r

u kiddi

morphing into hot rage. Our living room suddenly f

he me. "Just listen to me for one second. Richard is a wonderful man. He's incredibly ki

I stepped back, shakin

e mogul who practically owns my academy? The father of the one person I

" she pleaded. "You've been so consumed by everything, so s

to blindside me

rrogant son for three hours every morning, and now you're telling me

u don't u

e cracking under the weight of the betrayal. "Yo

y checked her watch, her jaw tightening as panic washed over her fea

's something else

there possibly

st, bracing herself for the fallout. "They wanted to surprise

ning air in my lungs vani

just put on a s

sh the sentence, a sharp k

y hands as she reached for the brass handle. She swung the door open, her face

Welcome,"

ep, boisterou

th stepped over

apartment's rent. He was a tall, imposing man with graying hair at his temples,

s didn't s

ng casually into our nar

ark jacket over a casual shirt, his hands shoved deep into hi

surprised at

d locked straight onto me, the mocking smirk I de

y mother called out, her voi

gging my feet as I walked int

ook at me, his smil

d, his voice warm as he looked at m

, the words slipping out be

hand dismissively, oblivious to the venom drip

as she gestured toward the small kitchen space. "Plea

aight to our mod

picked up my fork, completely devoid of an appetite. But

ignore the smug look on Oliver's face. He didn't say a word, just

hing. He loved chaos. Especially watching me s

reaking the quiet. He looked thrilled

lready know each other from the academy. He said you were a remarkably

ork down. He tilted his head, his eyes glittering with lazy amusem

, glaring at him over the rim of my gla

hed, waving his hand dismissively again. "Oliver can be a handful,

sed an eyebrow at me, his smirk

an it? I asked myself, my s

ng bracket. There was no possible

ly at me and placed a loving

his voice booming across the small table. "This weekend. My house has more than enough ro

in my throat and I

n as my eyes watered, the sudden

r, patting my back. But my tear

grin widen into something wicked. We would not