Julian’s eyes remained locked on Griffin. “You’re telling me there’s no reason for anyone to suspect anything.”
Griffin held his gaze. “Correct.”
I had no idea if he was lying. If he even remembered every single thing that had been said. But he was damn good at not giving anything away.
Julian didn’t look convinced.
“What exactly do you want me to do?” Griffin asked, his voice even. “Lock myself in the house until the season’s over?”
“If necessary,” my father said without hesitation.
Dominic shook his head. “Julian, that’s hardly practical. Griffin needs to train, to maintain his routines?—”
“What he needs,” my father cut in, “is to remember that he represents Aedris Motorsport both on and off the track. His contract is quite clear on the matter of public image.”
Griffin’s jaw tightened, and I could practically feel the tension radiating off him. I caught his eye, giving a small shake of my head.Don’t push him. Not now.
“The point,” Selene said, “is that we need absolute discretion. No more outings. No social media posts that could be misconstrued. And if anyone asks about a baby, the answer is a firm denial.”
Griffin’s fingers drummed against the table. “But why?”
Selene blinked, the first crack in her otherwise composed expression. “Excuse me?”
Griffin leaned back, arms crossing. “I’m just wondering why we’re treating this like a scandal.”
Julian sucked in an incredulous breath. “Because it is a scandal, Griffin. One that could have been avoided.”
Griffin’s fingers flexed against his bicep. “She’s a baby, Julian. Not a drug bust.”
I dug my nails into my palm hard enough to hurt.
Dominic cleared his throat. “The issue is timing. With the contract renewal still pending, we don’t want any distractions,” Dominic said, his tone mild but laced with warning.Don’t make this a fight.
“Right.” Griffin smiled and Julian’s jaw tightened.
“Exactly.” Selene nodded enthusiastically. “The priority now is managing perception. We need to ensure that this remains speculation and nothing more.”
“And if it doesn’t?” Griffin asked, deceptively casual.
Selene steepled her fingers. “Then we control the narrative.”
I bit down on my tongue. That was Julian’s philosophy on everything. Control the story before someone else did. Control the people in it.
Controlme.
Hazel stirred, a tiny noise escaping her, and I reached for the basket instinctively, pressing my palm against her front.
Julian’s gaze flicked toward the movement, eyes narrowing. “Speaking of control, where are we with legalities? Have you met with Cormac?”
Griffin tensed. “The paternity test confirmed what we already knew. Hazel is mine.”
Julian inclined his head, his mouth pressing into a thin line. “And the legal paperwork?”
Griffin exchanged a quick glance with me before looking back at the laptop. “I’ve decided to use different representation.”
The silence that followed was deafening.
Julian’s jaw shifted and what I’d dubbed his murder eyes made a quick appearance. “Excuse me?”
