After He Played Me, I Teamed Up With His Rival

Chapter 3

When I got home, my phone was drowning in Kieran's messages.

[Raven, that was too far! Do you have any idea how humiliated I was today?]

[Tessa is just a young girl. Why couldn't you just let it go?]

[You need to apologize to her right now. Otherwise, I will never forgive you!]

I read his twisted accusations and felt nothing but hollow irony.

He used my money to fund his little romance. I'd let it slide. Consider it money thrown to a stray dog. But now she'd climbed over my head, and I was the one who had to apologize? And pay for the damages?

I tapped his profile. Hit block.

The world went blissfully silent.

The next day, I applied for a business trip. Partly to clear my head with a change of scenery. Partly because I couldn't be bothered to deal with Kieran anymore.

But when I dragged my suitcase home a few days later, I heard music pounding from inside my villa.

I walked in, frowning. The living room was a war zone. A dozen young men and women were crammed together, drinking, playing cards. Empty bottles and snack wrappers littered the floor. My new sofa was trampled with footprints. There was even graffiti on the wall.

And Kieran sat at the center of it all. On my couch. With Tessa curled in his arms. Looking for all the world like the master of the house.

A guy with bleached hair let out a whistle. "Damn, Kieran. This is the mansion your parents gave you? It's insane!"

Kieran tilted his chin up, smug. "You clearly haven't seen much. This is actually the cheapest property I own."

Tessa snuggled closer, her voice dripping with honey. "I always knew Kieran was the best. Not like some old woman who only knows how to use family ties to hold onto him."

Their words stabbed into my ears like needles.

I drew a slow breath. Took out my phone. Called the police.

"Hello? I'd like to report a crime. Someone has broken into my home. There appears to be... debauchery occurring."

My voice was calm. Quiet, even. But it cut through the noise like a blade.

The music screeched to a halt. Every face in the room turned toward me.

Kieran's smug grin froze solid. He hadn't expected me back so soon. And he certainly hadn't expected me to call the cops.

He scrambled to push Tessa aside and stood up, forcing a weak smile.

"Raven... you're back already? These are just my classmates. We were just hanging out."

I let out a cold laugh, scanning the wreckage of my living room.

"Hanging out? You turned my house into a landfill. Kieran, have you forgotten whose name is on the deed?"

The bleached-haired guy swaggered forward, glaring at me with open hostility. "Who the hell are you? What gives you the right to claim this is your place?"

"This is Kieran's house. It's got nothing to do with you!"

A girl beside him chimed in immediately. "Exactly! Get the hell out, or we'll make you!"

Tessa stood up too, arms crossed, staring me down. "So that's why you suddenly agreed to us being together. You were just waiting to come back and catch us. Typical scheming old hag."

Kieran looked at my dark expression. His courage faltered. But he still clung to his pride.

"Raven, don't be mad. We'll leave right now. Just tell the cops not to come. It'd be way too embarrassing if this got out."

He edged closer, dropping his voice to a coaxing murmur. "Raven, just play along with this once. I'll forget everything that happened before. We can go back to how things were. I'll be good to you again."

I cut him off, my eyes like ice. "Kieran, do you seriously believe I'll still indulge you the way I used to?"

The sirens grew louder. They stopped right outside the villa.

Without another word, I handed the property deed to the police. Once they confirmed I was the owner, they began taking everyone in.

Kieran's face went bone-white. He had never imagined I would actually call the police on him.

The rest of them were just as stunned, their eyes wide with shock and growing fear.

Kieran panicked. He grabbed my arm, his voice dropping to a desperate plea. "Raven, I know I messed up. Next time, I'll ask you first. I swear. Just forgive me this once, okay?"

I shook him off. Looking at his groveling figure, I barely recognized him.

The boy I once knew—the one with the clear eyes, who blushed and stammered out thank-yous when I gave him an extra hundred dollars—how had he turned into this?

This time, I didn't hesitate. I watched coldly as the police took them all away.