Morning Darlings!

So sorry for the wait. As you might imagine, this story is hefty to write and needed a break as I wrapped up the school year. Hopefully, we're back up and running as normal!

Thank you to Mel, Jill, and Gemma!

SEVEN

Edward

"I have never seen a greater monster or miracle than myself."

― Michel de Montaigne

Most rooms went silent whenever I walked through the door. It was the power I had over people, and I relished that silence, used it to show everyone just how absolutely little they meant to me.

Even after knowing me most of their lives, my classmates still feared me. They knew there was nothing they could ever do in life to be better than me…

So why even fucking try?

I was the sole heir to the Cullen Dynasty. My family ruled the world, and one day, I would too.

There was nothing that could get in my way.

When I stepped into class in the morning, I was greeted with the same reverential quiet that usually followed me. I moved to my seat, aware of people hovering nearby, yearning to be in my proximity, but knowing they needed my permission first in order to approach.

I lounged back in my seat, kicking my feet up and letting out a contented sigh. When I was ready, I allowed the first throng of people near me with a flick of my wrist.

Angela and Jess were all over me in an instant, scooting their chairs as close as possible so they could drape themselves possessively over my body.

"I wonder how fast it will take for that new girl to run out of class, crying," Jasper said, coming to sit toward me. I shoved Angela aside so he could take a seat at my table. She huffed but then came around to sit with Jess on my left. They weren't sitting at proper spots at the table, because each one only fit two students, but the girls didn't seem to care. Obviously, I was more important to them than getting ready for the lecture.

"I don't think she's going to make it to class," Jess said, a cruel smile on her face. She and Angela giggled.

"What did you do?" I asked, arching an eyebrow at them.

"It was just a little hazing," Angela said, her tone going sweet, though the malice in her eyes gave her away. "Just to see if she can take a joke."

Jasper let out a low laugh. "You are such jealous cunts," he said, shaking his head. The girls looked offended by this, but I snickered. It was true.

"She's not coming," Angela said, her voice going haughty. "If she manages to make it out of there alive, she'll be on the first bus back to wherever the hell she came from."

Jess was about to nod in agreement when the door to our classroom opened.

The girls let out sharp hisses as the new girl strode in.

She was in a uniform that was obviously way too small for her, and it only served to make her look like she just stepped off a porn set. Her tits were straining against the white button down, her black bra very visible as the fabric of the shirt was pulled taut. Her skirt was about three inches too short and threatened to flash us her pussy when she strolled into class.

My head tilted slightly. Now that she wasn't dressed like the fucking Amish, she was actually pretty hot.

"Damn." Jasper whistled, his light eyes trained on her. She glanced at our table when he spoke, and I watched her for any sign that she was going to shrink under our gazes.

She didn't, and I felt my dick stir.

"Hey," I called to her, motioning her toward me. For a second, it looked like she was going to ignore me, but then her feet were making her travel in my direction.

She stopped right in front of me.

"Come sit with me," I told her, motioning to Jasper for him to move.

The new girl's eyes narrowed.

"Eat me."

I smirked, shoving Jess and Angela off of me.

"I'd love to. Should we go find somewhere private, or should I lay you out right here?" I patted the table in front of me, and I was fucking delighted when pink crawled up her cheeks.

Instead of answering me, she spun on her heels and stomped to an empty table, plopping herself down. I leaned back in my chair, smirking.

It had been a long time since someone hadn't done what I'd ordered.

It was surprisingly refreshing.

"What the hell is her deal?" Jess hissed. She and Angela were bitching about something or another, but I didn't care what the fuck was their problem.

"Get lost," I told them.

Both girls gasped, letting out little protests, but I couldn't be bothered. I set my gaze on the new girl, watching her tits as they tested the strength of the fabric of her shirt.

She had a single, battered notebook in front of her and one old pen in between her fingers.

That was it.

What was her deal?

Banner called the class to order, clapping his hands and pointing to a slim volume in his hands. "All right, class," he said, tapping the book's hard cover. "I think that to honor Monsieur Proust, this lesson will be exclusively en français." He motioned around the room as he began to speak in French, trying to get a discussion going. He wouldn't call on me—no teacher ever dared to try—so I sat back, ignoring the lesson as I gazed at the new girl.

She seemed lost, and I wondered if she'd read Proust, or if she even spoke a lick of French.

Banner called on Jess, and though she was near fluent in French, her accent was so atrocious still, I couldn't help but to laugh at her. She flamed red when I glanced at her, and I turned my attention back to the new girl. Her dark eyes were on me, an almost challenging glare in her stare.

It fucking thrilled some part of me that I didn't quite understand.

I'd never met anyone who was so openly defiant against me. Rose came close, but even she knew her fucking place.

This new girl didn't fucking care who I was, and it excited me as much as it pissed me off.

She had no idea that with a single wave of my hand, I could erase her off the fucking globe.

"Mademoiselle?"

I looked up at Banner to see him watching the new girl expectantly. She gazed up at him, clearly surprised to be called out.

I saw Angela and Jess smirk in satisfaction, and it was annoying enough that I did the unthinkable.

"'Le véritable voyage de découverte ne consiste pas à chercher de nouveaux paysages, mais à avoir de nouveaux yeux,'" I quoted, garnering Banner's attention. He turned to me in surprise.

"Oui, Monsieur Cullen. Très bien."

My eyes landed on the new girl, and I was mildly surprised to see she was not swooning over my perfect French. Instead, she was glaring daggers at me.

I was not sure I'd ever seen that sort of look directed at me.

It was so shocking, that for the rest of the lesson, I ignored everyone and everything else. I watched the new girl as she tried to follow the discussion. She looked lost but determined to figure out what was going on. Occasionally, she wrote notes on the paper in front of her.

I wanted to know what the hell she was writing.

When the class was over, I stood, ignoring everyone around me. She was on her feet, already heading out of the room, and I stalked after her, grabbing her elbow. She let out a squeak of surprise as I twirled her, blocking her path and effectively pinning her against the wall.

"What the fuck are you doing?" She hissed, her dark eyes going wide. There was a note of panic in them, though she was putting on a good front otherwise.

"Giving you the opportunity to thank me," I said, giving her my most charming smile. I watched her eyes glaze over as expected as she was momentarily stunned.

It didn't last though, and she pulled herself together, licking her lips. "Why the fuck would I thank you?"

I smiled. "That's quite a mouth on you," I said, reaching up and rubbing my thumb over her bottom lip.

"Touch me again and I'll bite that finger off," she threatened. Something in her eyes told me she might actually try.

I was tempted to brush my thumb against her again, just to see her do it.

Instead, I let go of her, looking at her expectantly.

"I need to get to class," she said, her voice steel.

"As soon as you thank me."

Her eyes narrowed. "For what?"

I grinned. New girl had some fire in her. "For rescuing you in Banner's lecture. Or were you about to quote Proust in French yourself?"

Her arms were crossed over her chest protectively, the notebook blocking my view of her tits. I watched her knuckles whiten around the edges of her book.

"Casse-toi," she spat.

I chuckled. "That's cute. What, did you learn that googling naughty words with your friends in middle school?"

Her eyes were snapping with fire.

"Get out of my face."

I wasn't going to. I was going to stay and make her ditch the rest of her classes. I'd have her naked and moaning in no time.

"Mr. Cullen?"

I looked up, glaring at Val.

"Headmaster," I said dryly, not moving from my position over the new girl. His eyes flickered briefly to her before landing back on me.

"You have visitors."

I noted the tension in his eyes, the deeper worry lines creasing his face, and I immediately knew who was here to see me.

I stepped away from the new girl, not even glancing back at her as I took off, heading toward the conservatory where I knew my visitors would be waiting.

I braced myself before pushing open the large double glass doors.

Sitting at an elegant glass table in the center of the conservatory, a server waiting beside them to bend to their every whim, were my parents.

My father's long body was dressed in an immaculately tailored suit, his hair perfectly styled and swept under control. Everything about him screamed of two things: control and money.

Beside him, my eternally young mother was dressed in a green velvet dress, her caramel hair in smooth waves down her back. She was dripping diamonds and other fine jewels that my father regularly adorned her in.

They looked up at me when I entered.

"Edward," Father said, waiting for me to approach the table.

I took a breath, stepping toward him. "Sir," I said, stopping before sitting. Father assessed me, his blue eyes critically taking in everything about me. Finally, he nodded, and I pulled a chair out to sit.

Immediately, someone was coming to bring me a cup of tea.

"Your headmaster tells us you are at the top of your class," Father said, his tone almost sounding bored.

I stared at him. "Yes, sir." Not that my teachers would dare grade me lower. They knew what was at stake, even if they were meant to whip me into shape.

"Not good enough."

I was unsurprised to hear this from him. He'd been telling me I wasn't good enough my whole life.

"Yes, sir," I agreed.

"Darling," Mother said, shifting her head to glance up at my father. "We have to be in Switzerland soon."

Father looked at her and nodded.

"Leaving so soon?"

My tone was laced with my contempt. It was foolish, but I couldn't help it. Mother looked up at me.

"Darling, when you've got something impressive to share with us, maybe we'll stay longer."

My fingers curled under the table.

"Have you just come to check on my progress?" I asked.

"It is wise, Edward, to know the status and value of your assets." Father's tone was cold, shrewd. "But no, that is not our only aim."

He looked at my mother, who shifted her emerald gaze to me.

"It may interest you to know you now have a younger brother."

My heart stopped, then tripled its speed. "You're pregnant?" I asked, my voice skeptical. Mother scoffed.

"Don't be ludicrous," she said, smoothing her dress over her flat stomach. "We finally found a surrogate that carried to term." She looked at Father. "His name is Masen. He's being delivered to the infant ward as we speak."

A brother. Fuck.

"You know what this means," Father said, his hard eyes boring into mine. I looked at him. "Your value has now decreased."

Only one child from every family became the heir. Only one ruled the world.

Up until now, I'd been guaranteed this life simply because my parents couldn't carry another child to term.

"How do I know this isn't some bastard of some girl Father is fucking?" I demanded.

Mother rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Edward. Would we waste our time coming here to tell you if we weren't certain?"

She wasn't even offended at the implication of my father's infidelity. She likely didn't care.

"You will fall into line," Father said, standing from the table. He carefully buttoned his suit jacket as he looked at me. "Or you will be disowned."

Just like that. Submit, or be left for dead. My only options.

I didn't say anything as Father held a hand out to help my mother stand. She took it, gliding to her feet.

"We have to go," Mother said, smoothing down her dress. "We're needed to weigh in on creating a famine in Eastern Europe."

Of course, another fucking Tuesday for the Cullens.

I stood from the table, not out of an effort to be polite, but out of obligation. I took turns, shaking my parents' hands.

"Don't fail us," Mother said as they traipsed out of the conservatory. I stood there, watching them leave until they were out of sight.

The moment they were gone, I turned, flipping the antique glass table and sending it shattering to the stone floor. "Fuck!"