JULIAN

I woke up early, before the sun had fully risen. Claire was still sleeping, her breathing soft and peaceful.

I slipped out of bed carefully and headed to the kitchen, the apartment was quiet and still, the kind of peace that only existed in early morning hours. I decided to make breakfast.

I pulled out ingredients for eggs Benedict. It was a dish I'd learned to make years ago, before life got complicated, before corporate warfare and family scandals and men like Adrian.

I started by making the hollandaise sauce, egg yolks, butter, lemon juice, a pinch of cayenne pepper.

The sauce needed patience, needed constant whisking over gentle...