I'd made my choice.
I lifted my phone and dialed a number only the Voss family could reach.
"Ethan Ward. It's Kael. I need you to handle a personal traffic incident personally. Thanks."
Ethan Ward — head of Voss Group Legal, a Harvard law doctor with thousands of cases under his belt. The kind of lawyer who could ruin lives with a single filing.
I ended the call and glanced at the two girls.
"Ethan Ward. Look him up. He'll be in touch soon. You can argue your little 'mutual apology' idea with him."
I turned to leave.
They'd never been up against real power before.
Chloe panicked and rushed in front of me, grabbing my arm. She was tiny next to me, big round eyes wet and pleading, her soft voice trembling.
"Please… don't get a lawyer. Please."
A stupid, twisted part of me stirred.
In my past life, I'd been so busy simping for Lila that I'd ignored every other girl — all to keep some fake "good guy" image. Meanwhile, Jax took whatever he wanted, and these girls threw themselves at him.
Not this time.
I was done being the hero.
I was going to be the villain.
I smiled coldly.
"So you're no longer letting Lila speak for you?"
Chloe shook her head so hard her hair bounced.
"You and I can talk alone?"
She nodded fast.
I looked at Lila.
"You're done here. Scram."
Lila's face twisted.
"Chloe, don't listen to him! I won't let him bully you!"
"Leave. Or my lawyer arrives in five minutes."
Chloe practically begged. "Just go, Lila! I'll catch up with you!"
Lila glared daggers at me, stormed off, and wheeled her bike away.
I watched her go, eyes narrowing.
We were in the same school now.
This was only the beginning.
I called Ethan and told him to stand down for now.
I opened the passenger door for Chloe, my tone polite but dangerous.
"Get in."
She climbed in nervously, shrinking into the seat.
I sat behind the wheel and looked straight at her.
"You really don't want your parents finding out about this, do you?"
She shook her head so fast she looked dizzy.
"Twenty thousand isn't something I can just forget."
"I'll work! I'll pay you back over four years!"
She was still innocent, still naive. Not like the girls who'd already learned to manipulate guys for money.
"Four years? I don't have that kind of time. I have a better idea — one that lets you walk away free."
"What?"
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
Chloe froze. She saw the smirk on my face and tensed up.
"I… I do! He goes to Havenshire too! We've been together a year!"
A lie. I knew it.
In the near future, both her and Lila would fall for Jax Cole, fight over him, then become his little groupies.
I leaned in, amused.
"Wouldn't it be fun if something happened between us? Make him mad?"
"Stop joking!"
I laughed, but I wasn't joking.
I let her sit in silence, then spoke again.
"You know you're cute, right? One of the top girls in the design department."
She pressed herself against the door, uncomfortable under my gaze.
"What… what do you want?"
Click.
I locked the doors.
"I'll cancel your debt. But I want to know what your lip balm tastes like."
"I… I'm not wearing any!"
"Then I'll have to check for myself."
Chloe looked terrified.
Back in high school, guys had only ever written her notes or blushed around her. No one had ever cornered her like this.
She held her hands over her mouth.
"No! Please don't!"
I wasn't the old me — desperate for pure love.
But I wasn't a monster who'd force her.
I wanted her to come to me, even if she hated every second.
I lit a cigarette and took a slow drag.
"Choose. Pay me twenty thousand, or let me kiss you."
The smoke made her cough. The car went quiet.
When I finished the cigarette, I unlocked the doors.
"Get out. My lawyer will find you this afternoon."
"NO!!"
I stared at her, ice in my voice.
"My patience runs out fast."
She bit her lip so hard it turned white.
"C‑can it just be… on the cheek?"
I shrugged. "Sure."
She closed her eyes, leaned forward shakily, trying to convince herself a cheek kiss didn't count.
At the last second, I turned my head.
Our lips crashed together.
Chloe jumped back like she'd been electrocuted, wiping her mouth wildly. Tears welled in her big eyes.
I pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled on it.
"Twenty thousand total. One kiss = one thousand off. You now owe nineteen thousand. Sign this."
That broke her.
Tears streamed down her face.
Her first kiss — only worth 1,000?
"You lied! You said it would cancel the debt!"
"It canceled one thousand. Do that twenty times, you're free."
I held up the paper. There were twenty blank boxes. Only the first was checked.
Chloe sobbed but signed. She pressed her fingerprint next to it in red ink.
I stared at the nineteen empty spaces and smiled.
This was my new life.
Dark. Cold.
And just getting started.