Empire of Hate (Empire #3) by Rina Kent

“Seems I have a record with those.” I flip my hair. “I consider it pro bono work.”

His eyes flash again and he reaches a hand for me, but before it can touch me, his phone flashes and he shakes his head, then turns around and disappears.

Again.

Giving me his back.

Again.

And this time, I feel like I really lost a part of him.

One I won’t be able to recapture.

Still, I lick my lips and the taste of the peach lollipop, praying for a day where I’ll be able to eat actual peaches.

But that’s probably as impossible as wishing Daniel would ever accept me.

Like me.

Want me.

And not feel disgusted by it.





14





DANIEL





PRESENT





My fist clenches around the cup of coffee I haven’t taken a sip from, even though I’ve been clutching it harder than necessary, then I throw it in the rubbish bin.

Fuck.

Bloody fucking hell.

It’s been an hour since I fired Nicole, but the wildfire that’s erupting inside me isn’t close to dying out.

She just had to run her mouth about what never should’ve been spoken out loud. How the fuck did she even know all those details when my own mother, brother, and Astrid didn’t?

Everyone thinks I’m picky with food because I’m hard to please or that I’m being a dick on purpose.

Everyone looks at the surface.

Except for fucking Nicole. The previous queen bee and the resident evil of my childhood and teenage years.

It doesn’t make sense that she of all fucking people knows.

I’m tempted to go find her, grab her by the hair, and make her talk. I’m tempted to do a lot of things while grabbing her by the hair.

There was a tremble in her body when she stood in front of me, even while she didn’t cower away. Even when she met my malicious stare with a venomous one as if she was the wronged party in this.

As if she’s the fucking victim.

Maybe making her work for me was a mistake. Plotting revenge against her was also a mistake.

I expected to feel triumph for tormenting her and turning her life to hell, but that’s the last thing I’m feeling.

It’s, in fact, nonexistent.

In fact, it might be the exact opposite.

But I have the decency to trick my mind into thinking I’m relieved and should ride some unicorn to the sun.

Maybe burn in the process.

It’s what happened before, I got too close to the sun and it roasted me alive.

That’s the thing about the sun.

I could look at it all I want, could even spin in its orbit, but the moment I touch it, my only destiny is to burn.

The door to my office opens and I stare back to find Knox standing there wearing a stupid fucking grin.

“What?”

“Looks like I’m going to win the bet.”

My eyes track his movements as he rounds my desk and stands in front of me, facing the window. It must be my fucked-up mood and the need to fill it with anything that makes me swallow the bait. “What bet?”

“If you’d bothered to check the group chat today, you would’ve seen it.”

Narrowing my eyes on him, I retrieve my phone and go to the group chat that I muted after they made me the joke.

After ignoring several of Ronan’s one-man show texts, in which he’s promptly ignored but carries on anyway, I stumble upon Knox’s text.

Knox: Who’s in the mood for a game?

Xander: Hell yeah.

Cole: I’m bored, so why not?

Aiden: Did someone say a game?

Knox: It’s more of a bet, actually. As everyone knows, our Dan the Man is traumatized by blondes because a bombshell who goes by the name of Nicole broke his heart. He says he’s keeping her as his assistant for revenge, but I was neither born yesterday nor am I blind. I see the sparks.

Levi: Are you going to keep your one-sided monologue going or is there a bet in there?

Knox: I was getting there, if you had some patience, twat. Now, where was I? Right. I bet ten thousand dollars that Daniel will cave to Nicole like a hooker for an old rich man.

Cole: Ten thousand pounds, not dollars.

Knox: Call.

Xander: Count me in.

Levi: I’ll raise you fifty thousand.

Aiden: Make it a hundred for me.

Xander: What? Why? Why are you and Levi raising? What did I miss?

Aiden: Your whole second year in school apparently, because Daniel used to watch Nicole like a kicked puppy who was crushing on the prettiest Chihuahua.

Knox: Did you just compare them to dogs?

Aiden: Your point is…

Xander: Explain the reason why you and Lev raised?

Levi: I know things, but no questions, please. I won’t answer until the bet is over.

Ronan: I’m here! Miss me, fuckers?

Cole: As much as the desert misses the sun.

Ronan: Stop it, you. Don’t make me blush.

Aiden: Astor, read Cole’s message again. Slowly this time.

Xander: *laughing out loud emoji*

Ronan: Wait a minute. It’s always sunny in the desert, so it doesn’t miss the sun.

Cole: Exactly.

Ronan: Fuck you, Nash. You’re not invited to my next party and the one after. Actually, you’re on a three-month ban and working your way up to a permanent ban.

Cole: Be right back. I’ll go cry in my pillow.