“But, if she’s their daughter, how did she get into Saint Valley? Because not only is the school hella exclusive, but they wouldn’t have allowed her entrance after such a public scandal.”
“Her aunt married the headmaster’s grandson.”
“Ah, when the money speaks, the world is silent.”
“Something like that.”
“But what was about that whole conversation that you overheard? And what did she tell you?”
“Someone found out,” Avalon says, sipping on the orange juice. “And they’re threatening her. Well, blackmailing her. Apparently, they have solid evidence of everything she’s done, and unless she complies with the demands, it will be sent to Sinners and Saints.”
I wince. “Ouch.”
“I know.”
“Does she have any idea who’s blackmailing?”
“Not yet,” Avalon sighs. “I’m really torn. On one hand, she was a terrible person to a lot of innocent people. On the other hand, she seems remorseful.”
“Yeah, but her being remorseful means nothing unless she betters herself. I highly doubt her victims are as forgiving as you are.”
“What do we do?”
“I don’t know,” I sigh. “Do you think she’ll tell us?”
“Probably not. She’s terrified of what you and Grace will think of her. Besides, she was begging me to believe that she never did any ofthose things.”
“She claims she never bullied anyone?”
Avalon nods. “You should’ve seen her. She was sobbing, crying, and quite literally falling to her knees. She was fucking shaking like a leaf. I don’t know what to believe?”
“How come no one connected her name to the incident, though? Her family might not run in my family’s circle, but Saint Valley is filled with rich people. Someone there must’ve been in the same room as her, or her parents, before all of this.”
“She changed her clothes style, her looks as much as possible without doing any plastic surgery, and changed her name. No one seems to have noticed it. That’s probably why she’s still keeping to herself mostly.”
“She’ll come for the Christmas party,” I sigh. “I’ll talk to her then, and try to figure out what’s happening.”
???
“Sawyer!”
My brother turns, just as he’s taking off his jacket. A wide grin spreads on his face, and he rushes toward me, pulling me into a bone-crushing hug. The familiar scent of my older brother immediately makes me feel more at ease.
“Hi there, shorty.”
I pull back, smacking his shoulder. “Knock it off with the nickname, would you?”
“Never,” he flicks my forehead. “Come, dinner’s ready. Is Avalon coming?”
“She went earlier; she wanted to catch up with Mom and Dad.”
The dining room is rather spacious, and the entirety of the decor is in deep shades of brown. From the floors and the big table matching in shades to the big, crystal chandelier above. The table’s been set, and the appetizers are already waiting for us. Each plate’s been carefully selected, the vintage porcelain plates in each spot, and cutlery to match.
“Sit, sit,” Dad ushers me to take a seat next to him, to which Sawyer rolls his eyes. He sits between Mom and Avalon, and I kiss Dad’s cheek before sitting down next to him. “When are you retaking your exams?”
A groan slips me, shoulders slumping. “Must we talk about this during dinner?”
“Yes,” Dad responds, pulling his sleeves up to his elbows. “Because tomorrow’s the Christmas party, and I don’t think I’ll be able to see you much before you go back to the academy.”
