"You don't have to hide anything from them, Harper," David said, his tone measured and calm. "But if you can't trust people outside this family, then we're not going to tell them that you're Rachel's girlfriend."
The room grew tense as Jasmine's gaze sharpened, her voice cutting through the air with a sternness that brooked no argument. "Are you going to deny that you're sleeping with my daughter?"
Harper felt her cheeks flush, a mix of embarrassment and frustration swirling within her. "It's not that," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. "I don't want to jeopardize Rachel's career. She just went out to dinner with a friend—someone who happens to be gay—and now the company is pulling her from the world tour. What if rumors about her having a female lover start to spread? I've never hidden the fact that I have a girlfriend; I just haven't publicly shown who she is."
