Not today, apparently.

Maybe I shocked him. But then again, Aiden is a mastermind, and usually a few steps ahead. Is it even possible to shock him?

His poker face doesn’t help.

“Drink. I made it the way you like, more chocolate, less milk.” He motions at the hot chocolate. “You need internal heat.”

“You knew about Jonathan’s plans, didn’t you?” My clutch stiffens against the cup. “Hell, you’ve been an accomplice all this time.”

“Drink your hot chocolate,” he repeats as if I didn’t hear him the first time.

“I won’t drink the damn thing!” I slam it not so gently on the nightstand. A few hot droplets burn my skin, but I don’t pay them attention.

What stings the most is the boy sitting across from me.

My heart bleeds at the thought that Aiden has only been with me according to Jonathan’s plan.

For some reason, I need to hear it from his mouth.

If I do, I’ll be able to hate him properly.

“Say it. You’re so almighty and don’t lie, right? So fucking say it, Aiden! Say that all of this has been a game.”

He remains in his chair but he glares at me down his nose as if he wants to strangle me.

Then his left eye twitches.

I should’ve run. I should’ve cowered away, but I didn’t.

Or more like I don’t get the chance.

Aiden stands and before I know it, he’s pinning me to the bed. His hand wraps around both my wrists and he slams them on the headboard above my head as he straddles my lap.

“A game.” He seethes. “Yes, Elsa, it was a game, but you refused to play by the fucking rules.”

“What rules?”

“My rules.”

I laugh, the sound humourless and a bit hysterical. “Your rules? Do those include destroying me like you said that first day we met?”

He says nothing and just continues looming over me like a grim reaper all complete with dark eyes and jet black hair.

“Were they your rules or Jonathan’s rules?” I mock. “Because he seems like the one who controls the game.”

“Jonathan doesn’t scare me, sweetheart.” He tightens his hold around my wrists. “And he shouldn’t scare you either.”

I scoff even though my heart bleeds open. “Are you starting another game, Aiden? Are you going to make me trust you again just so I’ll fall harder? That’s what Jonathan told Silver the other day, you know. He said that the prey ought to fall harder if she knows there’s no danger.”

“Don’t let them get between us. Forget about them.”

“Forget about them?” I shriek, angry tears rimming my eyes. “I already forgot many things, Aiden. I forgot about my parents and my brother. I forgot who I am for ten fucking years, so don’t you go telling me to forget about anything! Actually, no. There’s an exception. I’ll forget everything about you.”

“You’ll forget everything about me, huh?” His tone is calm but chilling.

“I will.” My heartbeat throbs with every word I say. “You used me and ridiculed me. I’m already a wreck. Are you happy now?”

His lips crush to mine. He kisses me with tenderness and passion that leaves me breathless.

A sob catches at the back of my throat. The tears I held onto for the whole day spill free.

He licks my bottom lip, coaxing me to open up.

Open up and do what? Be the same fool that I’ve been since the beginning of the year?

Fall for him all over again just to be hurt?

I bite his lower lip, but that only turns his kiss more savage.

He pulls on my band, releasing my hair and fists it in his hand. His tongue thrusts inside and claims mine. He kisses me until there’s no breath left in my lungs.

He finally pulls back and growls against my mouth, “There’s no forgetting about me, sweetheart. Is that fucking clear?”

“Then tell me the truth, Aiden! If you don’t, I swear to God, I’ll hate you.”

“You’ll hate me,” he repeats the words with menace, gripping my hair tighter.

Aiden doesn’t like to be threatened but screw him. He’s threatened me enough. It’s time he takes a taste of his own medicine.

“I’ll hate you,” I repeat with conviction. “I don’t care if it takes me a month, a year, or a decade, but I will forget about you.”

His left eye twitches and he glares at me as if he’s challenging me to do just that.

To test him and bear the consequences.

I glare back at him, not cowering away.

The air ripples with tension as neither of us break eye contact.

After what seems like forever of staring at each other, he releases me.

My hands fall on either side of me, but he doesn’t get off me. It’s as if he needs the closeness.

And maybe. Just maybe, I need it, too.

I don’t know when Aiden became the only person I always need close.

He just is.

Since he remains silent, I decide to take it into my hands. “The friends you told me about are Jonathan and my father, right?”

It makes sense with all the tycoon part and how they both married mentally ill women. Alicia and my mum were just a part of the King and Steel bet.

He nods.

“You said there was a bet that ruined everything?”

“A business deal,” he says and for the first time, Aiden doesn’t meet my eyes.

He’s staring at my scar through the small opening in my bathrobe. I’m tempted to hide it, but I don’t want to stop the flow.

“What type of business deal?” I ask.

“They often had a bet on who makes more money through gross production during that month.”

“That seems normal.”

His eyes draw a hole through my surgery scar as he speaks. “Jonathan had inside info that Ethan’s gross production would surpass his, and Jonathan doesn’t lose. He had an insider at Steel Factories disrupt production. It was supposed to be a fire in the middle of the night, but the insider messed up. Steel’s coal factory caught fire during the day when many workers were there. There were many human casualties and catastrophic damage to the factory.”

“That sounds familiar…” I gasp. “The great Birmingham fire.”

He nods.

“But, when I read about it in the article, no one mentioned that the factory belonged to Steel. Even the article about the domestic fire made it seem like my parents were unimportant. They didn’t mention that my father owned factories. Granted, I didn’t read the entire article, but still.”

“That would be Jonathan. He controls media in any way he wants to. Besides, Ethan Steel was a very private man. He didn’t get off on attention like Jonathan.”

“Why would your father bury my parents’ death like it was nothing? Wait...” I watch him with wide eyes. “D-did he have anything to do with it?”

He remains calm as he shakes his head. “Jonathan is many things, but he’s not a murderer.”

“Then why did he bury the fire?”

“Because it relates directly to the great Birmingham fire. He didn’t want his name mentioned in a nation-scale tragedy.” He releases a long breath. “Since Steel’s productions were handicapped, Jonathan won that month, but he lost more than money.”