24

I focus on him. Like really focus on him. Not the arsehole Aiden, the school’s king, or Elites’ ace striker, but the other Aiden. The Aiden King. Heir to King Enterprises. If he’s so mature at this age and knows exactly how to behave and what to do for his leadership position, he must’ve had a lot of pressure growing up. Sociopaths are made. My spine jerks at that idea. Was he… abused? Not that it excuses what he did — and continues to do — to me, but that could put some pieces of the puzzle together. I take a sip from the water. “Was your father hard on you?” “I wasn’t abused by either of my parents if that’s what you’re thinking about.” Damn. I wasn’t smooth enough in bringing out my assumptions. There’s no helping it now that it’s out in the open. “If it wasn’t your father, then were you abused by someone else?” He stares at me. Hard. The energy radiating off him becomes foggy and suffocating. If his eyes were his hands, he would’ve choked the life out of me by now. A waitress stand