Page 78 of The Blackmail of Denise Randall

TheFashionPrincess

@SEVEN I think you need to leave me alone. I have a boyfriend.

SEVEN

@TheFashionPrincess How’s his leg?

I gasp. Is he talking about Keaton? Does he know he was stabbed? Did Seven send someone to my house? Okay, don’t freak out Denise.

TheFashionPrincess

@SEVEN He’s not my boyfriend. But thank you for your concern.

SEVEN

@TheFashionPrincess If he comes to your house again, I’ll have the whole leg cut off. You’re mine, Princess.

TheFashionPrincess

@SEVEN I don’t even know you.

SEVEN

@TheFashionPrincess Isn’t your supply low by now? It’s be a while.

TheFashionPrincess

@SEVEN I don’t use anymore.

SEVEN

@TheFashionPrincess Because he told you a sad story? He got in your head.

TheFashionPrincess

@SEVEN At least I know who I’m talking to when I talk to him.

SEVEN

@TheFashionPrincess Do you?

I log off. How do I tell anyone about this, without exposing my connection to Seven?

The police are investigating Wyatt, but they’ve found nothing to connect him to my attacker. He comes out squeaky clean. I think that’s because he doesn’t have anything to do with it. This is Seven’s doing. But who is he?

I grab my phone and find a voicemail from Wyatt. I press play.

“Really Denise? Really! I’m a suspect for you being attacked? Let me get this straight, I’m being deemed as a psychopath for calling you. Sorry, I’m not wanting to throw away our friendship. Nobody finds it suspicious that Keaton Sloan pops into your life and turns everything around. He set this up. Conveniently, he drives you to Charlee’s house after I’d only been there thirty-minutes.

Second voicemail:

Next thing you know, we’re broken up. No talking it out or anything—just done. Next, he gets pushed away by Trent and Noah. So he happens to be at your house when there’s a break-in after he got his ass handed to him by Trent. Now he has the family approval since he’s some kind of hero. Oh, and the best part—nobody saw the intruder but him because he told you to go to the back of the house. That’s rich. Grazing himself with the knife was a nice touch. You’re too sm-”

The voicemail cuts him off. I hold the phone to my ear and stare off into the distance, not really focusing on anything. I feel a cold chill spread down my spine. Wyatt’s trying to get into my head. I should delete the messages and ignore all his ridiculous notions. But, instead, I stare at the screen. My finger hovers over the delete button, but I press play. I listen to them again. And then a third time. No, that’s crazy.

Is it? It’s interesting that Wyatt knows all the details…was he involved? But it’s a small town. Maybe he heard about it? Seven knew the details. Is Wyatt Seven? Is…Keaton…Seven? Are they the same? Could he be…No. That’s ridiculous.

But what if Keaton did set this up? He’s tricked me before. He got me to go on a date only to show up his girlfriend and expose Wyatt. My breathing begins to increase. I lift my hands into my head and scrape my nails against my scalp, tugging on my hair. I can’t catch my breath. Was it all a prank? An elaborate prank? Was he trying to get back at Trent? No. No, no, no. Who would go that far? But who would go as far to break into my house? Wyatt? Keaton? Seven? Who’s the real psychopath? Why me? Why? I gasp for breath. I need to calm down, but I can’t slow down my breathing. I try to stand up but sway. I try to grab the chair for support, but it turns over. I’m so dizzy. Darkness takes over.

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