90. Thea
“ The plan’s simple, Thea. Even you can’t fuck it up this time.” There was a pause. “He’s staying in the Trafalgar Suite at the Ritz. My intel informs me he’s having dinner with his father and some business associates at the Ritz Club, so you’ll have a window of opportunity to get into the room and plant the drugs.”
“So what, you think if Cassian gets arrested with a substantial quantity of drugs, the press will look deeper at the family?”
“Yes.”
“OK, I’ll do it.”
The conversation between Torrance and me had been carefully cut to remove all the stuff related to my father and his plans, but it didn’t matter. What remained was enough to damn me to hell for all eternity.
And from the expression on Cassian’s face, it was obvious he thought I’d deliberately betrayed him. Landon too. He snatched his hand away from mine, anger and betrayal in his eyes while Eden gasped in shock.
Kyril seemed more conflicted than mad, like he wasn’t sure whether to believe the audio.
“This is fake, right?” he demanded.
I shook my head. “There’s a lot missing, but the gist of the conversation is there. Only I didn’t plant the drugs, which is why this video has been released.”
Dar laughed scornfully. “Good to know the world can finally see what a whore you really are, cagna . You deserve each other.” His parting shot hung in the air as he left the room, happy now he’d blown up my life.
Nobody said a word. They all just looked at me like I was the anti-Christ. Even Eden had nothing to say, which told me all I needed to know.
It was pointless defending myself. Nothing I could say would make a blind bit of difference. As far as these guys were concerned, I was a lying, manipulative bitch.
They were right. I’d lied from the start.
About my name.
Why I was here… everything .
Despite this, I had offered them the truth in my actions. By letting them break down my walls and showing them the vulnerable parts of me.
Not that it mattered.
When they looked back, they would view everything I’d said and done through a lens of betrayal, tainted by the belief I’d played them like the cold-hearted honey trap they assumed I was.
“I have to go,” I said, working hard to keep the emotion from my voice. I turned to leave just as a large BOOM rocked the building. For a few seconds, nobody moved, and then all hell broke loose.
Eden screamed in a panic and Landon spun around in shock.
“What the fuck just happened?”
“No idea, but we need to leave before the building collapses on our heads,” Cassian shouted as the screams from the banqueting hall grew louder. Kyril reached for me, but the time had come for me to get the fuck out of here. I evaded his grasp and shot out of the room before he could stop me.
Everything crashed down around me. Literally. A Christmas tree toppled in slow motion as people tried to force their way out of the main exit. Girls screamed in panic while the few faculty staff on duty did their best to stem the tide of hysteria.
It wasn’t working.
I scanned my options, having lost the guys in the chaos. When we left this room earlier, the air had been thick with excitement and anticipation as everyone waited to see what the key players in the sex tape scandal would do.
Now, the leaked film wasn't on anyone's mind. They were all trying to escape the hall before the building collapsed.
I paused near the wall, listening, focusing on what I could see, hear, and smell. There had been no more loud bangs. No smoke in the air. The sprinklers hadn’t come on, which meant there wasn’t a fire. Not in this building, anyway.
Teachers yelled, trying to calm the panicking students. I forced myself to think, aware that if I hung around here for much longer, the guys would find me. They’d also spot me if I left via the main lobby.
My best option was to get out of here via the admin department. There was a door at the back of the building, which would take me to my tower. Before I could second-guess my plan, I spun around and jogged back down the corridor we’d exited from when everything went to shit.
Lights flickered as I passed the room where my life went to shit. There was no sign of the guys or Eden.
I felt bad about my friend, but I knew she’d be safe with the guys.
It was time to leave this place. Nobody would miss me, aside from Eden. The guys thought I’d set them up, which I hadn’t, but the audio clip had been pretty damning. I still had no clue how it ended up in Dario’s hands, but my guess was he’d been working for my father all along. Knowing Dad, he’d sent Dario here as his backup plan.
Cold air, thick with the tang of smoke and chemical fumes, irritated my nose when I stepped out of the rear door. The science labs behind the cafeteria were on fire, the flames reaching so high the nearby spruce pines were in serious danger of turning into giant torches.
Had someone left a Bunsen burner on? I had no idea what had caused the fire, and I hoped there were no casualties, but a small part of me was grateful for the distraction. Without it, there was no way Eden would have let me leave.
I could hear shouting in the distance, overshadowed by sirens and a noisy fire alarm. Students were being herded on to the athletics field, presumably for a roll call. Given how chaotic things were right now, and how drunk most people were, nobody would think to check my room.
It should give me enough time to change into a warmer outfit, collect my go-bag, and sneak off. I’d take Eden’s car; it was still parked in the student garage.
I jogged up the stone staircase to my tower room, cursing Eden for making me wear such stupid heels. There wasn’t a soul about. No music, no chattering, no nothing.
With every step I climbed, my heart ached a bit more. I felt grubby and emotional, which wasn’t like me at all. I was usually a pro at pushing every emotion down and locking them away.
Feelings were dangerous.
They affected my judgment and made me weak.
If I’d stuck to my task and left the pills in Cassian’s bathroom, I could have been out of here days ago. Then I wouldn’t have had to face the guys and see the shock and betrayal on their faces.
They must hate me right now. God knows I hated me.
But none of that mattered. I needed to get home and make sure Verity was safe.
My thighs chafed, reminding me Kyril stole my panties and hadn’t used a condom, again . Fucking Kyril. That was another disaster I needed to fix ASAP. The last thing I needed was a baby.
There was no way my father would believe it was a goddamn Christmas Miracle.
I jogged down the short corridor to my room. One swipe of my keycard and the door opened. Before I could react, a hand grabbed me and threw me onto my bed. I reached under my pillow for the gun I kept there, but it was missing.
“Tut tut, principessa , you have lost your edge since being in this stuck-up school.” Torrance chuckled. “I warned him that would happen, but he didn’t listen.”
This was bad. Really bad.
“Why are you here?” I forced every ounce of revulsion and anxiety down, fixing my face back into its usual blank slate. “I was going to catch a flight tomorrow.”
“Really? Your card has been canceled, so how did you plan to pay for it? By fucking some guy and stealing his wallet?” He hummed, pretending to think for a moment. “I suppose that would make sense for a whore like you.”
Torrance loomed over me, grinning.
“The time for games is over, principessa . Your father wants you home.”
“I need to get changed,” I told him, uncomfortably aware of my no-underwear situation.
His eyes raked over my fitted red dress. “No need to change on my account,” he smirked. “And I’m sure your new husband will love the slutty look.”
The world stopped turning as the blood in my veins turned to ice.
“Husband?”
Torrance smirked. “Oh, didn’t daddy tell you? He’s agreed to a bride contract with Konstantin Marku. He’s taking you and Verity together.”
Oh god. “Verity? But she’s just a child!”
Torrance shrugged. “Marku doesn’t give a fuck. He wants an heir. It makes no difference to him which one of you pops a baby out.” He looked at me with disappointment. “If only you’d followed your father’s orders and kept your legs shut. He had high hopes for you, principessa , but now you’ll have to put up and shut up.”
I’d have to put up and shut up? Not a chance. That wasn’t who I was.
I sank back onto the bed, my mind whirring as I tried to think of a way out of this mess.
“Where’s Verity?” I asked, playing for time, but Torrance had had enough.
“She’s fine. Now move!”
“Did you start the fire?”
“No more questions, Thea.” He lunged for me, but I rolled to the left, scrambling toward to the bathroom. Unless he’d already found and removed it, there was a gun tucked inside the vanity unit.
Torrance grabbed my ankle. I kicked back, smiling to myself when I heard his pained grunt. The shoes I wore no longer felt like such a hindrance.
But I didn’t make it far. He was on me before I got a foot in the bathroom. I lashed out and my desk chair went flying, along with a lamp. Glass shattered. Torrance grunted again when my fist found a soft spot. He’d trained me well.
Just as I got one foot inside the bathroom, his arm snaked around my throat and I felt a sharp prick in my neck.
Panic flooded my system. He’d drugged me! If I was unconscious, he was free to take what he wanted from me, but before the full horror of what might happen caused me to vomit, the world went black.
The end… for now!
Sorry about the cliffy. Thea's fate will be revealed in Book 2 – Twisted Kings!