Page 196 of Because I Killed Him
“A Blue pulled the file on Charles,”Dad writes.“But there’s no fucking name attached. What the hell’s going on, Loredana? Have you had any bad run-ins with Blues lately? Who would have a reason to do this?”
I lift my eyes.
And across from me, Rosamund is still smiling.
The only thing worse than fight-or-flight is the in-between, when you can do neither and just have to fucking take it.
—JACK CARROWAY
CHAPTER 46
At the toll of the bell, Professor Hollings strides into the lecture room, his eyes narrowed beneath the brim of his boater hat. He looks sour, as if he passed Headmistress Prew in the hallway and was told Cloning Theory is a waste of university funds. His scowl deepens when a Pinkie takes his hat, and he moves with clipped steps toward the central holographic cube.
Rosamund slides off the table, flips her hair over one shoulder, and leans over the railing on the Blue level with her hand raised. “Professor Hollings. I wish to report a threat.”
Every head in the lecture room turns. Hollings looks up, frowning.
“A threat, Miss Prew?”
“Yes.” Rosamund extends her arm and points at me. “A threat made by Miss Waldsten. I believe it should be reviewed before the exam begins. You can check the message log on my tablet. I’ve already submitted the evidence.”
A current of shock ripples through the levels, whispers sparking from every seat. Jack leans toward Charlotte and mutters something under his breath. She rounds on him, her hand clutching the lapel of his jacket as she whispers fiercely back. Then she pulls away and hurries toward me, her arms half-raised, as if she could shield me from what’s coming.
But it’s already too late.
Professor Hollings stares at his tablet, his brow furrowing deeper by the second. I dive for my own device, fingers sliding over the glass as it wakeswith a sync alert and a timestamp. The tablet was accessed ten minutes ago, but not by me. I flip to the private messages, and find a message sent from my account to Rosamund:
“Back off, you blistering bitch. Your cousin didn’t know better. But he should’ve.”
Beneath the message, there’s a video attachment with a grainy thumbnail so distorted it’s almost unrecognizable. But I know exactly what the footage shows.
Professor Hollings lifts his eyes, colder now, stripped of patience. “Miss Waldsten. What is the meaning of this?”
I rise slowly, standing tall despite my leg brace. Every gaze is pinned on me, but Edmund’s terrifies me the most.
“I didn’t send the message, Professor. It was sent ten minutes ago. I only just arrived.”
“Your credentials were used,” Hollings replies. “The message is time-stamped. The file is authenticated.”
Jack rushes to the railing and grabs Rosamund’s wrist. He leans in close, speaking so urgently that the veins in his neck swell. Rosamund raises a hand and runs her fingers teasingly through his hair before jerking away.
I turn to Edmund.
He’s only a few paces behind me, but it feels like miles. His body is taut, his weight pitched forward, as if he’s standing on a landmine and knows that, whether he lifts his foot or not, it’s going to explode.
“Edmund,” I say urgently. “I need to talk to you.”
Rosamund cuts in, her voice trembling with fear.
“I would like the video played, Professor. I wish everyone to see the threat for themselves.”
Professor Hollings shakes his head. “Miss Prew, this is neither the time nor—”
“Please.” Rosamund’s hand quivers as she presses it to her chest. “I fear for my safety. Mylife.”
“I request that we handle this situation in private, Professor.” My voice cuts cleanly across the room despite my panic. “The video in question was accessed from a legally sealed file. It mustnotbe played publicly.”
“Yes, it can. And it will,” Rosamund insists. “Play it, Professor, or I shall report to Headmistress Prew that youignoreda direct threat against me.”
