Page 131 of Vengeful Princess

“Good. Now please go get some rest. One of my men will collect your things from the hotel and drive you back to campus tomorrow.”

“And Eden?”

Declan frowned. “She’ll be here for a few days. I’m not letting her out of my sight until we have a security protocol in place.”

Eden was going to hit the roof. I didn’t envy him at all. But it wasn’t my problem, so when a guy appeared to show me the way to a guest bedroom, I said my goodbyes and left.

70

Cassian

Thea had been ignoring my messages. She arrived for our joint classes at the last minute and then darted out before I could talk to her. It hadn’t escaped my notice that Eden Kelly was missing from campus, either.

Landon and Kyril were still in her favor, or so it seemed. I caught them sitting with Thea in the cafeteria at lunch, heads together, deep in conversation.

I wasn’t the only one who’d noticed. Dario Peretti, the grumpiest bastard on campus bar none, had also taken notice. But for once, he’d kept his mouth shut.

Thank God.

Trying to stop him and Kyril from killing each other was becoming a major pain in my ass. I’d tried requesting a room reassignment on Dario’s behalf, but the college accommodation officer wasn’t playing ball. Not even the promise of a hefty donation freed up any rooms.

Honestly, it was ridiculous. The whole point of me reserving an apartment was so I could enjoy privacy with my friends. Noneof us anticipated sharing with a random student. Especially not one as openly hostile as Dario Peretti.

It wouldn’t have mattered if he didn’t have a vendetta against Thea. Although, if she didn’t start cooperating on this joint project, he wouldn’t be the only one with a vendetta.

I’d kill her myself if she messed up my final grade. While I didn’t have a problem doing the lion’s share of the work, she needed to contribute something, or the professor would mark us both down.

I strode into the library looking for her. This was where she usually spent her evenings. Like me, she enjoyed reading, but whereas I preferred classic literature, she seemed to like smutty romances.

The library was mostly empty apart from a small group of third years sitting at a table near the window. They all looked up when they saw me enter, but quickly returned to their books.

Everyone here knew who I was. While some students were powerful individuals thanks to their family ties, I was in the public eye, which meant alliances with me could be useful. Since my very first day on campus, there had been a constant stream of people trying to curry favor, hoping I’d help them in the future.

Everyone believed I’d follow in my father’s footsteps. Take over his mantle of power. Become a force to be reckoned with in the hallowed halls of Westminster.

Maybe I would. Or maybe I’d choose my own path.

I hadn’t decided yet.

All I did know was that I would not be doing things my father’s way. All he cared about was acquiring more power. On the surface, his machinations were designed to help build a stronger country, but what most people - including his government colleagues - didn’t realize was that my father only cared about himself.

He ran his side businesses for profit. Any decision he took in his role as a security adviser benefited him first. And my father’s businesses were not all legitimate.

I brushed my fingers over the spines of old, dusty books. The library was a curious mix of old and new. The more valuable books were stored in a temperature-controlled room, with access to them strictly controlled. Other tomes, including the latest textbooks in both paper and e-book form, were freely available.

The business section was one of the biggest in the library. Abernethy College had a world-renowned business faculty, with many of the shadier criminal families choosing to send their children here.

It made sense. Criminal empires these days relied on the latest technology, and mafia dons needed to understand principles like data analysis and fintech. Those that stuck to the old ways risked becoming obsolete.

My father understood this. He’d enthusiastically embraced the wonders of technology in recent years, using it to build his criminal network while staying well out of reach of the authorities. Although the people who worked for him within the security agencies made that job a bit easier.

Considering Thea was on the same business course as me, I hadn’t seen her in this section once. In fact, judging by the way she spent most of our joint classes barely awake, I’d hazard a guess that she wasn’t studying business because she cared about the subject.

It was also odd that she’d skipped the first year. Unless she’d come here with credits from another university, which was possible.

I walked between the tall stacks, searching for a book I needed while keeping an eye out for Thea. She was in here somewhere. I’d caught a hint of her vanilla perfume when I entered.

The book wasn’t where it was supposed to be, which made me mutter a few choice words. Someone must have borrowed it and not put it back in the right place. I’d have to file a request and ask a librarian to find it for me.

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