Chapter 286


    Chapter 0286


    “Thank you, father,” Julian said with a flourishing bow. He smirked at Nathan as he entered the room.


    Nathan red at him, but said nothing. He stepped outside the room and closed the door behind him.


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    Julian sauntered over to my side, stepping between the King and me.


    “May I present, an item we found inside the desk alongside the letter.” Julian reached into his inside


    jacket pocket and produced the si ring. He then held it out for his father.


    The King’s eyes wentically wide. He snat ched it out of Julian’s hands, then turned to hold it under


    the light.


    “This is genuine,” he said.


    “It is,” Julian replied.


    “You found this in Terry’s desk?”


    “Yes. In a secretpartment.”


    The King’s expression darkened.


    Julian nced at me and spotted the confused expression on my face.


    “You see, Piper, the si on that ring is the King’s official seal,” Julian said. “It had gone missing from


    his private chambers many months back. I bet if we looked more closely at our records, they should


    show that Terry had recently visited.”


    The King turned the ring round and around in his fingers, like he couldn’t believe he was holding such a


    thing. “Leave,” the King said then, frowning deeply. “I have much to think about and need to do so


    alone.” Julian bowed, despite the King no longer looking at him. I did too, for propriety’s sake. Julian


    held out his arm for me. When I epted it, he lead me through the door and out into the hallway.


    “Thank you,” I said to Nathan, though he ignored me to re openly at Julian.


    Julian waved at him. “See youter, Nathan.”


    Nathan huffed a sharp breath, then disappeared into the sitting room with the King.


    Julian led me down a few other hallways, until we were far from where the King was holed up.


    I still hadn’t fully understood what the King had hoped to gain from his interrogation of me. He had


    clearlye into the meeting with his own ideas of what had gone on.


    “See? This is exactly why Nichs should have included me in his earlier confrontation with our


    parents,” Julian said. “If I had presented that ring sooner, father might have been decent enough to


    leave you out of it, and not force you to relive your trauma.


    I looked down, embarrassed.


    “Nichs never thinks I’m good enough to actually contribute,” Julian said. “He resented that I was


    assigned with the task of tracking down the underground. He likely thought I’d blow it off.”


    He was clearly still angry about the brothers’ earlier fight.


    Trying to make peace, I said, “Don’t forget, Julian, that you cultivated that image.


    “A brother should know the truth about his own brother. For him to have bought into my fa?ade is an


    insult to our shared childhood.”


    I frowned a little. “Surely there is some reason for this animosity between you?” I didn’t want to pry, but


    I cared about them both. Caring about them meant that I wanted to help. ” What happened that drove


    you to such hatred.”


    “You should ask him that,” Julian said. “He’s the one who has been unwilling to let go all these years.


    I had serious doubts that Nichs was the only one who was holding onto a grudge. I gave Julian a t


    look, letting him know my disbelief.


    “I’m serious,” he said, doubling down. “You only see the good parts of him. The sides he wants you to


    see. What you can’t or won’t see, Piper, is just how selfish my brother is.”


    “Nichs?”


    Julian nodded. “Nothing is more important to Nichs than his own self-image.”