Page 284 of The Invite

Except for Augustus, nobody knows about Elizabeth’s involvement in the attack on me. Augustus was enraged and wanted to go after her, but I calmed him down. We’ve no proof to tie her to my mother. Let’s not forget she knows Augustus killed his uncle. Until we find another leverage over her, no point in going after or confronting her.

It’s a battle for another day.

“That’s why they’ve called me to the station tomorrow,” reveals Capri.

“Yes. I received a call from Detective Arjun who said they were charging Debolina with the murders as well as her attempt to kill me. The case will shut soon.”

Visible relief crosses her face and she slumps back against the couch. It’s not easy living as a murderer, even if the other person deserves it.

“So… we’re safe?” she slowly asks.

“If all of us promise to take the truth to the grave, yes, we’re safe,” says Augustus.

“Don’t know about your world, Grayson,” Kaid growls. “But in my world, we don’t snitch.”

“Ifyou do, then I have the clip to take all of us down.”

“We won’t,” sharply says Capri before the tension between the men can escalate.

“We should celebrate,” a perky Daisy suggests. “Maybe do a toast. We won against Anonymous.”

“You’re nuts, you know that, right?” Scarlett says with a shake of her head.

I turn around and loop my arms around Augustus. Smirking, I murmur, “What do you say? Should we toa—”

Multiple chimes ring out from all of our phones.

That’s weird.

I frown at Augustus. Releasing me, he pulls out his phone from his pocket and swipes at the screen. Looking over my shoulder, I watch the others do the same. In a flash, the girls’ faces pale while the guys’ turn grim.

My stomach knots. I blink at Augustus. “What is it?”

“I didn’t kill her.”

Kenny’s terrified voice fills the air.

My heart stops beating.

“Then why did you hide that she was your friend, Ken? That’s what she called you, didn’t she?”

I yank Augustus’s wrist to stare at the screen, watching a grainy video of us playing. The one we thought would never see the light of day.

Then how?

“When I’m done with you, you’re going to wish you were never born.”

“Please… I didn’t hurt her. I swear.”

“Are you saying you didn’t invite her to school that morning?”

“To study in the library, not to kill her.”

The recording keeps going till Kenny shoves away from everyone and runs before cutting straight to the scene where all of us stand in a circle around him. I already know the train wreck coming.

Yet I can’t look away.

This… this cannot be happening.

“Rot. In. Hell.”

The video ends.

Or so we think.

Until a distorted and robotic voice says, “Did you think it was over? The games have just begun. XOXO, A.”