CHAPTER 5

JADE

His grip on my arm was strong and he yanked me out of the car before I could even realize what was happening.

“You must be delusional to think you would drive in a similar car with us to school," Randy snickered.

I tried to regain my balance, my fingers curling into fists at my sides as I stared at him. For a brief moment, I considered reminding him of the promise he had made in front of his father.

But the look in his eyes stopped me. There was no hesitation or remorse in those eyes and I realized that they had no intention of keeping that promise.

Liam stood by the car, his eyes cold as he stared at me on the floor. Carl, on the other hand, did not even spare me a second glance. He simply walked past us, plugged his earphones into his ears, and slid into the back seat of another car parked nearby.

The sound of the car doors shutting echoed around me, but I remained on the floor.

My eyes burned. I could feel the tears etched at the corner of my eyes but I refused to let them fall.

I was never going to cry in front of them.

I swallowed hard and looked away, forcing myself to breathe slowly, even though my chest felt heavy. I was not sure I could keep pretending that this did not affect me.

I turned to see my driver standing a few steps away from the car. He looked uneasy and his eyes kept moving between me and the triplets’ cars, as if he did not know what to do.

Earlier this morning, the Alpha had insisted that I be taken to school in one of the cars, but now his sons had decided to do what they knew how to do best.

The driver took a step toward me. “Miss Jade,” he muttered. “We should—”

The revving sound of an engine cut him off.

Randy’s car roared to life as he pressed down on the accelerator. The car sped forward, poisoning the air with soot and I coughed as I tried to clear my vision. Through the haze, I saw the cars drive off one after the other.

I turned on my heels and started walking down the driveway.

“Miss Jade?” the driver called after me.

I ignored his calls as I headed toward the gate. The guards at the gate glanced at me as I approached, but they did not stop me. They stepped aside, allowing me to pass without question. The moment I stepped outside, I felt a strange sense of relief.

My mind was already racing as I tried to figure out what to do next.

Just then, I remembered the old bike I used to ride to school a few years back. I had left it at the old apartment as I could not carry everything with me.

I turned around and started walking towards our old house. A few minutes later, I was at the doorstep of the exact place I had spent all my life.

The unpleasant smell of something burning filled the air and my stomach churned instantly.

I moved forward slowly, my eyes scanning the area.

And just then I saw the man who owned the apartment standing outside, near a pile of things that had been set on fire.

For a moment, I could not move as my eyes remained fixed on the pile. Those were my stuff, the things I had left behind.

“No,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

I stepped closer and he glanced at me briefly, before looking away as if I did not matter.

My eyes scanned the pile of burning debris for a while and then I saw it -the remains of my bicycle.

“That was mine,” I muttered. “You had no right—”

“You left,” he cut in, his tone dismissive. “The place is no longer yours.”

“You could have waited,” I cried. “I wasn't done packing."

“Well, I have new tenants,” he shrugged. "Can't expect me to wait all year for you."

I looked ahead at the door and I noticed that a couple was carrying boxes inside.

Tears filled my eyes before I could stop them and I turned away quickly, wiping them off with the back of my hand.

I could not stand there and watch my stuff get burnt and so without another word, I walked away.

By the time I got to school, I was exhausted.

My clothes were dusty, my hair was messy and even my body felt heavy.

Worse still, I was late..I slowed down as I approached the gates, my heart beating unevenly as I stepped inside.

Almost immediately, I felt the attention of all the students on me.

Heads turned and whispers filled the air.

My steps faltered for a second as made my way to my seat. Was it because of how I looked?

Before I could even react, someone rushed toward me.

“Jade!”

I blinked in surprise as Valerie appeared in front of me, her eyes wide, her expression filled with surprise.

“Is it true?” she said in a low whisper.

I stared at her, confused. “Is what true?”

She stepped closer, lowering her voice slightly, but not enough to stop others from listening.

“Is it really true your mom is now engaged to Alpha Nicholas and you are now the Hawthorne triplets stepsister?”

My mouth went wide in shock and confusion. At the same time, all the eyes of our classmates were on me, as though they were all waiting for me to confirm if it was true.

How the fuck did the news spread so fast?