That Billionaire is Mine

SIX—THE DARK SIDE OF PRINCIPIUM COLLEGE

EDNA

As the staff ushers us out of the ballroom, I watch them lead the redhead away. She walks with her head held high, which is something I doubt I could have done, considering that terrifying white-eyed boy is beside her. I shiver involuntarily and pull closer to the other girls for warmth. As I walk, a girl violently bumps into me, heading in the same direction as the guards who took the redhead. I frown in confusion, momentarily forgetting to be mad at her for pushing me. Why would she head that way? Nobody stops her; the staff just keeps ushering us out of the room.

After a few minutes of walking, we are led into a large hall that could easily contain a mini football field. My mouth hangs open at the grandeur and splendor. Unimaginably massive chandeliers hanging from the high domed roof cast a dazzling display of light all around. Light even reflects on the spotless marble floor. Sitting regally in the middle of the room are two dining tables—one for students and the other for staff. The elite girls lead the way to the student table—the large one—and begin to seat themselves. The rest of us commoners follow their lead and take our seats at the long marble dining table. I can even see my reflection on the table. After we’re all seated and quieted down, the principal stands to give a speech. I find it weird as I tune out her words. It’s as if the principal and staff are pretending that the events of tonight never happened. The red-haired girl was taken, and that boy in white…I shiver in fear. What is going on in this place? I miss the entire speech, lost in my thoughts. It is the appearance of food that snaps me back to reality. Food. Glorious, mouth-watering dishes are placed before each of us by cooks who strut around with their noses in the air. I don’t mind at all. I grab a spoon and dig in. I’ll worry about conspiracies and weirdos when my stomach is full.

RUBY

We finally come to a halt in front of a room with transparent glass, and I’m led in and forced into a chair. The white-eyed boy takes the only other available seat opposite me and locks his gaze on me. I look away, my face flushed with anger and fear. He creeps me out.

He raises his hand and signals for everyone to leave, putting me on edge. The guards obey immediately, but Severus hesitates, looking between us, until the white-eyed boy nods to him. Then Severus leaves, and now I’m alone. Truly alone with this apex predator.

I gulp and clench my fists in my lap.

For a moment, all is silent, then he speaks. He speaks, and I forget all my fears and anger. Because his voice....his voice is so soft, so alluring, and unbelievably beautiful. I find myself leaning forward, wanting to hear him speak again. Suddenly, I sit back in horror, feeling goosebumps rise on my skin. Why would I find anything about this boy attractive? Everything about him screams danger, and yet....yet my heart is pounding furiously. Not just from fear, but also longing.

It takes me a moment to realize that I didn’t even understand what he had said when he spoke. It was true that he spoke, but I didn’t understand a word. It must have been another language. I arch an eyebrow in question, and he c***s his head curiously. He speaks again, but this time in English. “Do you know what that is?” He gestures to my hair. I almost fly across the table and into his lap. His voice in English is even more melodious, more attractive. I feel warmth spreading inside me, and I struggle to remain still.

He looks at me as if in disbelief, then he repeats his question. This time, I find myself replying before I even realize I opened my mouth. “It’s a hairpin.” A look of satisfaction crosses his face, and he sits back. I freeze for a moment, wondering why I replied even though I didn’t want to, and I frown. “What do you want from me?” I clench my teeth in unexplainable anger.

“I want to know why my family heirloom is in your hair.” He leans back with a bored expression.

My face morphs into shock as I reach out to pull the hairpin from my hair. I take a closer look at it and notice that the design on it is similar to the tattoos on the boy’s body. I grow cold as the hairpin drops from my fingers. “But how could this be?” I ask in disbelief.

“I went out for a walk. When I returned, I noticed someone had entered my room and searched it. When I checked for my most prized possessions, the hairpin was missing.” He stands up and makes his way over to me. When he’s beside me, I feel myself freeze involuntarily. My heart rate spikes. He’s so close, so close that I could brush my fingers against his arm—but I don’t do anything. I remain frozen like a statue, unmoving.

Gently, he picks up the hairpin and stares at me long and hard. I forget to breathe as I lock eyes with him. He stands there for so long that I feel like I’d suffocate and die. Then, the door bangs open, and a girl screams, “That’s enough, Alaric. Get away from her.”

Finally, he breaks our gaze and walks out without another word. “Alaric,” I think; so that’s his name.

The moment he leaves, I slump in exhaustion, struggling to catch my breath. If he’d continued looking at me for one more minute, I’d have died of asphyxiation.

The girl walks in angrily. She gives me a cup of water and gently pats my back as I try to catch my breath. “Sorry you had to go through that,” she apologizes, glaring after Alaric.

She’s an elite, and I look up at her in surprise. “What did he do to me?” I gasp.

“Nothing,” she replies, looking away. “He just has an intimidating presence to most people. You get used to it with time,” she mutters, refusing to meet my eyes. “What’d you mean get used to it?” I ask, but she ignores my question.

“You must be hungry,” she perks up. “Good thing I came with them.” She claps twice, and two kitchen staff walk in with trays of food and fruit for me. They drop it on the table, and the elite female dismisses them.

“What is your name, and why are you helping me?” I ask, feeling apprehensive.

“Vespera,” she replies. “But you can call me Vee.” She gestures for me to eat, but I eye the trays of food skeptically. “Trust me,” she says. “You’ll feel better once you start eating.”

With that, I pick up my spoon and start eating. With each mouthful, I try to ask her what sort of interrogation I just experienced and if they think I stole the hairpin. She tells me they know I’m not the culprit. Each time I try to ask her a question about what Alaric did to me, she just keeps urging me to eat.

Eventually, I finish eating and begin to feel fuzzy and sleepy. Vee helps me up and walks me out the door. The hallway is clear. It seems everyone left after that sham interrogation.

We walk silently for a while until we arrive at Dorm 1. I turn to Vee, “Thank you for, you know....helping out,” I mutter, my cheeks heating in embarrassment. “It’s alright, Ruby,” she responds, looking at me with a worried expression.

I suddenly realize just how sleepy I am. It feels like my eyelids might shut any minute, so I hurriedly bid her goodnight and step inside. When I enter the dorm, everyone is asleep. I try to reach my wardrobe to change out of my ball gown, but I’m so sleepy. I just crash on my bed. Before I lose consciousness, I see the teddy bear girl rise from her bed and stand over me. She gives me a curious look and walks over to my drawer. I try to call out to her, to explain that there was something weird about my food. And Vee....I hadn’t told her my name or my dorm, but she’d known. As the teddy girl returns holding pajamas for me, I pass out into dreamland.