Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 54496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 272(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 272(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
“You would do that for me?” I asked her, and she smiled through the tears clouding her vision, mirrored by my own.
“Of course,” she muttered. “You’re not just my best friend. You’re like family to me, Harlow.”
Even the mention of my name felt like a delicious transgression, something Thorn would never allow and would have Amber punished for swiftly. She usually refrained from using the name “Rose,” and it had been a long time since I’d heard her use the name I was born with. It felt good and spoke of a future I was desperate to have - without the Mansion, without Pia and… yes, even without Thorn. As much as the thought scared me, it also filled me with anticipation, knowledge that there was something waiting for me back at home - if nothing else, there was Madame, who I knew would continue training me if I showed up again. And hopefully, my performance in The Nutcracker hadn’t been forgotten. I was still desperate for a role in a bigger ballet.
All of a sudden, the French doors opened, and we jumped apart guiltily as Pia strode outside.
“What are you two gossiping about?” she asked, a hint of jealousy in her voice.
I’d often thought of Pia’s role in the Mansion, sometimes realizing that she was always by herself, and she often seemed not just bitter but also lonely. I didn’t know whether she was sleeping with anyone there, but it was obvious she wasn’t popular amongst the other girls.
“You,” I replied to her icily, and she gave me a cold stare then rolled her eyes.
“Well, Thorn wants to see you now,” she said, faking a yawn. “I was told to go fetch you.”
I stared at her, trying to see whether she was lying and whether this visit was because the cameras hadn’t been able to see us, and they were trying to stop something in its tracks, unaware the seed had already been planted.
I exchanged an innocent enough look with Amber and got up, my skirt falling over my thighs and my legs glistening with freshly applied lotion.
“I’m ready,” I told Pia, who tore her eyes off Amber and walked me down the hallway towards my own room. Neither of us said a word, and for once, I was grateful not to be involved in a word war with her. I had enough on my mind as it was already.
“I think there’s something you should know,” Pia finally said once we reached my bedroom.
I lingered in the hallway, my hand already on the handle of the door.
“What is it?” I asked tersely. “I don’t have all day.”
Menacing venom shot through her eyes as she blocked my path and stared me down. She was shorter than me, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t terrifying. Not to mention her weapons were stronger, her knives sharper than my tongue. She could get revenge on me anytime she wanted to.
“Don’t think I don’t see the pity in your eyes,” she spat out, and I looked away. “Don’t hide it from me, little girl. I know you feel sorry for me. Well…” She leaned closer, her finger twirling a strand of my blonde hair around itself. “I just want you to know,” she went on sweetly. “There’s nothing to feel sorry about. In fact, maybe you should be jealous instead. Maybe you should think about who held your place before-”
“Pia!”
We both looked up to find a thunderous Thorn standing a few feet away, his eyes unleashing their anger on the woman next to me. He walked over to us, and I watched the woman next to me freeze up in fear, feeling a weird sense of entitlement as he grabbed my waist and pulled me towards him, kissing me passionately right in front of her. My body was shaking from the information she’d just relayed, but I wasn’t able to respond yet. Instead, my heart thumped as Thorn pulled away from me and glared at Pia until she walked down the hallway looking defeated. He ushered me to my room, my legs barely able to carry me as I walked inside and collapsed on the bed.
“What was she talking about?” I asked, my voice shaky. “Who had my place before me?”
“She’s a fucking liar,” Thorn snarled, pulling the curtains closed over the windows. “You don’t need to listen to her, Rose.”
My heart kept pounding. Should I believe him or not? My gut was telling me he was right about her being a liar, but there was something else there, something Thorn didn’t want me to know.
“Did you…” I swallowed the lump in my throat, forcing myself to go on. “Did you sleep with Pia?”
He came closer, the room now much darker and enveloped in shadows. I knew he wanted to fuck me, but I was hesitant. As much as my body wanted him, I needed answers first. I needed to find out the truth about him and Pia once and for all. I’d been playing guessing games for too long.