Page 162 of Finish Line

“Do you think your dad will allow us to question her?” Cin asks.

“I guess we’ll find out,” Mav says.

“This isn’t a good time to bring this up, but your birthday is right around the corner. You said you’d talk about it later.” Luke brings up.

I rub my eyes. “You’re big on celebrating things, but I’m not in the right head space to celebrate this year.”

Cam, who is sitting beside me, takes my hand. “Not even something small with us?”

“Come on, Shelby. It’s your eighteenth birthday.” Mav dances.

“Guys, I appreciate what you’re doing, but I’m not in the mood.” I leave the room.

The next day, we’re in the formal living room on the other side of the house. We’re waiting for Dom and Mav’s parents to show up.

This side of the house is stuffy and museum-like. I’m afraid to touch anything. I’m scared to sit on the cream-colored couch.

Two paintings hang on the wall. One is a tacky portrait of Katherine, and the other is from Monet’s Water Lilies series. Of course, she’d have my favorite painting as a token of how rich she is.

“Why are you demanding I be here?” Katherine storms into the room, halting in front of the couch. “What the hell is going on?!”

“Mrs. Knight, my name is Louis Scott. I’m a hypnotist.” He holds out his hand.

Chad walks into the room. “I’m sorry, a what?”

They ignore Louis’s hand. Chad ushers a prune-faced Katherine to a seat, then sits beside her.

“A hypnotist, Dad. Several months ago, we discovered we were hypnotized to hate Shelby,” Mav explains.

“Is that why you were so angry for those two months after the Black and White Ball?” he asks.

“Yes, Mr. Knight. Frank found Mr. Scott, and he undid the hypnosis, clearing our minds and making it so we could never have hypnosis used against us again,” Luke says.

“This is ridiculous.” Katherine stands. “I’m not going to listen to this shit.”

Chad grabs hold of Katherine’s wrist. “And you think one of us may have been hypnotized?” He looks over his shoulder at Frank, who stands at the entrance to the formal living room.

“Yes, sir. Someone leaked confidential information. We’ve investigated the household staff, and they were cleared. Me included. I even had Mr. Scott do to me what he did for the guys, making it so hypnosis has no power over me,” Frank says.

“Sit down, Katherine.” Dad looks at Mr. Scott. “What are you going to do?”

Eyeing the exits, Katherine sits.

“I’ll try to put you under and ask you questions. I won’t ask you anything about your company, though,” Louis says.

“How can you be all right with this? This guy is going to be in your brain,” Katherine protests.

“Katherine, enough!” Chad bellows. “Frank and the boys are here to monitor the situation.”

I step forward. “The man responsible for shooting Mav and Dom held me captive for a month. He hypnotized me and the guys. His manipulation of us disrupted our lives and impacted those we love.”

“I’m sorry he had you.” Chad sounds upset for me, not at me. “That must have been horrible.”

“You believe this bullshit?” She waves her hand around. “Where is the hard ass I married?”

Chad turns toward his wife. “Long gone, thank God, and why would they lie? It seems like you are protesting a little too much.” Chad narrows his eyes. “What do you have to hide, Katherine?”

She fidgets. “Nothing.”

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