Page 2 of Bad Blood

It’s her resting-bitch face, but Mom does it with as much style in her ordinary life as she does on the big screen.

“No, of course not. You did nothing whatsoever. It’s just like you to excuse yourself from blame.”

She helped put Dad behind bars. He did his wrongs, and they were terrible. But she was only eager to put her husband of over eighteen years in prison so she could hook up with her lover. That’s a whole other set of wrongs. She also gets the Best Actress Academy Award for playing the victim so the public will pity her.

“Billie, we’re done here. Go, and don’t mess things up. This is a good school.”

I grab my bag and get out just as she’s about to say something else. I have nothing more to say to her that I haven’t already said.

The hum of her Porsche fills my ears as she drives away, and I look ahead to face the day.

I can’t imagine anything worse than starting my senior year of high school at a new school and in my situation.

I’m not concerned about being in a new city or the fact that everyone else will know each other.

My main concern is what they’ll already know about me.

I’ve always lived in the limelight because of my mother’s success, but recently our family garnered attention for other reasons.

So people here are going to know who I am and what my father did.

I’ll suffer the same fate as I did at my last school, where everyone turned against me.

Once the scandal hit, I went from Queen Bee to nothing overnight.

My first problem here, going out into the unknown, is that I won’t know my enemies until they choose to strike.

Dare I wish that maybe things could be different?

There’s a possibility they could. Raventhorn Academy is an elite school for some of the world’s richest and most important people.

I won’t pretend I don’t know the history behind the walls. The school is linked to the Bratva and the Knights, a secret society that runs it. Two more things which make me extremely uncomfortable about being here and entering my new life.

You can only get into this school if you’re one of the heirs, or your family is part of the society or works in their alliance—I did my research and asked the questions I felt I needed answers to.

I’m here because of Cal, Mom’s fiancé. a.k.a. the man she was screwing before Dad went to prison.

Cal is a big-shot lawyer. The kind you know will wipe the floor with anyone in opposition and who can work miracles when there is no way out.

He’s originally from Moscow and works for some powerful Russian oligarch.

The ink was barely dry on the divorce papers before Cal slipped that ring on my mother’s finger. That was weeks ago. It’s coming up to the six-month mark since Dad has been in prison.

A swarm of students comes into my view as I get closer to the building.

It’s busy already.

I’m supposed to go to the principal’s office first to check in and get the tour. I guess I’ll be on my own after that.

I’m so lost in thought that, as I turn to go up the steps, I don’t see the guy standing next to me until it’s too late, and I crash right into his hard wall of chest.

The impact of the collision is so bad that I bounce off him and land on my ass.

My bag goes flying, and the contents sprawl out on the stone pavement. People passing by look on, and I feel like such a klutz.

Great Billie, perfect way to draw all the attention you didn’t want to yourself.

I was hoping to at least get through the doors and settle in before the attention part happened.

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