Page 15 of Ruthless Royalty

“Respect is earned, fucker,” Connor chimes in, sauntering over with that infuriatingly charming grin. “She just doesn’t care who you are.”

“That’s exactly it,” I say, my irritation mounting. “She doesn’t care, and that’s what’s pissing me off.”

Mihai pats my back. “Poor baby,” he says in a condescending tone before he walks over to her, where she’s sitting with Cat and Marina.

The more I watch her, the more I realize how much her attitude is getting under my skin. She’s got this aura of nonchalance that shouldn’t be there. She’s new, and she’s supposed to be intimidated, but instead, she’s acting like she owns the place.

“She doesn’t look like she’s having a hard time,” my friend Marco says, joining me on the bench. He follows my line of sight and smirks. “She’s got guts, though.”

“Guts or stupidity?” I retort, leaning back and crossing my arms. “She thinks she can just stroll in here and act like she belongs.”

“That’s exactly what makes her interesting, G,” Marco says.

My attention is pulled away as she starts a conversation with a few students near the art building. From the way they’re reacting, she’s holding her own, exchanging laughs and comments with ease.

It’s like she’s already found her place, and that’s where the irritation kicks in.

“I don’t like it,” I say, mostly to myself. “I don’t like how she’s making it look so easy not being born a Crown.”

Marco raises an eyebrow. “So, what are you going to do about it?”

As he asks that, I think about the upcoming Legacy Week and what we’ve planned for the freshmen this year.

I turn to him with a cold smile. “I’m going to make sure she knows her place.”

I decide then and there that I’m going to make her life hell. Not just because I dislike her, but because her presence irritates me. It’s not just about asserting my dominance—it’s about keeping the balance.

If she’s allowed to walk through this place without feeling the weight of it, then where does that leave everyone else?

Later in the day, I find her at her locker again, rifling through her things. She’s alone, which is the perfect opportunity. I slip into the hallway, my footsteps deliberately loud enough to catch her attention.

“Can I help you with something, Giovanni?” she asks without looking up, clearly annoyed.

“Just wanted to see how you’re settling in,” I say, leaning casually against the locker next to hers.

She finally looks up, her green eyes meeting mine. “And why would you care?”

“Curiosity,” I reply with a smirk. “Plus, it’s always fun to see how long someone like you lasts around here.”

“I’m not here for your entertainment,” she snaps, closing the locker. “And I’m not planning on going anywhere.”

I chuckle, leaning in a little closer. “Is that so? Because I’m starting to think you’re underestimating how things work around here.”

“I’m not underestimating anything,” she says, her voice steady despite the underlying tension. “I know exactly what I’m up against. My stepfather is Dmitri Mikhailov, remember?”

“That’s a brave thing to say out loud,” I reply, not backing away. “But maybe you need a little reminder of the world you’ve willingly stepped into.”

She rolls her eyes, clearly unimpressed. “Giovanni, please go find someone else to play with. I won’t be your new toy.”

I raise an eyebrow. “And what makes you think that I want you as a toy,Micetta?”

“You’re not exactly subtle,” she says, her tone challenging. “It’s clear you’re determined to make me feel like I’m inferior, but you’re forgetting one thing: you may be a Crown, but you’re not my king, Giovanni.”

I take a step closer, closing the distance between us in one smooth motion. “Not your king? That’s cute,” I say. “But you’ll learn, Kitten, that the only crown you need to worry about is the one I’m going to make you bow to.”

Before she can respond, I back her up against the locker with a swift, deliberate move, feeling the cold metal against my hand as I cage her in. My fingers find their way to her throat, resting there lightly at first, just enough to feel the way her pulse is thrumming beneath her skin.

She’s clearly not intimidated, and that’s something I haven’t seen often, and it’s something I have to fucking change.

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