Badass in Disguise (Shadow) novel Chapter 19

Ethan’s POV:

The Haxton estate sprawled across several acres of prime New York real estate, a testament to generations of wealth and power.

I stood at the window of my private study, watching the security team patrol the grounds with military precision. Men and women in black tactical gear moved efficiently through the gardens, their earpieces occasionally catching the light from strategically placed landscaping fixtures.

A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.

“Come in,” I called.

Connor entered with his characteristic efficiency, tablet in hand. Alexander followed behind him, looking more rested than he had in days, though concern still lingered in his eyes.

“Sir,” Connor began, his expression slightly uncomfortable, “I have an update regarding Miss Morgan.”

I nodded for him to continue.

“She discovered our security detail,” Connor reported, a hint of embarrassment coloring his voice. “Actually, to be precise, she spotted them within twenty minutes of deployment.”

Alexander chuckled beside me. “I told you she wasn’t ordinary.”

“And?” I prompted.

Connor cleared his throat. “To quote the team leader: ‘I think the ones who got scared were us, not her.‘ The girl apparently sensed their presence immediately, tracked them to their position, and confronted them directly.”

I raised an eyebrow. Professional surveillance operators don’t get “made” by high school students. This girl continued to defy expectations.

“What did they do?” Alexander asked, leaning forward with interest.

“They followed protocol,” Connor replied. “Once compromised, they identified themselves as security contracted by the Haxton family and explained they were there for her protection.”

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Chapter 19

“And how did she respond to that?” I asked, increasingly curious about this young woman.

Connor’s lips twitched slightly. “She said, and I quote: ‘So that’s where all the Haxton assets go – hiring bodyguards.”

I frowned slightly. Was she implying Alexander’s payment had been insufficient?

Alexander seemed to read my thoughts. “I only transferred one hundred grand because I didn’t want

to alarm a high school student with too large a sum.” He paused. “I thought that is quite generous by

Cloud City standards.”

“Should we continue the surveillance?” Connor asked, weighing our options.

“Absolutely,” Alexander said firmly. “She may be remarkably observant, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t need protection. If those men are still looking for me, they could target her. We need to ensure her safety.”

I considered this. The girl had saved Alexander’s life and subsequently found herself in da because of it. We owed her protection, at minimum.

“Very well,” I agreed. “But perhaps a more discreet approach this time.”

Alexander nodded, then sighed. “I wish I could go to Cloud City myself to thank her properly, but doctors have advised against travel for another week.”

“Focus on your recovery,” I told him. “We’ll ensure Miss Morgan remains safe in the meantime.”

Jade’s POV:

“Jade! Jade, are you busy?”

Max’s excited voice filtered through my bedroom door, accompanied by his signature uneven knock – three quick taps, a pause, then two more.

“Come in,” I called, setting aside the tactical planning document I’d been reviewing.

The door swung open, and Max practically bounced into the room, his eyes alight with excitement despite the late hour. In his hands, he clutched a folder so tightly his knuckles were white.

“What’s got you so worked up?” I asked, unable to suppress a small smile at his enthusiasm.

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Chapter 19

“This, he breathed, carefully placing the folder on my desk. “It’s a challenge problem. From Princeton University’s dean of physics and their president.”

I raised an eyebrow, genuinely intrigued. “And?”

“It’s impossible,” Max said, his voice dropping to an almost reverent whisper. “Nobody’s solved it completely. It’s been out for eight months, and even Edward Sheldon – you know, the physics prodigy – even he’s been working on it for months without a complete solution.”

I flipped open the folder, scanning the problem. It involved quantum entanglement principles, relativistic effects, and theoretical applications that would make most physicists‘ heads spin. The equations were elegant in their complexity.

“Princeton promised that whoever solves it gets an automatic admission offer,” Max continued, his words tumbling out in a rush. “And potentially a research position at NASA’s Quantum Computing

Division.”

I hummed in acknowledgment, already mentally working through the problem’s initial parameters.

“Do you think…” Max hesitated, then gestured vaguely at the papers. “I mean, it’s probab. advanced, but maybe we could work on it together? I’ve been trying to crack it for weeks, but-

“Give me thirty minutes,” I said, pulling the folder closer.

Max blinked. “What?”

“Thirty minutes should be enough,” I repeated, already reaching for a notebook and pen. “Maybe

less.”

Max stared at me, his mouth slightly open. “Jade, did you hear what I said? The most brilliant physics minds in the country haven’t solved this in months.”

I looked up at him, offering a small smile. “I heard you. Now, do you want this solved or not?”

His expression cycled through disbelief, hope, and resignation. “Okay,” he finally said, backing toward the door. “I’ll… wait outside then?”

I nodded, already immersed in the problem, my pen moving across the paper.

Time always compressed when I worked on complex problems. In my previous life, I’d needed to understand advanced physics to calculate impossible shots, to predict how materials would interact

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