Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 178117 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 891(@200wpm)___ 712(@250wpm)___ 594(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 178117 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 891(@200wpm)___ 712(@250wpm)___ 594(@300wpm)
“An eager student,” Felix’s father says.
“You’re on the same board too, if I’m not mistaken,” I tell him. “I saw a photo with all the members on the website.”
“Correct,” he replies, adjusting his tie.
Lana clears her throat. “Dad’s also the owner of a luxurious brand of clubs called—”
“RIVERA,” I fill in.
“I’m impressed,” Felix’s father says, narrowing his eyes. “You’ve clearly done your research.”
Felix grabs my knee under the table and squeezes so tightly that I struggle to even breathe. “Stop,” he whispers into my ear. His hand slides up just a little, but enough for me to break out into a sweat. “Before I make you.”
“So you’re studying business then?” Felix’s father asks me.
I nod. “It wasn’t my dream education, but I wanted to honor my sister’s legacy after her death.”
It’s almost as if she suddenly rose from the dead. That’s how quiet it is at this table.
“Can you pass some of the Kimchi?” Alistair asks Lana after a moment to break the ice.
She rolls her eyes and casually hands him the plate without even looking at him.
“Thanks, L,” Alistair says with a grin.
“L?” Lana grimaces. “No. Fuck no.”
“Lana,” her father warns. “No swearing at the table.”
She grumbles to herself. “This is why I hate these kinds of parties.”
“Why? Just because they use it to grill the new girl?” Dylan jests.
It becomes hard to swallow.
“Relax,” he muses. “I’m just messing with you.”
“Of course you are, D,” Lana retorts, narrowing her eyes at him. Then she turns to glare at me. “It’s not a joke. They want to know what you’re doing with them. And I want to know what you’re doing with my brother.”
“What?” I mutter, completely confused where this is all coming from.
“He’s never been this obsessed over anyone, so spill,” she says, jamming her fork into the meat on my plate before shoving it into her mouth. “You can either talk, or I’ll use force.”
Suddenly, a knife is thrown across the room and pierces the wall behind Lana.
“Don’t.” Felix’s dark voice makes me turn to look at him.
The whole room contains so much tension that I’m starting to wonder if we’re having a dinner party or a brawl to the death.
Felix’s father puts down his fork and knife and stares at Felix with a disappointed look. “What did I just say about this?” When Felix doesn’t answer, he gazes at Lana too.
Lana rolls her eyes again. “No weapons at the dinner table.”
Weapons?
Felix’s father adds, “Or butter knives.” And he sticks his knife into the butter. “Now pass me the buns, please.”
Jesus Christ, this is one weird party.
Felix grabs some perilla leaves and fills them all with only cooked meat that he just shoves into his mouth, chomping in an annoyed and hurried way.
“Why did you bring me here again?” I ask under my breath.
“Does it look like I wanted to?” Felix replies.
Ah, so he does listen to someone.
My eyes land on his father.
“So I guess you’re all a violent bunch, then?” I murmur.
Felix shrugs. “Blood runs thicker than water.”
“Then why do you hate your sister so much?”
She laughs beside me. “Oh no, we don’t hate each other.” She reaches for him and pats him on the shoulder. “This is brotherly love.”
Felix shoves her hand off. “I can’t fucking wait for this to be over.”
“Can we just have dinner, please?” Alistair muses, happily munching away at his food. “It’s too delicious to fight over.”
Lana completely ignores him. “You know they’re just trying to figure out where she belongs, right?” Lana muses at her brother.
“Who? Me?” I ask.
“Who do you think?” she retorts. “You’re the only new girl here.”
New girl. Interesting.
“Well, after Eve of course.”
My eyes widen.
Eve? Lana knows her.
Has she eaten with this family too?
“Okay, I’ve had about enough,” Felix says, and he puts down his fork and knife, violently scoots back his chair, and marches off, chucking a napkin to the floor.
“Where is he going?” Dylan’s mom asks.
“Toilet,” Lana quickly replies, and she picks up the bowl of Kimchi. “Kimchi?”
I scoot back my chair and run off too, following Felix.
I don’t know where he went, but I’m pretty sure it’s not the toilet.
I run off on my high heels through the giant mansion until I’m suddenly pulled to the side in a small, dimly lit hallway. I shriek, but a strong hand covers my mouth.
Felix.
He puts a finger in front of his lips, then slowly lowers his hand off my mouth.
But not away from my face.
“What are you doing here?” he asks.
My heart beats in my throat. “I could ask you the same thing.” His nostrils flare, and when he doesn’t say anything, I add, “Did you run off because of what she said about Eve?”
His fingers instantly wrap around my throat, squeezing the life out of me. “Don’t talk about her. Not to them. Got it?”
I nod, and he slowly releases the pressure, but his hand still hovers very close to my veins, like a looming threat.