Ruthless Empire (Royal Elite #6) by Rina Kent

As in they were naked and he kissed her.

Tears fight to spill free, but I turn away from Aiden and widen my eyes so they stay there. I won’t cry. I’m not going to cry because of that arsehole.

So what if he has sex? I don’t care. Why should I care?

Cole can go to hell for all I care.

I hate him. The one good thing about him is that he’s Helen’s son. That’s it.

That’s all.

Since that day he kissed me, I knew Cole wasn’t for me. I just knew it. The moment he compared me to others, blatantly declaring I was only one of his conquests, I decided I would be the conquest he’d never win.

He might make me lose at studies and piano and sports, but he’ll never make me lose at this game.

And I meant what I said. I’ll make him regret it.

My firsts?

Screw him. He lost the right to those the moment he didn’t save his firsts for me.

Cole might act like I’m a fly in his vicinity, but he gets unnecessarily aggressive when he knows Aiden and I have spent time together behind his back. We only do it because Papa and Uncle Jonathan are close friends and we’re often invited as a set.

And by unnecessarily aggressive, I mean he’ll accept Aiden’s challenges, even when he usually doesn’t. He makes sure to win every time too.

Cole doesn’t just win. He crushes. Then he walks all over you as if you never existed.

I lay the phone on my lap. “Out with it.”

Aiden throws me a glance. He has a permanent ‘piss off’ look etched on his features. And while he’s relatively handsome with his styled black hair and sharp features, I don’t know why the girls find him attractive and nearly blend in with the walls whenever he passes them by.

He’s annoying and entitled and has sociopathic tendencies. If they tried looking behind his exterior for a second, maybe they’d figure that out, but girls like Summer and Veronica say stuff like, ‘but he’s so hot’ as if that will save them when he ends up choking the life out of them.

“Out with what?” he asks.

“Derek and I know you don’t enjoy our company, so why did you want to catch a ride?”

“For your beautiful eyes, Queens.”

“Eww. Don’t ever try that again with me. I literally want to throw up.”

He smirks. “You wouldn’t want to throw up if it were Nash, eh?”

“Fuck him and you.”

“Someone is triggered.”

“What do you want, Aiden?” I grit out through my teeth. “If this is some sort of game between you two, I’m not playing. I’m not a pawn on either of your chessboards. I’m a queen on mine.”

“Interesting.” He fully faces me. “But here’s the thing, this can be your game too.”

“My game?”

“Revenge. You said you’ll make him regret it. Do you know the best way to do that?” He lowers his voice so Derek doesn’t hear. “Losing your virginity to me.”

“You must be out of your mind if you think I’d let you touch me.” I flip my hair back. “If we were the last two people left on this planet and our children were the only hope for humanity, I’d vote for extinction.”

Derek’s lips twitch in a smile in the rear-view mirror and I smile back at him. He understands me.

“Unfortunately, that’s mutual,” Aiden says. “The only good thing about you is your ability to rile Nash up.”

I fold my arms over my chest. “Why unfortunately?”

“Because I won’t be able to fuck you and win against him.”

“Who says it has to actually happen?” I smirk. “We just have to make him believe it did.”

Aiden mirrors my smirk; his, however, appears more wolfish. “I like the way you think, Queens.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“What do you say we become allies and crush him?”

“Crush him how?”

“In a way he’ll fall at your feet like a puppy.”

I don’t want that. I only want him to feel the pain he inflicts on me. I want to hurt him as much as he hurts me.

I want him to look in the mirror and hold back screams because he’s been making me feel invisible.

Since that night, I’ve never been invisible to him. But lately, he’ll pass me by and greet Veronica and Summer, but not me. He’ll smile at them, but never me.

It’s like he’s punishing me for something I’ve never done. Okay, so maybe I did the same, but he started it.

Or did I?

I don’t remember. Either way, he’s at fault. I refuse to lose to him or anyone else.

I focus back on Aiden. “How do you intend to do that?”

“Give me your phone.”

“What are you going to do with it?” I ask suspiciously.

“Just give it.”

I unlock the device and pass it to him.

He types something, then shows me. He texted Cole from my phone.

Silver: We sent Papa’s driver away and guess what we did?

Cole sees the message but doesn’t reply.

Aiden’s lips pull in a smirk as he types again. He’s so keen about details, he even included how I address my father.

He sends another text and shows it to me.

Silver: Aiden fucked me so hard, I’m so sore and can’t move.