Ruthless Empire (Royal Elite #6)(39)

Cole is right. It won’t be long before Aiden dumps me for her.

I hate it when Cole is right.

A new plan forms in my head. Elsa is jealous of me and she doesn’t even know about the engagement. Aiden wants her to be jealous because that would mean she cares about him, and his ego needs that confirmation more than anything.

I’ll make a deal with him; we stay engaged and I won’t mention a word about it to his precious ice princess.

In return, Cole will stay away.

Perfect.

“Hey, Sil.” Veronica and Summer join me as we go to class.

They’re both blondes — not naturally so — and their lives are all about the latest fashion and makeup trends and the best way to spend their daddies’ money.

Shallow doesn’t even begin to describe them, but they’re the camouflage I need for my image at school. Besides, it doesn’t matter if they get too close. They’ll never be able to read me.

“Hey, girls.” We air-kiss before they start talking about the latest stupid reality TV show that I don’t watch but pretend I do. It’s easy to do that. All I have to do is pick up on what they say and build on it.

Papa is the next prime minister, thank you very much. If I don’t have a way with words, who will?

“So, are we going to Ronan’s party, or what?” Veronica asks with a dramatic tone.

“Oh, I have, like, the perfect dress.” Summer jumps up and down like a giddy kid. “The one we bought from Chanel the other day. Remember that, Silver?”

I nod. “You’ll look so hot in it.”

“I know!”

“Hey, maybe we should all wear Chanel?” Veronica says. She has chubby cheeks, even after the plastic surgery she made her father pay for as her eighteenth birthday present over the summer.

She went to South Korea for it. No kidding.

“Sure…” I trail off when the clouds above us part, revealing a hint of the sun. That’s when I notice it.

A shadow.

It’s a larger shadow — a shadow that’s too close. It’s like they’ve been copying my steps.

Veronica and Summer are talking about Chanel’s latest collection while my heart is about to jump out of my throat.

Still, I don’t turn around. I don’t alert the person that I’ve seen their shadow because nature decided to give me a warning.

“Let’s go to the restroom, girls,” I say.

“Oh, right. I have to check my makeup too,” Veronica agrees.

I make them walk at a slightly faster pace. It’s not fast enough to alert the shadow, but it’s fast enough to get away.

As we round the corner, I pretend to look for something in my bag and I catch a glimpse of him.

He stands at the entrance of the tower.

The shadow is Adam Herran. The captain of the rugby team. His father is one of Papa’s party friends.

And he was at the wedding.





16





Cole





Observation is the source of all evil.

If you fail at it, you’re screwed. If you’re the subject of it, you’re also screwed.

Only a few people take the time to observe their surroundings and be aware of their environments.

Most are headed forward, not caring about the opportunities or the chances they miss. If they would just throw a look sideways, if they’d stop to watch, their lives could dramatically change.

Observing my surroundings — especially people — is what has given me a gift very few have…recognising weaknesses.

If you observe someone long enough, you’ll pick up their habits and, soon, their telltale signs and their sensitive buttons. It’s all in there, laid out for the taking.

There’s an art in observing. You can’t be too obvious, or you’ll be labelled a stalker, a creep, and a whole lot of unflattering terms.

My books have always served as a camouflage for my observation sessions. That way, I can concentrate on the words while figuring out my surroundings. Observing doesn’t interrupt my flow — if anything, it enforces it. While observing, I take the necessary time to process the words I’ve learnt.

For instance, now, during practice. Xander has thrown the ball three times off the pitch. It’s not because he’s bad — out of all of us, he probably has the best aim. He missed on purpose because he gets to run there and have a better view of Kimberly, who’s started to show up for our practices.

He’s been hung up on her since we were six or something, but then one day, he decided he should hate her. I figured out his reason some time ago, and I still think it’s dumb.

If you want something, go for it. Society and expectations be damned.

Xander doesn’t share my philosophy, so instead of acting on his feelings, he keeps getting in her vicinity, begging for a look from her or some proof that she hasn’t forgotten about him. But when she does give him validation, he pretends she’s the rock in his shoe.

He’s pathetic.

Then there’s Aiden. His poker face has been cracking whenever a certain Frozen is in sight. She’s in the track team and they’re practising across from us. He hasn’t listened to a word the assistant manager has told us. Instead, he’s been watching her with that calculative streak.