Page 1 of Hateful Games

Chapter One

Rosalie

(Sixteen years old)

How is it that one realizes they’re walking toward their doom only seconds away from it?

Just measly moments before so you can’t escape it.

As though the man sitting above wants to do the bare minimum in order to fend off his guilt and skate free by saying… “Oh child, I did give you a warning. Not my fault you didn’t take it.”

Well, he and I are going to have a talk later.

Rest be assured, I’m not going to sit back and let my life be ruined. Whatever awaits me on the other side cannot be worse than what I’ve already suffered. And… survived.

I take the flight of stairs as slow as humanly possible after my father summoned me to his home office through one of our many butlers. Yes, summoned because even at home, he prefers to be treated like a king, royalty—which we’re not—since anything lesser than that is beneath him. Beneath the Kapoor family name.

I’m surprised he even remembers my existence, let alone my name, and actually asked for me since he behaves as though I’m invisible. That single reason itself tells me it can’t be for anything good.

Usually, we have my mom as a buffer but currently, she’s traveling for one of her several yearly charity galas, which causes a spike in my anxiety.

Stopping before my father’s study, I knock on the door once and wait.

“Come in.”

The door doesn’t make a creak as I push it open and enter. My feet skid to a screeching halt when I notice who are sitting opposite my father’s large mahogany desk, which he had custom-made.

Yes, we are a bunch of snobbish people.

Once when I was a kid, I had sneaked in here because the little me enjoyed the otherworldly feel of the room. As if it were carved straight out of a Harry Potter movie, which I was obsessed with at the time and had binge-read the whole series. And whoever says movies are better than the books, they don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about.

Because they obviously haven’t read a book in their lives.

I would sit at my father’s chair and pretend I was the professor at my own magic university. Accidently, I ended up writing on the wooden desk with a black marker, leaving a permanent spot. When my dad had found out I ruined his precious table, he had blown a gasket. I was yelled at for not having manners and imprisoned in my own room, with strict orders to not be let out for a whole week.

Jasmine, my older sister, would sneak in to keep me company, but nothing gets past my ruthless father. He sent her over to our aunt’s place so she wouldn’t attempt to help me again.

Even today, the memory of being locked away makes me shudder and it’s the reason I despise and dread being alone. The only difference is that instead of people, I enjoy my dog’s company. And my childhood best friend, Bianca.

The same dreadful feeling is coursing through my veins now.

“Take a seat, Rosalie,” my dad’s authoritative voice calls out, yanking me from my murky past.

As I enter deeper into the dark room with high ceilings like those in an old library, an ominous feeling takes root deep in my gut. It is well-known to our staff and my sister that I’m the invisible child. The forgotten offspring. A mistake and a disappointment when I wasn’t born with a dick between my legs. Thus, ruining my father’s grandiose plan of having an heir to pass his legacy on to.

Apparently, we still live in the Dark Ages.

Everyone is aware of the sad truth except my lovely mother.

Most times, I even prefer being invisible. Especially at this very second.

It hasn’t escaped my notice that my father’s cruelty surfaces at full velocity when she’s traveling. A suspicious voice whispering it’s one of his motives for keeping her calendar busy with various events, charities, and galas. So he has free rein with his torment of me.

I keep my expression impassive as I’ve been taught by my media instructor. When you’re born a Kapoor in the world, showing emotions is a sin. A weakness for your enemies to pounce on. However, the biggest one is sitting right across from me.

The D’Cruzes.

The patriarch, Danish D’Cruz, the CEO of the Cruz Empire, and his venomous offspring—Nova D’Cruz, the sole heir to the D’Cruz legacy.

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