Cynthia Dion: The next two days were relatively calmer because none of the alphas and Rosalie attended school. I heard they were busy with higher-up dinners and preparing for the full moon celebrations. When I got home today, I rushed into the kitchen to prepare food before my sister came home; she would be hungry. "No milk, no eggs!" I checked the empty fridge and rolled my eyes. My father never cared about the essentials, but things have taken a turn for the worse in the last few days. I looked around until my eyes landed on the counter. There was some folded money placed there. "This must be my fee--," I said with a smile that faded when I heard footsteps behind me. I knew who it was. "Ahhh! I didn’t know you would be here. Fate is in my favor today," The guy standing in my kitchen was one of my father’s friends’ sons and our neighbor, Jack. The same guy who had been asking me to accept him. I remember how he would always tell my father stories about me from school, getting me in trouble. And now he wanted to be my knight in shining armor. "How many times do I have to remind you that you are not welcome in my kitchen?" I clenched my jaw, fixing my eyes on his face to show my frustration. "Ah! Look at this attitude. You didn't really have it when that rich brat was rejecting you." His lips formed a smirk, and my heart dropped into my stomach. I gulped and straightened my spine, pretending to be clueless. "I don’t know what you are talking about," I said, weakly shrugging. "You don’t remember? Of course, you don’t. The rejection might have knocked you in the head," he laughed before forcing a sad expression, pretending to be sorry. "That night at Alpha Enzo’s mansion. You are so cunning! You hid the truth from everyone, but for what? Only to get rejected?" He shook his head as he taunted and mocked me. What was I thinking when I went there? Obviously, the word got out. "What--," I paused to swallow my saliva and asked, "What do you want?" I questioned fearfully. "You!" he whispered, bringing his lips near mine, but I stepped back instantly. "That’s never happening," I warned, keeping myself together. I wouldn't accept him for anything. I've witnessed my mother suffer at the hands of my dad, and I would never want to end up like that. "Ah! Is it because you want that Alpha? Didn’t he already reject you? Have you not remembered your mistake?" He had always been on my back, wanting to steal my virginity as if it were some kind of reward, and that made me resent him even more. "It's because I don't like you. Don't assume that I will accept you just because Atticus rejected me. Now, would you kindly leave?" It irritated me that I had to keep repeating myself for him to understand that I didn't want him in my home or in my life."Fine, I will leave," he nodded, but when he didn't move a muscle, I knew he wasn't leaving. "After you give me this money," he smirked, gesturing at the money in my hand, "I wouldn't have asked for it if it wasn't that urgent." He tried to appear innocent, putting on a sad and apologetic expression, but I knew there was no emergency. He just wanted to punish me for not giving him a chance. "Why would I give you this money? It's my fee," I said, pulling my hands behind my back to hide the money from his greedy eyes. "Now leave before I tell my father why exactly you're here." I knew my father wouldn’t care that this boy was harassing me, but he would react if he heard about the money. "It's fine by me. I have something to show him too," he said with a grin, pulling out his phone and showing me the screen. I was stunned by what he had on his phone. It was a video of me! "Do you want me to show your father this video? Since he's been acting like his daughter will take care of him when he's old, I have to ask: Does he realize his daughter is already searching for a mate and even getting turned down?" When Jack noticed I was frantically staring at the screen of his cellphone, he seemed very pleased. This was a memory I desperately wished to erase, but here it was, recorded and saved by the demon himself. And now he was going to make sure he made my life suffer, holding this video like a dagger against my neck. "Jack! He will kill me and my sister," I stuttered, but his smirk silenced me. "Then why don't you do what I want?" He shifted his weight to one leg while staring at my face. "I'm not accepting you," I argued, clenching my jaw and showing him my anger. "I'm not talking about that," he laughed at me for still bringing up acceptance, "I'm talking about the money," he added and extended his hand toward me. "My father would kill me," I whispered to myself, staring at the money. What was more important? Keeping my secret hidden or paying my fees? "Give me the money, and nobody dies today," he said, waving his fingers and waiting for me to give in. I lowered my face forlornly and stared at the dollars in my hands, a sigh escaping my lips. I gave up and handed him the money. "Take it," I said. "Now delete the video." Once I placed the money onto his palm, I insisted that he delete the video. However, judging by the smirk on his lips, I knew that wasn't going to happen. "I guess I am saying something," I had to raise my voice to get his attention because he kept silently smirking, leaving me wondering what he was up to. "Why the rush?" I realized he wasn't going to delete the video anytime soon. He shoved the money into his pocket and clutched his phone tightly in his other hand. My jaw hung low at his audacity. He had played me, and I had let him fool me that easily.