Chapter 32

Pov: Jules

The silence was oppressive. It wasn't the peaceful kind of quiet that calmed your nerves; it was the kind that made you hyperaware of everything. The slight hum of the dorm's overhead lights, the faint creak of the floorboards when I shifted on my bed, and the stupid, persistent sound of my heartbeat in my ears.

I'd spent the whole damn day thinking about the envelope. It was like it had claws, scratching at the edges of my mind every second. I stared at the drawer where I'd shoved it yesterday, willing it to stay put. But of course, that didn't stop my thoughts from spiraling. Nathan and Finn had left for the gym about ten minutes ago, leaving the dorm blessedly empty. If there was ever a time to dig back in, it was now.

"Goddamn it," I muttered, standing abruptly. My stomach churned as I yanked the drawer open and pulled the envelope free. My hands shook slightly as I dumped the contents onto my bed: the contract, the letter—both of which I'd read a hundred times already—and... something new?

A small, folded piece of paper fell out and landed beside the others. I picked it up gingerly, unfolding it to reveal... a newspaper clipping?

I frowned, smoothing it out on the bedspread. The headline read: "Talons' Residential Dream: A Bold Step in Luxury Living." Beneath it, there was a photograph of three smiling people standing at a groundbreaking ceremony—David Talon, Clara Wilder, and Robert Wilder. My parents. Shaking hands with Nathan's dad.

I stared at it for what felt like forever, my brain refusing to process what my eyes were seeing. What the actual fuck?

The article went on to gush about the project—a high-end residential community designed to rake in massive profits for investors. My mom had made the contracts; my dad had structured the finances. And apparently, David Talon had been the face of the whole operation. It was all there in black and white.

My parents hadn't just known Nathan's dad. They'd worked with him.

The clipping only added to the unease that had been gnawing at me since I'd first found the note in the envelope: D—We've done what we can to minimize your exposure, but this is the last time we intervene. Handle it.

I slammed the clipping down on the bed, my pulse hammering. I was literally living with the guy's son, and they hadn't said a damn word to me. Not a single heads-up. Nothing.

Why? Why wouldn't they tell me?

A surge of anger rose in my chest, hot and sharp. I shoved the article back into the envelope, my breathing shallow. I couldn't deal with this on my own. I needed help. I needed Harper.

Harper didn't even hesitate when I knocked on her door. She opened it with a grin that faltered the second she saw my face.

"Jules? What happened?"

I stepped inside, clutching the envelope like a lifeline. Harper closed the door behind me, her expression shifting to full concern. "Okay, spill. What's going on?"

I sat on her bed and dumped everything out again. "This," I said, my voice tight, "this is what's going on."

Harper sat beside me, picking up the newspaper clipping first. She scanned it quickly, her brows furrowing.

"Holy shit," she muttered, flipping to the photograph. "Is that..."

"Nathan's dad," I said, finishing her sentence. "And those are my parents."

Harper's eyes widened as she put the pieces together. "They worked together?"

I nodded, but before I could say more, I grabbed the other piece that had been haunting me. "Wait. Look at this too." I handed her the note from the envelope, the one with its cryptic, ominous tone: D—We've done what we can to minimize your exposure, but this is the last time we intervene. Handle it.

Harper read it aloud, her voice growing sharper with each word. "What the fuck does this mean?" she asked, staring at me, wide-eyed. "Minimize exposure? Intervene? Jules, this makes the article way more suspicious. It's not just some partnership... there's something seriously shady going on here."

I nodded, pressing the heels of my hands against my eyes. "Apparently. And they didn't bother to tell me. I mean, seriously, Harper, what the fuck? How do you not tell your kid that you were involved in some big-ass real estate scheme with your roommate's dad?"

She reached for my shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Okay, let's take a breath. I get it, Jules. This is... a lot. But we'll figure it out."

I exhaled shakily, letting her grounding presence calm me. "What if Nathan already knows?" I asked, the thought suddenly hitting me. "What if he's been sitting on this the whole time and... I don't know, laughing behind my back or something?"

Harper's face softened. "Do you really think he'd do that?"

I hesitated. Nathan was a lot of things—broody, aloof, frustrating as hell—but he didn't seem like the kind of person who'd play mind games. "I don't know," I admitted. "I don't think so, but..."

"But you're scared," Harper finished for me.

I nodded, my throat tightening. "And I..." I hesitated, my cheeks heating. "I think I like him. Like, actually like him."

Harper's mouth twitched into a sly grin. "Well, well, well. Look who's got a crush on the brooding bad boy."

"Shut up," I muttered, though I couldn't help the small smile tugging at my lips.

"Hey, I'm just saying... makes things a little more interesting, doesn't it?" Harper teased. Then her expression turned serious again. "Look, if you really like him, then be honest when it's the right time. But maybe hold off until we know more about all this."

I nodded, feeling a little more grounded. "Yeah. You're right."

"Of course I'm right," she said with a wink. "Now let's see if there's more dirt to dig up on David Talon."

Harper and I huddled over her laptop, googling everything we could about David Talon and my parents. The more we read, the heavier the knot in my stomach became. We found a 2015 lawsuit accusing David of defrauding investors, using offshore accounts to hide stolen funds. My parents? Their names were in the articles too, but only as witnesses who had provided initial legal and financial advice before the fraud was uncovered. The article also mentioned that David left the country during the investigation and returned years later under unclear circumstances.

"This was when you were eight," Harper said, scrolling through another article. "That's probably why you don't remember it. But Jules, your parents weren't directly involved. They might have just been used by David to make things look legitimate."

I swallowed hard. "So... what now?"

Harper shut the laptop and turned to me. "Now, you stay quiet. Don't tell Nathan yet. Don't confront your parents."

I nodded, clutching the envelope tighter. Harper's words echoed in my head: Be careful. This isn't just about you anymore.

Back in the dorm, the quiet was almost suffocating again. I'd barely had time to process everything when a knock shattered the silence. My heart leapt into my throat. Nathan never knocked.

I opened the door cautiously, and there he was. David Talon. Nathan's father. The man from the photograph.

His gaze swept over me, sharp and calculating. He paused, studying me for a moment longer than felt comfortable, and his brow furrowed as if trying to place me.

"Well," he said, his voice smooth and low. "You're not who I expected. Where's Nathan?"

My throat went dry. "He's not here. He... went to the gym."

David's lips curved slightly, more curious than amused. "And you are...?"

"Jules," I answered, trying to sound steady.

"Jules," he repeated slowly, then tilted his head, his sharp gaze unrelenting. "Last name?"

I hesitated, but lying wasn't going to work here. "Wilder."

His reaction was immediate. His eyes widened, recognition dawning before narrowing into something sharper, almost amused. "Ah. Dylan Wilder," he said, as if savoring the name. "I should've guessed. You're Clara and Robert's kid, aren't you?"

My stomach churned. Of course, he knew. He'd worked with my parents. The article, the note, everything about their past must have given me away. It made perfect sense that he'd recognize the connection, though hearing him say it aloud sent a chill down my spine.

Just then, footsteps echoed down the hallway. Nathan rounded the corner, gym bag slung over his shoulder. He froze when he saw us, his eyes narrowing as they flicked between me and his father.

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A/N

Oh how I love ending on cliffhangers :)

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