I brought up the subject later that night when we were lying in bed, waiting for sleep but trying to put it off at the same time. I hadn’t heard the car come back and Charlotte’s bedroom was just above the front door.

‘What’s your dad’s job, Charlotte?’

‘He’s a security manager,’ she replied. ‘This community. Most of the families here work for Dad. That’s why we’ve got the nicest house in the place. He employs hundreds of people, some who are responsible for keeping this community safe, but others who are hired out for special functions.’ She yawned and I couldn’t blame her. The conversation was a bit boring. ‘That’s where he must be now. I don’t know. I don’t ask much about his work.’

‘Does this community need to be kept safe?’

Charlotte rolled onto her side, put her cheek on her hand and regarded me as if I’d lost my mind.

‘Of course,’ she replied. ‘That’s why there’s a wall around the perimeter. To keep us in and others out. It’s one of the reasons our house is the most secure here. The closer you live to the wall, the more chance there is of being attacked by anyone getting over or through it. That’s why it’s guarded twenty-four seven. Come on, Ash. You must know something about security. What protections are in place at your house?’

I shrugged. Aiden had had plenty to say on the subject, but it wasn’t something I’d paid any attention to. It wasn’t something I’d needed to pay attention to.

‘My dad might have been the one who installed whatever security you have. He’s an expert in this sort of stuff. But whatever you have, it must be pretty sophisticated. The fact there’s no wall around your house tells me that.’

Now I yawned. I could feel sleep sneaking up on me. Before it could claim me, one small niggle at the back of my mind demanded attention.

‘Charlotte?’

‘Hmmm?’ Sleep was stalking her as well.

‘Your dad said something about you making up lost time. When he dropped us off. What did he mean? Just tell me if it’s none of my business …’

‘Oh that. That’s about the time I’m spending with you, Ash.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘This is time I could spend studying. I should spend studying. So Mum and Dad made me agree that I would make up the time wasted today by studying extra for the rest of the week.’

I gave that some thought. Wasted time? I didn’t understand. How could relaxation with a friend be wasted time?

‘I have a schedule for studying,’ she continued. ‘A certain number of hours per week. If I don’t do any tonight, I’ll have to make it up later, even if I have to work through the night. It’s non-negotiable.’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘You’re rich, Ashleigh Delatour. Your mother and father will provide for you for the rest of your life. But most of us can’t bank on that. Mum and Dad work twenty-four seven, but that barely covers the cost of this place and educational fees. They sacrifice a huge amount just to keep me at school, even though I won a scholarship that pays three-quarters of the fees. The least I can do is work as hard as I can to provide for the future. One day I will be as rich and as powerful as your mother. Because, as the sign says, I’ll create my future. No one else will.’