Page 24 of Delilah In Discretion

“Kimiko is going to be the president of the student government, and your voice won’t overpower the students anymore.”

I scoffed before a smile broke out on my face. “I don’t think you know how much control I have in this institution. Who’s to say Kimiko will even win—?”

She promptly cut my words short. “You already know she will. Brad was never strong enough to lead; you made him your puppet. They believe in Kimiko. She’s shown the students her determination, and her best friend could have her father do whatever she asks. That could affect the entire academy. The bottom line is Delilah and Archer came back, and things are going to change.”

My jaw ticked. “I’ll take care of Kimiko. Archer, in the way of me getting to know Killian Russel’s precious daughter, is just a minor setback,” I retorted, and she sighed.

“Just like you, Luca, I don’t like change. I don’t like that Delilah has everyone’s attention and is the ‘best’ student in every class—”

“Is someone a bit jealous of the new girl?” I asked, chuckling, and she rolled her eyes.

“Say what you want, but I’m just warning you. I surely can’t do anything about it, but you may be able to.”

“Correction.I will be able to,” I muttered, now annoyed at her presence as I walked away from her.

I went on my way once again, and I chuckled. Kimiko? Archer? Those two are the least of my problems, especially Kimiko. A little threatening, and the student body will be as good as mine.

Her friend Delilah was different. I quite liked the prospect of having a little doll I could break, but my rather juvenile methods probably needed refinement. Despite that, Delilah’s resilience was a new challenge… and rather alluring in a sense. It only made the game more interesting.

Chapter eight

Delilah

Sitting in my room, I listened to my father’s frantic steps as he went between my, Zachary, and Ivory’s rooms every ten minutes to see if we were almost done getting ready. He didn’t want to be late, so, of course, I was finishing my hair and makeup an hour before the event.

In contrast, he walked through the halls looking dressed and prepared like he had to leave in the next five minutes. He came into my room, and I looked over to him as I finished my last curl.

He gave a genuine smile. “I’m so happy to see you almost done, sweetheart. Between your siblings, mother, and Blaine, I’m slowly starting to grow more agitated by the second.”

“Don’t worry, Dad. I know. Kimi is almost done, too, so there’s no need to stress about her household. Now, bother Mom. I bet she hasn’t even picked out her dress.”

“Not to worry, love. I already did that for her.”

I rolled my eyes as he swiftly walked out of the room.

I heard the door next to me open, and not a second later, my sister screamed.

“NO, DAD, NO! I’m getting dressed. Get out!!”

“But you don’t even have the dress out of the—” he started, but my mother’s voice rang out.

“Killian. Leave the children alone.”

At the tone of her voice, my father closed Ivory’s door and sighed heavily as he’d been defeated once again. I giggled as I stood up and prepared to put on my clothes.

Dad wasn’t crazy… no, that’s too light of a word to use. Always a perfectionist, possibly bipolar, angry and short-tempered, more than rationally in love with his wife, and continuously intolerable… but crazy? No, I wouldn’tjustsay that.

I entered my walk-in closet and gazed at the burgundy, long, and elegant dress my father’s tailors had designed for me. It had a small design on the front and beautiful ruffles at the bottom.

I got dressed, and finally, we all finished and were getting ready to leave. As expected, my siblings and my mother were dressed to perfection. Benjamin escorted us out as George stood by the limo waiting for us.

Stepping into the limo, he drove off, and we heard someone beep the horn behind us for a few moments. My siblings and I turned to see Uncle Blaine and Uncle Shin behind us, too.

My father sighed. “I was silently hoping we could make it there before they spotted us, but... mission failed,” he remarked, and my mother looked over at him, appalled.

“Was that why you had us getting ready hours before we even had to be?”

“Why else not? I even had Eugene keep a lookout to see if they were getting ready, much to his wife’s dismay,” Dad said dejectedly, and I had to hide my smile. He was always comically using Uncle Eugene and his previous experience in the military to his advantage, and it always annoyed Mom to see her brother giving in to his antics.

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