I offer a small smile and a curt nod.
“I want to go over the day’s schedule with you.”
I ignore her haughty tone and simply eat my food.
“After you finish your meal, it’s off to hair and makeup. You will meet two contestants, take a break for a late lunch, freshen up, and meet three more contestants. Then, you will have another break with a chance to freshen up, change intoyour evening dress, and meet the remaining four. We set up the first meets in different areas of the castle, so the breaks work out as we move to different locations. We will do a short check-in with you and your thoughts on all the contestants thus far. Then, we will proceed to the meet-and-greet gathering with all twenty-five contestants. We will wrap up the night with the first five eliminations and the first impression rose. Dr. Parker approved the number of breaks between filming, and he also insisted that you eat regularly between takes.”
“I thought the first eliminations were to take place after the first challenge?”
Carmen tries to mask her annoyance, but it doesn’t work. Whatever is up her butt amuses me,
until she starts tapping her long fingernails on the table. “Yes, well, that was the original plan. However, we are a day behind schedule. Eliminations need to happen today.”
“Sounds good,” I reply. I already compiled a mental list prepared of who I want to eliminate from the lineup. The father-son team are among them. That’s just weird.
She huffs. Did she want me to argue with her?
“Are there rules or a process I need to be aware of before I make my decision?”
“No.” She pauses. “This round is entirely up to you. From here on out, the viewer votes will influence some of your decisions as well as some of the producers’ input.”
Of course, the producers would have a say in this. I bet Gary didn’t mention the producers’ involvement on purpose. “Okay.” I return to my plate and begin to eat again.
Carmen’s energy pushes. She wants to say something, maybe even pick a fight with me. Curiosity gets the better of me, and I decide to bite. I lay my fork down and fold my hands together. Giving her my full attention, I ask, “Anything you want to get offyour chest before I finish my breakfast?” I allow some of my own energy to push against hers.
She doesn’t answer me right away. The wheels turn as she contemplates her response.
I stare pointedly at her and raise a brow. When she remains silent, shifting her eyes away, I unclasp my hands, pick up my fork, and place a forkful of eggs into my mouth.
Her energy shrinks back into herself. She clears her throat. “What is your relationship with Alpha Larson?”
I take my time chewing and swallowing, meeting her eyes. “There is none.”
“I rewatched the footage from last night, Jessica. Do I need to remind you that you signed a contract?—”
I raise my hand, stopping her lecture. “I am not in any relationship. I wouldn’t be here if I was.” I hold her skeptical gaze for a few seconds. I know my answer won’t be enough for her. I take a drink from my glass of water. “Remember, in my interview, when I said I had fallen in love four times, and one of them wants to kill me?”
Her eyes widen. “He’s the one who wants to kill you?”
“Yeah. It’s a long, sad story. I wish it was different, but that seems to be a common theme in all of my relationships.”
“He still loves you. I could see it on his face when I watched the footage. I could see it in the way he stood in front of you in the clinic. He wanted to protect you. That’s not good acting. Trust me. I can spot fakes a mile away.”
“I don’t know. I’m confused. A part of me fears him, and some part of me misses the man I fell in love with.”
Carmen absentmindedly nods her head. She tilts her head, conjuring more questions, but I don’t want to answer them right now. So, I avoid looking at her and focus on eating my meal.
Chapter 37
You Should Have Led With that
SHADOW
All the Alphas are ushered into the ballroom, still set up for the meet-and-greet last night. Large round tables that can seat eight are strategically placed around the vast room covered in maroon linen, food piled high in warmers along one wall, monitors strategically placed throughout the room.
I inwardly groan. Why the hell would they do that? As if fucking sitting around with the rest of these assholes wasn’t torture enough. A mixture of Young Alphas and established Alphas—some old enough to be my father—find seats at the tables.
None of these men are her type. In fact, you might not tell just by looking at her, but she can beat the crap out of half of these men. They’re no match for her in strength or intelligence.
