Page 57 of The Revenge

But the last thing I’d expected to happen tonight was to find out Syn was supposed to be marrying Lola in the future.

The revelation sparks something in me, but I’m not able to give a name to it.

Nothing I’ve done or said—or planned to—has done much more than embarrass Syn tonight. I still need to go to the gala tomorrow night, and I know the most I’m going to get away with is being an unsuitable match as their future daughter-in-law.

Messing with somebody else’s love life is where I draw the line.

Shaking my head, I turn to Lola. “It’s not rea—”

“—really any of your business,” Syn says over the top of me.

“Enough.” Syn’s mother snaps. “Your fiancée looks upset. Perhaps you should take her to your room.”

I pull the cotton napkin off my lap and toss it down on the table beside my barely touched cheesecake as I stand. “That’s a good idea. Thank you for the lovely dinner,” I mutter. Not expecting Syn to follow, I hurry out of the room. I’m halfway up the stairs before he catches up to me and grabs my arm. “What are you doing?”

“Me?” Syn doesn’t stop, pulling me towards his bedroom like he expects me to run off somewhere. He only lets go once we’re inside, and the door is closed behind us. “What were you doing?” he demands.

Making sure to put a few paces before I turn back to him, I bring my hands to my hips and glare. “There’s nothing I did or said that’s any worse than what you put me through, or any less than you deserve. And if you were honestly not expecting something from me, then you are way more stupid than I thought.”

“You signed a contract,” Syn snaps.

My eyes narrow. “Don’t you dare stand there and pretend that you weren’t an absolute vindictive bastard before I put my signature on that paper. Or that you didn’t go out of your way to make sure my initiation was worse than anyone else’s.”

“Is this where you blame me again for the video being released? Because I told you that had nothing to do with me.” Syn rolls his eyes.

“Can you tell me that you never intended on doing it but that someone just beat you to it?” I fold my arms. “Because you threatened me with it enough times.”

Syn stares at me without saying anything.

At least he’s not attempting to lie.

“If your intention all along was to go down there and humiliate me, then you must have known that you wouldn’t be able to do so without incriminating yourself, otherwise you won’t be able to attend this stupid party tomorrow. What’s more, you also should have figured out that acting like you’re fucking unhinged would have everyone reacting like you did. I don’t know how your panties are in such a twist when you aren’t fucking wearing any.”

“You think that’s what I’m mad about?” I close my eyes and suck in a deep breath, releasing it slowly before I look at him again. “I don’t care if this engagement is fake: you don’t get to parade me in front of the girl you’re supposed to be marrying in the future.”

Slowly, a smirk starts to grow on Syn’s lips. He cocks his head. “You’re jealous? Of Lola?”

Whatever I’m feeling seems like it’s sitting heavily in my stomach. I’ve not had the chance to work out what it is, but it’s not jealousy.

“It’s not…” I sigh. “Syn, you might have the emotional range of a rock, but that girl—”

“Is barely seventeen.”

“—clearly thinks you two are going to get married. She’s upset. You had no right to fake an engagement when you knew she was going to be here. For the sake of a night, you could have just said I was a friend.”

Syn shakes his head in disbelief. “This is unbelievable. You’re overreacting over nothing. There’s no reason to be jealous ofLola. She’s talking shit.”

“I’m not jealous,” I snap at him.

“Then why are you getting so mad over a fake engagement? We’re not really getting married.”

This is clearly going nowhere, and I have no energy left to argue with him, especially when I won’t need to worry about any of this after tomorrow. “Synclair,” I say through gritted teeth. “Either you walk out of this room right now, or I will.”

He looks like he’s going to say something, but at the last moment, he changes his mind and just nods. Then he turns around and leaves me alone in his room.

Exhausted, I move over to the couch and sink into it. After kicking my shoes off, I curl my legs up beside me and close my eyes.

Does hereallythink I’m jealous?

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