Chapter 19

The terrace offered escape from the party's suffocating wealth, the cool night air washing away the stench of privilege and pretense that filled the ballroom. Miami's skyline glittered below like scattered diamonds on black velvet, each light representing a dream Julian could no longer reach. The music from inside became muffled out here, replaced by the gentle splash of decorative fountains and the distant hum of city traffic. Bougainvillea climbed the marble railings, their purple flowers nearly black in the darkness, their sweet scent mixing with the salt breeze from the bay. Crystal champagne glasses stood abandoned on wrought iron tables, their contents growing warm in the humid air. "You shouldn't be here," Chloe said, her voice carrying the weight of everything that had changed between them. The wind played with the hem of her designer dress, the red silk dancing like blood in water. Julian watched her silhouette against the city lights, remembering other nights, other