CHAPTER FIVE #2
I huffed out in exasperation. I would have to check his room. There had to be something I could use to make him leave.
I closed my laptop and moved it to one of the drawers in my closet, where I intended to keep it whenever I wasn’t in the room.
Zach threw me off when I found him in my room. I hadn’t expected him to snoop, which was a big oversight on my part. I was sure he’d tried to see what was on my camera, but the battery had been dead, and I was glad for that stroke of luck. I didn’t even want to imagine him going through my videos.
As far as everyone was concerned, I was just playing around with my camera.
My parents certainly didn’t care what I did as long as it wasn’t something that would ruin my and my family’s reputation, and my sister wasn’t interested in video shooting enough to want to hear more details.
But the truth was something entirely else.
Filming was my catharsis—it was my diary of innermost feelings.
It was my remedy when my mind felt full of thoughts, and I needed some relief.
I couldn’t be honest when I was with other people.
This was the only time I was sincere. That was why I couldn’t let Zach see them.
He already had more than enough material to work with.
As soon as he left my room, I made sure to transfer the videos from my camera to my laptop, which I then deleted from the camera.
I also set up a passcode on my laptop for extra security.
He made me so restless, I was awake until five in the morning, which was bad because I had a scheduled swimwear ad shoot today.
I looked bloated and tired, and the makeup artist would have to put their nose to the grindstone to cover all that up. Not something to look forward to.
Working with brands was my mother’s idea.
She’d instilled in me from an early age how important social media was and how it helped control the narrative.
As a charity owner, she heavily relied on social media, using it strategically to her advantage.
So when I accumulated enough followers to have brands want to work with me, she pushed me to start as an influencer first and then shoot commercials, calling it the next logical step.
I was sure that if I were offered a movie deal, she would expect me to accept it as well.
I didn’t care about any of that. I didn’t enjoy filming ads or talking about products.
It wasn’t fulfilling nor did it feel important, but earning my own paycheck instead of relying on my family’s money helped me forget I didn’t really have a choice or the power to set my own rules.
All that mattered to my parents was how I could contribute to the family and protect its reputation.
I was expected to do whatever was needed to achieve that, hence why I was pursuing an economics degree at Norton College, which was not only close to our town, allowing me to attend family events regularly, but it would also enable me to forge strong connections.
My destiny had been set in stone from the moment I was born, just like Lana’s and Aurora’s, and while they considered it a blessing, I believed it was more of a curse.
People thought rich people had the freedom to do whatever they wanted, but in reality, they were held to higher standards.
In order to stay in power, you had to rely on careful calculations, cultivated relationships that brought you the most benefit, and a stellar reputation.
Sometimes, I just wanted the luxury of being able to follow my own path and not having to worry about the possible fallout.
I took a quick shower and did my skin and makeup routine to make myself presentable before dressing in a flowery dark top and pleated beige pants, completing the outfit with small silver hoop earrings and a necklace.
My hair fell in shiny waves down my back, demonstrating why I worked with one of the top five hair care brands in the US.
I headed downstairs to grab a quick breakfast before the meeting, spotting Mom on the sofa in the living room on my way.
She looked up from her iPad. “You’re still here? You’re going to be late for your shoot.”
I leaned against the archway opening into the living room, crossing my arms over my chest. Mom didn’t like hugs or kisses, or any bodily contact, for that matter, if it wasn’t absolutely required at the functions she attended, so I didn’t bother with either of them.
“Hi to you too, Mom. I’ll just have a quick breakfast and then I’ll be on my way. How was your trip?”
She returned her gaze to her iPad and tapped something on the screen, her white gold bracelet shifting across her wrist as she did. “Busy, as always. I found new donors for the hospital project I talked about before.”
Yes, the hospital project, which was aimed at building a private hospital in our town, so the rich people didn’t have to go out of town for treatment. As if that was the most pressing issue South Gate faced.
“Needless to say, I need you to be on your best behavior this summer.”
I stopped myself from sighing. It was always the same story with her whenever she started a new project. “You know I will.”
“Don’t use that tone with me. I know how irresponsible kids can get before college. You may think this is your last chance to fool around, but fooling around always leads to something stupid.”
“I always have that in mind, Mom. You can relax.”
She straightened the lapels of her white blazer. “I didn’t get this far by being careless. If you want to stay on top of every situation, prepare yourself like you’re heading for the worst-case scenario.”
No, thank you. I didn’t want to die of premature stress. Mom was a miracle—she could live and breathe stress and not look a day over thirty, although she was forty-six. But then again, all those collagen supplements, retinol serums, and occasional cosmetic procedures served to achieve exactly that.
“Whatever you say, Mom. I’ll see you later.” With that, I headed to the kitchen, my stomach growling.
“Good morning,” Anna said from where she stood by the counter, making lunch.
I took a box of cereal from the pantry. “Good morning.” I opened the fridge and pulled out the milk.
“Here you go.” She handed me a bowl from the cabinet.
“Thanks.”
I poured the cereal and milk into the bowl and sat at the counter, pulling my phone out to check my socials while I ate, the running faucet filling the silence as Anna washed vegetables behind me.
I had a PA who posted most of my content on social media and replied to comments. Usually, we would come up with content a few weeks in advance, and I stepped in whenever I came up with a different idea for a post. But other than that, she was pretty much the person behind all my accounts.
I’d just finished sifting through the comments on my recent posts on Instagram, my bowl half emptied, when the wind carried in the sound of laughter.
I raised my gaze, and my heart jolted. Zach and our maid, Emily, were talking on the terrace.
“What is Emily doing with our new gardener?”
Anna followed my gaze and smiled, turning off the faucet. “They hit it off pretty well when he introduced himself to us after he arrived. He’s a wonderful kid.”
I gave her a look under my lashes. “A wonderful kid?”
“Yes, he’s very polite and considerate. He insisted on helping me transfer packages of bottled water into the pantry this morning. He told me to call him whenever I need help carrying heavy items.”
My fingers tightened around the spoon. No, I didn’t like this. I didn’t like this at all. At this rate, he was going to charm everyone around this house.
I dropped my spoon in the bowl with a clank and marched outside, squinting against the glare of the sun.
Emily giggled at something Zach had said, playing with the ends of her ponytail as she stared at him, and my stomach twisted with an uncomfortable sensation.
Her body language screamed that she liked him.
“I’m so glad to have someone here who’s my age,” she said.
“Don’t get me wrong—Mr. Thomas, the driver, Anna, and the security guards are amazing, but they’re all much older, so I don’t have much in common with them.
” She offered him a huge smile, and I cringed.
How could she know whether she had much in common with Zach, either?
“I can show you around the estate if you want.”
He returned her smile, and what that did to his face hit me right in the chest. He looked breathtaking. The uncomfortable sensation I’d felt earlier turned into a tight knot, and I thought about two things.
One—he would never look at me that way.
Two—did he find her attractive?
She was attractive, though, with long blond hair, a heart-shaped face, and baby-blue eyes. Not to mention, she had curves in all the right places and had the tendency to look at you like everything you said was the most important thing in the world. Just the way she was looking at him now.
He adjusted the cap on his head. “The boss already showed me around, but thanks for the offer.”
“Oh, okay. If you change your mind, I’m here. Or if you want to talk or anything.”
Okay, that was enough.
“We need to talk,” I said to Zach, moving over to them.
Emily straightened up, her smile dropping. “Good morning, Miss Blair. I’ll see you later.” She muttered the last part to him and rushed into the house, her cheeks red.
I followed her with my gaze before she disappeared from my sight, my hands flexing and unflexing. I had an urge to tell her to stay away from Zach even though I had no right or logical reason to do that.
Zach angled his head. “Do you ever not wear tons of makeup? Are you that insecure about your looks?”
I pursed my lips together, suddenly all too aware of each layer of makeup on my face.
I wasn’t insecure about my looks, but his comment gave prominence to the fact that the makeup was part of the routine that ensured I was the best version of myself, which was a goal my parents had drilled into me since forever.
I’d never questioned it, but now, it gave me an uneasy feeling I couldn’t quite explain.
It was like I was playing pretend. Like I was too bothered by something that didn’t really matter or at least didn’t matter anymore.
I shook my head and shifted over to the hedge that would shield us from anyone looking from the house, ignoring his question.
I studied the high collar of his tee as he approached me, thinking how there was no way he didn’t feel hot in it.
Was he hiding his scar so his real identity would remain secret, or was he insecure about his looks?
I swallowed back the guilt. “Stop whatever you think you’re doing here.”
He raised his brows, his lips quirking into a half smile. “And what am I doing here?”
“Trying to make everyone believe you’re this perfect guy with no ulterior motive. I see you’ve already charmed Anna and Emily, and no, I don’t believe for a second you just want to make friends here.”
“You’re one to talk. You’re going the extra mile to make everyone believe you’re that perfect girl you present yourself as on your social media. Tell me, how many people have you paid off to stay silent about your real behavior?”
I gritted my teeth, my heart pumping faster. “No one, and I told you I didn’t have anything to do with my dad paying off your mother.”
“Repeat that lie all you want, but you won’t make it any more believable.”
I pressed my lips together, shaking my head. “Don’t make them pawns in your game.”
He chuckled. “This is hilarious. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’re worried about them.” His smile vanished. “But unfortunately for you, I know better, and I know you’re only worried about yourself.”
I clenched my hands. What was he planning to do here? Just how many people would he include to get back at me?
“What is it exactly that you’re trying to do here? Are you going to use them to blackmail me? Threaten to hurt them if I don’t obey you?”
He narrowed his gaze, a blast of cold fury darkening it. “Don’t worry, Blair. I’m not you. I don’t hurt people who didn’t do anything wrong. You’re the only one who’s going to get hurt here.”
My pulse skittered. While hearing he wouldn’t hurt others left me relieved, his words about hurting me stung.
I was about to reply when footfalls sounded from the terrace. I made my expression neutral just as Mom entered our line of sight, the sun reflecting off her white suit. She stopped at the edge of the grass, her hands coming to rest on her hips.
“Tom Ryde, right? Our new gardener? I want to talk to you about the plant arrangements and upkeep.”
“Hi. You must be Mrs. Everett. It’s nice to meet you.
” Zach gave her a polite smile as he moved to offer her his hand, and I was stunned by the sudden and effortless change in his demeanor.
Looking at him like this, you’d never guess he was here to hurt me.
It was easy to see now why Dad hadn’t been able to see through his charade.
I noticed Mom wasn’t that happy about shaking Zach’s hand, but she did it, managing to hide a grimace at having to touch his skin. She didn’t return the sentiment.
“Follow me inside. We can talk in the living room. It’s too hot to talk here.” She fanned her face with her hand, cutting a glance at me. “Why are you still here? You should’ve already left for the shoot. Go.” She made a shooing motion with her hand.
My face almost twisted into a grimace. I hated it when she treated me like this.
I nodded, catching a small frown on Zach’s face before it quickly disappeared, and my breath faltered. It looked as though the way Mom treated me ticked him off, but that couldn’t be right.
Mom turned to leave, expecting Zach to follow, but he didn’t move right away. His polite mask slipped the moment her back was to us in favor of a cunning smile.
“Gotta go and hear what she has to say. I wouldn’t want to make a mistake and mess up her arrangements or, even worse, destroy ‘her favorite flowers.’”
I watched him leave with a scowl, but then I realized that, no matter if it was just a taunt, it would be a good thing if he actually did that. If he ruined the garden, it would be a sure way for him to get fired.
Either way, his room had to provide something I could use to have him leave. I was going to search it as soon as I returned from the shoot.