Julian’s POV The past few days had been a little more hectic than usual.
And strangely enough…
For the first time in a long while, I felt like talking to people was exhausting.
Not that I hated conversations.
I liked people.
I liked making them laugh, teasing them, hearing their stories, and being around different personalities.
But there was a difference between someone having a conversation with me…
and someone trying to force their way into my personal space.
That was something I couldn’t stand.
The funny thing was, I knew the irony.
I was probably one of the biggest offenders when it came to asking personal questions.
But there was a difference.
I knew when to stop.
If someone became uncomfortable, if their answers became shorter, or if they clearly didn’t want to continue…
I backed away.
I never forced anyone to open up.
Unfortunately, not everyone understood that boundary.
Especially not the people who thought they knew me.
I sighed as I drove toward my house.
The past few days had been filled with meetings, investigations, and trying to connect the dots around Eugene Madlock.
On top of that, dealing with my mother’s endless lectures had drained whatever patience I had left.
All I wanted now was a quiet evening.
I turned into my driveway and was about to park my car when I noticed something unusual.
Another car was already parked inside.
I immediately recognized it.
My grip tightened slightly around the steering wheel.
A slow, irritated breath escaped me.
Of course.
Because apparently, peace was too much to ask for.
I looked at the car sitting there.
I didn’t need to guess who it belonged to.
There was only one person who could enter my house without asking and make himself comfortable.
My not-so-dear elder brother.
Nathaniel.
I closed my eyes for a moment.
Out of all the people who could be waiting inside…
Why him?
I turned off the engine and stepped out of the car.
The moment I opened the door, I already knew this evening wasn’t going to be quiet.
Because whenever Nathaniel appeared…
There was always a reason.
And I was rarely going to like it.
My front door was already unlocked when I entered.
I immediately stopped.
Not because I was surprised.
Because I already knew what it meant.
Someone had made himself comfortable in my house without bothering to inform me.
“Hello, brother.
Long time no see.” Nathaniel’s voice came from the living room.
I walked inside and found him sitting casually on my couch, as if this was his own house.
And of course…
He was holding a glass of my whiskey.
Not just any whiskey.
One of my favorites.
I stared at the bottle for a moment.
Then I composed myself and resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
Of course, he would do that.
“Were you planning to inform me that you were coming?” I walked over and sat across from him.
Nathaniel took another sip, completely unaffected by my tone.
“If I asked you, you would have made an excuse to avoid me.” I looked at him.
Annoyingly enough…
He wasn’t wrong.
Avoiding Nathaniel had almost become a habit over the years.
Not because I hated him.
At least, not completely.
But because every conversation with him felt like walking into a trap.
There was always a hidden meaning behind his words.
Always another reason behind his actions.
I leaned back.
“What do you want?” The tired sigh that escaped me was genuine.
I didn’t have the patience or energy for his games tonight.
Nathaniel raised an eyebrow.
“You know, when brothers meet, they usually hug each other and ask how their day went.” I scoffed.
“We are not those kinds of brothers.” A small silence followed.
For a moment, his expression changed.
Only slightly.
But I noticed.
I always noticed.
Nathaniel placed the glass down on the table and leaned back against the couch.
“I heard about the new intern.” I immediately became more alert.
Of course.
There it was.
The reason behind his visit.
“Meave Calloway.” I said nothing.
But Nathaniel noticed.
He always did.
“Interesting choice.” My eyes narrowed slightly.
“Why?” “Because ESSPU hasn’t taken anyone new in five years.” His gaze remained fixed on me.
“And suddenly, you personally approve an intern?” I remained silent.
Because explaining Meave’s situation was not something I intended to do.
Especially not to him.
Nathaniel smiled slightly.
“You know, Julian…” His voice became quieter.
“Whenever you become interested in something, it is never as simple as it looks.” I looked away.
I hated that he knew me too well.
Because despite everything…
Nathaniel was still my brother.
And that was exactly what made him dangerous.
“It was Alexander’s decision to take her in.” I kept my voice casual, making sure not to reveal anything more than necessary.
“And since he was confident about her, we couldn’t exactly say no.” The explanation was simple.
Safe.
The moment Alexander’s name left my mouth, Nathaniel’s expression changed.
Not dramatically.
But enough.
He immediately straightened in his seat, suddenly more interested than he had been a second ago.
“Alexander approved her?” His eyes narrowed slightly.
“Why?” Only four people knew the real reason behind Meave Calloway joining ESSPU.
Alexander, Adrian, Damian, And me.
And I intended to keep it that way.
I would rather burn my own house down than give Nathaniel that information.
Because Nathaniel was many things, Intelligent, Observant, Persistent.
And once he became interested in something…
He didn’t stop until he found every hidden detail.
So I gave him the explanation everyone else believed.
“She has a simple background.” I shrugged slightly.
“And with all the rumors surrounding our department, Alexander suggested bringing someone in for a one-year internship.” I looked at him.
“It was a way to show the company that ESSPU isn’t some unreachable department that only works behind closed doors.” Nathaniel stayed silent for a moment.
Studying my words.
Trying to find something hidden between them.
But eventually, he simply nodded.
“Reasonable.” I relaxed slightly.
Only slightly.
Because I knew him.
A simple nod from Nathaniel never meant the conversation was over.
It only meant he was thinking.
He picked up his glass again.
“So this intern…” He paused.
“What is she like?” I leaned back against the couch.
“Normal.” The answer came out quickly.
Maybe a little too quickly.
But I wasn’t about to give him more information than necessary.
Nathaniel watched me for a few seconds, clearly unconvinced.
Then a teasing smile slowly appeared on his face.
“Is she beautiful?” I immediately knew what he was doing.
He knew exactly how I was with girls.
Or at least, how people assumed I was with girls.
I rolled my eyes.
“She is not my type.” I said it casually, as if I didn’t care.
As if the topic was completely irrelevant.
Nathaniel’s smile only grew.
That knowing expression on his face was something I hated.
“You answered that very quickly.” I ignored him.
Because arguing with Nathaniel was pointless.
He always found a way to twist my words.
He took another sip of his drink before finally getting to the actual reason he came.
“Well, I came here to tell you something.” I looked at him.
“Mom told me to say this.” I immediately sighed.
Again.
Him and my mother.
Somehow, whenever one of them appeared, the other one was always involved.
“What did she say?” Nathaniel placed the glass down.
“She said you should take advantage of this investigation.” I frowned slightly.
He nodded.
“Maybe if Victor sees your efforts, he will finally consider promoting you.” I stared at him.
There it was.
The same conversation everyone seemed to have with me.
“And you could finally get away from this boring department.” I let out a small scoff.
Because apparently, everyone believed ESSPU was some kind of punishment.
A department where four people with completely different personalities were trapped together.
A place everyone thought we wanted to escape from.
But they didn’t understand.
This department wasn’t boring.
It was the only place where things actually made sense.
Where I didn’t have to pretend.
Where Alexander’s impossible standards, Damian’s seriousness, Adrian’s patience, and my own chaos somehow worked together I never craved power.
Or status.
Or the kind of recognition my mother and brother spent their entire lives chasing.
For them, success was measured by titles, influence, and how many people knew their names.
But that was never what I wanted.
I wanted something much simpler.
A place where I could be myself.
A place where I didn’t have to constantly prove my worth.
A place where I could laugh without worrying about how it looked, where I could show my weaknesses without someone using them against me.
A place where I could share my worries instead of carrying them alone.
That was why I rejected becoming a lawyer like Nathaniel.
It wasn’t because I couldn’t do it.
I knew I had the ability.
I had grown up watching him build his reputation, becoming one of the most successful lawyers in the country.
He had the respect, the money, and the position everyone admired.
But I also knew his life.
A life surrounded by competition.
A life where every person standing beside him could become an enemy the moment he showed weakness.
People who smiled at him while waiting for the smallest mistake.
People who were ready to watch him fall the moment he lost his advantage.
That kind of life was never for me.
I didn’t want to spend every day wondering who was genuine and who was only waiting for an opportunity to bring me down.
Instead, I chose ESSPU.
A department most people considered strange.
A department that outsiders barely understood.
But for me… It was home.
Alexander, Adrian, and Damian were not just my colleagues.
They were the people who had stood beside me when my own family sometimes couldn’t.
They knew my flaws.
They knew my habits.
They knew exactly how irritating I could be.
And somehow… They still stayed.
With them, I didn’t have to pretend to be someone else.
I could be the annoying person who stole Damian’s food, the person who irritated Alexander just to see his reaction, the person who dragged Adrian into my ridiculous plans.
They were my family.
Maybe not by blood.
But by choice.
I didn’t glance at him.
I didn’t react.
I didn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing his words had affected me.
Nathaniel had always been good at that.
Leaving behind small comments that stayed in my mind long after he was gone.
Seeing that I wasn’t going to respond, he finally stood up from the couch.
The movement caught my attention for only a second.
He placed the empty glass on the table and adjusted his coat before walking toward the door.
I remained where I was.
Silent.
Just like I always was whenever things became too complicated.
His hand reached the doorknob.
But before leaving, he stopped.
For a moment, I thought he was going to say something else.
Another lecture.
Another piece of advice I never asked for.
Instead… He turned around.
“See you soon, brother.” Three words.
Simple.
Almost meaningless.
Yet somehow… They were the same three words he never forgot to say.
Every time he left.
No matter how cold our conversations became.
No matter how much distance existed between us.
No matter how many arguments we had.
He always said them.
I would be lying if I said I didn’t care.
I did.
Somewhere deep inside, those words still reached me.
Because despite everything… He was still my brother.
But caring and admitting it were two different things.
So I stayed silent.
I didn’t turn around.
I didn’t answer.
I let the front door close behind him.
And once again, I was left alone with my thoughts.
I hated that those three words still affected me after hearing them so many times.
Maybe because a part of me wondered… If one day he stopped saying them… Would I notice?
Would I miss them?
I pushed the thought away immediately.
Because some things were easier to ignore than to accept.