Page 83 of He Knows When You're Awake

He hesitates. Then nods. “You’re not the kind of talent you canfake. And that’s all he has—smoke and mirrors and stolen stories. I knew if you launched something real before he did, he wouldn’t recover.”

My breath catches. “So that was the plan all along.”

“Not all of it,” he says, softer now. “It started that way. But then you became... more.”

I cross my arms. “You could’ve told me.”

He sighs, and I can see the weight in it. “I didn’t want to put that pressure on you. Or that target.”

“Too late,” I whisper. “The Russians at the Met? The cameras everywhere? I’ve been in actual danger this entire time? I think it’s fair to say I’m a target.”

He doesn’t answer. He doesn’t have to.

“Wait—” I put up my hands as realization crashes over me. “That night we met. The party. You approaching me wasn’t random, was it? You were fuckingstalkingme!”

Cole’s jaw tightens. “I was looking for you, yes.”

“So everything—” My voice catches. “Everything was calculated from the beginning.” Each word feels like I’m spitting out glass. “You needed someone to beat Julian, and I was the perfect candidate. Young. Hungry. Naive.”

“It wasn’t like that—”

“Then what was it like, Cole?” I don’t try to hide the tremor in my voice now. “Did you even like my designs? Or was I just convenient? The right skill set with the right desperation to meet your timeline?”

“Of course I liked your designs—”

“Or was I just the closest thing to Claire you could find?” The question hangs between us, sharp and dangerous.

Cole flinches. “That’s not fair.”

“None of this is fair!” My voice rises. “You’ve had me workingaround the clock to beat some deadline to piss off a rival, for a battle I didn’t sign up for, against people who apparently have no problem threatening me in public!”

“I was protecting you—”

“No.” I shake my head fiercely. “You were using me. There’s a difference.”

Knox shifts uncomfortably in the front seat, but I’m beyond caring who hears this.

“Sloane.” Cole reaches for my hand. I pull away. “I admit I wasn’t completely transparent about why I needed your line to launch so quickly. But everything else—us—that was real.”

“Real?” I laugh, the sound hollow even to my own ears. “You had me followed. You had security on me before I even knew I needed it. Our entire relationship has been built on things you decided I didn’t need to know.”

“To keep you safe—”

“To keep your plan intact,” I correct him. “I wasn’t your partner. I was your weapon against Julian. I need to know—are Hailey and Chloe safe? My family?”

Something flickers in Cole’s eyes. He glances at Knox, who’s already pulling out his phone.

“They’re safe,” Cole says. “But if it would make you feel better, Knox can arrange—”

“Security on them?” The words taste bitter. “Eyes on their homes? Tracking their movements?” I run a hand through my hair, reality crashing in. “Jesus. This is insane. A week ago I was worried about meeting collection deadlines, and now I’m standing here discussing putting surveillance on my best friends because some psycho with Russian mob connections—” I break off, my throat tight.

“This isn’t the life I signed up for,” I continue, my voice steadiernow. “I wanted to design jewelry, not get caught in some vendetta between billionaires with dangerous friends.”

“I wouldn’t have let anything happen to you—”

“You don’t get to make that call!” I’m shouting now, weeks of stress and exhaustion fueling my anger. “You don’t get to decide what risks I take, what battles I fight. That was my choice, and you took it from me.”

“Sloane, please—”