He kept whispering, his voice choked with
emotion. He watched me all night.
He was hurting because I was hurt.
He’d told them not to “mess with my health ”
<
He’d told them not to mess with my health.
I almost softened. Then I remembered how
ridiculous I was being.
Ethan’s guiding principle? Brittany.
Prank 99. I was still a toy in their game. Ethan
had let it happen again.
Who’s to say he wouldn’t be complicit in
prank 100?
While he was getting breakfast, I called my
dad. The bodyguards were on their way. Time
to execute the “plane crash.”
Brittany arrived. Smug, triumphant.
“Olivia, breaking your leg? That was my idea.
<
Olivia, Ditakinly your ley: al was Illy luta.
Prank 99.”
I glared at her, my breath catching in my
throat.
She looked me up and down, adjusting her
designer shawl.
“Prank 100? The ‘Realm‘ competition. You’ll
be accused of plagiarism. Ethan gave me all
your Ashes of the Realm levels. He’s bribed
the committee. Your submission time will
always be three minutes after mine. Enjoy the
public humiliation.”
Realm. The most prestigious game design
competition in the country. Two years of
work. All the levels were on my laptop.
work. All the levels were on my laptop.
I slapped her. “Stealing my work, lusting after
my boyfriend. You’ll always be a second–rate, secondhand Brittany.”
Her eyes narrowed. She grabbed my wrist,
her hand raised to strike back. “You’re the
one using secondhand goods now!”
The slap never landed.
“Brittany, what the hell are you doing!” Ethan
stood in the doorway, my dad’s bodyguards
