Now that things were back to normal between Violet and Lila, an awkward tension broke out in the room. A silence that stretched until Lila, ever the chatterbox, broke it.
"You should stay here and prepare for class while I go get your breakfast," Lila said, her voice unusually gentle as though she was walking on eggshells.
"No," Violet said suddenly.
"No?" Lila repeated, her brows furrowing in surprise.
Violet’s eyes shone with a fiery determination as she met Lila’s gaze and said. "The whole school must have seen the news by now. They’d expect me to stay here, to cower in shame, but that’s not going to happen. I can’t let them get to me. I have to show them I’m unaffected by their gossip and mockery. I’m not someone who can be pulled down that easily."
From the corner of the room, Daisy, who was now quietly reading a thick book, snorted audibly. She looked up, her gaze connecting with Violet’s and said smartly. "You have a flair for the drama, don’t you? Honestly, I can’t even tell the difference between you and Ivy at this point."
The jab hit its mark.
Violet stiffened, the insult sinking deep. Her gaze turned icy, and without missing a beat, she retorted, "Perhaps indeed, I might have a flair for the drama, unlike you, with no life beyond your nose buried in a book."
Bam! It felt like a huge bomb had been dropped in the room. For a fleeting moment, hurt flashed across Daisy’s face, and Violet noticed, causing a pang of guilt tugged at her chest.
However, she squashed the feeling down. She was not the one who started it. The girl should be able to stomach receiving her own taste of medicine.
With the tension in the room now almost unbearable, Violet rose abruptly from her bed and strode to the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her. The sound reverberated through the room, while Lila was left to deal with the unsettling atmosphere.
Violet turned on the shower, the warm water exactly what she needed as it cascaded over her skin and soothed her tired body. But that was not enough to calm her busy mind. Although she tried hard not to think of yesterday’s incident, snippets still managed to creep into her mind.
Nonetheless, Violet still stubbornly scrubbed her body and willed her mind to focus. By the time she was done, her fingers pruned from the long shower and she wrapped a towel around herself, stepping out of the cubicle.
Facing the mirror, Violet stared at her reflection. Her usually sharp eyes looked a bit dull, framed by faint dark circles. Her cheeks were paler than usual, and there were obviously lines of stress etched faintly on her face. She leaned closer, and studied her reflection the more.
And that was when it happened.
The bathroom seemed to blur around her, the edges of her vision darkening. The reflection in the mirror rippled like disturbed water, and when it stilled, what Violet saw wasn’t herself.
She froze, her breath catching in her throat.
In the mirror, Roman was kneeling before her, his tongue darting out as he lapped at her clit. Violet felt the wave of heat that surged through her, but before she could process it, the scene expanded. And one more person appeared.
To her left, Alaric leaned in, his lips wrapped around her nipple, suckling deeply, his hand kneading her flesh. And he was not alone.
On her right stood Asher, his hands firmly massaging her other breast, his fingers occasionally pinching her nipple just enough to elicit a pleasure-pained gasp from her reflected self.
And then, Griffin loomed from behind her. His large hand splayed across her bare stomach, holding her steady for the others to pleasure her, while his lips brushed against the side of her neck. His fingers tangled in her hair, tugging lightly as he whispered something inaudible yet tantalizing into her ear.
But it wasn’t just the sight of the Cardinal Alphas surrounding her, each one busy pleasuring her in their own way, that left Violet rooted in place. No, it was her own reflection that stunned her.
The woman staring back at her didn’t look like her at all. Her half-lidded eyes were clouded with unrestrained passion, her lips swollen and parted as soft mewls escaped them. Her cheeks were flushed, with her chest rising and falling with her labored breaths. There was just no hesitation, no restraint. She looked... blissful. Euphoric.
It was a version of herself she didn’t recognize, and it terrified her.
With a sharp gasp, Violet stumbled back, and the vision shattered instantly, leaving her staring at her pale reflection once more. Her heart hammered in her chest, while her breathing was erratic as she pressed a trembling hand to her lips.
What the hell just happened? What the hell had she just seen?
No, this couldn’t be happening. This had to be Asher’s doing. He had claimed to set her free, but surely this was some cruel trick, another of his manipulative games. The bastard had twisted her mind before, and it wasn’t beyond him to leave behind some lingering poison—something that didn’t even need his active interference to manifest.
Fuck it!
Violet cursed as she felt the familiar throbbing between her legs. The gods help her. Surely, she wasn’t lusting after four guys. Four Assholes that she shouldn’t be concerned with at all. Something must be wrong with her head.
With an exasperated groan, Violet spun around and headed straight back to the shower. The water blasted down on her with full force as Violet turned the handle, the cold spray making her gasp. But she stood there, letting the icy jets cool her fevered skin, the chill seeping into her bones and slowly quelling the storm raging inside her.
For a long time, Violet stood under the water, her arms braced against the tiled wall as she let the droplets trail down her face and body. The initial shock of cold gave way to a soothing numbness, and finally, the throbbing between her legs began to fade.
When Violet finally turned off the shower, her hands were shaking, but her mind had never felt sharper, more focused.
Nice try, Asher. But it wasn’t happening again.