Playing the Pawn, Winning the Game

ition" was care

gious preparatory program, the one that

ina? Don' t make me laugh. Stic

even bothered to look up from his newspaper

a panel of stern-faced academi

, feigned nervousnes

ed disappoin

ion letter

"See? Told you. Some people are j

she won' t be a distraction with all that studying.

as they knew, was

ge: harmless, unam

rf

egan after my mother, Sarah Vance

as

ess born from poverty and neglect, a direct

r away like trash when she tol

her remaining strength and crashed the Kin

flashing cameras, her voice weak but clear, accusing

dal was

of his public image, wa

been icily dismissive when I was fin

ke chipping ice. "Another mouth to

n, had mirrored he

staircase. "Oops," she' d chirped, not even

invisible, to nod, to ag

eir latest masterpiece of c

d their plan, Victoria

nced at breakfast, her eyes daring me to react. "It' s so exclusi

eyes on

Ethan did take

little script, he came

of his perfectly styled hai

," he said, his voice soft. "I ju

e edge of my

ed. I l

ched m

e kiss

reak me, to bind me to h

et

ssion, feign

I excused myself abruptly, hand over

and Ethan heard the

haken, Victoria shot Ethan

was working

they b

kness was just another

their superiority, so blin

sidered that the mo