Page 61 of Pretty Secrets

Anne-Marie was fucking Franklin Jarvis.

While her father watched.

What the fuck is going on here? These people are sick. This is way more than finding her father cheating. This is— Jesus. I don’t even know.

Oliver pulls me close, holding my head to his chest. His heart beats rapidly, but the longer he holds me, the more it calms. I try to follow his rhythm, so that by the time we walk out of the elevator on the first floor, I’m able to gather myself enough so I don’t scream to the world what I just saw.

Down here, everything is normal. Staff are going about their day. Jobs are being completed. Employees are returning from lunch, laughing, joking.

In there…what I saw…it was disgusting. On every level. Maybe it shouldn’t, but my heart goes out to Anne-Marie. This sick, twisted world, it…corrupts.

It’s not as if she was being raped, I have to remind myself. She was on top. She was the aggressor. There certainly was no doubt that she was enjoying it.

“Fuck, Oliver,” I groan, not knowing what we’re going to do with this information.

A man stops in front of us, blocking our path. “Hello.”

My gaze darts up to the intruder but I dismiss him as an overeager greeter. “Hi,” I say, attempting to pull Oliver around him so we can get back to the car and get the hell out of here. I need to bleach my eyes.

“Were you just up in Kennedy’s offices?” the man asks, sidestepping right in front of us again.

I blink at him, mind racing. I certainly can’t say that’s where we were. What if—

“Leave them alone. They’re with me.”

To my surprise, it’s Leo speaking up, Alaric at his side as they walk toward us. The man blocking our path turns his head and greets Leo with a condescending smirk.

“Well, this is interesting…” the man states. He looks between us four as if he’s trying to make the connection of why we’re all together.

“Don’t fry the few brain cells you have left. I’m sure Grandfather’s told you I’m back in the Knights. This is my Pledge group.”

“Oh, right,” he says. Turning toward me, the man gives me a wide grin. “Eden Astor, right?”

“Right,” I say, ignoring his outstretched hand. I’m not sure I’m going to want anyone to touch me for a while after what I just witnessed.

Oliver takes his hand instead, introducing himself. Alaric is next. “Vincent,” he greets. It clicks then. This is Vincent Jarvis, Leo’s cousin. Judging by the way they’re sneering at each other, I can tell there’s no love lost between them.

“What brings you four here?” Leo’s cousin asks.

Leo growls, “Pledge business.”

Vincent doesn’t balk at the simple answer, and I’m left wondering how in the hell that’s an excuse he accepted.

“You know how it is,” Alaric says conversationally. “Always something when you’re in Trials.”

“Well, good luck with that, you two,” Vincent says, looking me up and down and ignoring Oliver altogether.

I can see some of the resemblance between him and Leo in the mouth and cheekbones, but I’m thankful now that I actually see no familiarity between Elder Jarvis and Leo.

My body convulses, and I hurry outside. Stumbling over my feet, I gulp in the fresh air, ignoring the images bombarding me. Did Dee know stuff like this went on? Has Dad watched her fuck someone in his office?

It’s disgusting. Deplorable.

There’s no way in fucking hell I’m fucking an Elder to get into the Knights. I draw the line there.

“Alright, what the fuck happened?” Leo spits. “You two look…fucked up.”

Oliver wraps his hand around my waist, leading me to the car. He helps me in the backseat, but when he attempts to sit with me, Alaric tugs him out of the way and takes his spot.

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