Chapter 42 #3
Cherry nodded. “I was like everyone else for years. I thought the Selection was something to be scared of. That the Dionysus guys were running some sort of crazy sex trafficking ring at the estate,” she said.
“But Calista told me the truth. That the girls are actually chosen because they’re seen as marriage material for multi-millionaires.
Or billionaires. Or even future presidents!
So they spend all that time at the estate living in the lap of luxury while they learn how to be perfect wives. ”
“And that made you snap?”
“It just wasn’t fucking fair!” Cherry said, voice rising as she threw her hands up.
“I’ve worked my ass off for so many years, and on top of that, I come from a dirt-poor family.
Nothing has ever been handed to me. Ever!
But Calista just got everything. It all fell in her lap like fucking magic.
” She paused, eyes flaring with rage as her chest heaved.
“It was bad enough that she took every guy I wanted, every friend I had, and even managed to take the theater stuff from me. But on top of all that, she was also going to marry a billionaire and spend the rest of her life rubbing shoulders with royalty and presidents, and having every single luxury just handed to her on a silver platter!”
I inhaled sharply, mind still spinning as I took in her words.
Julian had been right about the killer’s motive after all. It was jealousy. Just not a jealous ex-boyfriend like we assumed.
Instead, it was a jealous friend who’d wanted everything Calista had and snapped when all that entitled anger and resentment that had been simmering under the surface for years finally exploded out of her.
“So what exactly happened that night?” I asked in a low voice. “How did you do it?”
Cherry averted her eyes. “I told her we had to play along with the others freaking out over the hunt, because obviously, we couldn’t tell them the truth about it.
So we ditched her phone and got the motel room, and then I convinced everyone to go to the Halloween party.
I knew Calista would want to stay behind, so she could see Roman when he finally tracked her to the motel,” she said.
“I texted her later saying I was coming back because I had a surprise for her. When I got there, I told her I’d seen Roman setting something up on the viewing platform of the clock tower back on campus.
Some sort of romantic thing. Like… a proposal.
She fell for it and followed me up there like a sheep. I knew she would.”
My nostrils flared as I tried to keep the tears at bay. “And then you stuck the EpiPen in her leg and shoved her through the window when she was weak and dizzy.”
“Yes,” she said in a hollow voice.
I nodded slowly. “Thank you,” I murmured. “For finally telling me the truth.”
Cherry suddenly lunged at me again. She grabbed my phone and hurled it to the ground before stomping on it, shattering the screen.
“Just in case you were secretly recording me,” she said, nostrils flaring. “Or if you were lying to me about that deal and planning to call the police right away.”
I shook my head. “I wasn’t recording your confession, and I promise, I wasn’t going to call the police,” I replied. “But… one of the others might call them. In fact, they’ve probably done it already.”
Cherry blinked. “Huh?”
I gave her a tight smile. “You know. Jeremiah, Ginny, Dylan. Any one of them.”
“But you said—”
“Yeah, it turns out you’re not the only one who’s good at lying,” I cut in.
“The others have been here the whole time. Jeremiah and Dylan are right behind the curtain. They’ve been filming everything.
And Ginny’s in the lighting booth. We thought putting the spotlight on you would be a nice dramatic touch.
One last performance for the so-called theater queen. ”
As I spoke, Jeremiah and Dylan appeared from behind the stage curtain. At the same time, Ginny stepped out of the lighting booth, clapping slowly and sarcastically.
Violet whirled around. “I… I…”
“Finally speechless, huh?” I said, lifting a brow. I raised my voice. “Julian, Roman, you can come out now too.”
The two Valcourt men stepped out from behind the other curtain, eyes blazing with fury as they stared at Cherry.
She gaped at them before turning back to me. “You… you said…”
“I know. I told you Julian was guarding the exits with his friends. But like I said before, you’re not the only one here who’s capable of lying.
” I smiled thinly. “The funny thing is, you actually could’ve tried to leave earlier.
There was no one at any of the exits. But you believed every word I said.
Just like I believed every word you said since I met you. Until a day ago, that is.”
“You fucking bitch,” she muttered.
“How could you, Cherry?” Jeremiah piped up, stepping closer, his voice breaking. “How could you?”
Roman stepped closer too, hands clenched into fists at his sides. “I loved Calista, and you knew that,” he said in a low, dangerous voice. “You took her from me. And then you spread all those lies about me to pin it on me.”
Cherry lifted a palm, backing away. “Don’t come any closer, Roman!” she shouted. “If you guys don’t let me leave right now, I’ll tell everyone the truth about the Dionysus Selection. I know what will happen to you then. Calista told me that part too!”
“You won’t tell anyone about that, Cherry,” I said calmly. “I know you won’t.”
She turned back to look at me, lips twisted in a sneer. “Why the hell wouldn’t I? It’s the only card I have left!” she snapped. She looked back at Roman. “Take me down, and you go down with me!”
I took a step closer to her, smiling thinly. “There’s something you don’t seem to have realized yet, Cherry.”
“What?” she spat out.
“You being able to spend the rest of your life in prison is a privilege. A massive privilege that I've granted you,” I said, voice dripping with icy contempt. “Everyone else wants you dead, and they want it to hurt like hell.”
I paused and reached out to pat her hair, making her flinch.
“Get this through your head, Cherry,” I went on.
“From this moment on, you'll be watched. Forever. All forms of communication will be heavily monitored, and you won’t have internet access. Every prisoner who ends up sharing a block with you before and after your trial will get ungodly amounts of money put in their commissaries in return for reporting on you. And if I ever change my mind and decide it’s too much of a hassle to keep you alive after all...
well, I'll let the Dionysus men know. And believe me, they'll have a lot of fun killing you.”
“And we won't let it happen fast,” Roman interjected, voice dripping with venom. “Especially not me.”
My humorless smile widened. “He'll want to make you feel every bit of pain he’s felt over losing Calista.
So he'll torture you slowly. Keep you alive long enough to feel everything. Then he'll wake you up and do it again,” I said. “Right now, I’m the only thing standing in between that and your safety. So remember that, Cherry. Your life is at my mercy from now on.”
She blinked rapidly, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
“So…” I cocked my head. “Do you still feel like telling anyone what you know about the Dionysus Club? Or are you going to do what I want and keep your mouth shut?”
She swallowed thickly. “I… I won’t say anything,” she said, voice trembling and barely above a whisper.
“That’s what I thought.” I looked over at Jeremiah. “You called the police, right?”