Chapter 24 24.
London’s POV
I saw it the second my eyes landed on her wrist. That mark was visible. Time stood still and everything else in the room went quiet, the kind that settles inside your chest and tightens something you didn’t expect to feel. My gaze stayed there longer than it should have, longer than I could hide, because there was no mistaking it. Julian had actually freaking done it.
A slow breath left me, and I lifted my eyes from her wrist to his face. He already knew. Of course he did. There was no guilt there, no surprise, just that controlled stillness he always hid behind like it would keep everything from falling apart.
“You actually did it,” I said, my voice quieter than usual, but heavier. Neither of them answered immediately.
Kimberly shifted slightly, her arm still caught in his grip, her eyes moving between us like she was trying to understand something we hadn’t said yet.
Julian didn’t deny it. That was all the confirmation I needed.
A humorless laugh slipped out of me, and I dragged a hand through my hair, shaking my head once. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
His jaw tightened slightly. “Stay out of it.”
“Kimberly, you have no idea of what is happening,” I said, lifting my gaze fully to meet him. The air between us changed instantly, tension pulling tight in a way that had nothing to do with school rivalry or petty competition. This wasn’t about that. It hadn’t been for a long time.
This was worse.
I stepped closer, my eyes flicking back to her wrist for a second before returning to him. “You know what this means.”
His expression didn’t shift, but I saw it. My attention moved back to her then,I looked at her with pity and not as the girl who had gotten caught between us, not as the one who kept pushing into things she didn’t understand, but as someone standing in the middle of something far bigger than she realized.
“Have you two been intimate?” I asked. The question landed harder than anything else I’d said.
Julian’s grip on her arm tightened slightly, but he didn’t interrupt. Kimberly blinked, clearly not expecting that, her brows pulling together as she looked at me like I had crossed some kind of line.
“That’s none of your business,” she said, her voice sharp. It wasn’t the answer.
I held her gaze, not looking away, not backing off. “That wasn’t what I asked.”
Her lips pressed together, irritation flashing across her face before something else replaced it, she didn’t speak.
A bitter edge crept into my chest before I could stop it, and I let out a quiet breath, shaking my head once more. “Of course.”
Julian didn’t react outwardly, but I didn’t miss the way his shoulders stiffened just slightly.
I looked back at him, my voice lower now. “You really went all the way with it.”
“That’s enough, she needs her rest,you can leave.” he said.
“No, it’s not,” I replied, sharper this time. “Not when she has no idea what you’ve dragged her into.”
Kimberly pulled her arm slightly, trying to free herself from his hold. “Can both of you stop talking like I’m not here?”
I shifted my attention back to her, softer this time. “Do you even know what that mark means?”
She frowned. “I know enough.”
A quiet breath left me, almost a laugh, though there was no humor in it. “No. You don’t.”
Her eyes narrowed. “And you do?”
“Yes.”
That answer landed, and I saw the way her posture straightened slightly, the way her attention sharpened despite the frustration sitting in her expression.
“Then say it,” she challenged.
I didn’t respond immediately. My gaze moved to Julian again, giving him the chance he didn’t deserve.
“Tell her,” I said.
His eyes held mine, unreadable as always. “This doesn’t concern you.”
“It concerns her,” I replied. “And whether you like it or not, that makes it my business.”
Kimberly let out a small, exasperated breath. “Can someone explain what is going on instead of speaking in circles?”
I looked at her again, really looked this time, taking in the confusion, the frustration, the way she still stood there despite everything instead of backing away.
“She thinks she knows you,” I said, my eyes sliding back to Julian. “She doesn’t.”
“I’ve met his father, I think I know enough.” she cut in, her voice steady despite the tension.
That made me pause, I just stared at her.
Then I laughed. “You met his father?” I repeated.
“Yes,” she said, crossing her arms slightly. “Doctor Cole Alexander. CEO of the Alexander Empire. Honestly, he was…weird but I get it.”
That made it worse. The laugh that left me this time was quieter, almost tired, as I shook my head again. “You really have no idea.”
Her brows furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means,” I said, stepping a little closer, my voice dropping just enough to make it clear I wasn’t joking anymore, “you’re standing in the middle of something you don’t understand, and you’re trusting the one person who has the most to hide.”
Julian’s voice cut through before she could respond. “London.”
I ignored him.
“Did he tell you what that mark does or what happens next?” I asked her.
I turned back to him, my patience gone now. “You’re really going to keep her in the dark after this?”
“I said I’ll handle it.”
“You already handled it,” I shot back, my voice tightening.
Kimberly looked between us again, frustration clear now. “Enough. Both of you.”
Her voice cut through the tension cleanly, sharper than before. “I’m done guessing. Either someone tells me what’s going on, or I figure it out myself.”
I watched her for a second, then glanced back at him. He wasn’t going to say it.
A small, humorless smile tugged at the corner of my mouth as I let out a breath.
“Then I guess I’ll do it for you,” I said.
Julian’s expression hardened instantly. “Don’t you dare.”
I met his gaze, unbothered. “You had your chance.”
His voice dropped, quieter, more dangerous. “London.” I didn’t look away.
“Tell her or I promise, I will.” I said.