Page 93 of Beautiful Venom

“Fuck off while you can,” Jude says in a hard voice. “I mean it.”

“I thought I couldn’t leave once I’m in.”

“I can ask my father for an exception,” Jude says. “Armstrong will help, right?”

“Gladly,” Preston says. “I don’t want you around.”

“Kane does,” I say, lifting my chin. “And to my understanding, he’s the only one who has a say in my acceptance.”

Preston strokes the chin of his mask, and I can almost see the evil slipping into his eyes. “He won’t after his father learns of his illogical actions.”

“You’d sell out your friend to get rid of me?”

“I’m doing him a favor. I’m sure Kane wouldn’t appreciate a spy in our midst.”

“A spy? For whom?”

“That thug boyfriend of yours.”

“He wasnevermy boyfriend, and why would I spy for him?”

“I don’t know yet, but I’ll figure it out. Soon.”

Jude is about to say something when a member of the staff who’s wearing a half mask approaches us. “Ms. Thorne.”

“Yes?”

“Please follow me.”

I stare at Jude and Preston to try to make out if they’re behind this, but they’re already walking away.

My hand trembles around the flute of champagne. Is this part of the test? Are those two messing with me?

Considering their hostility just now, I doubt they’ll make it easy.

“Ms. Thorne?” the staff member says again, his voice cold but professional.

I carefully abandon my flute of champagne on the table. “Where are we going?”

“Follow me,” he repeats, completely ignoring my question.

My steps are heavy and my heels dig into my skin with every move. Pretty sure I have a blister, and it throbs with an unrelenting pulse. The discomfort mixes with apprehension, and I draw circles on my thumb as I study the long hall adorned with dark-green wallpaper and muted wall lamps.

There are no people nor is there any indication of our destination. The noise from the party slowly fades until it disappears, leaving space for the man’s hushed footsteps and my louder ones.

“Where are you taking me?” My carefully voiced question pierces the silence.

“We’ll arrive soon.”

He doesn’t even acknowledge me as he speaks.

Images from that hellish initiation play in my head on a loop, and I tense up in anticipation of whatever they have planned for me.

At the end of the hall, the man takes a few complicated turns that I can’t keep up with and then unlocks a door and pulls it open. “Please proceed.”

I hesitate, but upon seeing what appears to be a garden, I relax a little and step out.

The door clicks shut behind me, but I pause when I find out that I wasn’t led to a garden, but more like a structure of strategically cut trees and hedges.

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