Page 40 of Hateful Games

“Older or younger?”

“Older.”

“Are you both close?”

“We are,” I answer with a small grin, missing her a little bit. Taking a sip of my coffee, I ask, “Do you have any siblings?”

“I have a stepsister.”

The revelation leaves me intrigued. So does the guarded expression that arises on her face.

“We aren’t close, in case you’re wondering,” she explains, sensing my speculative gaze.

“You seem close to Nova, though.”

Miya doesn’t strike me as the kind who cannot get along with anyone. She practically radiates sunshine and warmth. The fact she came to meet me first thing in the morning screams it.

“Because he isn’t worried that I’m going to steal his fortune,” she reveals, and I don’t miss the hurt beneath her words. The stepsister sounds like a real piece of work. “Even though he actually has one. Is that why you don’t trust me? Because I’m a D’Cruz?”

“No, it’s not because you’re a D’Cruz.” I tell her before dropping my voice low. “I don’t trust you because your loyalty lies with Nova.”

And I don’t easily let people in.

Burned too many times.

“You aren’t wrong but that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.” Leaning forward, she replies in a gentle but firm tone. “I don’t blindly follow my brother, Rosalie. I have my own brain and make my own decisions. Nor do I judge a person solely by who they’re related to. I know our families’ history is tumultuous, which is why I wanted to come meet and let you know that you’ll always have one friendly face. And if you ever decide to give us a chance, then maybe we can even be close friends.”

Instantly, I feel like an ass.

Maybe I judged her too harshly. However, it is hard to fight my natural instincts when all my life people have only tried to get close for nefarious reasons—to use me for their own agenda.

I mean, my own father is guilty of the same crime. The one person in the world who is supposed to protect me and not throw me to the wolves himself.

Or use me as a pawn in his greed for power.

“I understand my uncle and your father hating each other, even our grandfathers, but it makes no sense for the kids to drag themselves into their drama. The hate between you and Nova could cut glass. It’s that thick and I only hung out with you both for a few measly minutes. My brother is a dick but he’s got a good heart underneath his layers, Rosalie.”

A humorless chuckle slips from my mouth before I can contain it. I drop the fork to the plate. The clanking sound startling Miya. Gazing at her, I speak, my voice cutting, “Well, then they are buried way too deep. Probably under concrete.” Pausing, I demand, “Do you even how I became engaged to him?”

She shakes her head, apprehension replacing the light in her eyes.

“I was all but given to him like some property, Miya. I was forced to sign my life over to him, in front of his father, in a legitimate contract with a clause that we can never divorce unless I want to be disowned and left from my father’s will. Not even a penny from Nova either. And you know how old I was? Sixteen.” Once the floodgates open, I can’t stop baring every hurtful detail. “My mother, who I believed was on my side, actually orchestrated the whole idea. Except, both the head of the families decided to take it a step further by forming a joint venture that’ll profit off of our sham of a marriage. While your precious brother, Nova, who claims to despise my family and could’ve said no, stood by and did nothing out of some misguided obligation. Either way, he gets to run a company while I’m the one sacrificing everything. My freedom. My future.”

My outburst leaves her speechless. Horror etching her beautiful features. Unable to withstand the pity that slowly replaces the current emotion, I look away. Several tense minutes pass before she speaks in a small voice.

“I’m so sorry, Rosalie.” I sharply face her when she rests her palm on my balled fist on the table and squeezes in sympathy. “While I’m appalled by the way you were coerced into this arrangement, I’m afraid you’re only looking at one side of the story.”

“Enlighten me then.”

“Did you know Nova was kidnapped when he was seven?”

My jaw goes slack. My spine going rigid, but she’s not finished.

“The rumor is your father was behind it.”

“I don’t believe it,” I mutter flatly. My father wouldn’t do such a heinous crime. For all his flaws, he can’t possibly be capable of it. Most importantly, what will he achieve from it? Miya must read the question in my horrified gaze because she leans back and explains it to me.

“Your father is very subtle in his aggression and hatred toward Nova’s family.”

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