Page 2 of Splitting Secrets
“What can I help you with?” I ask, my tone carefully level.
Their presence here is indication enough that something has gone terribly wrong.
“We’ve been notified that a student of yours is attending the university under a false name.”
My brows hit my hairline in mock surprise.
Shit, shit, shit.
“It’s your teaching assistant, actually. The one who had trouble with the Ashbluff boy. He felt it was his responsibility to inform us of her transgressions. ”
“Penelope Ellery,” I supply dutifully, my tone detached.
“Yes, that’s the one.”
Fuck.
“And Hayes thinks the woman attending isn’t Penelope?”
I’m going to gut him alive.
“We’re positive. In fact, we’re quite certain that the person using Divina Carmichael’s legacy spot is related to Constance Chevalier.”
He tilts his head at me curiously. He’s well aware of the history I have with Constance and Divina, having been in the Syndicate when everything went down and we were all forced into our roles. My little slipup with Hayes has exposed my hand and put a target on my back.
“Constance and Divina were friends,” I remind him. “They married a set of twins, if I’m not mistaken.”
“That they were,” he nods. “Except, to our knowledge, Constance didn’t have an heir.”
That’swho she’s reminded me of all this time.
Double fuck.
It was the perfect set up. She attends the university under the Ellery name—one that she technically shares with the real Penelope—and makes her way to the inside without anyone having a clue she even exists. I’d be willing to bet they even share enough similar traits for the average person to not look twice.
James is right about one thing, though: there is no record of Constance and Carter Ellery having a child. I know because I personally checked.
So, where the hell did she come from? And why?
“For fuck’s sake, we don’t have time for all these theatrics. Did you know the girl was lying?” Ashton interjects impatiently.
I scowl at him. “Of course not. I’d have reported it to you.”
“We’ve had sources say you were engaging in sexual relations with this girl,” James informs me.
“It’s not against the code of conduct to fuck my students, if that’s what you’re getting at.”
Ashton huffs a disapproving sigh. “It’s not.”
“Then what does this have to do with me?”
“I’m sure you can see how we’ve concluded that you could somehow be involved with this woman trying to infiltrate our school. Being that you have such a sordid past history with her family, it only makes sense,” James supplies.
“I have nothing to do with her in that way,” I state bluntly, leaving no room for argument.
“You just fuck her,” James adds with a sinful grin that has me envisioning the differing ways I’ll scalp him when this is all said and done.
I lean forward, clasping my hands together on my desk in an act that is meant to disarm them. “I just fuck her,” I confirm.
