Villainess on Ice

Chapter 13

I arrived at the house in record time. I paid for the fare then walked inside where they were waiting for me.

I burst through the door. “Where are they?” I asked anxiously. My body was on a mission and would only stop once I knew they were safe and fine.

“Young Miss, the young master and second young Miss are in the sun room,” a maid said nervously.

I didn’t wait for her to finish speaking. I was already running up the stairs to the sun room.

My mind was in turmoil as it conjured multiple disastrous scenarios that did nothing to curb the worry in my heart.

I shoved the door open, bringing all attention to myself.

“Older sister—” Beth stuttered out in surprise. She was seated on a couch being fed something.

I crossed the room in large strides toward them, moving and shoving the maid in front of me aside.

When I was close enough, I enveloped her in a hug.

“Elder sister Elara,” Eli spoke from my right. I raised my head to where I heard his voice and dragged him in as well.

I didn’t know what overtook me. I didn’t know if it was the thought of almost losing them or if it was the residual sadness from that vision.

But I knew I couldn’t imagine my life without them in it.

Fuck my father. I would willingly sacrifice him if it meant they wouldn’t face any danger.

“Older sister… elder sister…” they both whispered in chorus. I realized I was hugging them too hard.

I released them, laughing at my own silliness.

“Older sister, do you want to actually kill us?” Beth said with a huff, scolding me as she spoke.

I just looked at them. They looked more like my mom than I did. Distinct but more alike, more pronounced. I didn’t understand why he hated them. He should be cherishing them even more than ever.

“Elder sister Elara, are you crying?” Eli’s voice drew my attention back. I touched my face and realized I was crying.

“I guess I was,” I just laughed it off. “I was worried when I got the call. They were just plain neglectful.” I turned to the maids who stiffened under my glare.

“Older sister, stop that.” At the sound of Beth’s stern voice again, I turned my attention back to them. “You can’t neglect your studies or practice. You can’t leave school just because,” she scolded.

“Well, I came here because of you. I had to make sure you were both okay,” I tried to reason with her.

She just shook her head at me disappointedly. “I heard Dante telling you we were fine. You just didn’t listen.” She looked like a parent scolding her child.

I just couldn’t help but let out another laugh. “Okay, fine. I am sorry for coming to see you when I shouldn’t have since Dante said it was okay,” I said, trying to be serious with her. I had to bite the inside of my cheeks to stop myself from laughing.

She nodded her head at me, satisfied. “Alright, now return back to school,” she ordered. I had forgotten how bossy she could be sometimes.

“No way. I just arrived and you are sending me back? At least let me stay until after dinner time,” I tried to persuade her. She looked thoughtfully at me before humming in agreement.

I spent the rest of the day with them, chatting and trying to connect. Most of it was for my own peace of mind. We then had dinner. Thankfully, Father did not appear or else I would have given him a piece of my mind.

When it was time to say goodbye, I hugged them as tight as I could, trying to merge them with my whole being. Another bone-crushing hug like the other one that had them begging me to let them go.

Since I didn’t bring my car, I asked the driver to bring me home.

We were close to my dorm when we were about to pass by the ice rink.

My car.

“Stop the car,” I ordered the driver and got out, turning toward him. “Go back. I left my car here.” He nodded at me as I shut the door. He reversed and drove back.

I went inside the rink. My car wasn’t parked that far from here, but I wanted a minute to myself.

I needed to process everything. Now that the panic had finally left my body, I could focus on my new vision and my suspension.

I took a seat on one of the benches overlooking the rink, thinking of what I was going to do now.

I didn’t know what time it was, but the illumination from the moon was ethereal and breathtaking.

“There you are,” a voice spoke from behind me, startling me in the process.

“Oh, Draven. It’s just you,” I said, placing a hand on my head instinctively, remembering his actions from this morning.

“Were you expecting someone else?” he asked. I could hear a light teasing in his tone.

I heard his footsteps getting closer until he came into view. He made his way close to me and sat a few feet away.

“Yeah, the night janitor,” I joked, teasing him right back.

“Wow, you put me on the same pedestal as a cleaner,” he said with a huff. “But if it means I get to clean your heart then I will gladly become a janitor for you,” he added. He was flirting with me again. I felt my face go hot at his words.

“Yeah right,” I rolled my eyes at him, turning away so he wouldn’t see the effect he had on me.

“Your friend was looking for you. Said your number wasn’t going through,” he said out of nowhere, which made me realize I hadn’t checked in with Paisley since this morning. Now I just remembered I forgot my phone in the car coming back.

“I had a bit of an emergency,” I replied, keeping it surface level.

He hummed at my explanation. “I heard about your suspension from your friend.”

“Huh?” I looked at him in confusion.

“That’s why your friend was calling. She saw you got suspended from the exhibition matches. She thought you did something when she couldn’t get through to you,” he explained.

“Wait, how did you find out?” I was really confused at this. How did the news break out?

“It’s all over your campus forums.”

I already knew who was responsible. That damn b***h wanted to humiliate me so desperately. Damn it.

“Between you and me, I don’t think you would resort to enhancers. You performed so flawlessly. You are too darn disciplined to do such,” he added.

“How did you know that? I have never performed in the same room as you before,” I narrowed my eyes at him.

“I have watched your performances. And besides, you come off as someone who wouldn’t resort to such cheap measures to reach the top. You want to get there on your own merit.” Hearing him praise my character did something to me. It made me realize how a stranger would judge my character when those closest to me couldn’t.

“Thanks for saying those cheesy words.”

“Are you crying because of them?” he asked, his hand gently tilting my face to look at him.

I turned to face him and became more aware of how much space was left between us. He was closer than before.

“No, it’s from the family emergency.” I was made very aware of our current position, seeing our breaths fanning against each other.

Our lips an air apart.

Just a bit more closer and they would touch.

Remembering I just got out of one toxic relationship, I pulled back away from him. My treacherous body almost gave in — it was pleading to know what his lips tasted like. But the logical part screamed at me not to. I just left one relationship. It was too soon to consider anything.

“I should probably text Paisley.” I moved to stand. I saw the look of disappointment in his eyes before he looked away.

“You should,” he stood up as well.

I started walking to where the lockers were, precisely the female locker room. “I left my phone in the car that dropped me off. I want to get my backup in my locker.”

“Sure. I did text your friend when I saw you sitting here,” he spoke. I turned to face him, making a face that said ‘why didn’t you tell me this?’

“Sorry, forgot. It slipped my mind.” He pulled out his phone. “She texted me to tell you to call her back.”

I walked inside the locker room, heading for my locker. I still heard his footsteps behind me. “You know this is the women’s locker room, right?”

“There is no one in the entire building except us.”

I was very much aware of that fact as he spoke.

I put in my combination to open the door, and the first thing that hit me was the smell. A foul smell like something had died.

“What was that?” Kai asked from behind me, pointing at the floor.

It was a piece of paper, folded in half.

I picked it up, almost vomiting in the process. Unfolding it.

It read: ‘The Untouchable Queen will soon be touchable.’

Somebody was threatening me. Who had the guts to do such a thing?

What the f**k.

I knew this had Rozetta written all over it.