ADRIAN'S P.O.V.
I leaned back in my chair, the soft crackle of the fireplace filling the silence. My gaze lingered on Juliette, whose brown eyes were filled with an intensity I couldn't ignore. Teresa sat with her arms crossed, her expression a mixture of defiance and curiosity. Leonard, of course, lounged like he didn't have a care in the world, while Lucian's eyes were turned in my direction, his head tilted as though listening for a hidden truth in my voice.
"How did I come back from that?" I repeated Juliette's question, my voice calm and deliberate, though the memories stirred a storm inside me. "The truth is, I didn't. Not really."
The room seemed to lean in closer. Even Leonard, for all his antics, was quiet.
