Ruthless Empire (Royal Elite #6)(71)

“Why?” He tilts his head to the side. God, I hate how good he looks fresh out of a shower, his wet chestnut strands falling over his forehead and his lips a bit redder. “You have a secret with King?”

I lift my chin. “Maybe I do.”

Aiden grabs me by the shoulders and pushes me into Cole’s embrace. “Here, your mess. You’re welcome.”

He gets into his car before staring the engine. I try to go after him, but a strong hand at my waist pins me in place.

Cole stands behind me, his front glued to my back and his hand wrapped around my middle. He whispers in low, frightening words against my ear, “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

I gulp, but my mouth is dry, so it doesn’t soothe the thing lodged in my throat. “We’re at school. Let me go.”

“Not until you tell me what the fuck is going on with you? First, you pretend you’re asleep. Then, you don’t have breakfast with us. And now, you’re running after Aiden?”

He picked up on all of that.

Of course he did. Cole is perceptive to a fault. That’s why I need to get the hell out of this before he figures out the rest.

I have no idea how he’ll react, but I know whatever it is, I won’t like it.

So I need to take things into my own hands.

I force my voice into its most neutral tone. “I decided to announce my engagement with Aiden for publicity. Uncle Jonathan thinks it’s a great idea.”

He does. It’s always been one of the things he’s insisted on since the engagement started.

I wait for Cole’s reaction, brace myself for his wrath, but his calm response takes me by complete surprise. “Why?”

“What do you mean, why?”

He’s still speaking against my ear and every word out of his mouth injects a shiver straight up my spine. “You’re not doing it for the publicity alone, so why don’t you cut the bollocks and tell me the real reason behind it.”

“You.” I whirl around to face him. “It’s so I can get rid of you.”

Hot scorching emotions whirl inside me and I feel like crying, like screaming.

Cole laughs. The sound is strong and hollow, making me stiffen.

“You’re so cute to think you can get rid of me.” He grips me harshly by the chin. “You should know already that the harder you push, the meaner I turn. The louder you say you hate me, the more ruthless I become about owning that hate. It doesn’t matter which game you play. You can even invent a new game, but I’ll learn it and still bring you to your knees in front of me. So tell me, Silver, do you honestly think you can ever win against me?”

No.

The answer is loud and clear in my head, but I also know I have to win this one.

I have to push Cole away.

“This time, I will.” I jut my chin in his hold. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to catch up to my fiancé.”

His grip tightens until I wince, but I don’t push away or cut off eye contact.

For a second, we’re suspended in time, almost as if we’re the only people on the face of the earth. My skin prickles and goosebumps erupt on my arms. Something tells me it’s not because of the cold.

The moment ends abruptly when Cole releases me.

Wait. He’s letting me go?

“If you follow Aiden and play this game, you won’t like how I’ll react.”

Despite my tries not to be affected, tremors erupt on my skin at his softly-spoken words.

I know, without doubt, he’ll make good on his promise, and while my shoulder blades are pulling together with ominous feelings, I won’t give in.

I turn around and go to my car.





It doesn’t take me long to arrive at Aiden’s house.

It’s raining heavily by the time I park beside his Ferrari right after he comes out of it. I don’t bother with an umbrella as I block his way to the entrance.

The King mansion has always felt a bit gothic. It could be because of the sad angel statues pouring water in the fountain. They gave me weird sensations when I was a child.

Ronan, Xander, and Cole pass us on their way inside.

The latter doesn’t even spare me a glance. He already issued his threat. Now he’ll wait to see how I act before he reacts.

He’s so calculating, it drives me freaking insane.

Aiden tries to push me towards him again, but Cole tells him to clean up his own mess, then follows Ronan and Xander into the house.

“In case you didn’t realise, this is called stalking.” Aiden places a hand in his wet trousers’ pocket.

“As if you’d know anything about stalking.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

I curse myself for letting that slip in front of Aiden. Here’s to hoping he says nothing to Cole, because I really have no state of mind to deal with all of this nonsense right now.

Folding my arms over my chest, I pin him with a stare. “I wasn’t done talking in the car park.”

“Well, I was.” He turns to leave.

“I’ll tell Elsa the baby is yours.”

Aiden stops and whirls around, his left eye twitching.

I’ve got him.

That’s the only reaction Aiden hasn’t been able to school over the years. It means he’s pissed off and will be out to destroy lives.