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“I just… I don’t know,” she admitted, running a hand through her hair. “Maybe it’s because we’re almost done, and I feel like you’ve never really shared it with me. You’ve been so obsessed with the case, but you’ve never said — who do you think did it, Julian? Who was the murderer?”

Julian’s gaze flickered away for a moment, his jaw tightening. He was still silent, his fingers resting lightly on the edge of his desk.

“It doesn't matter now,” he muttered. “It’s just a story. We’re almost done.”

Apparently, Anna wasn’t convinced by his answer. “Julian,” she said, her voice firmer now, “tell me. I need to know. Do you expect me to help you finish this story if I don’t even know who the murderer is?”

Julian sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair, frustration flickering in his eyes. He took a slow step back, distancing himself, as if he was physically trying to escape the weight of the conversation. “It's okay, Anna. I don’t need your help anymore. You’ve done enough.”

Anna blinked, the words striking her like a slap. “What do you mean, ‘done’?”

“I mean it, 'done’,” Julian said, his voice cool, detached. “You’ve helped me so much through this journey, and I really appreciate it. But I feel like you’re always helping me with my stuff and never get a chance to chase your own life. Maybe it’s time for you to do that.”

He paused, his gaze flickering as though he were struggling to find the right words. When he spoke again, his tone was more brittle, as if the weight of everything was starting to break through. “I’ve kept you by my side for almost ten years now — starting back in Oxford. And through all that time, you’ve put me first. You’ve sacrificed so much to help me build this... whatever it is we’ve been doing. So Anna, I would be too selfish if I keep you by my side. You deserve more than me. More than this.”

Anna’s breath caught in her throat. His words, so raw and unflinching, were like a blow she wasn’t prepared for. “Julian... What are you saying? All this time, everything we’ve built, and what about our future? You said we would get married and live together.”

Julian’s laugh was bitter, a hollow sound that didn’t reach his eyes. He let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair as if the weight of it all was finally sinking in. “Do you really think we can? You think we can just keep going like this, pretending it doesn’t matter? The age gap, the whispers, the looks we’d get... People would laugh at us, Anna. They’d say we’re ridiculous, that it’s not real. They’ll think I’m using you, and they won’t care about anything else. They won’t care about how much we’ve been through or how much we’ve cared for each other.”