All I can do is show him that he can’t get through me.
“I told you I’m not meeting you. It’s not my fault you assumed otherwise.”
He raises one perfect, thick eyebrow. “Is that why you painted my car?”
“That was for humiliating me in front of the entire school.”
“That’s nothing compared to what I can do to you. Be a good little princess and I’ll let everything blow over.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Believe me, you don’t want to go there.” Something menacing and sadistic shines in his gaze. It’s like he wants me to defy him so he can take sick pleasure in crushing me.
That’s his type, isn’t it? They’re so rich and entitled and bored. So they make it their job to step on anyone in their path to fend off their boredom.
If he steps on me just because he’s bored, I’ll make his life a living hell.
He releases my chin, and I hate how the place his fingers touched feel empty and tingling at the same time.
“I heard you’re not dropping the accident with the police.” His tone turns dispassionate.
“You know about that?”
Aside from Dan and the odd student here and there, I didn’t think my non-fatal accident meant much to RES, especially not to the point that Levi would know about it.
My invisibility game must be getting too weak.
“Drop it,” he says in that infuriating authoritative tone.
“Huh?”
“Stop going to the police station, stop digging your nose around. Drop. It.”
“Are you out of your mind? You want me to let a criminal who left me to die off the hook?”
“You look fine to me.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” A potent fire shoots through my veins. “While you were having fun in your stupid summer camps, I spent my days in physical and mental therapy. Bet none of you thought I’ll come back, but I’m here now and I’ll make anyone who made me suffer pay. So don’t you dare stand there and have the audacity to tell me to drop it. That will never happen, King.”
I pant after my outburst. My ears and face are on fire and my entire body is stiff, but I don’t back down from his demonic stare.
It actually feels super good to give him a piece of my mind. Screw him if he thinks he can make me give up on my justice.
Something undecipherable flashes on his face as he steps back with his head tilted in that assessing, unnerving way.
“I’ll play the game. Think carefully because this is the only time I give up the first move. What will make you give up?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing, huh?”
“Absolutely nothing.”
“Tell me, princess, is your sense of justice more important than everything else?”
I lift my chin. “Of course.”
The unnerving silence returns as he measures me from the top of my head to my shoes. It’s not in a sexual way, though. He’s like some hitman assessing which way will kill me faster and with less hassle.
When he meets my eyes again, they’re darker than a few seconds ago.
Black.
Lethal.
“We’ll see about that.”
Dread tightens my stomach. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means…” He taps my nose twice with an easy smile that would’ve made him appear welcoming if I didn’t already know that a devil lurks inside him.
“Break or I’ll do it for you, princess.”
9
Levi
You were caught in a crossfire where I could only win.
* * *
“Do you know what happened?”
I stop at the foot of the stairs and smooth my RES’s jacket. And by smooth, I mean, unbuttoning the shit out of it and making myself look like the school’s charity case.
The sound of Uncle’s voice puts me in a sullen mood. Shouldn’t he be already out to ruin some lives?
“Tell me, Aiden.”
“Yeah, tell him, Cousin.” I breeze into the kitchen and straight to the refrigerator, not sparing either of them a glance.
“Morning to you as well, punk.” Uncle shoots the words like rapid fire.
I grab a bottle of milk and don’t bother with a glass as I gulp half of it down. The cold liquid soothes my throat after drinking last night.
We have a dining room down the hall, but we don’t bother using it for meals. It’s only a place for Uncle’s gatherings where he can show off his wealth.
Once I swallow, I wipe the side of my mouth and lean against the marble counter, facing Jonathan and Aiden. They sit side by side at the kitchen bar.
Looks-wise, Aiden is a carbon copy of his father. He shares his jet black hair and the emotionless dark grey eyes — the King’s signature. Mine came out light and wrong because of Mum’s genes.
A chessboard sits between them made of crystal glass and black stones. Only a few moves were made. They’re probably picking up an old game. Jonathan and Aiden take weeks to finish a chess game.
Normal families speak about their day. Ours is all about fucking each other over in a chessboard war.
“So what are we talking about this morning?” I tilt my head. “Aside from the usual banter of screwing my life, I mean.”
Jonathan pushes the plate of scones away as if my mere presence spoilt his food. “You’re screwing your own life. If you choose to be nothing, you’ll be nothing, Levi. How about you be something different for a change?”
“Do say what something means in your definition, Jonathan. Spoiler alert. If that includes following your steps, then I’ll pass.”
“You’ll lose the attitude in front of me.” His eyes darken and so does his voice. “I raised you when your mother threw you at your father’s feet. I continued to raise you when your father couldn’t.”
My grip tightens around the bottle of milk until it almost cracks. Still, I keep the carefree tone. “If by raising me, you mean, you spent money on me, then no thanks to you. My father was a King, too.”
“A useless one at that.” Jonathan deadpans as if he’s talking about a pet he disliked instead of his flesh and blood. “This family doesn’t need worthless members. If you use the King’s name, then give back what you use.”
“Such as?” I tilt my head.
He mirrors the gesture. “Study at Oxford.”
“Pass,” I say as nonchalantly as I can and take another swig of milk.
Aiden shakes his head, shooting me a disapproving glance, then he goes back to cutting and eating his bacon as if he’s all alone in the kitchen.
Screw him and his father.
Jonathan stands and buttons his pressed, dark blue jacket. “Our deal still stands, Levi. If you screw up one more time, your trust fund will be suspended until you’re twenty-five — as per your father’s will.”
“A will you forced him to write.”
“You’re lucky I had him leave you something in his state. Do you think he cared about you or your future?” He pauses for a beat.
Another intimidation method that he taught us. Silence always gets you what you want, he used to say. People are always compelled to fill the silence and it can be used to your advantage.