6. I Killed Her
1162 Words
Raine POV
“What are you doing there, Raine?” she asked with a gruff voice.
I turned back, my tone already laced with annoyance. I did not flinch because of her question. I had been in the Mafia all my life. Questions like this never caught me by surprise. What made me flinch was the way her harsh voice scratched against my skin.
“I came here to serve tea, Dad!” I said boldly, walking straight into the office without bothering to answer the burdensome woman standing by the door.
Of course, I knew exactly what I was doing by putting weight on the word tea. Now they would wonder if I had heard their dirty little conversation. The truth was that I had recorded part of it already. I could not move too fast or I might ruin the plan, not when the Blue Moon pack was already included in my game.
I placed the tea on the desk and turned to hand one cup to Elaris. At the last moment, I pulled it back and smiled.
I placed the tea on the desk and turned to hand one cup to Elaris. At the last moment, I pulled it back and smiled.
“The tea is actually too cold now,” I said lightly, though my smirk almost gave me away. Then my gaze trailed over her, taking in her flashy style. “But I do love your golden hoop earrings.”
Her face brightened, and she tilted her head in that fake sweet way women like her always did. “Oh really? If you want one, you can have it.”
That was the moment I knew—Elaris was exactly the type I had dealt with a thousand times in the Mafia world. A green tea b***h. Sweet on the surface, bitter underneath. Always acting generous when in truth she only wanted to show off what she had. The type that smiled to your face while stabbing you in the back.
So I accepted her offer without a blink. I reached out, slid the golden hoops from her ear, and tucked them into my pocket like I was taking back something already mine.
Then I turned and was about to walk out of the office. She must have been cursing me on the inside and blaming on her own false sweetness.
~~~~
The office door burst open and Bella stormed inside like she owned the place. Her heels clicked loudly against the floor until she stopped right in front of the Beta.
“Dad! I have finally found the perfect school!” she announced, her eyes shining like she had just won a crown.
At once, the room shifted. The Beta leaned forward in his chair, his brows rising in surprise. Even Elaris tilted her head with a smile that looked more greedy than pleased. Everyone seemed to hold their breath, waiting for Bella to speak.
I stood there too, but unlike the rest, not a single flicker of emotion touched my face. Inside, my curiosity stirred, but on the surface I was stone.
“Moonstone Academy!” Bella squealed. “Can you believe it? And I heard Lucian Thornfield is attending too! Just thinking about it makes me want to burst with happiness. Imagine me dating him…”
The Beta cut in sharply. “Bella, you are already dating Trevor.”
Bella waved a careless hand. “Dad, what Trevor? Isn’t Lucian Thornfield even better? Trevor is nothing compared to him. Imagine the wealth, the power, the connections we could gain if I was with Lucian.”
Her words floated in the air like perfume, thick and sweet, choking the room. I could see the Beta’s face flicker with pride at the thought. Elaris gave her daughter a sly approving look.
Then Bella’s gaze snapped back to me. Her eyes landed on the golden hoop earrings in my hand. For one second, her smile cracked.
And that was when I allowed myself the smallest smirk. Not enough for anyone else to notice, but enough for Bella to feel.
“Mommy! Why did you give her that? You know how much I loved that piece. I’ve been asking about it for months and you just gave it away!” Bella’s shrill voice cracked the air.
“Don’t worry, Bella,” her mother cooed, patting her hand. “Dad will buy you another one.”
“Dad,” Bella whined, stomping over to the man who dared to call himself my father. “I can’t wait another three months. I want it now.”
He sighed, rubbing his temple. “Alright fine. Raine, you rarely go out anyway. Why didn’t you just give it to your sister?”
I resisted the urge to laugh in his face. But I remembered my place in this mansion and the truth that they were all wolves, and I was still playing my game. So instead, I leaned close to his ear and whispered.
“Dad, I only wanted to keep it so I could wear it if we ever get a family visit. You know it would damage your reputation if I dressed like a hag, doesn’t it?”
I saw the flicker of hesitation in his eyes, and then the inevitable nod. The trick worked just as I predicted. I slipped away with the golden hoops still mine.
“Stop!” Bella’s high-pitched voice rang out as I turned the corner. She stormed up behind me, her little face twisted with rage. “You must be feeling so smug and proud, huh? Listen to me—this isn’t the end. It’s just the beginning.”
I turned slowly and gave her a smile that wasn’t really a smile. “Well, well, Bella Knight. Or should I say… Bella the live-in guest? Don’t mix up my name with yours. Evernight is my bloodline. You and your mother? You’re just visitors in my father’s house.”
Her eyes flashed. “I can’t stand you!”
“Then kneel,” I shot back.
Her jaw fell open, anger pouring out of her. “I knew what you did the other day. You pushed me on purpose and then pretended to faint!”
I shrugged. “So what? You have no proof, Bella.”
She narrowed her eyes at me, and for a second her voice lost its bite. “Why do I feel like you’re different from before?”
That made me pause. My steps halted, my mind still for just a breath. Could she have noticed?
I turned to her with calm precision, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear like she was a child.
“I’ll tell you this only once, Bella. The old Raine is gone.”
Her lips parted. “What happened to her?” she whispered.
I leaned close, my words sharp enough to cut. “I killed her.”
And the hallway went silent.
- Writer
