Chapter 62: The Friend Who Knows Too Much

Chapter 62: Chapter 62: The Friend Who Knows Too Much

~Reynold’s POV~

I froze for a moment before glancing back at Frederick, my eyes widening.

"That’s my friend... Julian."

Frederick looked over at me, completely unbothered. "So what?"

I stared at him, exasperated. "You said you didn’t want anyone to see us together!"

"So you mean your friend can’t keep a secret?" he asked smoothly.

"No, don’t you get it?" I hissed, gripping my knees. "If he sees me getting out of your car, then it’s not a secret anymore!"

Frederick gave me a puzzled look. "He’ll only see you getting out of the car. That doesn’t mean he’ll see me."

"You don’t understand. He knows a lot about you. He knows almost every car you own," I argued.

Frederick raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying he’ll know I own this car just because he sees you getting out of it, Reynold? Very few people in this city have a car like this. I’m not the only person who owns one."

I stared at him in frustration. "You still don’t get it."

Frederick let out a low chuckle and shifted closer. "That’s it? I still don’t understand why you’re so nervous. Look at how wide your eyes are. Is there something going on between the two of you?"

"No! He’s my best friend," I protested immediately.

"Then I should be the one worried," Frederick pointed out, raising an eyebrow. "And if I’m not worried about anyone seeing us together, why are you?"

I clamped my mouth shut and looked away.

"You don’t know anything," I muttered, swallowing hard. "He likes you, and he might—"

I stopped myself before I could finish.

A slow, knowing smile spread across Frederick’s face as he finally understood. "Ah. Now I get it. Are you jealous? Is this the friend you told me about—the one who said he likes me?"

I said nothing, crossing my arms defensively. A cold wave of insecurity washed over me. What if Frederick saw Julian and liked him better? Julian was effortlessly attractive, outgoing, and confident. I sat there in silence, refusing to meet Frederick’s eyes.

Seeing the turmoil on my face, Frederick’s expression softened. He reached out and gently tilted my chin toward him.

"You don’t have to worry," he murmured, his voice low and reassuring. "The windows are heavily tinted. No one can see inside the car. We can see them, but they can’t see us. More importantly, no one out there is even a match for your beauty, so why are you stressing?"

I blinked, a genuine, relieved smile spreading across my face as I looked up at him.

Just then, Julian turned around and walked back toward the campus buildings.

"I have to go now," I whispered quickly, reaching for the door handle.

Frederick gave me an approving nod. "Alright. Be good."

I pushed the door open and stepped out into the crisp morning air. Without looking back, I walked straight toward the campus entrance. Behind me, I heard the low purr of the engine as Frederick’s car pulled away from the curb and disappeared down the road.

When I slipped into the lecture hall, the class was already in full swing. I hurried down the rows and slid into the empty seat beside Julian.

He immediately leaned toward me, his eyes filled with curiosity.

"Why are you so late this morning? I was waiting for you at the campus gate, but when I didn’t see you and couldn’t reach you on your phone, I figured maybe you weren’t coming and came inside."

"I woke up late," I muttered, giving him a quick, apologetic smile.

He looked like he had a dozen more questions, but I quickly raised a hand. "Let’s focus for now. We’ll talk after the lecture."

Julian sighed and turned his attention back to the whiteboard. "Alright."

We both settled back into the lecture, but I found it difficult to concentrate. Every now and then, whenever I turned to glance at Julian, I caught him already looking at me. The moment our eyes met, he would quickly look away, almost as if he didn’t want me to notice. It was strange and completely unlike him, and it made me increasingly uncomfortable.

I forced myself to ignore it and kept my attention on the lecture until the professor finally finished, gathered his things, and walked out of the room.

Julian leaned closer as soon as the professor left. "We should go grab some lunch."

"I don’t feel like eating at the campus cafeteria," I replied, shaking my head. "Let’s go somewhere else."

"That’s perfect," Julian agreed, standing up and picking up his bag. "Since we’re done for the day, let’s head out."

"I didn’t bring my car today," I reminded him.

"It’s fine. We can take mine," he said casually.

I nodded, and we walked out to the parking lot together. Julian got behind the wheel while I settled into the passenger seat and buckled my seat belt. A few minutes later, he drove out through the campus gates and headed toward a high-end restaurant nearby.

After a short drive, we arrived at the restaurant. We went inside, found a quiet table, and placed our orders. Not long after, our food arrived, and we began eating. I had barely taken a few bites when Julian suddenly set down his utensils and looked at me.

"There’s a rumor going around," he said, lowering his voice.

I paused for a fraction of a second, carefully keeping my expression neutral. "What rumor?"

Julian leaned forward over the table, his eyes lighting up with curiosity. "I heard a rumor that Frederick is into men. Apparently, he’s secretly dating someone, a boy who’s much younger than him."

"What?" I blurted out before I could stop myself.

I nearly choked on my food. I started coughing violently, quickly reaching for my glass of water and taking several gulps to clear my throat.

"Whoa, easy, man. Sorry!" Julian said, reaching over to pat my arm.

"I’m fine," I wheezed, wiping my mouth. I forced myself to stay calm and shook my head. "You really shouldn’t believe everything you hear about people. How could someone as rich and successful as Frederick be secretly dating a boy? That’s ridiculous. Don’t believe rumors like that."

"Oh, I don’t really care whether it’s true or not, Reynold. I don’t believe everything I hear," Julian said with a smile, resting his chin on his hand. "I’m just happy if it’s true. If he really is into men, then that means I might actually have a chance with him. What do you think?"

I forced a tight smile. "Yeah, sure, Julian."

"Seriously, I was so jealous when I heard about it," Julian continued, completely unaware of the panic building inside me. "Whoever that boy is, he’s so lucky to have a chance with someone like Frederick."

"Maybe he’s lucky, maybe he’s not. Anyway, Julian, you should probably focus on your food," I muttered, absently poking at my plate.

My mind immediately went into panic mode.

I need to text Frederick right now and tell him that people are already starting to suspect he’s seeing someone younger. If these rumors keep spreading, someone might eventually figure out that the boy they’re talking about is me.

Before I could reach for my phone, Julian spoke again.

"Actually, I’ll drive you home today, Reynold. I want to know where you live so I can pick you up in the mornings sometimes."

My stomach dropped.

No. Absolutely not.

If Julian found out where I lived and saw that massive, heavily guarded estate, he would definitely start asking questions. Who owned the place? How did I end up living there? Who was I staying with? I couldn’t answer all those questions without eventually exposing the truth.

I quickly forced out a light laugh and gave him a dismissive smile. "You really don’t have to go out of your way for me, Julian. I just decided not to bring my car to campus today. I can manage on my own."

Julian narrowed his eyes, studying me across the table. "Reynold, I’m your best friend. You know where I live, so why can’t I know where you stay? Is there something you’re hiding from me?"

He crossed his arms, his gaze becoming more suspicious.

"Lately, I feel like I barely know anything about you. You haven’t even told me a thing about this secret man you’re always hiding."

I swallowed hard, keeping my voice steady. "I’m not hiding anything. My man is just a businessman, and he’s always busy. But don’t worry. You’ll meet him soon enough, and you’ll find out where I stay when the time is right."

Julian shook his head, clearly unwilling to let it go.

"No, Reynold. I’m your best friend. I have a right to know where you live. I’m driving you home today, and that’s not up for discussion."

My heart hammered against my ribs. I quickly unlocked my phone beneath the table. A message from Frederick was already waiting, but I didn’t have time to read it. Panicked and unsure of what to do, I quickly typed out a message.

Mr. Corvin, my friend wants to come home with me. Can I let him come with me?

I hit send and waited anxiously, my eyes darting toward Julian, who was watching me with a suspicious look.

A few seconds later, my phone buzzed.

Frederick:Read your previous message.

I scrolled up and opened his earlier text.