Cruel King (Royal Elite 0)

I ignored both texts.

I wish I could say I figured anything out over the weekend. On the contrary, everything is becoming more complicated than I thought.

Levi is a damn dilemma with no way out. That small part of me that’s itching to be pulled into his orbit? Well, that part isn’t so small anymore.

It’s still too early for Dan to pick me up. They have practice in the evening today, and he’s not that much of a morning person. He won’t be waking up until it’s time for school.

If I want to avoid breakfast from hell, I need to get out now before Victoria and Nicole are up.

Especially Nicole. I made sure we hadn’t crossed paths at home since that scene of her between Levi’s legs.

Before he ended up between mine.

God. That’s so screwed up.

My gaze meets Sarah’s from the kitchen’s window. I place a finger in front of my lips and beg her with my eyes to remain silent.

She rolls her eyes but waves me away. I throw her a kiss and duck around the pool house.

“Not happening. Astrid will not go through that again.”

I stop right at the corner at Dad’s voice. I peek my head around as slow as physically possible.

He stands at the edge of the pool, already dressed in his three-piece black suit. A hand in his pocket, he has the other holding the phone glued to his ear.

“I’m her father and legal guardian, Commissioner.”

My back snaps in a rigid line. This has to do with my accident.

“She lost her mother in an accident and had a similar one of her own,” Dad speaks in his no-nonsense tone that intimidates me even when I’m not the one on the receiving end. “She will not take the fall of your incompetence.”

Silence.

Long, thick silence.

Dad looks in the distance for a few seconds that might as well seem like an eternity. “The answer is no and that’s final.”

He clicks something on the phone and turns around. I duck and run in the opposite direction towards the pool house’s side door.

Dad stops right in front of the entrance and takes a deep breath, his shoulders drooping as he pinches his eyebrows.

I haven’t seen him do that since I was a little girl. I thought he completely lost that habit.

The moment ends as fast as it came. He straightens like the lord Clifford everyone knows, opens the door and strides inside.

“Sarah, is Astrid down for breakfast?”

Shit.

I sprint towards the back entrance, not looking back.

My head is a jumbled mess as I walk down the street and to the park. My fingers tighten around the backpack’s straps.

Dad’s hiding something that has to do with the police commissioner and my accident.

Astrid will not go through that again.

Go through what?