Preston Carlisle IV stepped into the dining room, adjusting the belt of his heavy silk robe. He stopped dead in his tracks.
His eyes landed on Aurora. She was soaking wet, shivering, and sobbing into her hands. The deep lines on Preston's forehead instantly pulled into a tight frown.
Aurora didn't miss a beat. She lunged toward the nearest mahogany sideboard. She gripped the edge of the wood, letting her knees buckle slightly as if she couldn't support her own weight. She let out a louder, more desperate whimper. Her tears dripped onto the expensive rug.
Preston turned his head, his gaze snapping to Julian. "What exactly did you do to your sister?"
Julian pinched the bridge of his nose. His knuckles were white. "She refused to eat her breakfast. Then she poured her juice into the orchids."
Aurora ripped her hands away from her face. Her eyes were red and wide. She looked at her father, her lower lip trembling perfectly.
"The juice smelled like mold," she choked out, her voice cracking. "I was just scared it was bad."
Julian let out a harsh scoff. "It's organic produce flown in this morning. Your lies are pathetic."
But Preston's eyes softened just a fraction.
Beneath the cover of her arms, Aurora's expression remained completely numb.She didn't have grand plans;Her body merely made the most effective, passive defensive reaction she had learned in the quarry.Noise and anger annoyed her, and playing the broken, pathetic victim was the fastest way to make the noise stop. It wasn't an active manipulation, just a pure survival reflex. She slid her back down the side of the cabinet until she hit the floor. She pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face in her arms.
Preston sighed. The Carlisle family operated on absolute discretion. He hated noise, especially before his morning coffee.
He waved a hand at Abernathy. "Just get her a different breakfast. Make it something else."
"Father," Julian warned, his voice tight. "You are rewarding indiscipline."
Preston shot his eldest son a look that brokered no argument. "A minor compromise will not bankrupt this family, Julian. Let it go."
Beneath her arms, Aurora's lips twitched into a small smile. She stayed on the floor, keeping up the act, until she heard the clatter of a new plate being set on the table.
She slowly lifted her head. Abernathy had brought a plate of greasy bacon and fried eggs. It wasn't a double cheeseburger, but it was a massive improvement.
She pushed herself off the floor, walked back to her chair, and picked up her fork. She began shoveling the food into her mouth, chewing loudly, completely abandoning the delicate bites she had been trained to take.
Julian watched her eat with pure disgust. "If you embarrass this family at school today, you will be grounded for a month."
The word school made Aurora pause. She chewed the bacon slowly. The face of Connor Hayes flashed in her mind. Her supposed boyfriend. The parasite the family paid to keep her company, who eventually sold her out.
Her stomach churned, killing the rest of her appetite.
She dropped her fork. It clattered against the porcelain. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
"I don't want to see Connor within three feet of me today," she said. Her voice was deadpan.
Julian narrowed his eyes. Connor was a carefully selected companion. Aurora usually followed him around like a lost puppy. This sudden hostility was jarring.
"Is this another one of your pathetic games to get his attention?" Julian demanded.
Aurora let out a cold, sharp laugh. "Connor is a parasite. He's just using me to drain resources from this family. He makes me sick."
The dining room went completely still.
Julian's posture shifted. The annoyance in his eyes vanished, replaced by the sharp, predatory focus of a CEO smelling a bad investment. Aurora's words held too much weight.
Preston slowly lowered his coffee cup. The Carlisle family did not tolerate leeches. "Explain yourself, Aurora."
Aurora shrugged. She didn't have the hard evidence yet. "I just finally saw his fake face for what it is. I'm done with him."
She stood up, pushing her chair back. "I'm going to change into my uniform."
She walked out of the room, leaving her father and brother staring after her. She had successfully planted the seed. Julian's paranoia would do the rest.
Upstairs, Aurora walked into her massive walk-in closet. Rows of custom-tailored, understated prep school uniforms hung in perfect lines. She grabbed a skirt and blouse and pulled them on, her skin still cold from the pool.
She walked over to her full-length mirror. The fifteen-year-old girl staring back at her looked soft, but her eyes were completely dead.
Her phone buzzed on the vanity. The screen lit up with Connor's name.
Her chest tightened with a sudden, violent surge of hatred. She picked up the phone. She hit the decline button. Then, with a few quick taps, she blocked his number.
A second later, a text popped up. Why aren't you answering? Stop acting like a brat.
She scoffed, tossing the phone onto her unmade bed. She needed a reason to skip school today, and Connor's little friends were going to give it to her.
She walked over to her desk and opened the top drawer. She bypassed the expensive pens and grabbed a simple, metal box cutter. She slipped it into the hidden side pocket of her backpack.
The first rule in the quarry: Never enter a room with your hands empty.
She slung the backpack over her shoulder and walked out into the hallway. Maria was coming up the stairs with fresh towels. Aurora locked eyes with her. The maid gasped, pressing her back flat against the wall to let Aurora pass.
Downstairs, Arthur Finch, the family driver, was waiting by the front door. He held his cap in his hands, bowing his head slightly.
"Ready, Miss Carlisle?"
Aurora walked past him and out the door.
Up in the second-floor window, Julian stood looking down at the driveway. He watched Aurora slide into the back of the car. He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed his assistant, Nathan.
"Run a full background check on Connor Hayes," Julian ordered, his voice like ice. "Every text, every bank statement. Now."
The black Maybach slowly rolled down the long driveway. In the backseat, Aurora closed her eyes and leaned her head against the cool leather. Today was going to be a very interesting day.
