Ruthless Empire (Royal Elite #6) by Rina Kent

It’s hard for me to show a facet of myself when, on the inside, I’m scratching at it, wanting to rip it away and be set free. That part of me wants to let Cole kiss me in public, to call him mine in front of the world while giving them the middle finger.

But that part is an idiot.

That’s not how the world works — especially not the one we live in.

This won’t only ruin our future, but also our parents,’ and for that reason alone, I know whatever Cole and I have will never last.

It’s a fling.

An adventure.

And like any adventure, there will come a day when it’ll eventually end.

Something in my chest constricts at that thought, but I shake my head, pushing it away.

He’ll get passive-aggressive today. He always is whenever I spend nights with Mum.

She hasn’t been doing that well lately, so I’m visiting, even if it’s not the weekend.

Truth is, I’m not really that selfless. While I do it to make sure she’s fine, I also do it to take time out from Cole.

Sometimes, it gets too raw and too…much. Sometimes, when I wake up and don’t find him beside me, tears come out of nowhere.

And that’s not okay. That’s not how flings are supposed to work.

So I detox at Mum’s.

It’s useless, though. The moment I go back and he takes out all the lost nights on my body, it’s like I’ve never been away.

My phone dings. I smile at Mum’s impatience. She must be asking if I’m there yet. For the third time in the past half an hour.

My smile falls when I read the text.

Unknown Number: You look so enticing in that short pink dress.

I swallow, my heartbeat picking up speed as the silence — and the emptiness — of the underground car park registers.

Does this mean he’s here? Or did he follow me from home?

Since I became almost sure it’s Adam, I blocked the number. A few days later, I had a text from another unknown number saying I can’t escape him.

So I asked Frederic to change my number a week ago, pretending some reporters have it and are bothering me.

I could’ve done it myself, but that would mean I’d have to register the new number with my personal details. Papa’s campaign team have special security measures to keep all our personal information classified.

Frederic immediately got it for me, and I thought I’d be done with Adam’s stalking habits.

The text in front of me is proof that it’s not over.

How the hell did he get my number? Sure, his father is a member of the party, but he wouldn’t possibly ask Papa for it, right?

Deep breaths. You can do this, Silver.

I can keep it to myself until after Papa wins the elections. Then I’ll tell Frederic all about Adam.

It’s not only the creepy, stalkerish texts but also the way he keeps watching me at school. I pretend I don’t notice how he follows me around, or how he glares at anyone who gets in my way.

When he greets me good morning, I greet him back because his type can’t and shouldn’t be provoked.

Grabbing my bag, I open the car door, only for it to hit something – or rather, someone. I gasp as Adam appears right in front of me. He’s wearing jeans and a simple black T-shirt, a smile grazing his lips.

My first thought is that I need to run.

Right now.

I pull on the door’s handle, but my rapidity and strength fail against his.

He grabs the door and leans in so he’s blocking my exit and caging me within the confines of my own car.

“Hey, Silver.” He smiles, showing me his teeth.

I plaster on my own fake smile. “Hey, Adam. What are you doing here?”

“My uncle lives here. Such a small world, huh?”

“Yeah.” I pretend to gather my things.

“Who are you visiting?”

I can’t tell him I’m here for my mum. I don’t want this psycho to know where my mother lives, but at the same time, I need to get myself out of this situation without being suspicious. “I’m meeting with friends.”

“Anyone I know?”

“Just Aiden and the guys.”

“I see.”

Still smiling, I motion at the way he’s blocking me. “Uh, excuse me?”

He doesn’t move. Not even an inch.

My heart is about to stop beating. What if he has other plans instead of letting me go?

Maybe I should call for help or Cole?

“Sure.” Adam moves away, still holding the door open.

I release a breath as I step out, carrying my bag and the food containers. “Thank you.”

He closes the door for me, his smile sinister at best. “No, thank you, Silver.”

I offer him a nod and walk as fast as I can down the car park without actually running. I keep peeking over my shoulder, expecting Adam to be following me.

My only relief is when one of Mum’s neighbours exits his car and uses the lift with me.

On the way up, I can’t erase the disturbing look on Adam’s face from my brain. Or the fact that the first person I thought about when it came to getting help was Cole.

I would’ve hit my head if my hands weren’t full.

Then I recall Adam’s reason for being here. He said he was visiting his uncle, but he didn’t come up.

In Mum’s building, you can’t go up unless you have the floor’s code.