Chapter 75: A Night at the Estate

Anna blinked against the breeze, pointing toward her black Ducati Panigale V4 R parked near the valet curb.

"Sir... my bike is right there. I can ride back."

Jude looked at her, noticing her balance was off even on flat ground.

"Your reaction time is cut in half," Jude said. "You aren’t riding a 200-horsepower bike tonight. Leave the keys with Raymond’s staff. You’re coming with me."

Anna usually avoided being in enclosed spaces alone with Jude to maintain professional distance, but her head was pounding. Without the energy to argue, she let him open the door of the Koenigsegg and helped her down into the passenger seat.

The moment her head hit the headrest, her eyes closed.

Jude leaned across the console to pull the harness over her shoulder.

Before he could latch the buckle, Anna’s arms came up, locking around his shoulders and pulling him down against her chest.

"Don’t go..." she murmured, her face pressed against his lapel.

Jude went still for a second. Then her grip tightened, and she whispered against his collar:

"Don’t go... Dad. Don’t leave me alone again..."

Jude paused.

Dad?

He gave a quiet scoff, carefully pulling her hands off his jacket and clicking the harness into place.

"Your recognition is terrible when you drink, Anna. Don’t call me your dad."

He walked around, got behind the wheel, started the car, and pulled out into the street toward the estate.

Up on the 3rd-floor terrace of the hotel, Silas Vanguard stood by the stone railing, watching the car’s taillights turn the corner.

Between the boat auction, the $1 billion announcement, and watching Jude leave with his arm around Anna, Silas had run out of patience.

He pulled a secure phone from his coat and dialed a private line.

"Get the team ready," Silas said quietly. "Jude Lawson is becoming too much of a problem. I want pressure on him before the week ends."

40 minutes later, Jude guided the car up the long driveway of the Sovereign Estate.

Halfway through the drive, he had glanced over and asked, "Why were you asking for your father earlier?"

She had only answered with slow, even breathing, completely asleep.

Jude parked in the garage, helped her up the private elevator, and brought her into the main living room. The house was quiet; his cousin Clara was staying in town for morning meetings.

He helped Anna down onto the large sofa in the center of the room.

Her brow was furrowed, her skin warm from the alcohol.

"Water..." she muttered, barely opening her eyes.

Jude looked down at her, shaking his head. "You drink on my behalf, and I end up making tea. Who works for who here?"

He walked into the kitchen, put on a kettle, and brought back a cup of warm water with honey.

Sitting on the edge of the sofa, he lifted her shoulders slightly so she could drink without choking, holding the cup to her lips.

She took a few sips, her head resting against his arm.

Her dress was wrinkled, her hair loose, and without her usual guarded posture, she looked different from the operative who monitored his office.

He set the cup on the table and went to stand up.

Anna’s hand reached out, catching his wrist with surprising grip.

"Don’t go..." she whispered, her eyes still shut as a tear ran down her cheek. "Please... don’t leave me in the dark."

She held onto his arm like she was trying to keep herself grounded.

Jude looked down at her. He sat back against the cushions and let her hold his wrist, staying put until the room went quiet and he drifted off.

Hours later, morning light broke through the 6-meter windows overlooking the Hudson Valley.

Anna’s eyes opened. Her senses came back online immediately.

Then she froze.

Jude was asleep right beside her, his head resting against the sofa back, one arm resting near her shoulder.

Worse, her head was pillowed against his leg, and her arms were wrapped around his knee.

The pieces from the night before came back: the toasts in the ballroom, the drive, the couch...

Anna held her breath, color rushing to her face.

Did we really sleep like this the whole night?

Carefully, without making a sound, Anna lifted his wrist away, unclasped her hands, and stepped back onto the floor. She smoothed down her dress, checking that everything was in place, and let out a quiet breath.

The movement woke Jude.

He opened his eyes, squinting against the morning light coming through the windows. He rolled his shoulders back and glanced at the clock over the fireplace. "7:30 already?"

Anna stood a few steps away, posture straight, though her face was still slightly flushed.

"Good morning, sir," Anna said, her tone formal. "About last night..."

Jude sat up, running a hand through his hair. "You mean when you grabbed my wrist and wouldn’t let go of the couch? The drinks finally wore off?"

Anna paused.

So I really did hold onto him...

A quiet worry hit her. An operative losing control around a target was a basic failure, but talking under the influence was worse.

"Sir," Anna asked, keeping her voice even. "Did I say anything while I was out?"

Jude looked at her, picking up on the hesitation. "Worried about something specific?"

"I don’t remember the drive back," she replied. "I’m just checking."

"You didn’t leak any state secrets, if that’s what you mean," Jude said, standing up. "You just spent the drive asking your dad not to leave you behind. You seemed to think I was your father."

Anna went completely still.

She felt a wave of relief that she hadn’t mentioned Silas or the firm, but hearing that she had brought up her family in front of Lawson made her tense up immediately.

"The alcohol caused some confusion," Anna said stiffly.

"Sounded personal," Jude said, watching her face. "What happened with your father, Anna?"

"That’s outside our work, sir," she said, cutting the topic off cleanly. "Did I say anything else?"