Eye level.
“What’s your name?” he asked gently.
“Peter.”
Julian smiled faintly.
“That’s a strong name.”
Peter beamed.
“I know.”
A pause.
Then—
“Are you really rich?”
Eliza winced slightly.
Julian let out a quiet breath.
Then looked straight at him.
“Yes.”
Peter’s eyes widened.
“Cool. Can you fix our kite?”
Julian swallowed.
His voice softer now.
“Yeah.”
“I can fix that.”
And as he reached for the string—
he realized something terrifying.
He wasn’t just stepping into fatherhood.
He was stepping into a war.
Against the most powerful people he had ever known.
His own family.
