PLAYING FOR KEEPS

CHAPTER 4

CHARLIE

Julian's father stepped out of his black car and looked straight at me.

"Miss Wade. We need to talk."

My phone was buzzing in my hand. Julian calling. The blackmail message still on my screen.

I got into the car.

He sat across from me, calm as stone. "You know why I'm here."

"To pay me to leave your son."

"One million dollars. Leave him. Permanently."

I stared at the envelope he held out. Enough money to fix my whole life. To never worry about rent or food again.

"No."

His eyebrows rose. "No?"

"I care about Julian. I'm not for sale."

He studied me like I was a puzzle. "You realize I can make your life difficult. Your scholarship. Your housing. Your reputation. All of it can disappear with one phone call."

"Do it. I'm still not leaving."

For the first time, something shifted in his expression. Almost like respect. "Stubborn. Like him."

He knocked on the window. The door opened.

"One piece of advice, Miss Wade. My son lives in a world you can't imagine. The pressure will crush you. When it does, don't say I didn't warn you."

I climbed out, my legs shaking.

My phone rang again. Julian.

I answered. "Julian."

"Where are you? I was worried sick."

"Your father found me. Offered me money to leave you."

Julian swore. "I'm coming down."

"No. I said no. But there's more. The blackmailer sent another message. They have a photo of me and Daniel. With the key he gave me."

Silence. Then, "Come back upstairs. Now."

I hung up and hurried back inside.

Julian met me at the elevator, pulled me into his arms, and kissed me hard. His hands slid under my shirt, hot on my bare skin.

"Tell me you didn't take Daniel's key because you want him," he said roughly against my mouth.

"I didn't. I took it because I was scared."

"Good." He backed me into the elevator wall, his body pressing against mine. "Because you're mine, Red."

My legs went weak. His hand slipped lower, fingers tracing the waistband of my jeans. I gasped when he popped the button.

"Julian," I breathed.

"Say it again." His lips found that spot below my ear.

"Julian, please."

He groaned. "I love hearing you beg."

His thumb hooked under the denim, sliding against my skin. Heat pooled low in my belly as his mouth found mine again, demanding and possessive. His other hand tangled in my hair, tilting my head back so he could deepen the kiss.

I was drowning in him. In the taste of him. In the way his body felt against mine.

The elevator dinged.

We broke apart, both breathing hard.

Marcus's voice carried from the living room. "Uh, guys. You need to see this. Now."

We rushed in, my face burning, my jeans still unbuttoned.

Marcus pointed at his screen. Security footage from a coffee shop. A hooded person typing on a laptop.

When they reached for their coffee, their sleeve slid back.

Melissa's bracelet. The gold medical charm glinting in the light.

Julian went cold. "Melissa."

My stomach dropped. "She's the one blackmailing us."

Marcus clicked again. "Phone records. She's been texting Victoria constantly since last night. They've been planning this together."

The apartment door opened.

Daniel walked in. Melissa right behind him, smiling like nothing was wrong.

"Charlie," Melissa said sweetly. "We came to talk things through. Clear the air."

I looked at her bracelet. At her fake worried face. At the lie she'd been living.

"Talk about what?" I asked. "About how you recorded Julian and me through the window? About how you're blackmailing us?"

Melissa's smile vanished.

Daniel went pale. "Melissa. Tell me Charlie's wrong."

"She's lying," Melissa said quickly. "She's trying to turn you against me."

Marcus turned his laptop. "Security footage says otherwise."

Melissa saw herself on screen and her expression twisted into something ugly.

"You ruined everything," she hissed at me. "This was supposed to be simple. You were supposed to stay away from them. From my world."

"Your world?" I stepped closer. "My mother died for your mother. I thought we were friends."

"Friends?" Melissa laughed bitterly. "I've been stuck with you my whole life because of what your mother did. Do you know what it's like living under that debt? Having everyone remind me that I'm only alive because someone else died?"

"So you decided to destroy me?"

"I decided to finally be free of you!" She grabbed her phone. "And if you won't leave willingly, I'll make you."

She started typing frantically.

Marcus shouted. "She's uploading the video now!"

Julian lunged for the phone, but Melissa threw it across the room.

Too late.

My phone buzzed with a news alert.

TMZ Exclusive: Intimate Video of Julian Valentino and Mystery Girl Leaked.

I couldn't breathe. The room spun.

Julian grabbed my shoulders. "Look at me. We fight this."

"How?" My voice shook. "Everyone's going to see it."

Daniel stepped between us and Melissa. "What have you done?"

Melissa's eyes filled with crocodile tears. "I did it for you, Daniel. She was going to come between us! She was going to ruin everything we built!"

"There was nothing to ruin," Daniel said coldly. "We were already over. I just didn't want to admit it."

He pulled the engagement ring from his pocket and set it on the table.

Melissa stared at it like he'd slapped her. "You're choosing her? After everything my family has done for yours?"

"I'm choosing honesty. Something you clearly don't value."

My phone started ringing. Unknown numbers. Reporters already circling.

Then one call came through clearly.

"Charlie Wade? This is Katherine Chen from TMZ. We just received a very interesting video. Care to comment?"

Julian squeezed my hand. "You don't have to talk to them."

But I thought of my mother. Of being brave when it mattered most.

"Yes," I said. "I have a comment. The video was taken without my consent. It was released by someone who wanted to hurt me. But I'm not going to hide. Julian and I are together. If people want to judge us for that, it's their choice."

There was a pause. "Strong words. Any response to claims you're a gold digger using Julian for his money?"

I laughed once, sharp. "I turned down a million dollars from Julian's father this morning. I think that answers your question."

Julian's eyes went wide with pride.

Katherine sounded genuinely impressed. "One last question. What about Daniel Valentino? There are photos of you two together as well."

I looked at Daniel. At the guilt and longing still written on his face.

"Daniel is Julian's brother," I said carefully. "He offered me help when I had nowhere to go. That's all it was. Anyone trying to twist it into something else is lying."

I hung up.

Silence filled the room.

Then Melissa started laughing. High and sharp. "You think this is over? Victoria and I have so much more. Documents. Photos. Stories that will bury you both."

Julian's phone buzzed. He looked at it and went pale.

"What?" I asked.

He turned the screen toward me.

A new email. From Victoria.

Attached was a document. A paternity test.

With my name on it.

Claiming I was pregnant. Claiming Julian was the father.

And claiming Daniel might be too.

My blood ran cold.

Melissa clapped slowly. "Checkmate. Two brothers. One pregnant gold digger. The media is going to eat this up."

Julian stared at the screen, stunned. "This is fake. Charlie's not pregnant."

"Try proving that once it goes viral," Melissa said sweetly. "By tomorrow, everyone will believe it. Julian's father will cut him off. His basketball career will be over. And Charlie will be left with nothing."

Daniel looked ready to commit murder. "You've gone too far."

"No," Melissa said. "I've gone exactly far enough."

My phone buzzed again. Another text from the unknown number.

*Time to choose, Charlie. Julian or Daniel. Pick one brother and publicly reject the other, or we release everything. Including your mother's sealed medical records. The ugly truth about how she really died. You have one hour.*

I felt the blood leave my face.

They had my mother's records. Records that were supposed to be sealed. Private.

How?

Julian saw my expression. "Charlie. What is it?"

I showed him the text with shaking hands.

His jaw clenched so tight I thought it might crack. "They went after your mother."

Daniel's expression turned murderous. "This ends now."

Marcus was already typing furiously. "I can trace the source. Give me two minutes."

But Melissa just smiled wider. "You can't stop what's already in motion. By tonight, Charlie's whole life will be public. Every secret. Every mistake. Every ugly truth she's been hiding."

I looked at Julian. At Daniel. At the disaster my life had become in less than twenty-four hours.

And I made a decision.

"Marcus," I said, my voice steady despite the fear. "When you trace it, send everything to every news outlet yourself. Every text. Every email. Every lie they've told. Let the world see exactly who did this."

Melissa's smile dropped. "You wouldn't dare."

"Watch me. I'm done being their victim."

Julian kissed my forehead. "That's my girl."

Marcus's laptop beeped urgently.

He went completely still, his face draining of color. "Uh. Guys. We have a major problem."

We all looked at him.

He turned the screen around with shaking hands.

A live video feed. Grainy but clear enough.

My old apartment building. The storage unit in the basement where I'd kept my mother's things.

And someone was there right now. Bolt cutters in hand.

Cutting through the lock.

Marcus swallowed hard. "They're breaking into your mother's belongings. Right now. This is streaming live."

The camera angle shifted.

Victoria stepped into frame, smiling directly at the lens like she knew we were watching.

She held up a small wooden box.

My mother's ashes.

My heart stopped.

Victoria's smile widened. She mouthed words at the camera: "Your move, Charlie."

Then she opened the box.