VIOLET
“Griffin. Violet.” Julian’s gaze flicked between us, assessing. “I trust everything is... proceeding as discussed.”
My eyes cut sideways before I could stop them.
I caught myself before Julian could read anything in the silence. He had a talent for sniffing out trouble, and I had no interest in discussing childcare logistics on a video call.
Not that Griffin looked remotely troubled. He straightened in his chair, his casual demeanor slipping into something more professional. “Julian. Always a pleasure.”
The muscle in my father’s jaw ticked at Griffin’s tone, but before he could respond, two more windows appeared on the screen. Selene Voss, Aedris Motorsport’s razor-sharp PR manager, her dark hair pulled back in a severe bun, and a man I didn’t recognize.
“Thanks for joining us, Dominic.” Griffin nodded to the newcomer.
Dominic gave a tight smile. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
Selene cleared her throat, commanding attention. “Let’s get straight to it, shall we? We have a potential situation brewing.”
Griffin’s brows rose. “What kind of situation?”
“Social media chatter,” Selene said, her tone clipped, all business. “Someone thinks they spotted a racing driver at a baby shop yesterday. No photos, thankfully, but one of the store employees posted about it.”
My stomach plummeted to my feet and somehow I resisted the urge to bury my face in my hands. Oh, for the love of?—
Griffin side-eyed me, but neither of us reacted. Not outwardly. Inside? I was losing my ever-loving mind.
“Speculation isn’t fact,” Griffin said, his tone flat, unbothered. “People love to talk, right?”
Selene nodded. “Right now, it’s just whispers, but if someone connects you to a baby, especially with Monza coming up, we’re looking at a media circus that could derail the rest of the season.”
“And the team’s reputation.” Julian’s gaze bored into Griffin through the screen.
I shifted in my seat, uncomfortably aware of being caught between my father’s agenda and Griffin’s growing frustration. Hazel made a small sound, and I reached over to rock the Moses basket. Anything to not look at the camera and give away the fact I’d been complicit. My father would go batshit crazy if he found out I’d allowed it.
“You did as you were told?” Julian asked, and my stomach clenched.
Griffin’s head tipped slightly. “Of course.”
Selene crossed her arms. “Then explain how there are rumors.”
Griffin didn’t answer immediately. That fraction of a second of hesitation? Not long enough for most people to catch. But Julian Carter wasn’t most people.
“People are nosy,” Griffin said. “I can’t control what strangers think they see.”
Except we were supposed to.
“Let me be very clear, Griffin,” Julian said, raising his annoyed brows. “The fact that this is already circulating, without a single photograph, suggests either carelessness or stupidity. Which was it?”
I flinched.
Griffin didn’t so much as twitch. “Neither.”
I resisted the urge to kick him under the table.
“Do we know exactly what was said?” Dominic asked.
Selene tapped something on her keyboard. “No direct quotes, but the post implied someone overheard a conversation and put two and two together.”
I barely resisted the urge to groan. Of course. It was never the people who saw things firsthand. It was always someone’s friend who had a cousin who swore they heard something. The internet was a cesspool of unreliable witnesses with too much free time.
