[And the award for Best Performance in Corporate Bullsh*t goes to… Amara Lyselle! Bravo!]
Oh, go choke on a motherboard, I snapped at the system in my head. If I could've kicked it out of my brain, I would've. The fact that I was stuck with a snarky AI critiquing my every move made my blood boil. Still, I threw it the best mental death glare I could manage.
For once, the system shut up. But, of course, that only made the awkwardness at the dinner table more unbearable. My parents sat there, too quiet, eating like they hadn't just witnessed me barely survive another day in the family business. I shoveled food into my mouth at warp speed, ready to bolt the second I could escape.
Just as I pushed my chair back, Dad cleared his throat. Of course.
"Amara," he said, and I froze, halfway to freedom.
"We hope you'll behave just as well tomorrow," he continued, with that irritatingly hopeful look, like he was genuinely expecting I might not burn the place down tomorrow. "Maybe you'll come up with another great idea, like today."
Great idea? Did they really think I'd planned any of that? "Yeah, sure," I muttered under my breath. "I'll get right on it." I forced a tight-lipped smile and nodded. "I'll try."
Without wasting another second, I bolted for the safety of my room. As soon as the door clicked shut, I collapsed onto my bed, face-first into the pillow. The weight of the day hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn't even have the energy to scream, though I seriously considered it.
But, of course, my peaceful silence didn't last long.
[So… how does it feel to be Mommy and Daddy's golden child for once?] The system's voice slithered into my thoughts like a particularly annoying parasite. [Bet you're loving all that praise.]
"Shut the hell up," I growled into the pillow.
[Come on, you have to admit, that was some solid acting down there. Almost like you weren't plotting something totally reckless.]
"I'm not—" I stopped myself. No point arguing with a glorified toaster. "Ugh. Can we just not right now?"
[Not talk about how the family screw-up finally impressed the big shots? Sure. Let's pretend that's not a monumental event in your tragic little life.]
I rolled over, staring at the ceiling in sheer disbelief. "Do you ever stop talking?"
[Nope. You're stuck with me, sweetie.]
I was about to hurl the pillow across the room when my phone the old Amara's phone started blaring that obnoxious ringtone. I winced. What fresh hell is this now?
I glanced at the screen. Of course. It was Zara Miller.
Zara was the definition of "fake friend." She latched onto Old Amara like a parasite, only sticking around because of the money, the parties, and the social status. I really wasn't in the mood for whatever drama she was about to dump on me, but I picked up anyway.
"Amara! Where the hell were you tonight?" Zara's voice screeched through the speaker like she'd swallowed a megaphone. "We went shopping all day, then hit the best parties, and you totally ghosted us."
I closed my eyes, already exhausted. "Zara, I'm done with that. I told you, I'm not playing that game anymore."
There was a pause. And then she laughed a sharp, grating cackle that made my skin crawl. "Oh my God. Are you serious right now? Is this your big plan to get Eirik's attention? Going all 'changed woman' on us? Please."
Hearing Eirik's name was like a punch to the gut. Eirik, the guy Old Amara had chased like a lost puppy, who'd now set his sights on Elara. I'd seen them together just the other day. And, yeah, it stung.
"I'm not doing this for him," I snapped, feeling the anger bubbling up. "I'm serious. I've changed. I'm done being your personal ATM and party planner."
Her laughter cut off. The silence that followed was even worse. "Oh my God," she said, her voice dripping with venomous disbelief. "You're actually serious. Wow. You really think this whole 'new and improved' act is going to get Eirik crawling back to you?"
I clenched my fist so hard my knuckles ached. "I don't care about Eirik, Zara. I've got bigger things to deal with."
"Bigger things, huh?" Her voice took on that smug tone I hated. "You mean like Elara? Yeah, I heard about her. Seems like she's been getting awfully cozy with Eirik lately."
I felt a cold chill run down my spine. "What's your point?"
Zara's voice dropped, suddenly low and dangerous. "I'm just saying… If she's a problem for you, I could help you deal with her."
My heart stopped. My grip on the phone tightened as Zara continued, her voice sickly sweet now.
"You know, make her disappear. I've got a few connections. One call, and she's out of the picture. For good. No one would even know."
I stared at the ceiling, my mind racing. Elara. The girl I was supposed to be protecting. The one I'd foolishly pushed into my parents' company. Now Zara, this viper disguised as a human, was offering to hurt her just to keep the toxic cycle going.
"No," I said, my voice sharper than I intended. "I'm not interested in that."
Zara laughed, but it was hollow. "Suit yourself, Amara. But don't come crying to me when Eirik picks her over you."
The line went dead before I could respond, leaving me with the weight of her threat. I tossed the phone onto the bed and stared into the darkness, my mind spinning with too many thoughts at once.