Chapter 4

After dinner, Samuel and I headed to school together. As soon as the driver pulled away, he stepped in front of me, blocking my path. "Why didn't you tell Mom and Dad you're the top student in our grade?"

I tilted my head, a little puzzled. "Is that really what you want me to do?

"Just think about it. If they found out their pride and joy is actually a pushover getting picked on at school, they'd totally flip."

Samuel glared at me, all tough guy. "If you dare say a word, you're dead meat."

I just scoffed at his threat. "You? Threaten me? Not even close."

I leaned in, voice steady. "Remember last week? If I hadn't stepped in, you'd have gone home looking like roadkill. And now you think you can scare me?"

The moment I saw Samuel at the bar that night, I knew it was him.

A few days before, I'd taken a shortcut home and found him getting jumped by a pack of trade-school thugs.

His clothes were ripped, his face bloody, curled up on the ground like a scared kid.

He looked just like me.

I knew what it was like to be alone, with nobody in your corner.

So I helped him. Patched him up, even.

And this was my thanks? He didn't even recognize me, and now he treated me like the enemy.

Typical Lovett family. Selfishness ran in their blood.

Samuel bristled. "How do I know you weren't just setting me up?

"Besides, Edward's got my back. He always does."

Ah. So Edward had been covering for him this whole time.

I shook my head. Spoiling Samuel rotten wasn't helping him. It was setting him up for failure.

I let out a sharp laugh, more annoyed than amused. "You're not just an idiot. You're paranoid, too.

"But I wouldn't do anything if I were you. I helped you once, but I won't hesitate to put you on the ground. If you keep teaming up with Charlotte to screw with me—

"I'll wreck you so hard that you'll be crying for Mommy."

I flipped him over and pinned him to the ground in one swift move.

"Ow! You're breaking my arm," he yelped, panic flashing in his eyes.

Knowing I was dead serious, he didn't dare talk back anymore.

This was the first time I'd ever used the moves Mom taught me for real.

And damn, did they work.

After a few more "lessons," Samuel started avoiding me at home like I had the plague.

Guessed some people only learned the hard way.

Without Samuel to back her up, Charlotte was visibly anxious.

She kept trying to trip me up, but without his help, all her sneaky moves just looked like pointless drama.

Then she tried the waterworks routine, fake-sobbing to Mandy and Joseph that I'd hit her. So I walked right up and slapped her twice.

It was hard enough to leave matching red handprints.

"That," I said coolly, "is what getting hit actually looks like."

When she planted her favorite necklace in my room and screamed thief, I didn't even argue. Just called the cops myself.

She wanted to play games? Fine. I'd play for real stakes.

After a few rounds like that, she was always on the losing end.

Even Mandy and Joseph started treating her differently.

Their lectures about "being a bigger person" gradually turned into awkward attempts at setting us up.

Maybe it was those family ties kicking in, but they started showing me some care too. At dinner, they'd made food for me, even if it was Charlotte's favorite.

Mandy would even take me shopping and ask about my life at school.

My status in the family was slowly improving.

But none of that was what I wanted.

I'd come back to the Lovett family for one reason only: to burn their perfect little world to the ground.

*****

This standoff barely lasted a week before Charlotte started getting restless.

She showed up, dragging Liam along to see me.

"Jessie, come say hi to Liam," she chirped.

After I shot her down a few times, she stopped playing nice. So this was strange.

This was the first time I was meeting my so-called "fiancé".

Liam was tall and skinny, with deep-set eyes and a calm, almost too-mature vibe for someone his age.

I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

In some ways, we were both just casualties of other people's ambitions.

Rumor had it the Shaw family was a complete disaster, with several illegitimate kids running around. The fact that Liam had clawed his way to heir status said everything about how sharp he was.

Which also meant he had zero say in this arranged marriage.

Whoever his family picked, he had to marry—no objections.

No wonder Edward had targeted him without hesitation.

I gave a slight nod. "Liam, nice to meet you."

"Jessie, nice to meet you, too," he said, nodding and reaching out to shake my hand.

Our eyes locked, and I caught the faintest flicker of amusement in his gaze.

I kept my face perfectly calm as I let go of his hand.

Sometimes, two smart people only needed one look to understand each other.

Charlotte was starting to get restless.

In her mind, I should've been eager to cozy up to someone as successful as Liam.

"Liam, Jessie's always admired you. Why don't you two swap numbers and get to know each other better?" she said brightly.

"Oh, and Liam was a top student in our class back in the day," she added. "Jessie, you should ask him for study tips!"

She kept throwing out suggestions, desperate to force some kind of connection.

Too bad for her, neither of us bit. Liam and I just sat there, completely unfazed.

For people like us, there were only two options: rivals or allies. Nothing in between.

Liam reached over and ruffled Charlotte's hair affectionately.

"That was years ago," he said with a faint smile. "From what I hear, Jessie's doing just fine on her own. Doubt she needs my help."

Smart move—keeping his distance.

He'd clearly seen through Charlotte's little scheme and wasn't playing along.

I glanced at the friend request now sitting in my phone.

Maybe... he really could be an ally.