Catherine’s POV
The mont I got the text ssage from Julian, I didn’t hesitate. I hurriedly ran in silence to my room and took his shirt off, changing into a shirt and shorts, with frantic speed. I grabbed my purse, confird Kiera’s text, and was out the door and down the grand staircase in under a minute.
I moved through the house like a ghost, skirting the main foyer and heading for the side garden entrance Kiera had ntioned.
Kiera was leaning against a sleek, black car, she was wearing a simple, dark uniform, completing the disguise she’d ntioned on the phone. The sheer relief of seeing her was overwhelming.
I ran the final few steps and threw my arms around her. "Oh, Kiera!"
She hugged back, but only for a second, then pulled away, her expression all business. "Okay, enough. We have to leave, before your brother finds us. I need to change out of this hideous uniform. Get in the car."
OMG, this car was hers!
I didn’t ask any questions, I just climbed into the car, and she pulled away from the Vaughn property.
Once we were safely on the road, the urgency eased, and my curiosity took over. I turned to her, still thinking of it all.
"Kiera, you have to tell . How did you do that? The voice, you sounded exactly like , and you knew exactly what to say to throw off Gabriel. It was brilliant, even Julian was amazed."
She glanced at , and a slight, knowing smile played on her lips. "Let’s just say I’m a bit of a tech wiz, Catherine. I can be whoever I need to be, whenever I need to be them."
The reply struck as odd, and honestly, a little confusing. Tech wiz? It sounded like sothing out of a spy movie, not the kind of answer I expected. Before I could press her on the aning, she announced our arrival.
"We’re here."
I looked out the window, and my jaw dropped.
The outside of the house was exquisite, frad by towering walls and manicured gardens that rivaled a national park but when we drove through the main gates, I realized exquisite was an understatent.
The ho that ca into view was sprawling, modern, and built with glass and steel. It was huge, significantly larger and more expensive than the stately, old-money Vaughn mansion. Our house was grand, but Kiera’s house felt like an international hub of wealth and power.
We pulled up to the main entrance, and before the car had even fully stopped, a flurry of staff appeared. They imdiately opened her door and greeted her with deep deference.
"Welco ho, Ma’am," one of the staff mbers said, his tone holding one of profound respect.
Huh? Was she this rich?
I walked beside Kiera, completely stunned. I nudged her with my elbow, whispering, "Ma’am? Kiera, you are seriously respected here. This place is unbelievable. I’m literally friends with a mber of the Bill Gates family."
She let out a light laugh, and shrugged off the complint. "Stop it," she added in between her laugh.
"Stop what? I’m serious. You are rich rich!"
"Co on. Let’s get you settled. I need to get this uniform off." She grabbed my hand and led through a massive, airy foyer that looked more like a corporate art gallery than a ho.
When we finally arrived in her room, which was the size of my entire wing at the Vaughn mansion, I stopped dead, taking in the panoramic view and the expensive, minimalist design.
"Kiera, seriously," I asked, excitent and confusion bubbling up inside . "What do your parents really do? And how rich are they?"
Kiera laughed again, walking over to her massive closet. "It’s fine, Catherine. Ask whatever you want." She pulled out a flowing silk gown. "My father is into tech; he owns a massive security and software company. And my mom is... well, my mom is late."
My smile disappeared instantly and the air suddenly felt thick with my lack of tact.
"Oh, my goodness. Ki, I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have asked."
She turned to , her eyes were calm and surprisingly clear. "No no. Don’t apologize, there’s no need for that. My mom left a long ti ago. She died during childbirth. I never even got to know or see her."
I still felt embarrassed, kicking myself for bringing up such a painful topic. I tried to change the subject, gesturing vaguely toward the windows. "This view is incredible, though. Look at that—"
She noticed my discomfort and laughed softly, cutting off. "Hey, stop. Don’t make it awkward. It’s fine, really." She slipped quickly out of the uniform and into a silk gown, I could tell that cost a couple thousand dollars.
As she dressed, she returned to the crisis we’d just escaped. "So, tell everything. Julian confird that Sasha was the one who put up that picture?"
I explained the sequence of events: Sasha’s furious arrival, her attack, Gabriel saving , and Julian’s discovery of the Collins video proving Sasha’s hypocrisy.
"No, we are not sure if she has a hand in it," I clarified. "But the main suspect is Collins. He sent tons of threatening ssages, which I ignored, and then posted that photo of Julian and to try to get to talk to him, I guess. Sasha could have a hand in it, though. That girl is crazy, she can’t even hide it. She tried to stab but lucky enough, Gabriel protected and ended up taking the cut instead."
Kiera paused, running a hand through her hair, a strange, calculating look in her eyes.
"Wow, she really tried to stab you?" she asked, her voice laced with a dark amusent. "Now I am truly and genuinely eager to et Sasha. She sounds even more ntally unstable than Lucy."
I nodded, agreeing entirely. "I can bet you on that. Sasha is pure, unadulterated madness."
Reviews
All reviews (0)