[Third POV]
Palma's plan was very simple, to make Zoey embarrass herself at the party so everyone can hate and bully her. she already knew a few girls that hated her.
Palma's plan was simple, she was to have her team create an environment that was easy to humiliate Zoey, and after that she would be the new queen Bee.
Meanwhile, Zoey's parents were happy that she was finally going out, the boys had already started doing sleepovers with their friends whilst Zoey just preferred being with her grandmother, it was as if she knew their time was limited.
"It is okay honey, you are 18 already, you can go to the party," her mother says happily.
"Yeah, it will help you relax," her father reassured, "how about I take you shopping for the party?"
With the help of her father and her friend Palma, Zoey was able to prepare for the party, it was her first party and she hoped it went well.
Nathan's home was quite beautiful, she liked the way he had decorated the home for the party.
"This is nice," she whispers to her friend, who nods at her happily.
They met more of the students who had come for the party, it was quite enjoyable and relaxing, everyone was so kind.
Especially Nathan who made sure she was okay, she finally found out why Nathan was oddly nicer than usual.
When he asked her out on a date, like she is sure her father wouldn't mind her going on a date, but she remembers well on her 10th birthday promising to not love any man that is not her father or brothers.
"Hey, you don't have to say yes, you can reject me if you don't want," Nathan says after the long silence.
"Oh…. Um… well... I would like to go on a date with you," she replies, she is sure her father will cry himself to sleep after finding out, but she is 18, she can date now.
She spent the rest of the night with Nathan, to Palma's dismay, she thought it was because she didn't spend time with her friend, but it was way deeper than that.
After the party, the whole school was buzzing with news of Nathan and Zoey dating. Many praised the relationship as the two were part of the elite family and they made a good power couple.
Nathan was happy by this, though he had planned with Palma to ruin Zoey's life at that party, he got hold of interesting information about his enemy that he could use against him.
Oliver Winters, the scholarship fool who stands to be the Valedictorian this year, Nathan hated him, as he stands now in the playground looking at Oliver and his friend Oren Huxley, he feels smug.
"Seems your cush on my girl have to disappear now that she is mine," Nathan says proudly.
He had found out about Oliver having a crush on Zoey the previous Friday when his friend was teasing him about it.
"What are you talking about?" Oliver asks.
"Your crush on Zoey, you fool, haven't you heard, she is my girlfriend now," Nathan says smugly, though Oliver seemed unfazed, it was clear he was hurt about it.
"What does her being your girlfriend have to do with me? She is an amazing girl, and I will not stop liking her just because she is dating you," Oliver says boldly, "you do not own her."
He stood from where he was standing to walk away from Nathan and his group of friends.
He had thought it wouldn't be bad to watch Zoey and Nathan together, but it hurt so bad, he felt like Zoey deserved so much better, she was too good for him.
Zoey and Nathan had been dating for 5 months now, and Zoey was thankful for meeting him when she did, he was so attentive and supportive.
"When will you introduce me to your parents?" Nathan asks almost sound like a command.
They were sitting in a diner near the school after school, Nathan had decided to take Zoey out on a date after school.
"Well, I just need a little more time, my father is a bit too overprotective," she explained, "I introduced Palma as a friend a little to earl and he didn't like her, so I want to take my time this time."
"Because Palma is your friend not your boyfriend, I am to help you take over his empire, there is no way he is not accepting me," Nathan says boldly.
Zoey felt a bit hurt, "well I am not taking over his company," she says, she had already decided to go to fashion school in Milan, she hadn't told her father and mother.
"What?" Nathan asked confused, "what do you mean? You are the oldest you get to take over the company."
"Well, I want to go to fashion school in Milan, I haven't told my parents though, I think Kaiden is most suited for the role of the heir," Zoey says, Nathan got unnecessarily angrier with every sentence.
"Are you insane, it is your birth right to be the CEO, why not take it with all your hands," Nathan yells, Zoey felt scared, she had never seen Nathan so passionate and angry.
"It is not my birth rite, I am adopted," Zoey says, Nathan was flabbergasted by this, yes, he already knew she was adopted, but her family didn't seem to mind.
"So, I only dated you so I can be a husband of the great CEO," Nathan says angrily, it took Zoey by surprise, Nathan was her first boyfriend, he was her first kiss, her first love.
She never expected Nathan would be using her, well Palma did warn her about him, but she just thought she was hurt he was getting more attention than her.
"What? What do you mean?" Zoey asked hurt.
"You heard me, why would I date a girl like you, ugh… I just wanted the fame and fortune, but it seems I will not be...…"
Before Nathan could finish his sentence, Zoey had slapped him in his face, "it is over, you can go date all those great girls you want to date."
She matched out the diner angrily with Nathan chiming, "good riddance."
She felt a pang in her heart, it hurt to be told that the only reason she was loved was because of her status, and family, she felt tears run down her face, as she ran home.
She decided to run to her father's office instead, eyes still red from crying.
"Zoe, love what is going on?" her father asked, she just ran to her father and hugged him, she needed the hug.
"He said he only dated me because of our family status," she whispers, she could feel her father's anger as he tightens his fists.
"Hey, he is the jerk, he didn't deserve you anyway," he reassured her, his daughter's first heartbreak.
He hugged her as she cried, pleading with the good father in him to not match to the boy's home to give him a piece of his mind.
"I…. I want to go to fashion school," Zoey says, "there is a good fashion school in Milan, and I was thinking of going there."
"Oh…..., so you want to major in fashion?" he asked, she then nodded shyly, it was already mid of her last year in high school, she needed to get ready to go to a different country.
"Yes," she nods, nervously, "I like designing clothes, I am not really good at it yet, but I love it."
"Look at you smile, one wouldn't even assume you just git heartbroken," he joked, "I will find you a teacher to teach you Italian."
She felt happy, yes, she knew her family would support her, but she still felt a bit like she was disappointing them.
"Hey, come here," he says pulling her for a hug, "I am proud of you, with anything you do, I will always be proud of you okay." She nods hugging her father even tighter.
Meanwhile at the diner, Nathan and his friends are tormenting Oliver who is a waiter at said diner, he had always taken Zoey there just to taunt him.
"Can you leave already," Oliver says, "you have been sitting there for three hours without ordering."
"Look at you, miserable and poor, even without that b*tch Zoey I am still better," Nathan says boldly.
"Just..."
"Excuse me," Oliver was interrupted by a voice, and there stood the two brothers who seemed to have been there for blood along with their two cousins.
"Um…. Nathan, may we have a word?" Adrienne says boldly, Nathan had looked at Adrienne licked his lower lip, before following the four guys.
Oliver gulped with nervousness, Nathan looked happy following them, but Oliver felt like it was not going to end well for him, and so he followed them.
They had stopped at the back of the diner for a bit, it was Kaiden who spoke first, "so, I heard you and my sister broke up," Kaiden says.
"Oh… we had a small couple fight..." he didn't finish his sentence before Kai punched him in the face, making him tumble down, before they all start beating him up.
Oliver watched in horror as Nathan screamed, he probably deserved it after what he did to Zoey, but Oliver being a good man decided to help him.
"Hey, I think that is enough" he says, he could help but flinch as Kai turn to look his way, Kai Beckett was already known to have killed a man.
"Well, he better have learned his lesson," Adrienne says in her feminine voice, Adrienne was more of a tomboy than Zoey, but her feminine voice gave her away to be a girl all the time.
"And you better not tell anyone about this, we don't want Zoey getting mad at us," Kaiden says firmly, "or get grounded, father would be so man I he found out."
They start conversing about where they are going next, walking away from Nathan's bruised body.
The next day Nathan was pulled out of school, the four never got into trouble, and Oliver had now known how heavily guarded the heart he wanted was, how he hoped to be loved by Zoey.
To steal the heavily guarded heart – my secret guide. – Coming soon.