Chapter 8 SMOKE AND MIRRORS

Jared's POV

The morning air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of frost and burning wood. As I drove away from Kate's apartment, the image of her standing by the doorway lingered in my mind. Her smile had been forced, her fingers twitching slightly as she clutched the roses I gave her. Something wasn't right.

I knew Kate well enough- well at least I think I do to some extent- to recognize when she was shaken. And this morning? She was definitely shaken.

My grip tightened around the steering wheel, the smooth leather, cool beneath my fingertips. The city outside blurred past in muted shades of gray and amber-coffee shops buzzing with early risers, couples strolling hand in hand, red and pink balloons tied to storefronts. Valentine's Day had painted the world in soft romance, but my gut was heavy with suspicion.

Something had happened before I got there.

And whatever it was, she didn't want me to know.

I replayed the moments in my head. The way she had hesitated before coming to me, the subtle panic in her eyes when Sophia nearly flung the door open. The way she had been too eager to get rid of something-something she tossed into the fireplace the second she saw me.

I might have brushed it off if I hadn't caught the last flicker of flames dancing over what looked like- a card?

My jaw clenched.

If she thought I hadn't noticed, she was wrong.

I turned onto the highway, my fingers drumming against the steering wheel. The logical part of me told me to let it go. If it was important, she would tell me. But the other part-the part that had learned not to trust too easily-whispered that secrets had a way of unraveling at the worst moments.

And I couldn't afford any more surprises.

Not after everything.

Not with Kevin still lurking in the shadows.

I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. No. Kate wouldn't lie to me. Not about something important.

Would she?

The question gnawed at me like an itch I couldn't scratch.

A buzz from my phone snapped me out of my thoughts.

Incoming call: Mark.

I pressed the button on the steering wheel to answer.

"Yeah?"

"You're gonna want to see this," Mark's voice was edged with something that made my spine straighten. "Check your email. Right now."

I frowned, reaching for my phone at the red light. The screen glowed as I opened the attachment.

My blood ran cold.

A grainy image loaded-blurry but unmistakable. A red envelope. The same kind I had seen in Kate's hands this morning. The same one she had burned.

Next to it? A single word, typed in an all-too-familiar, taunting font.

"Surprise."

Kevin.

A slow, burning rage spread through my veins. My fingers curled around the phone as the light turned green.

Kate had been protecting me.

But from what?

And how the hell had Kevin gotten to her first? How did he find out her Address?

The night was a rough one, for my mind was very unsettled. The next morning, I was up before dawn, it took me less than a few minutes to freshen up, I skipped breakfast and a call to my chauffeur, I drove myself down to Kate's.

The city blurred past me as I pressed down on the gas, the hum of the engine vibrating through my bones. I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I got back to Kate's apartment-an explanation, an excuse, maybe even more lies-but I knew one thing. I wasn't leaving until I got the truth.

The moment I pulled up in front of her building, I killed the engine and stepped out. The winter air bit at my skin, the sharpness doing little to cool the simmering heat in my chest.

I climbed the stairs two at a time, my heartbeat a steady, pounding rhythm in my ears. When I reached her door, I hesitated for a fraction of a second before knocking.

No answer.

I knocked again, this time firmer.

Still nothing.

I knew she was home. I could see the faint glow of light peeking through the curtains.

With a sigh, I leaned in, my knuckles rapping against the wood one last time. "Kate." My voice was low, controlled. "Open the door."

Silence.

Then, after a beat, the lock clicked.

The door cracked open just enough for me to see her face. Her wide, brown eyes locked onto mine, wary and uncertain. "Jared-"

"Are you going to let me in?"

She hesitated before stepping aside. I walked in, my eyes immediately scanning the apartment. The scent of lavender and coffee lingered in the air, mixing with the faint scent of burning paper. My gaze flickered to the fireplace, where the last remnants of the red envelope had turned to ash.

So she really had burned it.

Kate shut the door behind me, crossing her arms. She was wearing an oversized sweater, her bare legs peeking out beneath the hem. She looked soft, vulnerable. But I wasn't going to let that distract me.

"What's going on?" I asked, my voice even, but edged with something sharper.

She shook her head. "Nothing."

"Don't do that." I took a step closer, and she instinctively took one back. "Don't lie to me."

She swallowed, her throat bobbing. "Jared, I-"

My eyes flickered to the fireplace again. "You burned something the second I walked in. Something you didn't want me to see."

She stayed silent.

I let out a breath, dragging a hand through my hair. "Kate, I need you to be honest with me. Is this about Kevin?"

Her entire body went rigid.

That was all the confirmation I needed.

A slow, cold anger coiled in my stomach. I should have known. Kevin had always been a problem lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And now, it seemed, he had found one.

"Tell me what he said."

She hesitated, then finally, after what felt like an eternity, she walked past me, grabbing a glass of water from the counter. She took a sip, then set it down with shaking fingers.

"He- he left a card." Her voice was quiet, almost hesitant.

I already knew that much, but I didn't interrupt.

"He said he sent me a gift," she continued, her hands gripping the edge of the counter. "And that his next one would be for my 'clueless fake fiancé.'" She exhaled sharply. "That's you, in case it wasn't obvious."

I clenched my jaw.

Kevin was taunting us.

"Did he threaten you?" My voice was measured, but there was an underlying edge to it.

She shook her head. "Not directly. But it's Kevin. He doesn't have to."

I crossed the room in three long strides, placing a hand under her chin and tilting her face up to mine. "You should have told me. What was the gift he sent you?"

Her eyes flickered like she was searching for something frantically. "I don't know, I found only the card at my doorstep- I guess the gift is letting me know he knows where I live"

I noticed how she held on tighter to her sweater fabric and how she avoided my gaze.

I huffed out a humorless laugh. "Kate, we need to be more careful keeping secrets doesn't make things better."

She pulled away, wrapping her arms around herself. "I just- I didn't want you to worry."

"That's not your call to make."

The words came out sharper than I intended, and I saw the way she flinched.

She turned away from me, staring at the fireplace where the ashes of Kevin's card still lingered.

"I just wanted today to be normal," she whispered. "Just for a little while."

My anger softened, just a little.

I stepped closer, my hands resting on her shoulders. "Kate-"

She sighed, leaning into my touch for just a moment before straightening. "What are we going to do?"

I didn't have an answer. Not yet.

But one thing was certain.

Kevin wasn't done playing his games.

And I wasn't going to let him lay a hand on the damsel I dragged into my mess.

"Alright, my regards to your lovely sis, I guess I'd be heading to the office now" I exited the door, got into my car and left.