Page 14 of The Ruthless Rivalry

The rest of the evening goes by in a blur. I am vaguely aware of the halfhearted congratulations and pats on the back from strangers and acquaintances alike. Just a few days ago, most of these students wanted nothing to do with me, but now, some of them seem more open to accepting me. However, the majority still give me questioning looks.

The dinner that followed the rankings was incredibly uncomfortable, especially being seated at the Legacy table after outranking those who wanted nothing to do with my family. However, my father and I managed to make it through, and this long evening was finally coming to an end. Thank fuck.

My dad manages to make his way through the crowd, enveloping me in a tight hug.

“I’m so proud of you,” he whispers again, his voice thick with emotion. “I knew you had it in you.”

I open my mouth to speak just as he says, “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

We both let out a short, awkward laugh, and he motions for me to go first.

“What were you about to tell me? Before the ceremony started… at the table?” I ask.

He doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he looks past me—at something I can’t see—like he’s standing on the edge of saying something that still feels too raw, too new to put into words.

“There’s... something happening between Elle and me, something I’ve been trying to figure out how to say. It’s going to affect things. Us. I didn’t want you to hear it from someone else.”

He stops himself. The words hover, unsaid.

Elle? His girlfriend? What about her?

Then his gaze shifts back to me, and I see the change—the retreat.

“When Sutton was with us in the hospital…” he begins again, his voice faltering as regret slips through. “I know you were trying to tell me the truth about what happened. But I—” He breaks off for a moment, eyes dark with memory. “I took her side because I know how this place works. And I thought it would protect you. I thought if I played along, it might keep you safe. Buy you some time instead of causing a scene.”

His words hit me like a punch to the stomach. For a moment, I can’t speak. He knows what this place is like. He’d been here, lived it. And yet, I was sent to this school unprepared and clueless. It wasn’t just that he didn’t believe me. He didn’t stand up for me because he thought, in his own way, that playing along with them was the smarter move—just like he had when he washere. But that wasn’t the kind of protection I needed. It wasn’t strength. It was selfishness. His impulse to follow the same path he had walked when he was my age, thinking it was the right way, just left me alone to face everything that came after.

“But, Alex,” he continues, as if trying to hold his ground, “what you need to understand is that this university, for all its flaws…it’s still the best option for you. It’s the one place where you have a chance to stand on your own, to carve out your own path—one not influenced by your mother.” He shoots me a sharp look, one that makes me feel like he knows more about our dynamic than he ever let on.

He exhales slowly, his voice thick with an emotion I haven’t heard from him in a long time. “And I thought… maybe, maybe Altair could grow with you.”

A beat passes. Then he shifts slightly, reaching into his coat pocket.

“I have something for you,” he adds, almost like an afterthought—like it’s easier to offer a gift than sit in the weight of what he just said.

I swallow hard, his words still ringing in my ears.You think this place can change? That it’s worth changing?Did he even know what I’d been through since I got here? How much damage was already done because he didn’t back me up when it mattered?

I open my mouth, trying to find my footing. Instead, my voice comes out flat.“You said you have something for me?”

He hesitates, then pulls out a small paper box, its corners slightly bent. “Clara would’ve had my head if I forgot. Your sister made me promise to give it to you before I left.”

For a second, the anger roiling in my chest fades, replaced by something unfamiliar—an unexpected sense of curiosity. I stare at the box in his hand, distracted from the whirlwind of thoughts that had been flooding my mind just moments ago.

I carefully lift the lid, and my breath catches in my throat. Inside is a gold charm necklace, its delicate design resembling vines, adorned with tiny golden flowers—roses, daisies, and other blossoms, so detailed, they almost seem alive.

I gasp softly, my fingers gently tracing the intricate flowers. It’s beautiful. Clara’s craftsmanship is there in every detail. For a moment, I’m not thinking about the weight of my father’s words or how betrayed I feel. Instead, I’m swallowed by the warmth of her thoughtfulness.

“It’s beautiful,” I whisper. I look up at him, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Thank you.”

He smiles, but it’s soft, almost apologetic. “I meant to give this to you earlier, but with everything that happened—well, you know,” he says, referencing my concussion and hospital stay. The smile deepens in his eyes. “Clara wanted me to give this to you for luck.”

He opens the clasp and steps forward. “Here—let me.”

I hold my hair back without a word, and he gently drapes the necklace around my neck, before fastening it. For a second, neither of us says anything.

I wonder if this is what he’s been meaning to talk to me about, the thing he said would “affect things.” The thought flickers in my mind before I dismiss it. No, this isn’t it. He’d said he had something bigger to share, something about him and Elle. This… this feels like something else. Something softer. But still, the weight of his words hangs in the air.

I nod, the reality of the necklace’s meaning settling in. It’s not just a piece of jewelry; it’s a connection—a reminder that despite everything, despite the tension between me and my father, I still have my sister’s love. And for now, that’s enough to quiet the storm inside me.

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