His Obsession, Her Doom: Forbidden Flame

Chapter thirteen

Kayla

After Aiden stormed off, Sadie guided me into my room. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking, the shock of what he’d just done still coursing through me. I had been bullied before, my hands whole life, but never to the point where I truly believed I might die.

Aiden hadn’t always been like this or maybe he had and I’d just been too blind to see how enraged he could be.

I should have seen it coming, but I never imagined he would actually try to kill. What Prince Leonard did must have struck him hard. His ego couldn’t bear it.

When we reached my room, Sadie eased me onto the bed and hurried to fetch a glass of water. Thankfully, my roommate wasn’t there to witness the state I was in, and made me answer multiple questions.

“Here, take this, you will be fine,” she said gently.

I didn’t know what I had done to deserve Sadie’s loyalty but I was endlessly grateful to her, for always standing for me, helping me through the worst moments.

“Thank you,” I whispered, slowly reaching for the cup as tears slipped down my cheeks.

“It’s okay,” she said softly, then gave me a curious look. “But first, what did you do to Aiden? And that bag full of dresses…where did you get them from?”

I froze, scrambling my mind. I knew she would be furious with me, especially after warning me to stay far away from Prince Leonard.

Sadie gave me a sharp, knowing look, her brows lifting. “Prince Leonard?”

I nodded slowly. There was no point in hiding it. Sadie had warned me more than once, now here I was—neck-deep in trouble because of him. My fingers brushed the fabric of the dress he’d bought for me and my chest tightened at the memories of him standing up for me.

I told her everything. Every single detail, without holding anything back.

Sadie’s lips pressed into a thin line as she crossed her arms. A loud sigh escaped her lips. “I knew this would happen.” She started pacing in front of me.

“He’s trouble. I don’t care how charming or protective he seems, getting involved with him only puts a bigger target on your back. Aiden’s not going to stop… and Alice? She stopped pacing, her eyes full of worry. “She’ll come for you.”

At the mention of Alice’s name, my head lifted meeting Sadie’s. The memory of the way she had looked Prince Leonard flashed through my mind, sharp, lingering, almost possessive.A tightness curled low in my stomach, and my mouth felt dry, my pulse fluttering uncomfortably in my throat.

“Why?” I asked, even though a part of me already knew the answer.

“Because Alice likes Leonard. They were a thing, at least to her, on and off. It was messy. And now that he publicly stood up for you?” She shook her head, a grim look on her face. “You’ve just declared war without even realizing it.”

I stared at the floor, my mind spinning. I didn’t know how to feel. I’d sensed something was off between Prince Leonard and Alice. If Sadie was right and deep down, I knew she was, I needed to stay far away from him. I wanted to survive. I had to.

Sadie stepped closer, her voice firm. “You see why you need to stop seeing him? Alice won’t take this lightly, and I won’t always be there to protect you.”

I swallowed the invisible lump in my throat tightening. It was easier said than done. He wasn’t just some random guy, he was Prince Leonard and whatever power he had over others, he was starting to have over me too. Still, I couldn’t risk making Alice my enemy.

“I don’t know what to do, Sadie,” I admitted, my voice cracking. “I really don’t.”

“You have to stay away from him,” she said again, more forcefully this time. Her eyes locked on mine, unrelenting. “Before this gets worse.”

I dragged in a deep breath, fighting the knot in my chest. My lips trembled as I nodded.

“Okay,” I whispered, even though part of me already knew, it wouldn’t be that simple.

That night after Sadie left, sleep was far away from me. I couldn’t stop thinking about what happened today, how Aiden humiliated me, how he hurt me, and what might happen next if I didn’t stay away from Prince Leonard.

It’s not like he really liked me. The only reason he wanted me was because of the mate bond. If I could make him reject me, I would finally be free. Then Aiden, his sister, and all their problems could leave me alone.