They say it doesn’t take long for your life to be flipped upside

down.

A moment.

A second.

And it’s all over.

I should’ve known. If I had, I would’ve done things differently.

Maybe I would’ve walked the other way.

Maybe my tale wouldn’t have ended the way it did.

But the thing about ‘maybes’? They’re useless.

I wave at my aunt as I stand on the old, Victorian-era pavement. She

waves back from the window of her silver Audi with a blinding smile.

Aunt Blair’s red hair never lost its fiery, natural colour, hanging in

perfect waves to her shoulders. She has high cheekbones and a tall, slender,

model-like figure that makes my awkward, sixteen-year-old body look like

a potato in comparison.

I strive to be her when I grow up. Not only in the looks department —

although I’ll never pull off the red hair, but also the hard work and the

personality. She’s a partner with her husband in their overflowing business.

Their small company, Quinn Engineering, grows tenfold larger each day,

and I couldn’t be more proud of them.“Show them what you got, Elsie!” She honks.

“Aunt.” My face flames as I search sideways, spying for anyone who

might have heard. “Elsa. Just Elsa at school.”

“But I like my Elsie.” She pouts in an anime-cute way. Her phone rings

in a standard, professional melody. Her eyebrows furrow as she checks the

call before silencing it. “You’ll be okay, hon?”

I nod. “You didn’t have to drive me.”

“I wouldn’t miss my Elsie’s first day in this huge effing place for the

world.” She motions around. “Freaking Royal Elite School! Can you

believe it?”

“I wouldn’t have been here without you and Uncle.”

“Aw stop it. We might have pulled a few strings, but if you didn’t have

the grades, you wouldn’t be here.”

And money. She forgets to mention that it costs a fortune and several

organs sold on the black market to get me here amongst the elite.

Still, the weight that’s been perching on my chest loosens a little at her

contagious enthusiasm. “Teamwork.”

“Teamwork!” She opens her car door and whooshes outside to clasp me

in a mama bear hug.

I try to ignore the level of weird my future schoolmates must think of

me and wrap my arms around Aunt. The smell of cocoa lotion and Nina

Ricci’s perfume envelops me in a safe cocoon.

When she pulls back, her cobalt blue eyes shine with unshed tears.

“Aunt…?”

“I’m just so proud of you, hon. Look at you all grown up and so much

like…” She trails off and wipes under her eye with the side of her

forefinger.

She doesn’t have to say it for me to catch the meaning.

I look so much like my mum. While Aunt took after my ginger-haired

grandfather, Mum took after my blonde grandmother.Or that’s what I’m told.

The ache that never died resurfaces like a demon from the dark, murky

water.

Time heals everything is a big fat lie.

Eight years later, I still feel the loss to my bones.

It still aches.

It still hurts.

It still brings frightening nightmares.

“Gah, I’m being so sappy on my baby’s first day at school.” Aunt Blair

gives me another quick hug. “Don't forget your meds and no junk food. Go

get them, hon.”

I wait until she gets into her car and shouts something at a slacking

driver in front of her. Aunt has no filter when it comes to her precious time.

That’s why I feel guilty when she insisted on driving me.

Once her car speeds into the distance, I resist the urge to call and tell her

to come back.

Now, I’m truly on my own.

No matter how old I am, the feeling of being stranded isn’t something

anyone forgets.

I stare at the massive building in front of me.

The old architecture springs an eerie, imposing feeling. Ten tall towers

adorn the perimeters of the school’s main building. Three-storey high, the

school sits on a large piece of land surrounded by an enormous garden

that’s better suited for a palace instead of an educational establishment.

Royal Elite School is basically its name.

Located in the outskirts of London, the school was founded by King

Henry IV at the beginning of the 14th century to provide education for

scholars that later served in his court. After that, every king used it toThe school was later owned by aristocratic families and influential

figures. They have the harshest and most closed-off entrance rates in the

country. To this day, Royal Elite School — or RES — accepts only one per

cent of the intelligent and filthy rich elite. Kids here inherit high IQ’s

alongside their parents' massive bank accounts.

Most prime ministers, parliament members, and business tycoons

graduated from this school.

The high-privileged education can give me a sure push into Cambridge.

Aunt Blair and Uncle Jaxon studied there, and they’re my role models in

everything.

My dream is theirs. Teamwork.

This is my chance to escape all the rumours in my old school and start

anew.

A fresh page.

A new chapter.

A blank book.

I stare down at my uniform that my aunt pressed to perfection and the

adorable black ballerina flats — a present from Uncle Jaxon. The blue skirt

is tight at my waist and flares down to a little above my knees where my

thigh-high stockings accentuate my tall legs.

My white button-down shirt is tucked into the skirt’s high-waist. A dark

blue ribbon snakes around my neck like a dainty tie. I also wear the

obligatory school jacket on which the school’s golden symbol is engraved; a

shield, a lion, and a crown.

My white-ish blonde hair falls in a fluffy ponytail down my back. I went

out of my way by applying a bit of makeup. The mascara enhances my

eyelashes and brings out my baby blue eyes. I even put on Aunt’s Nina

Ricci perfume.

Today is the day that determines my life for the next three years. Hell,

it’ll determine my life afterwards if – when – I get into Cambridge, so I needed to do everything right.

As I stride through the school’s huge, stony arch, I try to mimic the

other students’ confidence. It’s hard when I already feel like an outsider.

Students here wear their pristine uniforms as if they’re made from gold￾soaked cloth. The aura of high, mighty, and a bit snobby drifts from every

chatter and measured step.

Ninety per cent of Royal Elite School attended Royal Elite Junior prior

to this. They chat amongst each other like old friends reuniting after the

summer while I stand out as a loner.

Again.

An itch starts under my skin and spreads along my hands. My breathing

deepens and my steps turn forceful as memories filter back in.

Poor thing.

Did you hear what happened to her parents?

Heard she’s a charity case by her aunt and uncle.

I shake those voices away and forge through. This time, I’m determined

to blend in. No one here knows about my past, and unless they specifically

search me, they wouldn’t.

Elsa Quinn is a new person.

By the entrance, I spot a student who’s avoiding the crowd by sneaking

her way along the side pathway leading to the huge double doors. I notice

her because I was also contemplating the same path.

While I’d love to fit in, crowds cause that familiar itch to rise under my

skin.

The loner’s skirt is bigger. She’s on the thick side and has the roundest,

cutest features I’ve seen on a girl my age. With her huge rounded eyes,

plump lips and braided long brown hair, she almost looks like a child.

And she’s the first presence in this school that doesn’t give me the

‘untouchable’ vibe.

I catch up to her and match her fast-walking pace. “Morning.”Her head snaps my way, but she soon stares at her feet and tightens her

grip on the strap of her messenger bag.

“I’m sorry.” I offer my most welcoming smile. “I didn’t mean to startle

you.”

Perhaps she’s one of the new kids here, too, and feels intimidated.

“You shouldn’t be talking to me,” she whispers under her breath. Even

her voice is cute.

“Why not?”

She stares at me for the first time with eyes so green, they nearly sparkle

like a tropical sea. “Wow. You have beautiful eyes.”

“T-thanks.” Her lips curve into a tentative smile as if she shouldn’t be

doing the smiling thing. She kicks imaginary rocks as she speaks. “You’re

too pretty, you shouldn’t be talking to the school’s outcast.”

“Outcast?” I echo, incredulous. “There’s no such thing as an outcast. If I

want to talk to you, I will.”

She troubles her bottom lip and I swear, I’m itching to pinch her

adorable cheeks.

“Are you new here, too?” I ask, instead of acting like a creep on the first

meeting.

She shakes her head. “I studied in REJ.”

“REJ?”

“Royal Elite Junior.”

“Oh.”

Considering how she wasn’t in a horde of people, I assumed she’s new.

Perhaps her friends haven’t arrived yet.

“Do you want me to show you around?” she asks in a tentative, small

voice.

Aunt, Uncle, and I came for a tour during the summer, but I won’t

refuse a chance to bond with my first potential friend.

“Sure.” I interlink my arm with hers. “What’s your name?”

cultivate his best subjects.“Kimberly. You?”

“Elsa — and in my defence, I was born way before the Disney film

came out.”

She chirps a little laughter. “Your parents must have psychic powers.”

“Aunt said Mum named me after a Swedish nurse who did lots of

saving in both World Wars and was nicknamed the ‘Angel of Siberia’. You

know, Siberia, Elsa, and then Frozen, the ice princess? So maybe Mum did

have psychic powers. Pretty lame. I know.”

“No. It’s so cool.” Her shyness slowly withers away as we walk

together. Now that I have her, I don’t feel as alone or dejected.

My grin widens as Kimberly shows me around elegant, huge classes.

The locker rooms. The pool — that I avoided. The principal’s office that

she jokes we shall never visit in a Shakespearian-like tone.

My three years in RES will be marvellous. I can almost feel it.

Once we reach the enormous, bright green football pitch, another type

of giddiness takes me over. Not only because I’m such a nerd fan of

Premier League and a die-hard Arsenal fan like Uncle, but also because of

the long track surrounding the pitch.

This school definitely has better equipment than my last and I can

continue running as usual. Hopefully, my heart condition won’t start acting

up again.

A crowd of RES’s students gathers near the wiring that surrounds the

pitch. Eager murmurs and excited gleams float in the air and it tastes like

Christmas or a kid’s first visit to the amusement park. Everyone seems to be

naturally drawn to this place and they keep multiplying by the second.

“Elites.”

“They’re here.”

“I say it’s a championship year.”

“For sure.”“Have you seen how that little shit became even more illegal? I’d so do

him.”

“Shut it. He doesn’t know you exist.”

While everyone chatters happily, Kimberly stands at the far end of the

wiring, near the wall to the exit. Her easy, albeit timid smile withers away

and her fair skin whitens some more.

I join her and follow her gaze.

On the pitch, the football team players pass the ball amongst each other

with their heads or shoulders. They weren’t playing or even in the team’s

jerseys. The school’s uniform for the girls is pretty, but it’s dead gorgeous

for the boys, especially if they have fit bodies like these athletes.

They wear pressed dark blue trousers, white shirts and fitted jackets like

ours. The only difference is that the boys have red ties with the school’s

symbol.

The crowd’s attention strays to the four boys standing off to the side,

half-playing with the team and half-chatting amongst each other.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out they’re in a league of their own.

Kimberly’s gaze remains on the tallest boy who’s throwing a ball in the

air and laughing like a young film star in the making. He has a classical,

golden boy handsomeness. Slicked blond hair, sharp jawline, tanned skin,

and a blinding smile, even from this distance.

However, the expression on Kimberly’s face isn’t of admiration or

excitement like everyone present. If anything, it’s of… dread?

“Who are they?” I ask, curiosity getting the better of me.

“They’re the elite of the elite.” Her voice trembles, genuinely, it

trembles. “If you want to have a peaceful life in RES, you have to be on

their good side.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Kids can’t own a school. “Who’s the golden boy?”

“Xander Knight and he’s trouble,” she blurts fast as if her butt is on fire.

“I like you, Elsa, and I mean it when I say, stay away.”His put together type doesn’t interest me, anyway. I throw another look

at him for a double-take.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand like needles when I meet the

smokiest, most chilling eyes I’ve ever seen.

I hadn’t noticed him earlier because he was half hidden by Xander and

his ball. He’s almost the same height as Xander, but with more developed

shoulders. His uniform is missing the tie and he looks ruggedly handsome.

Inky black hair runs long and slick in the middle, but it’s buzzed on the

sides. His nose holds an aristocratic vibe although it appears a bit crooked

like it was hurt before. That little imperfection adds more mystery and

intrigue to him.

Something in my chest moves. I don’t know what it is, but it just moves.

It’s like a prisoner has been lurking in the corners of my chest and now

decided it wanted to be set free.

Even if I want to break eye contact, I can’t.

He stares at me with a slightly tilted head and a silent, manic interest as

if he’s meeting an old friend.

Or foe.

“Shit! Shit!” Kimberly grabs me by the jacket and pulls me in the

direction of the exit.

“What…?” I’m incredulous, and a bit hazy from breaking eye contact

with that boy.

“Just walk, Elsa,” she hisses as her quick footsteps pad along the

pavement.

“Why are you taking me away?”

“King,” she mumbles under her breath. “Aiden freaking King.”

“And… who’s that?”

“He’s as much of a King as his last name. Heir of King Enterprises and

of this damn school. His and the others’ parents own this place and you

don’t want shit with them.”“Okay.”

I don’t want shit with him either. He’s too attractive for that. Though I

can’t place whatever got into me when I locked gazes with him.

Boys don’t interest me. I’m too nerdy for that and my studies always

came above any boy drama.

That won’t change now.

Especially since my Cambridge dream is within reach.

Then why am I itching for another glimpse at those metallic eyes?

“Oh. Damn!” Kimberly curses again. “They’re coming this way.”

I glance over my shoulder and sure enough, Aiden and Xander stride

towards us and the rest of the football team follow like a gang in a mafia

film. All laughter disappears and even the bystander’s chatter halts abruptly

and a tomb-like silence conquers the air.

The crowd parts for them like the red sea did for Moses.

“Run!” Kimberly whisper-yells, her nails digging into my wrist until

I’m sure she’ll draw blood.

“Why would I run?”

Due to my struggles with Kimberly, they reach us in no time and block

our epic failure run to the exit.

Up close, Aiden’s eyelashes are thick and as inky as his hair. A small,

beauty mole sits at the edge of his deep, smoky eyes.

He stares down at me with a cold, foggy edge that matches the colour of

his eyes.

Call it instinct, but something tells me I should be scared of him.

Like that prisoned thing from earlier, something claws at the corners of

my chest, screaming at me to run and never look back.

That’s ridiculous. I don’t know Aiden, why should I run?

“Isn’t it Berly?” Xander asks Kimberly in a detached tone before his

lips curve into a cruel smirk. “You look even nerdier this year.”Everyone around us bursts into laughter, throwing fat-shaming remarks

her way. My cheeks tint in red on Kim’s behalf, but it’s not due to

embarrassment.

My blood boils to smash Xander’s golden boy looks to the ground.

I open my mouth to say something, but I’m cut off when Kim lowers

her head, lips trembling, and sprints past Xander to the exit.

He follows her with a smirk tilting his lips.

I should’ve seen what’ll happen next coming.

I don’t.

A strong hand wraps around my throat and pushes me against the wall.

My back hits the brick and pain shoots down my spine and tightens the pit

of my stomach.

I always thought myself brave, but nothing, absolutely nothing could’ve

prepared me for this sudden, aggressive attack from a complete stranger.

The grey eyes I thought were beautiful seconds ago glare into my soul

with murderous intent. The dark shadow on his face terrifies me more than

his grip on my throat.

His other hand clutches my jaw, and my lips tremble at the thought that

he’ll snap my neck.

“W-What are you doing?”

He leans forward so his mouth hovers inches away from mine and

growls. “I will destroy you.”

Those words seal my fate.

Two years later,

Senior year. Last year before Cambridge.

Can I skip the entire thing and somehow still end up in

Cambridge?

According to the obligatory grades’ system, that’s impossible.

The Mini Cooper swerves in the school’s car park so hard, the tires

screech in protest.

I gasp. “Kim!”

She grins at me as if she didn’t almost run us into a pole. “What? Silver

almost got the spot and I’m not letting that bitch walk all over me

anymore.”

My lips pull in a smile. I’m so proud of how far Kim has come during

this summer. She went on a camping trip for self-spirituality and came back

as this confident, smiley girl.

If only I could let go of my inner chaos as successfully as her.

She stares at her face in the rearview mirror. “How do I look?”

Another thing about Kim’s trip? She lost more than twenty pounds and

returned with this model-like body. Even her face has thinned, giving her

cheekbones an alluring edge. Although I do miss her chubby cheeks. Themint-green coloured highlights make her appear like a fairy. She wore her

skirt short, too short. Like a gust of wind can show her underwear, short.

I release my seatbelt. “You were always pretty, Kim.”

“Only to you, Ellie.” She rolls her eyes. “And my dad, but you guys

don’t count.”

“Hey,” I scowl. “Rude.”

She sticks out her tongue. Determination sparking in her deep green

eyes. “Today, I’ll show all those suckers what I’m made of. I’ll walk with

my head held high like you.”

I can’t help the awkward smile breaking free. Kim thinks I’m that

courageous, but she doesn’t know the entire truth.

Silver bangs on Kim’s window, her nostrils flaring. “You fat bitch!”

Two of her minions follow after her like she’s their mama duck. They’re

all huffing and puffing, but I doubt it has anything to do with the weather.

Silver Queens is every bit the cliché of a mean girl. Blonde. Tall.

Slender. Her mother is a member of the parliament. Her father is a minister.

She also belongs to the school’s best students. Aka, the top ten per cent.

She has it all and makes sure everyone in Royal Elite School — or RES

— knows it.

Kim lowers her window, grins at Silver, and flips her middle finger.

“Fuck you, bitch.”

Silver and her minions’ jaws drop so hard, so fast, they turn speechless.

I’m speechless, too.

My best friend doesn’t curse and she certainly doesn’t flip people off —

or bullies, to be more specific.

Kim didn’t only change in appearance. Nuh-uh. The world needs

whatever self-confidence training she had.

“Let’s go, Elle.” Kim opens her door, pushing the dumbfounded mean girls back

I take my backpack and exit, too. I hold my head high as I stare down at

Silver.

“What are you looking at, Frozen?” Silver snarls.

Of course.

The beloved nickname at RES.

But it’s not because of the Disney film. No.

Since the first day I walked into RES, I’ve been instantly marked as an

outcast.

Kim and I were the butt-end of every fat and nerd joke. While Kim –

the old Kim – hid in the garden behind the school until everyone went to

class, I walked the hallway with my head held high.

Aunt and Uncle didn’t raise me to be stepped on. I kept to myself, but I

never let them touch my dignity.

Apparently, I have an epic resting bitch face. Thus the nickname.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” I keep my expression neutral as I meet Silver’s

malicious eyes. “You’re not important enough for me to stare at.”

I interlace my arm with Kim and walk into the school’s huge doors. The

ten towers appear eerie like they belong to a horror film, not a prestigious

old architecture.

But then again, that’s how I categorised RES since that first day.

My hands turn clammy and my body tightens as if I’m off to battle.

Kim smiles, but it’s forced and makes her nose twitch in anxiousness.

“We’ve got this,” I say more to myself than to her.

One more year in this hell.

One more year until Cambridge.

Kim’s head bobs up and down, causing her mint-coloured strands to

bounce.

“If we die,” I joke. “I want to go in full Shakesperian mode. Tragedy.”

She laughs, the sound is throaty. “For thy love of thee!”We break into a fit of laughter as we head down the vast, main hallway.

The school’s golden logo, Crest-Lion-Crown decorates the entrance hall

and the announcement board.

The moment we cross the entrance area and step into the hallways filled

with other students, the real nightmare starts.

“Hey, Frozen. Did you freeze any beaches this summer?”

“Where’s your fat friend?”

“Is she stuffing her pregnant belly with carbs?”

Kim’s grip tightens on my arm. I can’t believe they don’t even

recognise her.

Truth be told, I had to look at her twice after the summer camp to make

sure it was her.

“Are you still swallowing cocks, Teacher Sl*t?”

I bite my lower lip against the rolling wave of anger. That particular

rumour makes me want to hit someone.

Two years ago, after the entire class went out, I dropped my pen in

biology. When I dropped down on my knees to pick it up, my hair got

caught in the table — cliché, I know. Mr Silvester, the biology teacher,

helped me out by untangling my hair.

Apparently, one of the dickheads here saw that moment and spread the

rumour that I was giving our biology teacher a blowjob before he fucked

me in class. Right before the exam — that I had a perfect score on.

Since then, I’ve been labelled a teacher sl*t.

Whenever I get a perfect score, it means I slept with the teacher.

But of course, no one talks about how Levi King, the oldest of the two

kings, slept with a teacher. For real. They were caught in the act by the

principal himself.

Nope. He gets a pass. The teacher gets thrown out of the educational system and she had to flee the country, basically, and his guardian, the mighty Jonathan King, CEO of King

Enterprises, got an official apology from RES.

Levi King got out of it unscathed. In fact, he became more popular,

more loved, more admired.

Why? Because his last name is King.

And the Kings hold more power than the actual queen of this country.

Levi King was idolised for fucking the teacher.

I’m called a teacher sl*t for unfound rumours

Kim’s grip turns deadly even though she’s holding onto her courageous

mode.

I’m used to this rubbish and name-calling in the hallways. Kim isn’t. I

want to protect her from all these bastards.

Protect yourself first, Elsa.

Kim and I try to ignore them by talking about my running competition

this weekend or the start of the Premier League season.

We release a collected breath when we finally arrive at our class.

At least, the wankers keep their distance when the teachers are around.

But the thing about bullies? They work under the surface in front of adults.

RES is a prestigious, posh school, so the students need to keep up a

certain image.

The rich are scarier than any normal criminal.

They have all the money and influence to allow them to twist anything

around. They’re never labelled criminals. No. They’re labelled as elites.

Kim stops abruptly two steps into the classroom, and I run into her rigid

back.

Her breathing becomes audible.

My own breathing picks up pace, and the hairs on the back of my neck

stand on high alert.

Since that entrance day, there’s been this baffling level of awareness that

won’t leave me the hell alone.Every fibre of my being is honed for the inevitable confrontation.

For that crash and burn.

I suck in several deep breaths and begin the usual chant.

I’m loved. Aunt, Uncle, and Kim love me. I won’t break. Not today.

I need to remind myself of those facts to remain strong and not let him

get to me.

That’s what the devil’s reduced me to.

My gaze finally strays ahead, following Kim’s field of vision.

Xander Knight. Cole Nash. Ronan Astor. Aiden King.

The four horsemen of RES. They earned the title for their impressive

team play on the football team.

I call them the four arseholes.

And they’re all here in our class.

No wonder Kim froze. We’ve barely escaped their wrath without being

in the same class.

As in breathing the same air all year long. And not just any year, senior

year.

Maybe I need to speak to Aunt and Uncle about my plans for

Cambridge.

Cambridge, who?

The four are laughing and jesting. Xander is throwing the ball at Ronan,

and the latter catches it with an Oomph.

Cole, the new captain of the football team after Levi King graduated last

year, holds a book in his hand and laughs quietly at the other two.

My gaze strays to the main devil.

The hell ruler.

The black king.

You’d think the summer would somehow erase him from my

consciousness and nightmares.

It didn’t.Aiden is the only one sitting. His legs stretch in front of him, crossed at

the ankles. His fingers are interlaced across his stomach making him appear

every bit the King his last name suggests

A ruler on his throne.

A devil in his hell.

Over the summer, I thankfully hadn’t seen him, he’s bulked up — due to

the football camp, no doubt. His uniform’s jacket stretches over well￾defined shoulders. The dark blue trousers tighten around his muscular

thighs and even his legs have become taller. I’m sure the coach would be so

proud of his star player wanker.

His dark hair is between being tousled and slicked. Under the dim

classroom light, his dark grey eyes appear black. Everything about him is.

Black mind.

Black heart.

Black soul.

I should’ve listened to Kim that day when she said those little bastards

owned the school. Their parents are the biggest shareholders. Everyone in

RES, including some teachers, fall to their knees for them.

All of them are sons of ministers or lords.

All except for Aiden.

His father owns those ministers and the rest of the UK’s politicians.

Jonathan King leads the most successful conglomerate, not only in this

country, but also worldwide. If he sponsors a politician, they’re sure to win.

If he brings someone down, they’re sure to vanish and never return.

That’s the only reason I haven’t reported the bullying or mentioned it to

Aunt and Uncle.

Quinn Engineering is a small fish and their contract with a subsidiary of

King Enterprises is the reason they’re flourishing. Losing their company

would devastate them.If I stir up any trouble with Aiden, I have no idea what the devil will do.

After all, he’s the heir to his father’s kingdom.

Aunt and Uncle saved me ten years ago, and I’d rather die than hurt

them in any way.

Ronan notices us first. He’s the typical teenage boy with messy brown

hair and eyes. All he cares about is partying and shagging his way through

school. Kim and I are probably the only moving things with a skirt he

hasn’t fucked.

That’s probably why he licks his lips suggestively while he looks us up

and down. Then he stops abruptly and nudges Xander.

The latter pauses tossing the ball to Cole and freezes. Literally. His

easy-going smile falls, the dimples disappear, and his demeanour changes.

Kim’s new appearance shocked him.

In his bloody face.

Aiden’s eyes are on me. The murderous energy is in the air without me

having to look at him.

Xander stares at Kim with contempt. “What have you done, Berly?”

Kim’s hand starts shaking. He made her life a living hell like Aiden

made mine. The only difference is that her bullying has been going on since

the previous school. She doesn’t talk about it, but considering that she knew

these arseholes her entire life, I’m sure it’s been going on for even longer

than that.

“Ignore him,” I lean in so only she can hear me. “They get off on a

reaction. Don’t show it.”

“You think you’re all pretty now?” He strides forward with a barely

tucked-in menace.

Kim shrinks into me, biting her lower lip. Even with her courage resolution, I can’t really blame him.

Xander is an intimidating arsehole both because of his stupid football

build and his influence as a minister’s son.

Besides, he’s humiliating her in front of a class full of kids who always hated her.

“Once a nobody, always a nobody, Kimberly.” He snarls her name.

Her bottom lip trembles, which means she’s about to cry. The arsehole always makes her cry.

“Xander, p-please,” she whispers.

He slams his hand on the wall, and Kim flinches. “You don’t say my

fucking name.”

“That’s enough.” I level him with a hard glare.

“Stay out of it, Frozen.” He’s speaking to me, but his entire attention is

on Kim and her bowed head.

I’m about to pull her into a seat when Silver barges through the door,

carrying a coffee cup. Her minions follow after, flipping their hair and

making a show of their entrance.

Great.

Silver hits my shoulder and spills her cup of coffee on Kim’s front.

I gasp as Kim’s white shirt, jacket, and even the skirt soak in caramel

coffee.

Kim closes her eyes and a tear rolls down her cheek.

The rest of the class snickers.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Silver?” I’m about to lunge at

her, but Kim digs her nails into my arm, stopping me in my tracks.

“Oops.” Silver holds the empty cup. “Go change, Berly. While you’re at

it, lose the whorish skirt. It doesn’t suit your fat hips.”

Her minions chuckle and everyone in the class follows suit.

Everyone except for me and the four horsemen.

My gaze snaps to Aiden. He’s twirling the ball on a finger, but he’s not

watching the scene.

He’s watching me.Despite my resolution to not get stuck in his games, I meet his glare

with one of my own.

For a moment, it’s as if only the two of us are in the class.

He’s surrounded by his murderous demons while I seethe for what his

minions do.

Since that first time he announced he’d destroy me in front of the entire

school, I’ve become RES’s outcast.

He doesn’t even have to do anything. He just sits like a king on his

throne and watches what his loyal subjects do.

The bullying and the rumours that I slept with professors for my grades

never fazed me because I know who I am.

Who Aunt and Uncle raised me to be.

Every day is a battle in this war Aiden created.

Sometimes, I get weak and hide in the library or cry by myself in the

bathroom.

However, I never show weakness in front of him.

Not when I’m almost sure he gets off on it.

He’s usually sitting there, relaxed, watching intently as his minions turn

my life into hell.

Only there’s nothing relaxed about his expression. I swear if demons

can spill from someone’s eyes, they’d be crowding his space.

When he plays football or when he’s in class, Aiden is every bit the

golden boy.

Excellent grades.

Elites’ ace striker.

Contagious smile.

But with me?

Aiden King is one dark fucker.

He only gives me murderous glares as if my mere existence offends

him. As if I’m the reason for the world’s endless wars and famine.That arsehole ruined my fresh start in this school.

My dream.

My new page.

I hate him.

Kim releases me and runs out of the classroom. Xander starts after her

with wide strides.

I attempt to follow, but Silver blocks my way with a plastic smile. “She

doesn’t need a maid, Frozen.”

“Get out of my way,” I grind out. When she doesn’t move, I push her

and throw over my shoulder to no one in particular. “Oh, and if you have to

bring someone down to feel so good about yourselves, then I feel sorry for

you.”

I don’t wait for a reply as I run down the hallway.

It’s a trip to the back garden where Kim usually hides — or finds peace,

as she calls it.

After a minute of full-speed running, my heart’s palpitations skyrocket

into an irregular rhythm.

I stop at the corner of the third tower to catch my breath. My palm

clutches my heart as sweat breaks over my brows.

Breathe in. Blow out.

Inhale. Exhale.

In.

Out.

My nails dig into my chest over RES’s logo as I exit the building and

head to the back garden.

With every step I take into the cut grass, a weight crushes my chest. My

breathing becomes irregular, too.

A sliver of panic lodges deep within. My hands tingle and that familiar

urge to scrub them clean takes over my senses.I can’t think past the sensation that my hands are dirty. They need to be

scrubbed clean.

The pain in my chest is like tiny needles, tirelessly prickling my heart,

even when I walk as slow as possible.

My heart condition can’t relapse.

It simply can’t.

Being able to run again didn’t come easily after the surgery. There were

Nazi-style rehabilitations and a complete change in my lifestyle.

The nightmare can’t be back.

I need to run.

If I don’t purge my energy and stress into running, I’ll go crazy.

Kim and Xander’s silhouettes appear in the small cabin house on the

outskirts of the garden. She’s crying and yelling, but I’m not close enough

to hear what she’s saying.

That and my ears are buzzing so loud, I can barely hear my own

breathing.

This is bad.

I blink twice and breathe through my nose then my mouth.

Xander pushes into Kim, imprisoning her against the edge of the cabin.

Her back hits the wooden pole and her eyes widen.

It could be because I’m disoriented.

It could be that this is the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Or it simply could be that I’ve finally had enough.

I’m done with these arseholes ruining mine and Kim’s life.

I pull out my phone and record a video. Xander grips her by the hips

pulling her into him. Although I want to cut off his dick for putting his hand

on my best friend, I know that will bring nothing. The video, however, will.

I can see Xander Knight’s fall in sight. Either he leaves Kim alone or

I’ll blackmail him with sexual harassment. RES might be under his father’s

Command, but the press isn’t.

They’d be delighted to hear how sick and entitled a minister’s son

actually is.

I’m in the mood to ruin his future like he’s been actively ruining her

life.

Once I have enough footage of him manhandling her, I stop the video

and smile in triumph. Even my heart problem fades away.

I start towards the cabin to stop Xander.

A shadow blocks my way.

I cease to breathe when I stare up at my nightmare.