Violet I looked at the man standing in front of me, my fingers digging tighter into the pool’s edge. He wore that smile people put on when they pretended kindness, but underneath it, all I could see was hypocrisy.Conrad extended his hand toward me, his voice smooth. “Take it, Violet. Let me help.”I stared at his hand. For a moment, I almost laughed. Help? From him? My disgust showed as I shoved it aside. I didn’t need his help.I lifted myself out of the pool on my own, every pull of my muscles burning, but I refused to show it. The cold sent a shiver down my spine as my drenched clothes clung to me. I bent down and began gathering my scattered notes. Some were wet, the ink already fading, and my chest tightened at the sight of days of my work ruined. I was about to walk away when his voice cut through the silence.“Are you going to continue letting yourself suffer like that?”My back stiffened, my hands tightening around the damp papers. I didn’t need to turn to know he was smil
VioletI was eighteen when Riley fell sick. One day she just collapsed, and by the next, the doctors were saying kidney failure.Nobody saw it coming. Seeing Riley, the same girl who spent years tormenting me, lying pale and weak in a hospital bed was strange, and unsettling. I didn’t know if I was supposed to feel pity or emotionless.A few days later, her mother came to me, and asked me to get tested. I still remember sitting there, waiting for the results. And when they told me I was a match, everything changed.My aunt, who could hardly stand the sight of me, suddenly smiled when I walked into a room. She bought Sebastian everything he wanted, and even transferred him to a better school. She tried the same with me, but I wasn’t stupid. I could see right through her. None of it was real, they just wanted my kidney.Honestly, they didn’t even need to pretend. I had already decided if I could save Riley’s life, I would do it. Even if she hated me. Even if she would’ve laughed if it h
Violet The first thing I saw when I went to the back of the house was Riley sitting down on a chair like a queen waiting for her servant. Her legs were crossed and she had a bikini on that barely covered any of her body, a black pair of sunglasses on, and a table in front of her that was set with drinks and snacks. Harper stood behind her, now smiling unlike before, as if Riley’s presence alone gave her a reason to be smug again.I stopped for a moment, taking in the scene. The air was cold, and yet here she was, sprawled half-naked. My eyes flicked from Riley to the pool behind her. I frowned, then locked my gaze back on my cousin.“What is this?” I asked flatly.Riley didn’t bother sitting up. She only tilted her head, a smile curving her lips. “What do you think? I’m just relaxing, waiting for my favorite tutor.”I looked at her again, then at the notes I carried with me. She had actually asked me to come out here by the pool in the freezing morning. We could have been inside, wh
Violet Cold water splashed on top of me, and everything went white for a second. I gasped, eyes flaring open as the room spun. My shirt clung to my skin, my hair plastered to the side of my face.Harper stood at the foot of the bed, one hand on her hip, a smug little smile playing on her lips.“Have you lost your mind?!” I snapped before I had a chance to think. I wanted to tear across the room and yank that smile off her face. “What do you think you’re doing?”“What? You were sleeping,” Harper said, her voice flat. “I woke you. I did nothing wrong. If you hadn’t been sleeping like a log, this wouldn’t have happened. It’s your fault you got wet.”I stared at her, speechless. My wet clothes clung to my skin, the sheets beneath me soaked, and yet this girl was acting like she had the right to blame me.Back then I would’ve ignored her. I always ignored her stupid little games. Compared to the people who’d truly made my life hell, Harper was nothing more than a buzzing gnat. But this wa
Violet I didn’t need to think about it. I already knew.There was only one person insane and rich enough that even twenty million dollars didn’t mean anything.Hades Sinclair.I gripped my phone so tightly my knuckles went white, forcing a deep breath before turning my gaze to Alec. “Do you know about this?”Through the rearview mirror, his blue eyes flicked to mine. His brow arched lazily. “About what?”I shoved my phone up toward him. “Your boss just sent me twenty million dollars.” My free hand went to my forehead.“Why would he do that? No, he probably didn’t even mean to send this much, maybe it was a mistake—”“Ah, that,” Alec cut in, so calmly it made me want to scream. “According to him, it was payment for last night. He actually wanted to send more, but I told him it might freak you out. Or, was it too little? Maybe I should’ve gone with his idea to send more instead.”I stared at him.What the fuck was I listening to? Was this some kind of bad script for a movie where the po
Violet The car ride was silent. Alec didn’t say anything, and I was grateful for that. I didn’t have the strength to form words, let alone respond to anyone. Everything felt frustrating. All I wanted was a hot shower, a few minutes of good sleep, and a chance to forget the last twenty-four hours had even happened. I leaned my head against the glass, staring out at the blur of people moving along the sidewalks. After a moment, my eyelids were starting to slip shut. If I closed my eyes for a few seconds, Alec probably wasn’t going to kidnap me. He looked sane enough, but then again, was anyone close to Hades actually sane? Still, if he tried anything, I’d fight back. I was just about to drift off when my phone rang, the vibration startling me. I opened my eyes and glanced at the caller ID. Penelope. Oh, right. She’d called me so many times last night. I’d been too distracted to message her back this morning. Penelope rarely called like that unless something was wrong, she k