he would draw her in with questions only she could answer.

She followed those memories through the winding cobbled streets, stopping at the café where the barista-an old man named Franco-still worked. He looked up as she entered, did a double take, and smiled softly.

"Thought I'd never see you again," he said.

Juliet just nodded. "Neither did I."

He didn't ask questions. He simply handed her a cup. "Your usual."

The warmth of it in her hands was another echo. She sipped it slowly, letting herself feel human again.

Everything Mario said... It wasn't just about love. It was about truth.

And now, the truth had a place to start.

As night fell, Juliet walked back to her apartment, Mario's letter tucked safely in her coat. But the calm began to crack. Her phone buzzed-three times, then silence. No name. No message. merely a code. Red-7-Delta.

She froze.

That was Razor's kill protocol. A silent signal. One that meant someone had broken ranks.

The wind suddenly increased. She turned-and saw a shadow across the street. Not just a man, but a trained follower. She could feel it in the rhythm of his steps.

Juliet walked faster.

She wasn't alone anymore.

Sophia's car came around the corner, its tires screeching. The door flew open.

"Get in," Sophia snapped.

Juliet hesitated only for a second before diving in.

"Who sent the code?" Juliet asked.

Sophia's face was pale, her knuckles white on the wheel. "I don't know. But Razor is up. And they know you're the leak."

Juliet looked ahead. The fire in her was back.

"Good," she said. "Let them come."

She pulled Mario's key from her pocket and stared at it.

Because tomorrow, she'd open that locker.

And no one would be safe from what she found.