Chapter 16

ZADE’S POV

“Zade, we need to talk about the girl you've brought into this,” Jasmine said through the phone, her voice immediately recognizable despite the years I had spent trying to keep my family at a comfortable distance.

I turned toward the window and lowered my voice, making sure Charlotte couldn't hear more than she already had. She was still standing near the door, watching me with a worried expression, and I didn't want Jasmine's interference to make her feel even more trapped.

“What exactly do you think we need to talk about?” I asked as I stared through the glass at the dark grounds surrounding the estate. “Because if this is another one of your lectures about my personal life, I'm really not interested.”

“This isn't a lecture,” Jasmine replied as she settled into her usual confident tone. “I'm telling you that Charlotte is your student, Zade, and the rumors surrounding the two of you could damage your reputation if they become public.”

“My reputation is my responsibility,” I answered as I rubbed a hand over my jaw, already irritated by the direction of the conversation. “Whatever I do with my personal life is none of your business.”

“You keep saying that as though your choices affect only you,” she responded as she let out a quiet sigh. “They don't, and you know that. Your name comes with responsibilities, especially now that the family board is already questioning whether you're still capable of protecting the interests attached to your inheritance.”

I turned away from the window, my patience thinning.

“Don't bring my inheritance into this,” I warned as I looked across the room at Charlotte. “Charlotte has nothing to do with the family, and I'm not going to let you drag her into our problems.”

“Then you should be more careful about how much she gets involved,” Jasmine replied as a faint amusement entered her voice. “A girl like her could become a liability if people decide she knows too much.”

My jaw tightened.

“She isn't a liability,” I said as I gripped the phone more tightly. “She's a person, Jasmine, and she's done absolutely nothing to you or this family.”

“I never said she had,” Jasmine replied calmly, sounding almost amused by my anger. “I'm simply telling you what happens when people realize she matters to you. They'll start asking why you care so much, and once they start asking questions, you may not like the answers they find.”

“Stay away from her,” I told her as I turned back toward the window, keeping my voice low but firm. “Whatever problem you have with me, keep Charlotte out of it. Don't approach her, don't contact her, and don't involve her in anything connected to our family.”

Jasmine laughed softly on the other end.

“You really think protecting her will make people less curious?” she asked as her amusement became more obvious. “You're only making her more interesting by acting like she's someone worth protecting.”

“This conversation is over,” I replied as I glanced toward Charlotte again. “I'm not discussing her with you anymore.”

“Fine,” Jasmine answered as though she had expected that response. “But don't be surprised when you see me soon, because we clearly have more to discuss.”

The call ended before I could respond, and I lowered my phone slowly while staring at the dark screen. I remained there for a moment, trying to calm the anger building in my chest, but when I turned around, Charlotte was still watching me from across the room.

“Was that Jasmine?” she asked as she walked toward the desk, her expression cautious. “And what did she mean when she said I was involved in something connected to your family?”

I slipped my phone into my pocket and tried to think of an answer that wouldn't create another argument.

“Charlotte, this isn't really the right time to get into my family,” I explained as I moved toward my desk. “You've already had enough to deal with today, and I don't want to put more on you.”

“That isn't an answer,” she replied as she followed me, frustration appearing in her voice. “I heard Jasmine arguing with you at the dinner, and now she's calling you directly about me. Every time I ask about your family, you tell me you'll explain later, but something new keeps happening before that later ever comes.”

I stopped beside my desk and looked at her, realizing that avoiding the conversation wasn't going to work anymore.

“My family is wealthy,” I admitted as I leaned against the desk. “They're powerful, and there are expectations attached to our name that I walked away from years ago because I wanted a life that belonged to me.”

Charlotte studied me carefully before asking the question I knew was coming.

“What about your inheritance?” she asked as she folded her arms. “Jasmine mentioned it before, and now she's talking about your family board. What exactly does your inheritance have to do with all of this?”

“More than I'd like,” I admitted as I looked away briefly. “But I'm not ready to tell you everything about it yet.”

Her expression immediately tightened.

“How am I supposed to protect myself from something I know nothing about?” she asked as she stepped closer, her frustration slowly giving way to fear. “I'm not asking because I care about your money or your family's status, Zade. I'm asking because someone is already watching me, Lucas is threatening you, and now your sister is calling you because of me. I'm involved whether I wanted to be or not.”

I looked at her properly then, and the fear beneath her frustration made my own anger disappear.

“I know,” I said as I stepped closer to her. “And I'm sorry I've made you feel like you're being dragged into something without understanding what you're facing. I will explain everything to you, but I don't want to do it while we're both reacting to threats and making decisions because we're scared.”

Charlotte remained silent for a moment before finally nodding.

“Okay,” she agreed as she picked up her bag, although the uncertainty in her expression remained. “But you need to understand that every secret you keep makes it harder for me to trust you, especially when those secrets keep finding their way into my life.”

“I understand,” I assured her as I held her gaze. “And until I explain everything, there's one thing I need you to remember about Jasmine. She's very good at making people feel comfortable when she wants information, so don't tell her anything personal about yourself, even if she acts like she's only trying to be friendly.”

Charlotte nodded slowly as she moved toward the door.

“I'll be careful,” she promised as she glanced back at me. “But I hope you're actually planning to tell me the truth soon.”

“I am,” I replied as I watched her leave.

Later that evening, I found an invitation waiting on my desk for a family meeting concerning my inheritance, and I didn't need anyone to tell me who was behind it. The family board had apparently decided that my relationship with Charlotte was enough of a reason to drag me back into their world, and I knew Jasmine would never have called me unless she wanted something from me. Before I could decide whether I was going to attend the meeting, my security chief entered the office carrying another report.

“Sir, we've found another problem,” he explained as he placed the file on my desk and opened it to the relevant page. “Someone connected to Lucas has requested access to records concerning your employment at the university, and the request was made through an outside legal service.”

I studied the report carefully, feeling the situation become more serious with every detail.

“Find out who submitted the request and who is paying for it,” I instructed as I closed the file. “I want the name of the firm, the person behind the request and every connection they have to Lucas. If he's building a case against me, I want to know exactly what he's looking for before he finds it.”

My security chief nodded and left the office, leaving me alone with the growing realization that Lucas was no longer simply trying to win Charlotte back. He was investigating me, and someone else appeared to be helping him.

I walked toward the window and looked down at the estate grounds, where Charlotte was speaking with one of the staff members. She seemed calmer now, but watching her from a distance made an uncomfortable thought settle over me. The more closely she became connected to my life, the more dangerous my world might become for her, and I wasn't sure anymore whether keeping her close was protecting her or putting her directly in the line of fire.

My phone vibrated in my hand, pulling me from my thoughts.

I looked down and saw another message from the unknown number, this time with a photograph attached. Charlotte was standing outside the university, talking to Sophie, and whoever had taken the picture had been close enough to capture their faces clearly.

I stared at the photograph, my stomach tightening as another message appeared beneath it.

Your student isn't the only one who knows your secret.