Chapter 13

JASMINE’S POV

The moment I stepped outside the restaurant, my patience finally snapped. I had spent the entire evening smiling at Charlotte, asking polite questions and pretending I was genuinely interested in getting to know the woman my brother had suddenly decided to bring into a part of his life he had spent years protecting. Charlotte herself wasn't what irritated me. She was young, overwhelmed and clearly unaware of the world she had stepped into. What bothered me was Zade. He had never brought anyone into that circle before, and now he had walked into the dinner beside a woman who didn't even understand what his family name meant.

“Of all the reckless things you've done, Zade, this might be the worst,” I muttered as I climbed into my car, gripping the steering wheel while the image of him standing beside Charlotte replayed in my mind. “You spent years protecting your private life, and now you're letting some university student walk straight into it.”

For years, I had watched my brother reject everything our family had prepared for him. The business, the position, the inheritance and the expectations attached to our name had never been enough to make him return. Zade had chosen to hide behind his career as a professor and his paintings, pretending that living quietly was enough. But I knew better. His inheritance came with conditions he had deliberately avoided, and eventually the family would force him to deal with them whether he wanted to or not.

Charlotte could make that decision much easier.

A professor becoming involved with his student was already dangerous enough, but Zade wasn't an ordinary professor. His name carried weight, and if anyone discovered that Charlotte was living under his roof while studying at the university, the scandal could become exactly what his enemies needed to challenge his reputation. Worse, if Zade became genuinely attached to her, she would become a weakness, and weaknesses were dangerous in our family.

By the time I arrived home, I had already decided that waiting for Zade and Charlotte to destroy themselves wasn't an option. If I wanted to understand what was happening, I needed information from someone who actually belonged to Charlotte's world, someone Zade wouldn't suspect and Charlotte wouldn't immediately fear. I picked up my phone and called my assistant, asking her to pull together everything publicly available about Charlotte's university life, including her closest friends, former relationships and anyone she had been spending unusual amounts of time with recently.

The report arrived less than an hour later. I skimmed through Charlotte's academic information first, then stopped when I reached the section listing her personal connections. One name appeared repeatedly beside hers.

Sophie.

Charlotte's former best friend.

I read further and discovered that the friendship had recently fallen apart after Sophie became involved with Charlotte's boyfriend, Lucas. That caught my attention immediately because Lucas's name appeared again in the report, along with several recent attempts to contact Charlotte after their breakup.

“So that's the problem,” I murmured as I set the report down. “The best friend wants forgiveness, the ex wants her back, and neither of them knows what Charlotte is hiding.”

I leaned back in my chair, studying Sophie's photograph on the screen. She wasn't connected to our family, she wasn't part of Zade's professional circle, and most importantly, Charlotte had trusted her once. That made her far more useful than anyone I could send directly.

I didn't need someone who could force Charlotte to talk. I needed someone Charlotte would eventually choose to talk to.

Sophie was the obvious choice.

The following afternoon, I went to the university myself. I didn't want to send someone else because I needed to see Sophie before deciding whether she was desperate enough to take the bait. I waited near the main building until I spotted her leaving one of her classes alone, her expression distracted as she searched through her bag.

I stepped into her path with a pleasant smile, watching the suspicion immediately appear on her face when she recognized me.

“You're Sophie, aren't you?” I asked as I approached her. “I'm Jasmine Stone, Zade's sister, and I was hoping we could talk somewhere private for a few minutes.”

Sophie looked me over before glancing toward the students passing around us. “I'm sorry, but why exactly does Zade's sister want to talk to me?” she asked cautiously as she adjusted the strap of her bag. “I barely know you, and I don't think we've ever had a conversation before, so I'm struggling to understand why you suddenly need me alone.”

“Because I know you're Charlotte's friend,” I replied smoothly as I gestured toward the quieter side of the building. “Or at least, you used to be. And I have a feeling there are things about Charlotte's recent life that you haven't been able to understand either.”

The bitterness that crossed Sophie's face told me I had chosen the right person.

“Charlotte and I aren't exactly as close as we used to be,” she admitted as she followed me toward the empty corridor, her expression tightening as she remembered what had happened between them. “She ruined my relationship with Lucas, and honestly, I'm still trying to figure out why she suddenly started acting like none of it mattered.”

“Interesting,” I said quietly as I watched her reaction, already understanding exactly where the conversation needed to go. “Because I don't think Lucas is the only thing that changed in Charlotte's life.”

Sophie frowned as she studied me more carefully. “What do you mean?” she asked as she lowered her voice, her curiosity beginning to overcome her suspicion. “What exactly have you noticed about Charlotte that I haven't?”

“I mean Charlotte is hiding something,” I explained as I folded my arms, watching her carefully. “The expensive clothes, the car, disappearing from her apartment and suddenly staying somewhere she refuses to discuss. You've noticed the change too, haven't you?”

Her hesitation was answer enough.

“I've suspected there's another man,” Sophie admitted as she lowered her voice, her eyes narrowing with curiosity. “But I don't know who it is, and Charlotte certainly hasn't trusted me enough to tell me.”

I allowed a small smile to appear because she had practically given me the opening I wanted.

“Professor Zade Stone,” I revealed as I watched the shock spread across her face. “Charlotte is staying at his estate, and whatever arrangement exists between them is clearly more complicated than a professor simply helping one of his students.”

Sophie's eyes widened as she stared at me. “You're saying Charlotte is involved with your brother?” she asked as disbelief and curiosity fought across her expression. “You actually think there's something going on between them?”

“I'm saying you should stop guessing and start finding out,” I corrected as I kept my voice calm, refusing to give her more information than necessary. “If you want Lucas back, exposing Charlotte won't be enough. You need proof, timing and patience. You need something undeniable that can't be dismissed as jealousy or gossip.”

Sophie looked away, clearly struggling with what I was offering. “And what exactly do you want from me?” she asked as she turned back toward me, her expression becoming more guarded. “Because I don't believe you're telling me all this simply because you want to help me get Lucas back.”

“I want you close to Charlotte,” I answered as I reached into my handbag and pulled out an envelope, holding it between us. “Become her friend again. Make her trust you. Ask questions naturally, find out what happens between her and Zade, where she goes, what they discuss and what kind of relationship they actually have. You don't need to force anything. You simply need to observe.”

Sophie stared at the envelope before slowly taking it from my hand. “You're paying me to spy on my own friend?” she asked as she looked down at the envelope, then back at me with uncertainty. “You want me to pretend everything is fine between us just so I can collect information for you?”

“I'm paying you for information,” I replied as I watched her carefully, my voice remaining calm because I knew exactly what she needed to hear. “What you choose to do with that information afterward is your business, but if you're serious about getting Lucas back, then you need to stop reacting emotionally and start thinking strategically.”

She looked down at the envelope again, and I could practically see her weighing the money against everything she wanted. Lucas was still the weakness she couldn't hide, and I knew exactly which button to press.

“If you really want Lucas back, Sophie, then stop letting your anger control you,” I told her as I stepped closer, lowering my voice so nobody passing through the corridor could hear us. “Charlotte has something you don't understand yet, and Zade is involved. Find out what it is before you make your next move, because the truth will be worth far more than anything you could accomplish by confronting her blindly.”

Sophie finally nodded as she slipped the envelope into her bag, her hesitation slowly giving way to determination. “When do you want me to start?” she asked as she looked directly at me, clearly ready to prove that she could do what I was asking.

“Now,” I answered as I turned away, then paused before taking another step because there was one thing she still didn't understand. “But don't make the mistake of thinking this is only about Lucas.”

Sophie frowned as she watched me carefully. “What else is there?” she asked as confusion replaced some of her confidence, clearly sensing that there was a much larger reason behind my interest in Charlotte.

I opened my handbag and removed another envelope, holding it out to her with a deliberate smile. “This is for later,” I explained as I placed it into her hand and watched her stare down at it. “Don't open it until I tell you to, and don't make any reckless move before then. If you're going to do this, you need patience.”

Sophie looked between the two envelopes before slowly raising her eyes toward me. “Why are you helping me this much?” she asked as suspicion returned to her expression. “What exactly do you want from Charlotte?”

I smiled because she still didn't understand the real game I had already begun setting into motion.

“I don't want you to ruin Charlotte yet,” I told her as I watched realization slowly replace the confusion in her eyes. “I want Zade to fall in love with her first.”