Page 129 of Hidden Empire

I’m going to get you! I almost snap, too worried to turn around and scream in her face. I am so sick of power-tripping teachers. Empire needs a whole staff makeover stat!

“Not your fucking dog,” Svenson bites out, but I hear him trail me nonetheless.

I run so fast that my legs ache, flying down the stone stairs as unenthused steps follow behind. I throw myself into the pool room, frantically searching for Ivan. I find him in the shallow end, seemingly taking a break with his water bottle in hand.

Without thinking, I scream his name and rush over to him, jumping into the water fully clothed so he can protect me. From the corner of my eye, I see the other Morozov students stand up, preparing for a fight.

“Jade?” He gapes, closing the distance between us quickly. He pulls me into his chest, eyes already starting to scan the room for threats. “Hey, hey, hey,” he soothes. “What happened?”

I suck back air, catching my breath. “She didn’t believe me! She tried to make me fight and sent some guy to run after me!”

One of his men has Svenson pinned to the wall the second the words leave my lips. He grunts in pain but doesn’t fight back. It’s not exactly his fault, but I really don’t give a shit about him right now.

“What do you mean she didn’t believe you?”

“She thinks I forged the note because it’s from your doctor,” I explain, still breathing hard. “What if I got hit in the stomach?”

“Fucking calm down,” Svenson snaps, starting to struggle against the big ass guy who has him against the wall. “I wasn’t going to touch her, I don’t have a death wish.”

“Then why did you follow her?” Ivan demands coldly.

“Would have brought her to Armani,” he grunts. “I don’t plan to lose my head any time soon. I’m not getting on the Morettis’ bad side for a goddamn teacher.”

It’s easy to believe him when nothing he says sounds like a lie.

“He didn’t touch me,” I say, lifting my chin at the man in question. He’s much less frightening when he has no control over his body. “You can let him go.”

The guy with his hands on Svenson looks to Ivan for instruction.

His eyes are dark as he tells me, “He didn’t touch you, but he scared you.”

“It wasn’t his fault,” I reason gently. “No one else even saw the note, so he didn't know, and he followed slowly.”

“He can go,” Ivan relents but narrows his eyes on the man. “But let everyone in your camp know that no one messes with Jade. She’s not just under her family’s protection now. Understand?”

“Got it,” he gripes, straightening himself out. “Always a fucking pleasure, Morozov.”

“Remember that,” Ivan bites out in return. Turning to me, he picks me up in his arms and walks me out of the pool. Water rushes off us, heavy bits of it stuck to my clothes, making them cling to me.

“Come on, let me get you warmed up and dried off.” Ivan sits down on a wood bench, keeping me in his lap with my legs hanging over his thigh.

Several towels are handed to him at once, and I’m realizing just now how big of a presence the Morozovs have on campus. There have to be ten men in this room practically catering to us. I let Ivan wrap me up, shivering a little bit from the air.

“One of you go get Dmitri. Tell him that Ivan says his Koroleva is fine,” Ivan instructs, putting a big emphasis on fine. “But she needs him. Bring him here, we’ll wait.”

Someone with a similar build as Ivan heads to the door, already making a speedy get-a-way. Man, these guys work fast.

“You alright?” Ivan asks, continuing to try and dry me off as best as he can. With my uniform soaked, I’ll only be able to get completely dry when I change. Still, being less drowned by my clothes is helpful.

I cough, clearing the emotion from my throat. “I’m okay.”

Ivan tells someone to grab his water bottle, and it’s handed over in a second flat. Noticing my hands are shaking, likely from leftover adrenaline, he lifts the open bottle to my lips. Tipping the liquid slowly into my mouth, he watches carefully when I swallow so that he doesn’t give me too much.

“Shit,” he hisses, holding my thighs tighter to him. I hadn’t noticed them beginning to shake. “She’s fucking dead.”

“I’m f-fine,” I whisper, lifting my mouth up for another drink.

“You’re not fine, you’re in shock,” he returns. “We need to get you changed into dry clothes and take you back to the doctor so he can monitor your vitals.”

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