Chapter 27

Kent’s Pov

My hands shake as I stare at my phone screen, and the three little words staring back at me feel like a heavy punch right to my chest.

We need to talk.

That is all Daniella’s text says. No sweet emoji. No hello. Just a cold warning that makes my blood run freezing cold.

I stare at the glowing letters on my desk in my empty office. The heavy wooden door is locked, but I still feel exposed, like anyone walking past can look right through my window and see the mess I have made of my life. My mind races a million miles an hour. Did Gareth find out about us? Did someone on campus see us talking in the staff room? Or worse—is she finally going to tell me what she has been hiding behind those sad, beautiful eyes ever since that rainy night at the penthouse?

My phone starts buzzing loudly on the wooden desk, making me jump.

I look at the screen. Freya’s name flashes bright and bold, with a little picture of her smiling that fake, perfect smile she always wears for public events. She has called me four times already in the last hour.

I press the reject button, but she calls right back. I sigh, rubbing my tired eyes with my hands, and finally swipe the screen to answer.

"Kent," Freya’s sharp voice cuts through the speaker before I can even say hello. "Why are you ignoring my calls? My father is downstairs in the car waiting. We are going to be late for the family dinner."

I grit my teeth so hard my jaw aches. "I lost track of time, Freya. I am still at the university wrapping up some work."

"Well, wrap it up right now," she snaps, her voice full of ice. "Remember, Kent, our engagement is legally binding now. Your signature is on the papers, and my father’s company just transferred the first payment to your family’s account. You belong to this family now. Start acting like it."

Her words taste like poison in my mouth. She doesn’t care about me. She only cares about the merger, the status, and winning. But she is right about one thing: my signature is on the contract. My family needed her family’s money to save our company from going broke, and I traded my freedom to fix a mess I did not even make.

"I am coming down now," I say flatly, and hang up before she can say another word.

I grab my suit jacket off the back of my chair and rush out of the office. The long, dark hallways of the university building are completely empty now. Everyone has gone home. Everyone except me, trapped in a life I hate.

When I walk outside into the cold parking lot, I spot Freya’s expensive black car parked right by the entrance. Her father’s driver opens the back door for me. I slide into the leather seat next to Freya, who smells like expensive perfume and coldness.

"You look terrible," Freya says, looking me up and down without a single ounce of warmth.

"I'm just tired," I mutter, staring straight ahead as the car pulls away from the curb.

Throughout the long, quiet drive to her parents' massive house, my mind refuses to stay still. I keep thinking about Daniella. I think about the red marks on her wrist from Gareth. The memory makes my fists clench so tight inside my pockets that my fingernails bite painfully into my palms. Mason was right when we talked earlier today. Mason told me that getting involved with a student would ruin my career, destroy my reputation, and start a massive war with Freya’s powerful family.

Mason looked me dead in the eye and said, "Kent, you are playing with fire. You signed the agreement with Freya. You cannot save Daniella from her life without burning your own down."

At the time, I told Mason I just wanted to make sure she was safe. I told him I was not planning anything crazy. But looking at my phone screen in the dark car, seeing those three words from Daniella, I know I am lying to myself. I don't just want to keep her safe. I want her. All of her.

When we finally arrive at Freya’s parents' house, the dinner feels like a trap. Long tables filled with expensive food, bright crystal lights, and people talking about stocks, money, and power. Freya’s father sits at the head of the table, smiling like a cat that just caught a mouse.

"Kent, my boy," her father booms, raising his glass of red wine. "To our new future. The families are united."

I force a stiff smile onto my face and raise my glass, but my chest feels tight. Every minute that ticks by feels like hours. All I can think about is what Daniella meant by her text. Is she calling off our meeting tomorrow? Is she telling me to stay away?

Underneath the table, I pull my phone out of my pocket, keeping it hidden behind my napkin. I quickly type a reply to her.

What do you need to talk about? Can we talk tomorrow at eight?

I hit send, holding my breath. I wait through appetizers. I wait through the main course while Freya’s mother talks endlessly about wedding flowers and guest lists. My phone stays silent.

Minutes turn into a painful eternity.

Just as the dessert is being served, my phone finally buzzes softly in my lap.

I look down quickly, hiding the screen under the edge of the table.

Daniella’s reply is short, and it makes my heart stop beating completely.

I can't meet you tomorrow. Gareth made plans for us to go to his parents' house. But I have to tell you something important, Kent. Something about... us. And about what happened at the penthouse.

My breath catches in my throat. The room around me seems to spin.

The penthouse.

The night we crossed the line. The night that changed everything.

Panic crashes over me like a tidal wave. If she is talking about the penthouse, and if Gareth is watching her every move, everything is about to fall apart. And sitting here across from Freya and her powerful family, I realize I am completely helpless to stop it.