❝Fascinating, isn't it, how often heroic and foolish turn out to be one and the same.❞
~Heartless, Marissa Meyer
• • •
I wasn't going to stick to the plan. After finding out what Brynn knew about me, there was no way I could keep my mouth shut and watch my world burn down in flames around me. I had to take her down.
"Draven Hall," I drawled slowly, giving him a once-over.
"Veronica Woods," he said back, and a flood of relief washed over me at the sound of my mother's last name. So long as people didn't know I was my father's daughter, my reputation was safe.
"I need a favour," I said, cutting straight to the point. He eyed me carefully, a small smile playing on his lips.
"And why would I want to help you?" Ooh, dangerous, huh? Two can play at that game.
"Because it's regarding Brynn Mills," I said slyly, and watched as his whole demeanour changed.
"What do you want?" he asked quickly, his voice growing a little thicker. He was protective of her- I could tell. Why? I didn't know and didn't care. But I could use it to my advantage.
"Oh, in love already?" I teased, a smirk firmly planted on my face. He scowled. "Love is bullshit and everyone knows I don't have time for it. I'm not doing you any favours, Woods."
Draven was stubborn. If I pushed him anymore about Brynn, the favour would be lost. I had to change tactics.
"Prove it to me."
"Prove what?" he asked, puzzled. I flicked a strand of hair off of my face and gave him a sickly sweet smile.
"Prove to me that you really are as great of an actor as you claim to be. Show me that you can pretend to be in love with a girl and in turn make her fall for you, but all the while not truly fall for her in the process."
He gave me a dangerous smile. "I like the sound of that."
"You have two weeks. When I say love, I mean she has to say the words 'I love you' to you and you have to record it. Without proof, the deal is off."
"What do you have against Brynn Mills?" he asked slowly, not showing any signs of withdrawal from the bet. He was just curious, I could tell.
"She knows something about me. She's planning to spill my secrets. This, my friend, is a game called revenge."
"What are you, eight? 'Spill your secrets'. Queen Bee just doesn't want to lose her crown, isn't it?" he asked, looking like he was about to laugh.
I didn't let his words get to me. I matched his cool facade and smirked. "She knows something about me, just like how I know something about you. We're really quite similar, Draven Hall. We'll do anything to hide away our identities and fit into the crowd. Once someone finds out our biggest secret, we'll do anything in our power to stop them. If you do this for me, my lips will be sealed."
I placed a finger on my lips for dramatic effect. His stare was piercing; he was unsure whether to trust my authenticity. "How can you stop her if all you're doing is plotting revenge? That doesn't quite add up."
He hit the nail on the head.
"Once she finds out that you were merely playing with her feelings, I'll have a power advantage. I know Brynn. Once her self esteem shrivels up, she won't lay a finger on me."
"And what makes you so sure about that?" he asked cautiously.
"The fact that she's nothing like me speaks volumes about her character, Hall. And if I'm right about yours, you're not going to win this bet."
"I'm not doing this to prove anything to you, Woods. I've broken several hearts in this school because love isn't a game I like to play. Everyone knows this and if one little girl with a big secret doesn't believe me, how do I care?"
"So you wouldn't care if I told everyone that your parents-"
"Deal."
Looks like we were one and the same after all.
"When will she find out that it was a lie?" he asked, a hint of worry in his otherwise confident tone.
"Whenever I feel like it. That's not your business. You just have to get her to utter the three magic words without falling for her. If you do fall, that's your loss, not mine."
"What do you m-"
I pulled my phone out of my back pocket, pressed stop on the recorder and threw Draven a smug smile. "That's why."
I had the upper hand. I was in control. I was going to kill two birds with one stone.
Where did my loyalties lie? That was for him to find out.
. . .
A/N Sorry for giving you another short chapter! I had to write this without giving too much away. Can we have a show of hands for Veronica haters, please?
Comment where your loyalties lie. Do you think Draven's going to mount the path to cliche and fall for Brynn along the way? (ha, that rhymes)
What's Veronica's master plan? Let me know what you think!