Page 35 of Power Play

“She believes education would expose how artificial that weakness is.”

“Keep going.”

Her finger followed one line of text. “She’s also angry that women are rewarded for being beautiful, obedient, and pleasing, then dismissed for lacking substance when society never allowed them to develop any.”

Something changed in her voice.

The polish loosened.

I watched her hand move slowly over the edge of the page.

“What?” she asked.

“You found yourself.”

“I found the argument.”

“Same thing.”

Her expression tightened. “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Make everything about my father.”

“I didn’t mention him.”

“You didn’t have to.”

I leaned back and folded my arms. “Why does it bother you?”

“Because my parents love me, and I don’t want people deciding they’re terrible because they’re more involved than most parents.”

“I’ve never said they don’t love you.”

“They gave me everything.”

“That isn’t the same as letting you decide who you are.”

Charm’s eyes flashed. “You don’t know them well enough to judge them.”

“I know you.”

“You know part of me.”

“Then show me the rest.”

Her breath caught.

The sentence landed somewhere deeper than I intended, and the playful ease between us thinned beneath something I couldn’t take back.

I held her gaze.

Charm looked away first and tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear. “You’re intense for a tutor.”

“You’re defensive for somebody who asked me for help.”

“I came because I don’t want to fail.”