Page 74 of Ruthless Chaos

Her lips twist into a slight smile. “Yes, but it doesn’t really matter at the end of the day. They give the nominations to whoever donates the most money.”

I’m not even surprised.

It makes sense that even in a place like this, something like that would be rigged.

Dr. Martin calls the names of those who have been nominated for House Council. They are all already seated on the stage.

At the mention of his name, my eyes flick to Alexander.

He’s staring right at me. The heat of his gaze goes straight to my abdomen. He smirks when he realizes he has my attention.

Even underneath this huge tent, with so much distance between us, it’s like we’re the only two people in the room.

I’m paralyzed by his smoldering attention.

Alexander looks the part of an arrogant king, with his crown crooked and tipped over his brow. Even in those ridiculous vintage clothes he’s so attractive that I avert my eyes to keep a straight face.

It’s getting harder to ignore him these days.

Nya catches my eye when I look away from him.

“Alexander?” she mouths, glancing in his direction.

I cover my eyes and nod. She grins, then whispers, “He’s hot!”

Unfortunately, I’m all too aware of that fact. A little bit of jealousy springs to life within me at the idea that Nya finds him attractive.

She can’t be the only one either.

He’s not yours to feel jealous of.

Yes, but I feel it, nonetheless. This isn’t good.

Once the nominations have been announced, the ceremony is ended with a performance by an artistic dancer, followed by a recessional tune for the nominees from the band.

Afterward, Dr. Martin encourages us to mingle and enjoy the soiree, as the ceremony was also meant to double as an evening mixer for the Legacy Houses.

My palms start to sweat the moment he leaves the stage. Here I am again, at another event with Alexander around. I need to leave as quickly as possible.

“I think I’ll go back to the dorms,” I announce, shuffling down the aisle of chairs.

Nya raises an eyebrow, but Tara grips my arm.

“Where do you think you’re running off to?” she asks.

I smile nervously. “Back to the dorms. I have an assignment due soon.” In three days, but she doesn’t know that.

“No, stay for a little,” she says. “You’re going to need help getting out of that dress anyway.”

My hands travel to my torso. She’s right.

The constricting pain has faded into a dull ache, but I remember how difficult it was to put it on. I certainly can’t take it off alone without struggling.

Reluctantly, I follow Tara and Nya as they join the crowd gathering on the lawns.

While the ceremony took place, more tables and chairs were placed on the grounds. A bar was set up, and a selection of finger foods were laid out. The whole thing feels incredibly pretentious, but I play along.

Nya and Tara are the only people I want to speak to, but it doesn’t take long for our threesome to get separated.