A Hurt So Sweet Volume Two (Elite of Eden Falls Prep 2)

His parents are sick. Nobody treats a child the way Lily Anna described the Foxes treating Julian. I hope he knows how wrong they were to do that to him. But I still hate him for everything he did to me. And I’m willing to spread this story to make him leave me alone.

Just then, Lai walks back into the room, making a face at Julian.

“It’s some fucking problem with Tianna,” he mutters, giving me a dirty look, as if it’s somehow my fault my little sister is getting in trouble – a-fucking-gain. “Two guys fighting over her. Can you please sort it out? I’ll keep her here until you’re

done.”

Julian nods, seemingly relieved to be getting away from me. He shoots me a pleading look before leaving the classroom, making me wonder whether I’m the only one who knows how his parents mistreated him. I make a mental note of it. Maybe I can use it to my advantage. Knowing people’s dirty little secrets is everything in Eden Falls.

Lai approaches me slowly, taking his time to torture me. But I’m armed with the knowledge inside Lily Anna’s diary, and I’m ready to strike back the moment he tries to hurt me.

“Do you ever wonder if you turned up so fucked up because of who your parents are?”

My voice is loud and booming in the room, and it stops Lai in his tracks. He gives me an inquisitive look, seemingly amused by my question.

“I mean,” I shrug. “Whoever they were, they must’ve been fucked up to leave you, don’t you think?”

“They didn’t have a choice,” he hisses. “Not that it concerns you, Pandora. What the fuck are you? A glorified toy for the Firstborns. I heard you’re not even engaged to Dexter anymore.”

I pale when I realize the news has got out, and Lai chuckles. Okay, one for him, zero for me. But I have more aces up my sleeve, and I’m ready to reveal them and ruin his life forever.

“You still don’t know, do you?” I ask softly, shaking my head in make-believe concern. “Oh, poor Lai. It seems everyone in Eden Falls knows who your father is but you. And your mother… Such a tortured soul, wasn’t she?”

His hands form fists at his sides and he glares at me.

“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” he snarls at me. “Shut your mouth before I fill it with something else.”

“Yeah?” I mock him. “So, I take it you don’t want to know who they are?”

He gives me a doubtful look. He doesn’t believe me yet, but he will. Oh, he will.

“You don’t know shit,” he says. “And pretending that you do won’t help you get out of the mess you’ve gotten yourself in, because now I’m fucking angry, and your ex-fiance is nowhere around to protect you. You know what that means, don’t you, Pandora?”

“You’re going to rape me like Caspian’s father did to his mother?” I purr.

This makes him take a step back, staring me down with revulsion.

“What?” I ask innocently. “It’s not exactly a secret, is it? That’s why he’s so fucked up, right?”

“Don’t talk about that,” he mutters. “Actually, stop fucking talking altogether, I don’t want to listen to you.”

“Amadea,” I say just as he advances on me, making him stop in his tracks as I smile wide at him. “Your mother’s name. You didn’t know that, did you, Lai?”

“Why should I believe you?” he narrows his eyes at me. “You’d lie about anything.”

“She wasn’t a whore like they told you,” I purr. “She was anything but, Lai.”

Desperation flashes in his eyes for a split second, and I know I’ve got him eating out of the palm of my hand. I approach him, the closeness I was so afraid of earlier making him flinch instead of me. I touch my fingers to his chest and look deep into his warm eyes.

“She was beautiful,” I tell him sweetly. “Do you know why they fed you those lies, Lai? That your father was a founding father of Eden Falls, that he knocked up a prostitute?”

He stares at me, refusing to give me an answer.

“They said that,” I purr. “Because your mommy and Daddy were related, Lai.”

“What?” he hisses. “Shut your whore mouth, Pandora.”

“Amadea?” I repeat innocently. “Doesn’t that sound familiar?”