He turned around and went about his day. I turned around to face her.

“What were you doing in there?” I pointed at Papa’s office.

It was one thing that he kept choosing Vaughn over me. But to consider he was so fond of Arabella that he mentored her in his office made me sick to my stomach.

Unless he called her in to tell her to pack her shit and leave.

But somehow, I knew it simply wasn’t my luck to get rid of her. Blood ran hot in my veins. I wanted to lash out and yell at her.

“Oh, I think we both know what I was doing in there.” She cocked a defying eyebrow.

My eyes widened so much I was surprised they didn’t roll onto the floor. What was she insinuating, exactly?

“If you have something to say, you better say it.”

“I just did. You’re so deep in denial, you just refused to listen.”

“Break it down for me.” I smiled cheerfully, ignoring her snark. “And use simple words. Romanian is my first language, after all.”

Vampire.

Though it had been her joke, the reference flew over her head like a kite. I could see it in the vacant, Barbie-doll expression plastered on her pretty face.

“I’m sleeping with your dad.”

I stood there like an idiot, feeling my nostrils flaring. Self-pity consumed me, and the stupidest thought floated into my mind. Why on my birthday?

Why, indeed. Why did I find out about this on my birthday? Why here, in the place I’d grown up. Why my father, who I looked up to, put on a pedestal, and treated like a god? Was it a wonder I was so drawn to Vaughn Spencer? Maybe it was in my DNA to fall blindly for the ones I wasn’t worthy of.

Arabella strutted toward me, picking up a lock of my blonde hair and examining it between her fingers. “Jeez, Lenny, didn’t your boyfriend, Vaughn, tell you he caught me slipping from your dad’s bedroom?”

What?

I sucked in a breath, but remained silent.

She shrugged, hmmphing. “Guess there’s little talking on the agenda when his dick is in your mouth all night.”

I was going to kill—no, demolish him.

My mind screamed on repeat: Payback, payback, payback.

But what I had planned for him wasn’t nearly enough.

I swallowed, still weighing my next words. She pouted, her hand moving from my hair to the collar of my hoodie.

“I’m so sorry.” She sighed melodramatically. “I was sure he’d give you the heads-up, at least. Guess you really are just another seasonal hole, honey.”

“You’re mad,” I croaked, my voice too hoarse to be recognizable, “that he’s not with you.”

She scrunched her nose, like I’d said something gross.

“You think I wanted to come here because of Spencer? He’s just a kid, and legit a sociopath. Now your dad, that’s a different ballgame. We’re getting pretty serious, actually, so you might wanna try to be nicer to me. You know, for the future of your trust fund. I’m sure there’s a lot of vampire shit you want to buy, not to mention all your stupid books. Wait, you wouldn’t mind calling me Mummy, would you?” She mimicked a very bad English accent.

I lost it.

I simply lost it.

I grabbed the hem of her low-cut blouse, twisting it in my fist and smashing her against the wall opposite to my father’s door. I got in her face, snarling.

“You’re lying.”

“Am I? Two sordid visits in forty-eight hours. Doesn’t look too good.”

“Arabella,” I warned.

“Mummy to you.” She laughed.

My hand flew from her collar to her neck, squeezing. I couldn’t help myself. It scared me how little control I had over my emotions, my actions. I couldn’t believe she’d said that word. Mummy. It was so sacred to me. What did she know about orphans? Both of her parents were alive. They’d bought her way here.

I realized Arabella hadn’t stopped bullying me. She just played a different, more destructive game here.

Slept with Dad.

Sucked Vaughn off.

Tried to burn my house down.

Why? Why? Why?

I was a firm believer in the “bad person, good reason” approach. To be doing things like that, she had to have a motive. But I wasn’t feeling sympathetic just now.

“Know what the best part is? I figured you out a long time ago. You pretend to be all tough and dark.” Arabella pushed me back, and I almost crashed against Papa’s office door. Almost. “But honestly? You’re just your daddy’s little puppet. You’ll never confront him about me, about anything. You’re scared shitless of him. Look how he screwed you over with that internship. I mean, dayum.” She shook her head, snorting. “I might be the one lying on my back getting dicked, but Daddy Astalis sure fucks you over—”

She didn’t get the chance to complete the sentence. I grabbed her hair and dragged her down the hall, somewhere he wouldn’t be able to hear through his door.