On the surface, yes, it is brilliant. However, after Aiden and Cole’s reaction yesterday, I’m sure this isn’t a coincidence.

I grab Kim by the sleeves and pull her into a corner, away from the crowd of students and eavesdropping ears. Teal follows us, but she’s still too engrossed in her phone to pay us actual attention.

“What happened?” I ask Kim.

She closes in. “I heard the horsemen gave it to him good. They threatened to expose his use of performance-enhancing drugs and other drugs. Apparently, he has a record.”

Aiden.

I can sense Aiden’s conniving mind behind all of this.

Since the moment Silver told us that Adam pushed me in the pool, he was up to no good, all lost in his conspiracy thoughts.

To say I feel sorry for Adam would be a lie, though.

He had it coming. Everyone should know better than messing with Aiden King. He’s known to destroy his opponents until they can no longer stand.

“Isn’t Adam’s family powerful, though?” I ask. “Surely they can bring him back.”

Kim shakes her head frantically. “I heard there was also pressure from Xander and Cole’s parents. They hold some dirt on Adam’s father and they used it against him. He already signed the papers for his son’s transfer.”

Interesting.

Jonathan wasn’t involved. I wonder if it’s because Aiden kept him out of it or because the older King refused to help.

“Why didn’t you tell Dad?” Teal asks without lifting her head.

“I didn’t have the chance. Besides, Dad has a lot on his plate.”

Teal meets my gaze. “Nothing comes before us for Dad, especially when it comes to you.”

Still, I’d rather not bother him. He’s been working late with Agnus, pulling all-nighters. The good thing about Dad, though? He’s always there for breakfasts and dinners no matter how busy he is.

The three of us walk to class. Kim talks about how cool the horsemen are — except for Xander. According to her, he doesn’t count.

In class, Ronan is passing a ball with Xander and Knox. Cole sits at his desk, reading a book titled Corpse that appears to be non-fiction. He seems completely detached from his surroundings.

I know better.

It’s a façade. Cole is more attuned to his environment than anyone else. He just hides it well.

Silver sits two seats in front of him, earbuds in, and her gaze lost in the distance. Even her minions aren’t there. Now that I think about it, Summer and Veronica don’t hang around her as much anymore.

Aiden is nowhere to be seen.

I fight the tug of disappointment and fail.

He and I need to talk. A lot. He needs to give me a heads-up about the disasters he’s planning. I want to hear it from him first, not from the gossip floating around the school.

Biting my lower lip, I contemplate asking the others about his whereabouts.

My phone vibrates in my pocket. I smile when I see the name on the screen. Maybe he has telepathic powers after all.

Aiden: Meet me at the pool.

I don’t even think about it. We still have time until the start of class, so I drop my backpack in my seat and take off in the direction of RES’s pool.

Upon arriving, the smell of chlorine clogs my nostrils and my feet falter at the threshold.

I was so excited about seeing Aiden that I forgot how much deep water freaks me out.

Since it’s the early morning, the place is empty. Taking a deep breath, I cross the last few steps on unsteady legs.

“Aiden?” My voice echoes in the large space.

“In here, sweetheart.”

I round the corner and freeze. Aiden stands in front of the deep side of the pool. I would’ve taken a moment to appreciate his built, his black strands falling over his forehead in abandon, but he’s not alone.

Adam is there with him, his eyes bloodshot, puffy, and all wrong. Even his shirt is in disarray like he pulled an all-nighter in a drug cartel.

“What’s going on?” I stare between the two of them.

“Herran came to apologise.” Aiden pats his shoulder, but there isn’t an ounce of camaraderie in it. If anything, he appears on the edge of something sombre and diabolical. “Didn’t you?”

Adam remains quiet, his face reddening by the second.

“She’s waiting.” Aiden grips the rugby team’s captain — former captain — by the shoulder.

He’s broader and buffer than Aiden, but for some reason, Aiden is the one who appears more powerful. All godlike and invincible.

At this moment, he reminds me of a general who never lost a war. A hero through and through.

Thinking of Aiden as a hero is strange, though. He’s not the hero, he’s the villain.

But right now, as he grips Adam, after he kicked him out of the school for hurting me, I can’t help but think of him as a hero.

Just this once.

“I’m sorry,” Adam spits.

“No, no.” Aiden tsks. “Repeat it and mean it this time.”

“I don’t care about his apology,” I say. “He’s nothing.”

“That’s true.” Aiden’s lips curve into a smile. “But he still needs to apologise. You can do it standing or on your knees, Herran. Your choice.”

Adam’s red-rimmed eyes meet mine, but they’re filled with maliciousness more than anything else.

The bastard doesn’t feel guilty about what he’s done.

“I’m sorry.”

“Apology denied.” I glare at him. “I hope you rot in hell, Adam.”

A sadistic spark ignites in Aiden’s eyes. It’s as if he summoned his demons and they’re now taking reign of the situation.

Or maybe I summoned them. After all, he’s doing this for me.

Aiden turns into an unstoppable force for me.

“You heard her. Not that I was going to let you go.” He circles Adam like a predator before the attack. Smooth, silent... terrifying. “You dared not only to look at what’s mine, but you also touched her. Do you know what that means, Herran?”

Adam’s throat works with a swallow. I can see him hold his breath, as do I. The darkness in Aiden’s metal eyes can only mean trouble.

I’m on my toes, waiting for what he’ll say next.

“It means you’re out.”

One moment, Adam stands there, the next, Aiden pushes him. The rugby player loses balance and splashes into the water, flooding the edge.

Aiden isn’t done.

Not even close.

He crouches at the edge of the pool. The moment Adam comes up for air, Aiden grabs his head and thrusts him back down.

No hesitation.

No mercy.

Adam’s limbs flail all around, splashing water everywhere. He struggles for breath and only finds water.

Aiden fists his fingers into the rugby player’s hair and wrenches him out. He gasps for air like a dying man.

“Were you suffocating in there, Herran?”

Aiden shoves him back into the water. His expression is neutral, serene even. “Good. Now you know what it feels like to drown.”

I stand there, my limbs shaking as Aiden holds Adam underwater.

The calmness on his face sends shivers down my spine. I know, I just know, that Aiden would murder Adam and not bat an eye.

He’d do it on school grounds.