Here’s Chapter 59:Chapter 59Gianna stepped out of the private dining room and called her father from the quiet hallway, Julian following a step behind, close enough to be present without crowding her.Her father picked up on the second ring, his voice tight with the particular exhaustion of someone who’d been managing a crisis for hours already.“Gianna. I was about to call you.”“I heard about Vivian. What happened?”“She tried to climb over the east wall using a service ladder one of the groundskeepers left out. Security caught her before she made it over, but not before she’d already called someone to pick her up outside the property. We don’t know who yet.” Her father’s voice carried an edge of something rawer than his usual composure. “She’s refusing to speak to anyone. Locked herself in her room. I’ve never seen her like this, Gianna. Not even after the divorce.”Gianna closed her eyes briefly, guilt and worry tangling together in a way that felt increasingly familiar whenever

The severance file arrived on Gianna's desk within the hour, HR having pulled it the moment she'd requested it. Julian read over her shoulder as she flipped through the pages, both of them searching for the same clause. "There." Gianna's finger landed on a paragraph near the bottom of the third page. "Standard non-disparagement language. Marcus agreed not to make any public statement, written or verbal, that could reasonably damage the reputation of Apex Innovations or its leadership, in exchange for the severance package he received." "Leaking internal HR files to a journalist counts," Julian said. "It counts significantly." Gianna was already reaching for her phone. "I'm calling legal. If we can prove Marcus was the source, we don't just have grounds to withhold his severance. We have grounds for a breach of contract suit, and depending on how the documents were obtained, possibly something criminal if he accessed protected files after his termination date." The next twenty m

Antonia answered on the first ring, which Julian had learned by now meant she’d likely been anticipating the call for longer than she’d admit.“Julian. To what do I owe this unusually prompt communication?”“I proposed,” he said, deciding directness would save them both time. “Gianna said yes.”The silence on the other end lasted just long enough to be noticeable, and for a moment Julian braced himself for some complication he hadn’t anticipated.Then his mother laughed—an actual laugh, warm and unguarded in a way he could count on one hand the number of times he’d heard from her in his adult life.“Finally,” she said. “I was beginning to wonder if I’d need to intervene directly. Congratulations, Julian. Truly.”“That’s it? No conditions, no concerns about optics?”“I raised my concerns weeks ago and you addressed every single one of them without my needing to push further,” Antonia said. “I’m not in the habit of manufacturing objections purely for sport. I’m pleased for you. Genuinel

The wedding took place six months later, in early spring, at a coastal estate Antonia had championed from the very first spreadsheet and never once wavered on—stone terraces overlooking the water, gardens just beginning to bloom, the kind of understated grandeur that photographed beautifully without ever tipping into excess.Gianna stood at the top of the aisle with her father, her hand tucked into the crook of his arm, watching the small crowd of family and close colleagues turn to face her. Vivian sat in the second row beside their father’s seat, dressed simply, her expression open and unguarded in a way that still occasionally caught Gianna off guard, six months into the slow, steady work of rebuilding trust between them.“Ready?” her father asked quietly.“Ready,” Gianna said, and meant it completely.They walked together down the aisle toward where Julian stood waiting, and Gianna watched his composure crack slightly the moment he saw her—not dramatically, just a small, helpless

Gianna pulled a chair beside his desk and sat down, taking his hand without saying anything at first, letting the silence hold space for whatever he needed before pushing him toward a decision.“Do you want to read it?” she asked finally.Julian looked down at the envelope, his father’s unsteady handwriting staring back at him. “I don’t know. Part of me wants to burn it unopened. Part of me has spent fifteen years wondering what he’d say if he ever got the chance.”“You don’t have to decide right now,” Gianna said gently. “But whatever you choose, I’ll be here for it.”Julian sat with that for a long moment, then picked up the envelope and carefully broke the seal, unfolding a single page inside. Gianna didn’t move, didn’t lean in to read over his shoulder, simply stayed beside him as his eyes moved across his father’s words.Julian,I don’t expect you to answer this, and I understand if you throw it away without finishing it. I’ve had a long time to think about what I’d say if I ever