Chapter 213
Elena’s POV
“It was you, wasn’t it?”
I stopped running and turned to face Beth fully. The strange circumstances surrounding the fire, the sneer on her face, all of it-Natasha had to have put Beth up to it. She was becoming Natasha’s newest little minion, after all.
Beth paused, still jogging in place, and turned to look at me. The grin on her face told me everything I needed to know.
“Even if I did do it,” she said, her smile widening, “you wouldn’t be able to find any proof.”
“Try us,” Lana hissed.
“Oooh. The guard dog speaks,” Beth giggled and scratched at the sleeve covering her left forearm with a manicured nail. “I’m quaking in my boots.”
I placed my hands on my hips. “Why did you do it, Beth? Did Natasha tell you to? Do you really follow her so blindly?”
Beth’s eyes narrowed slightly, the faintest indication that my words had struck a chord. “I don’t do anything’ blind’. In fact, I didn’t do anything at all.”
“Bullshit. I’ll find evidence that you did it. My father will hear all about it when I do.”
“Father this, father that.” Beth rolled her eyes. “Look, you’re not going to find anything.”
“Wanna bet?” I asked.
Beth paused, considering. Then, her smile returned. “You know what? That’s actually a great idea. Come see me after your little run. We can talk about the terms then.”
Before I could respond, Beth turned and ran off, ponytail bobbing in the wind. Lana growled and moved to chase after her, but I stopped her with a hand on her arm. She shot me a curious look.
“You’re not seriously thinking about making bets with that bitch, are you?”
I shrugged. “She wants to play games. I just so happen to be very good at winning them.”
With that, I turned and continued jogging down the trail.
By the time Lana and I returned home, the sun had set. I was breathless and covered in a fine layer of sweat from the run,
but my head felt much clearer than before. I made my way up to my room, taking the stairs two at a time, and flicked on the light.
“I figured you would be waiting in the dark like some kind of weirdo,” I said, passing by Beth without casting her a second glance.
She hopped off the spot where she’d been sitting on my bed and followed me to the bathroom, where I turned on the shower. When I turned, I found her holding something in her arms. A dress. Or rather, what used to be a dress. It was just rags now, yellowed and old and covered in dirt like someone had rubbed it around on the
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Chapter 213
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ground for hours.
My breath lodged in my throat when Beth held it up. Instantly, images flashed through my mind-images of days that I had tried to forget over the past seven years.
A closet room. Buckets full of soapy water. Hands and knees rubbed raw from lye and hard work.
My days as a slave.
“Like it?” Beth asked, sneering. “I figured it might suit you.”
I stared at her. I didn’t know if she was intentionally doing this to remind me of my slave days—she shouldn’t have even known about that—or if it was just a coincidence. Either way, I refused to give her the satisfaction of a reaction.
“What’s that for?” I asked, crossing my arms.
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