“So, how was your first day?” Sarah asks as Winter slides into the back seat of the limousine.
Mark is already in the driver’s seat, focused on the road as they pull away from Crestwood Academy.
Winter glances at her mother, immediately noticing a slight difference in her appearance.
Sarah looks almost disheveled, as if she’d had to cut an outing short in a hurry.
A few strands of hair have escaped her neat style, and there’s a faint tension around her eyes.
“It was okay,” Winter replies, settling into her seat.
“You look different,” she adds, her curiosity piqued.
Sarah turns to her daughter, offering a faint smile.
“You could say that. I had to wrap things up a bit early to come pick you up.”
So, my guess was right, Winter thinks.
But what kind of meeting would leave her mom looking so off?
“Where did you have to leave from to pick me up?” Winter asks, realizing too late that she might have pushed too far.
Sarah shoots her daughter a look before responding, “I was working with the planners for the wedding, of course.”
Winter leans back against the leather seat, observing her mother thoughtfully.
“You didn’t have to come. I could have taken the bus. Saved you the trouble,” she says, her tone carefully neutral.
Sarah chuckles, though there’s little humor in her eyes.
“That would embarrass the Bond name, Winter. Marcus won’t stand for it. Starting tomorrow, you’ll be riding to school with Drae,” she says.
“At least until you get a new driver’s license for an upper-class citizen.”
Winter’s eyes widen at the sudden announcement.
She can’t believe her mother is making this decision without consulting her.
Doesn’t she understand how badly she and Drae clash?
“Does Drae know about this?” Winter asks, trying to keep her tone steady even though she wants to shout her refusal.
“No, he doesn’t,” Sarah replies.
“But Marcus and I will let him know at dinner tonight.”
Winter falls silent, her mind racing.
She knows better than to protest outright without a solid reason.
“Why can’t Mark just keep dropping me off until I get my license?” she asks, keeping her tone casual.
“I’ll get my own car once I do, right?”
Sarah sighs softly, studying Winter.
“Yes, but Marcus and I think you need time to learn your way around Transville. Who better to help you than Drae? Besides, Mark isn’t allowed to speak with you, and your license will take a while to be approved.”
Winter’s mind reels.
How is planning a wedding, getting her into a new school mid-semester, and fast-tracking her ID somehow easier than expediting a license?
Something doesn’t add up.
She nods absently, turning toward the tinted window as the city passes by outside.
Was this Marcus’s way of punishing Drae, or was he trying to force them to get along?
She quickly unbuckles her seatbelt and says, “Thanks for picking me up,” before stepping out and hurrying toward the front steps, eager for solitude.
Winter glances toward the spot where Drae’s car usually sits, relieved to see it isn’t there.
Drae isn’t home yet, which means she has a brief reprieve before he returns.
He will undoubtedly be furious when he learns about their forced proximity.
Inside her room, she closes the door and leans against it as she lets out a slow sigh of relief.
Without hesitation, she changes and steps into the shower, letting the hot water ease her tense muscles.
Steam curls around her as she closes her eyes, letting her thoughts drift from her chaotic reality to Caspian.
He had defended her today in a way no other boy ever had.
But why?
Caspian intrigues her.
There’s clearly more to him than meets the eye, and she isn’t sure if that excites or unsettles her.
Either way, she knows he’s someone worth keeping an eye on.
As she rinses off, Winter decides to keep her new friends close.
Although Aleira is Caspian’s sister, it doesn’t bother her.
She likes the girl, and with how isolated she feels, she knows she’ll need a friend like Aleira in the coming days.
Maybe I could even ask Aleira about getting a ride home from school, she thinks.
Wrapping herself in a towel, Winter steps out of the shower and crawls into bed, exhaustion quickly pulling her into sleep.
Winter awakens hours later to the sound of her phone vibrating on the nightstand.
Groaning softly, she reaches for it and sees a text from her mom letting her know dinner is ready.
She checks the time.
Past seven.
Winter drops back onto the bed with a frustrated sigh.
She doesn’t want to go downstairs, but her mom’s multiple calls and texts make it clear that this is non-negotiable.
Rising reluctantly, Winter throws on a simple t-shirt and jeans.
As she combs her damp hair, she catches her reflection in the mirror.
For a moment, she barely recognizes the girl staring back at her.
Her eyes look distant.
Tired.
She sighs and turns away from the mirror, pulling on socks before heading downstairs.
Just as she reaches the top of the staircase, a voice stops her in her tracks.
“Getting quite comfortable, aren’t you?”
Winter freezes, her hand gripping the banister tightly as she turns to see Drae leaning against the wall in the hallway.
His arms are crossed over his chest, his expression unreadable as he watches her intently beneath dark lashes.
“Drae,” she says, keeping her voice calm.
“What are you doing standing in the middle of the hall?” she asks dryly.
Drae pushes off the wall and steps closer with deliberate slowness.
“I was waiting for you,” he says simply, as if that explains everything.
Winter tilts her head slightly, meeting his gaze with composure.
If she can handle Diana at school, she can handle Drae too.
Bullies are all the same.
They cower when confronted.
“Why?” she asks, her tone measured.
Drae’s gaze hardens as he takes another step forward.
“Because we need to talk. I saw you talking to Caspian Hale today. Twice.”
Winter raises an eyebrow, keeping her expression neutral.
“So what?” she replies evenly.
Drae’s eyes darken at her tone, his jaw clenching tightly, but Winter holds her ground.
His presence is intense, almost suffocating, but she refuses to let herself be intimidated.
“Listen to me,” he growls.
“You don’t want to get mixed up with the Hales. They have their own agenda, and you don’t want to end up as collateral damage.”
A flicker of anger rises in Winter’s chest.
What does he mean by that?
Does he really think she’s naive enough to trust him after the way he’s treated her?
“Why do you care?” she asks, her voice calm and controlled.
“You can’t expect me to believe you’re suddenly concerned about my well-being.”
Drae’s jaw clenches tighter, and for a moment, she thinks he might lash out.
Instead, he leans in closer, his voice dropping into a harsh whisper.
“You don’t need to know why. Just stay away from him, or you’ll end up paying for things you don’t understand.”
Winter doesn’t flinch.
Her gaze remains steady and defiant.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she replies coolly.
Drae curses under his breath, frustration flashing across his face.
“You think you’re tough, don’t you?” he mutters.
“You don’t know what you’re dealing with. If you keep associating with them, you could end up like her.”
He pulls out his phone, showing her the picture of the murdered woman she’d seen earlier in his room.
Winter’s heart pounds violently as she looks at the image, chills creeping down her spine.
“What are you trying to say?” she demands, forcing her voice to stay calm despite the panic beginning to rise inside her.
“I’m saying you’re too naive to understand how deep this goes.” Drae’s eyes lock onto hers, cold and intense.
“Stay away from the Hales. I won’t warn you again.”
With that, he turns and walks away, his footsteps echoing down the hall while Winter remains frozen at the top of the stairs, staring after him with her pulse thundering in her ears.