Chapter 15: Prove (Venus's POV)

It was Friday and today my dad was picking me up from school. We have another party to attend tonight. So, he's coming back early from work and taking me home.

While I stood there, waiting for my father's car, I felt someone taking the spot beside me. I looked over, seeing Caden.

Throughout the week, he's been trying really hard. I don't know if he realizes that though. It seems as though he just thinks of all this as... a game. Like he has to do all this in order to win me. And that's exactly how it is.

But I'm starting to doubt myself. I've never been with a guy in any way, so can I even tolerate all this and not fall for him? Can I truly keep it casual?

"Venus," he sang.

"What do you want?" I asked, not looking at him, too busy making sure my dad wasn't anywhere near.

"Are you coming tonight?" he questioned. "To Mason's?"

Mason's dad is the one hosting their party. There will be a lot of people but not so many that he needs to host at a hotel. So it's at their mansion.

"Yes, I'll be there," I said, turning to him. "With my family."

He nodded slowly. "I'll take the risk."

My eyes widened. "No," I said quickly. "No, you won't."

"Why not?" he asked, leaning in just a tad bit.

"Because my father will kill you," I said in a 'isn't it obvious?' kind of way.

"Just for talking to you?"

I stared at him incredulously.

"Venus!"

I jumped, looking to the front where my father was pulling up in his car. I glanced at Caden, rushing over to the car. I put my bag in the backseat and then sat at the front.

"What were you doing?" he asked, not giving one shit that Caden could hear. In fact, he asked me while glaring directly at Caden.

"Nothing," I mumbled, pulling my seatbelt on.

"What were you talking about?" he asked, still not driving.

"Dad..." I figured out pretty quickly that he wasn't going to drive until I told him with Caden right there. "We were arguing," I lied.

"About?" he interrogated, arching a brow at me sharply.

"About why she shouldn't be there tonight," Caden said, adjusting his bag on one shoulder.

"And why is that?" my dad asked him.

Caden stepped closer to the car, resting his hand on my door. "Because so will I. Have a good day, Mr. Princeton. Venus," he smirked at me before walking over to his car.

"I didn't know they would be there tonight," my dad mumbled as he started driving.

"Me neither. That's why we were arguing."

"Was he warning you not to come?"

I nodded, lying from my soul.

"So he's threatening you now?"

"What?"

"He thinks they're so much better than us, doesn't he?"

"Dad."

"We'll show them tonight."

"No, no, no, dad-"

"We'll prove it."

"What? Prove what?"

"That we are better than them. It's about self-respect now, Venus."

"Where did self-respect come from?" I groaned.

"We have a point to prove now. And we will prove it. Just you wait. You will prove it."

"Me?"

He nodded.

"No, dad, listen to me-"

"I have the perfect plan," he said confidently.

I huffed, slumping in my seat.

What the hell is he about to make me do?

➵ ➵ ➵ ➵ ➵

Around fifteen minutes before I was meant to start getting ready, my dad called me into his study. And what he asked me to do made my blood run cold.

"Wait. You want me to what?" I scoffed, staring at my father in disbelief.

"I want you to take the dagger with you tonight."

"Why? For what?" I asked warily.

"For Caden," he answered.

"Caden Locke?" I questioned.

He nodded.

"What is he going to do?"

"Nothing. I just want you to do something, darling," he huffed.

"What?" I asked hesitantly. I know I'm meant to hate Caden. I'm meant to show how much I hate him, I'm meant to make him want to pull his hair out. But a dagger? Doing something to him with a dagger is too much.

"Just show him what us Princetons can do," he shrugged.

"Dad," I said slowly. "What are you planning?"

"Just a little stab. Or a little slash. They won't bother you ever again."

"They don't bother me."

He's getting angry. I can clearly see it. "You will take that dagger and you will do as I say tonight. I'll be keeping an eye on you. And if you don't do it, I will."

"Dad but-"

"Would you like to stab him or shall I do the honors?" He arched a brow at me sharply.

"No, I'll do it. I... I'll do it myself. Give me the dagger."

He opened the drawer of his desk and slid the dagger across the table, over to me.

I picked it up, taking it out of its cover and looking at it. This could kill Caden. It will if my angle is just a little off.

"But dad I haven't been taught to... what if I do it wrong? What if I puncture an artery and he dies?" I truly am panicking right now.

"Then it's what they deserve," he shrugged.

"Dad!" I scolded.

He sighed, rolling his eyes. "All right, Jesus. I'm joking. Don't do anything to him."

I breathed out in relief.

"I just want you to scare him with it. When I was seventeen, his father came up to me with a dagger once. I want you to show them that we aren't cowards. That we can fight back and get our hands just as bloody as them."

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. "If we're just as bad as them then what is the bloody difference?" I muttered. "When I have kids, I'm never teaching them to hate the Lockes, just so you know. I'll scare him with it, okay?" It's better than actually hurting him with it.

He nodded. "Now start getting ready. Off you go." And then off I went.

I got ready the way I usually do and then grabbed deep, blood-red heels that matched my dress. I stared at the knife holder that was meant to strap to my thigh under the slit of the dress.

What happens if I just don't take the dagger with me?

I'll probably get in trouble if my dad finds out. I pushed the fabric aside and strapped it onto my thigh, placing the dagger in its leather case and then tucking it into the strap.

I've used daggers before. Many times. There was a time when I was sixteen, where I was obsessed with learning how to work a dagger. Like obsessed. But when I went for the training, just watching how our teacher used it on a mannequin freaked me out. So I quit after two weeks.

And now here I am, actually having to use the dagger.

I glanced at myself one last time in the mirror before going downstairs. We left ten minutes later.

When we got there, Caden and his family weren't there. And I prayed that they decided not to come tonight but I'm not that lucky now, am I? So they did show up.

I avoided Caden like the plague and I felt horrible about it. For once.

But the last thing I wanted was for my dad to see us talking and then tell me to go something with the dagger that I brought. I thought if I stayed away from Caden, but dad wouldn't think so much into it and he would let it go.

I was walking through the crowd, looking for Clarissa to tell her that dinner would be served within the next hour, so she should stay in the house and not go to the backyard where I think she still was, playing with some kids her age.

I felt someone grabbing my arm and I swiveled around when they pulled me, crashing into them. I blinked up at him, my heart stuttering. "Hi," I mumbled.

He looks very good.

"Are you avoiding me, Jade?" he smirked, arching a brow at me.

"I'm looking for my sister."

"And you have been the whole night?" he deadpanned.

"I shouldn't be talking to you here," I whispered, trying to take a step back but he only pulled me closer.

"I'm not scared of your father," he said, his voice low and deep.

"You should be. And not just of my father," I replied, raising my brows at him. "Let go," I said quietly, noticing my dad talking to Mason's father a few feet away.

"Venus-"

"Now now, please. Please, he'll see and we'll both be in huge trouble. Please. Caden."

He sighed in defeat and let me go.

I rushed out to the backyard, spotting Clarissa. "Clarissa!" She ran over to me. "Dinner is going to be served in an hour. Come inside by then, okay?"

"Okay!" she grinned and then started running around again, all of them playing tag.

I chuckled, watching her before turning to go back inside, seeing my father right there, watching me. Or maybe it's Clarissa he's watching, I'm not sure.

"Venus. You remember who he is right? And what family he belongs to?"

"But I didn't-"

"I know you don't approach him. He approaches you. But you came here tonight with something he doesn't have."

"Dad..." I trailed off, giving him a pleading look.

"Use it. I'll keep an eye on you until you do. Tell that boy to stay away from you if he cares even a little bit about himself and his family. We all know what would happen if people found out he was trying to court you," he explained, shooting me a pointed look.

"I'll talk to him," I nodded.

"Actions speak louder than words. Use it," he said, clearly getting frustrated with me constantly defending Caden.

"Okay, okay, I'll use it," I groaned.

He walked away, leaving me to my version of mission impossible. Except, it's impossible because I don't want to do it.

I looked around the room, spotting Caden on the other side of the room, talking to Mason. I gathered my dress and started heading over. I grumbled about the dress too. It's really fancy for a party like this, but my father has a lot of potential clients here so we all had to look our best.

On my way to Caden, I ran into someone. "Oh, sorry!" I exclaimed, so glad that he didn't spill his drink on himself because of me.

"It's all right," he smiled. Then he blinked in confusion at me. "Aren't you Mr. Princeton's daughter?"

I nodded with a small smile.

"Oh, hello," he chuckled. "I'm Prince Alexander."

"From Azura? Hi," I smiled, shaking his head.

"I was actually looking for your father. Could you point me to him, please?"

"Of course," I chuckled. I pointed to the corner of the room where my father was talking to a woman. A younger woman.

"Look at that, my wife's found him first, anyhow, thank you."

"No problem."

He walked away after that and I continued making my way to Caden.

"Excuse us, please," I smiled, grabbing his wrist and dragging him away.

He didn't fight me off and walked with me willingly. Which is weird. I thought he would resist a little bit at least. I'm not complaining, if he did then I wouldn't be able to pull him away. I pulled him into an isolated hallway and pinned him against the wall.

He sighed, looking down at me with a bored expression.

I pushed away the fabric of the slit in my dress and pulled out the dagger. His eyes went down to my leg and lingered there. "Hey!" I put the dagger under his chin, right at his neck.

"Yes?" he asked calmly.

"Listen to me, Caden. Do you see this? This is a dagger."

"Really? I had no idea," he replied sarcastically.

"I'm not joking! My father sent me here with this tonight. To either use on you or scare you with it," I huffed.

"Is this your attempt? This is how you scare someone?" he smirked.

"I can't give you what you want. Not when my family is already suspicious and sent me to use a freaking dagger on you! Listen to me. Everything you did this week, thank you. And I'm sorry your effort is about to go to waste, but I can't make that deal with you. It's too risky for both you and me."

"Why? Because of our families? The deal is between you and me. Not our families."

"Everything between us includes our families. Because I'm a Princeton and you're a Locke and our fathers hate each other. My dad has been watching me like a hawk tonight. I can't put it all at risk just for whatever you want."

"So, you don't want it? At all?"

I sighed, looking at him pleadingly for once in my life.

"Put the dagger away," he nodded.

I slipped it back into the cover and took a step back.

"And you're not the only one who had to bring a dagger tonight," he scoffed, showing me his, pulling it out from behind his back, where it was tucked into his waistband. "But you're the only one who decided to use it," he shrugged.

Why didn't he use it?

"Which is fine, your dad is more suspicious than mine. I forgive you for it," he smirked, stepping closer to me.

"Listen to what I'm telling you," I said slowly. "Stay away from me. It's for the best. For both your sake and mine." I turned to leave and got one step forward when he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back, pinning me to the wall.

He just won't let me go.

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Chapter 15

I don't understand how I write a whole page extra and don't freaking realize it.

I bet ya'll love it when I make this mistake, anyway, hope you enjoyed it lol

next chapter: twenty