Chapter 2: Sign the Deal
1269 Words
Avery called her mother immediately. One ring. Two. Three.
“Pick up,” she muttered as Julian watched her from across the table.
The call finally connected. “Hello, sweetheart.”
Avery tightened her grip on the phone. “Mum, where are you?”
“On my way home. Why?”
Avery looked at the photograph again. Whoever took it had been close enough to capture her mother's face clearly.
“Is anyone following you?”
Her mother laughed. “Following me? Avery, what's going on?”
“Please, Mum. Get a taxi and go straight home. Don't stop anywhere.”
There was a short silence before her mother agreed. Avery ended the call and immediately faced Julian.
“Who sent this?”
“If I knew, I wouldn't be sitting here guessing.”
“You showed me that security picture, then someone threatens my mother. That's convenient.”
Julian's expression hardened. “You think I threatened your mother?”
“I don't know you.”
“Then start thinking.”
Avery pushed the phone toward him. Julian studied the photograph, checked the timestamp, then examined the background.
“Send it to me.”
“No.”
“Avery, someone is watching your mother. This isn't the time to fight me.”
That stopped her.
She sent him the picture.
Julian forwarded it to someone and made a call. “Find out where this was taken. Check every camera around that location.”
He ended the call.
Avery stared at him. “You can do that?”
“I can do more than that.”
She didn't like how calm he sounded.
“Who was carrying my laptop?”
Julian turned his phone around and enlarged the security image.
Avery's face changed.
“No.”
The woman holding her laptop was Melissa Grant, Professor Hart's assistant. Melissa had helped Avery complete her scholarship renewal and had recommended her for a university research program.
“She couldn't have done this.”
“Why?”
“She helped me.”
Julian placed the phone down. “People can help you and still use you.”
Avery looked at him. “Speaking from experience?”
His face became serious. “Focus.”
She looked at Melissa's image again. “What was she doing with my laptop?”
“That is what we need to find out.”
“We?”
Julian pushed the relationship agreement toward her.
Avery gave him a sharp look. “You cannot seriously be discussing fake dating while someone is following my mother.”
“That's exactly why we're discussing it.”
“How does pretending to be your girlfriend protect her?”
“It puts you beside me. Whoever is doing this will think twice before coming after you openly.”
Avery folded her arms. “I don't belong to anyone.”
“Good. Keep that attitude. You'll need it.”
She picked up the agreement and read it again.
Three months.
Public appearances.
University events.
Parties.
No revealing that their relationship was fake.
Avery looked up. “You prepared this quickly.”
“I already had it.”
“For who?”
Julian didn't answer.
That bothered her.
A man like Julian Cross didn't prepare a fake relationship contract for no reason.
Avery placed the agreement back on the table. “I'm not signing until you tell me what you get from this.”
“You want your scholarship back. You want your name cleared. You want whoever threatened your mother found.”
He leaned forward.
“And you want to know why Melissa Grant had your laptop.”
Avery held his gaze. “Yes.”
“I can help you get all of that.”
“And what happens when your enemies decide I'm useful against you?”
Julian picked up his phone. “They already have.”
He showed her another photograph.
This one showed Avery entering the Bellamy Building less than an hour ago.
Someone had taken it from across the street.
Avery's stomach tightened. “They're watching me because I came here.”
“No. Look at this.”
Julian swiped to another photograph.
Avery recognized herself leaving the disciplinary building earlier that afternoon.
The picture had been taken before she came anywhere near Julian.
Her anger faded.
“Where did you get these?”
“A private student group. Someone has been posting your movements.”
Avery stared at the screen.
Her mother had nothing to do with Westbridge. Whoever had dragged her into this had crossed a line.
Avery turned toward Julian. “Give me a pen.”
His eyebrow lifted. “You're signing?”
“Don't make me repeat myself.”
Julian handed her one.
Avery opened the agreement but stopped before signing.
“One more condition. My mother stays out of this. If you have people capable of finding whoever took that picture, you use them.”
“Agreed.”
“And you don't control where I go.”
“Within reason.”
“No. No controlling me.”
Julian stared at her for a moment before nodding. “Fine.”
Avery continued. “And don't touch me whenever you feel like it.”
“We're supposed to convince people we're dating.”
“Then learn to act.”
A small smile appeared on his face. “You really don't like me.”
“I met you less than an hour ago, and you're already arrogant, secretive, and annoying.”
“Yet you're about to become my girlfriend.”
“Fake girlfriend.”
Julian leaned back. “We will see.”
Avery pointed the pen at him. “Don't start.”
She signed the agreement.
Julian took the pen and added his signature beneath hers.
“Congratulations, girlfriend.”
“I already regret this.”
Before he could answer, his phone rang.
Julian checked the caller and immediately lost his amused expression.
“Talk.”
Avery watched him closely.
His jaw tightened.
“When?”
He listened for several seconds.
“Are you sure?”
Another pause.
“Send it.”
Julian ended the call.
Avery stepped closer. “What happened?”
“The photograph of your mother wasn't taken by a student.”
“Then who took it?”
His phone buzzed.
Julian opened the incoming image and handed the phone to her.
It was a security camera shot from across the street from her mother's workplace. A man stood beside a parked car, looking directly toward the building.
Avery recognized him.
She had seen him at her disciplinary hearing.
He had been sitting behind Dean Morrison.
“He works with the university board.”
“I know,” Julian said.
“Why is he following my mother?”
“Because this isn't about your scholarship.”
Before Avery could respond, her phone rang.
Dean Morrison.
She looked at Julian. “Why is he calling me?”
“Answer it. Put him on speaker.”
Avery accepted the call.
“Hello?”
Dean Morrison didn't bother greeting her.
“Miss Carter, return to campus administration immediately. We've received new evidence concerning your case.”
Avery's fingers tightened around the phone. “What evidence?”
There was a short pause.
“Evidence connecting Julian Cross to the server breach.”
Avery slowly looked at Julian.
His face remained calm.
Dean Morrison continued, “And Avery, whatever Julian has promised you, do not trust him.”
Avery stopped breathing for a second.
“Why?”
Morrison's next words changed everything.
“The night your account was used to break into our servers, Julian Cross was inside the building.”
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