Chapter 20: Protection and Price
(Scarlet's POV)
Mrs. Wright took a deep, shuddering breath. She straightened her spine, trying to claw her way up to a moral high ground that crumbled beneath her feet.
"Julian was so good to you," she hissed, her voice trembling with indignation. "When you first entered Crestwood Academy, you were a nobody. You couldn't even afford the ticket to the Spring Charity Gala. Three thousand dollars. Julian paid that for you out of his own pocket. How can you repay his kindness with such enmity? How could you ruin him?"
I tilted my head to the side. A slow, chilling smile spread across my lips. It wasn't a happy smile. It was a mask.
"Mrs. Wright, drop the act," I said softly.
I took a step toward her. The air between us grew heavy.
"You aren't here
