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She nods. That’s when I remember the other thing I need to do before we get back to the apartment.
Pulling a bundle of keys from my pocket, I twirl it until I find the key I’m looking for. It’s a golden spherical one that stands out because it looks nothing like the others.
I unlock the clasp of her Courtesan necklace.
Her eyes widen. “Why are you taking it off?”
“We aren’t on campus right now,” I say. “There’s no reason for you to wear it.”And I don’t want you wearing a piece of jewellery you can’t take off.My father would find a way to use that to his advantage somehow.
Images of Alize laying dead, strangled by the thick golden chain of the Courtesan necklace, flash in my mind. My reaction is visceral—my stomach twists into a knot, and my grip on the chain tightens.
I blink away the discomfort.
“I’ll keep you safe,” I say more to myself than her. “And the necklace might put you in danger somehow.”
It’s clear she doesn’t understand, but she doesn’t press me about it, thankfully. I’d rather not tell her just how fucking dark it is in my mind right now. Because frankly, I feel nothing like myself.
In between discovering the identity of my mum’s killer, the hopefully distant connection he has to Alize, and coming home to the fucked-up family dynamic that ruined my childhood, there’s no space left to be gentle, or sane. The next two weeks will be filled with hard decisions.
“It’ll be okay,” Alize says, running a soft palm along my jaw. Her plump lips twist into a smile before she presses a kiss to my cheek. “I won’t get into any trouble, I promise.”
I quirk an eyebrow. “Did you forgethow much troubleyou got into the past few weeks?” I pluck a curly pink tendril of hair from her bun, letting it fall loose over her eyes.
Alize giggles, pushing the hair behind her ear. “I won’t get into thebad kindof trouble,” she amends.
I set the necklace down on the seat beside us.
Outside the window, the scenery has moved from sprawling fields and country houses to something more metropolitan. We pass a sign that stands out to me, because it isn’t welcoming us to the capital.
This road we’re on–it’s familiar.
And we shouldn’t be here.
What the fuck?
I press the button on the console to lower the privacy screen.
“Ben, where are you taking us?”
Ben glances back at me from the passenger side. “To the estate, sir. Mr. Duke will be receiving you there.”
My stomach grows cold.
So this is the first of my father’s tricks. Instead of the penthouse where we’ve lived for nearly a decade, he’s chosen to receive us at the estate.
The place where my mum died.
FIVE
ALIZE
The restof the ride is quiet.
Alex points out landmarks as we zip past them, but for the most part he’s reserved. It’s like a switch flipped as soon as Ben mentioned we wouldn’t be staying at the penthouse.
My stomach growling breaks the silence. Alex meets my gaze with a smile on his face, and I look away from him sheepishly. "I lost all my breakfast when I puked.”
“Right. That reminds me, after we get you something to eat, I need to take you to the doctor.”
