BLUE BLOOD

16 | that was a lie

x

"This is the only footage we have of her," the man handed me a USB drive. "We caught it from the security cameras in the halls."

I watched as a video of my sister dressed in a party dress played. Ella wobbled on her heels with a fresh face of makeup, stepping out of the room. I didn't move as I watched her fumble in her bag and grab a small bag.

I peered closer and watched as she clumsily shook out the contents of the baggie into her hand and then threw them in her mouth.

Stunned, I sat there, re-watching the video again and again.

The man finally spoke. "She took unknown pills that night. Her autopsy report... it just disappeared."

x

Before any of us could say anything, an unsettling notification ping buzzed from the only phone in this room.

"Ranking exams are held the day after tomorrow," Helen informed as she stared down at the screen with tight lips.

Ranking exams? My confusion didn't last long because it didn't take a genius to figure out what they were.

Shannon lifted her head at Helen's declaration, cursing. "Why did they have to choose that day out of all the fucking days of this month?"

"No point whining about it," Gloria muttered, sulking sullenly on the sofa.

"Well," Cole got up to his feet, eyes running over me. The urge to cover up prickled at my skin. "We get to see where the Du Sang ranks, don't we? I really do want to see if her last name means shit."

He may be the only blue blood who didn't underestimate me.

"Leave her alone, Cole," Shannon snapped, tossing me my sweater a second later. I thanked her and remembered how she might be the only person I actually liked in this room.

Cole only smiled. "Oh, I haven't started bothering her yet."

A dark expression flitted through Shannon's expression and I remembered how she was the only one who seemed to have any control over someone like him.

Cole Asto was unreadable. I couldn't read him, no matter how much I tried. There was no crack in his cool, collected façade because Cole had his guard up. He was a genius and he might be the only person who seemed to see through Avery and I.

As if reading my thoughts, Avery shifted closer to me. Cole made him uneasy and that was enough to scare me. Everyone else seemed to be oblivious to the underlying tension and threat.

Erik was avoiding my gaze as he said, "We should all sleep. The private jet can only leave next morning but we'll make it in time."

"Fuck no," Shannon groaned, grabbing her blonde hair out of her face. "You cannot be serious. Right after I got back from Europe?"

"Well you don't see me complaining when I just got back from a conference, not tanning on the beaches in Madrid," Erik snapped, somber, as he stormed out of the room.

"At least I didn't recklessly gamble a thousands away because my ex fell in love with the one person who beats me at everything!" Shannon sneered towards his direction. I winced at her words.

Mason coughed, leaving the room. "Tomorrow at seven, the jet leaves."

Quietly, everyone started to gather out of the room and I remembered just how little anyone liked anyone.