Steel Princess (Royal Elite 2)

Before I can cower behind Aiden, he clutches me by the arm and keeps me firmly by his side.

Aiden’s face is stone cold. The playful expression from earlier completely disappears. I would’ve called it a poker face if it weren’t for the slight twitch in his left eye.

“Elsa.” Jonathan smiles at me as if we’re old friends. “Have you been well?”

“What are you doing here?” Aiden asks before I can answer.

“You and I are going somewhere.” Jonathan smiles. “If it’s okay with you, of course, Elsa.”

I nod once unsure what to say.

“I’ll meet you back home,” Aiden speaks in a calm, almost nonchalant tone, but I can feel the tension radiating off him in waves.

“You’ll come with me,” Jonathan says in a non-negotiable tone. “Keep your car here. Someone will drive it home for you.”

You’ll come with me.

It’s a flat out order.

Since Aiden doesn’t like to be told what to do, I expect him to fight.

Instead, he releases me.

A strange gust of cold seeps under my skin at the loss of contact.

Aiden doesn’t let go of me.

He never lets go of me.

It feels empty now that he did.

“I’ll text,” he says without any emotions and walks to his father’s car without a word.

After Aiden slides inside the Mercedes, Jonathan offers me another smile.

The welcoming expression instantly drops as soon as he gets into the backseat beside Aiden.

Something clenches in my chest as the car leaves the school grounds.

I have a bad feeling about this.

Super bad.

31

Aiden

Silence is the only language in the car.

Jonathan is on his phone, probably finishing up business. I’m surprised he even showed up in the human world around this time.

In the afternoons, he’s usually speaking Chinese with other tycoons from the other part of the ocean.

Or Japanese.

I retrieve my phone and find a text.

Elsa: Text me when you’re done?