You'll break them. All three of them.
And that will be on you.
So decide quickly, Jade. Them or you.
I'll be watching. Just like before. Always watching my little doll.
The paper crumples in my fist. Rage and fear war inside me. But beneath them both, a cold certainty forms.
I know what I have to do.
I smooth out the note, place it back in the envelope, and tuck it beneath a book on the side table. They can never see it. Never know why I'm about to do what I must.
My hand reaches for my phone. The screen blurs through unshed tears as I type a message to Ethan:
Need to speak with all of you. In the main house. Now.
I set the phone down and walk to the bar, pouring a finger of bourbon. I'll need the burn of it, the liquid courage to get through this. I knock it back in one swift motion, welcoming the fire down my throat.
Then I stand before the wall of windows overlooking the pool, letting the afternoon sun warm my face, and I begin the transformation. I roll my shoulders back. Lift my chin. Let my face settle into the cool, detached mask the world knows as Jade Sinclair, supermodel. Ice Queen.
The door opens behind me. I don't turn. Let them come to me.
"Jade?" Ethan's voice, concerned but controlled. Always controlled. "What's going on?"
I turn slowly, taking in all three of them. Ethan at the front, leader even now. Declan slightly behind, his massive frame tense, alert. Mateo, eyes darting between us, sensing the shift in atmosphere.
"I've come across some... concerning information," I say, my voice cool and professional. I gesture to the documents on the coffee table.
They move closer, exchanging glances.
"What kind of information?" Ethan asks, wariness creeping into his tone.
I walk to the table, pick up Declan's mugshot, and hold it out. "The kind that makes me question the wisdom of our continued association."
Declan goes utterly still. Ethan's eyes widen fractionally, before his expression hardens. Mateo looks genuinely shocked, gaze darting between the photo and Declan's face.
"Where did you get that?" Ethan demands.
"Does it matter?" I counter, archly raising an eyebrow. "What matters is that I'm employing a convicted felon as my bodyguard. A man who spent two years in prison for assault. Hardly the kind of association someone in my position can afford."
Declan steps forward, jaw tight. "I never hid who I was."
"You never revealed it either," I snap, injecting venom into my voice. The look of hurt that flashes across his face nearly breaks me. I dig my nails into my palm, using the pain to stay focused.
"This isn't you," Ethan says quietly, dangerously. "This isn't the woman from last night. What's really going on, Jade?"
I force a cold laugh. "Last night was a mistake. A moment of weakness that needs to be forgotten." Each word is a knife I twist in my own heart. "But this," I tap the mugshot, "this is a liability I can't ignore."
"Jade, come on," Mateo interjects, his usual playfulness gone. "Whatever happened, you know Declan. You know he's not..."
"I know he's a criminal," I interrupt, the words tasting like ash. "And I know your security services have repeatedlyfailed to keep me safe. The camera? The breach in the perimeter? For what I'm paying, it's utterly unacceptable."
Ethan's expression darkens. "So that's it? You're firing us because of Declan's past and because someone's gotten past our security?"
"Someone who might not have gotten past proper professionals," I add, twisting the knife deeper. "I've already made arrangements. A new security team starts tomorrow."
Declan's massive hands clench at his sides. "I'll step down," he says quietly. "Ethan and Mateo can..."
