Chapter 136

“You don’t know what Casey Long wants to tell you?” Victor asked as we rode in the Lamborghini to the Long’s home.

“Only that it has something to do with someone trying to take the company away from me,” I replied.

“Do you think her husband is in on it?” Victor turned into a cul-de-sac and parked on the far side of the circle.

I shrugged. “I have no idea. I’ll find out when she tells me.” I climbed out of the car with my bag of marshmallows.

“Why did you bring marshmallows?” Victor grinned.

“Because they taste good,” I replied. “Want to try one?”

Victor looked at the squishy white masses and shook his head.

“You don’t know what you’re missing,” I giggled at the horrified expression on his face.

We made our way around the back of Mitch and Casey’s house, where we heard the sounds of talking and laughter.

It was great to be invited to an event like this. I felt accepted by these Alphas. Since I had to work with them, it was a good feeling.

“Look who’s here,” Victor said as he looked across the backyard.

I waved when I spotted William near the drinks table. He hesitantly waved back. But he wasn’t alone.

He was standing with Karen Cameron. She was clinging to his arm like it was a life raft in the middle of the ocean. I watched while they talked, and he got her a cold soda.

Why would William attend a picnic with a girl he did not like?

Karen spotted us and gave me a catty smile while putting a possessive hand on William’s chest.

Diana growled, but I was saved from reacting by Casey, who caught my eye and motioned me toward her kitchen.

Leaving Victor to speak with the men, I followed her with the bag of marshmallows in one hand. “I brought these in case anyone wanted to try them.”

Casey took the bag and placed them on the counter with other desserts.

“I’m glad you could make it,” Casey said. “You need to know what’s going on before it’s too late.”

“Please, tell me,” I said.

“The test John Cameron and some of the other board members are insisting you take will be fixed,” she said.

“What do you mean?” How could they fix a test?

“They have samples of your handwriting and a fake test with all wrong answers that they are going to claim is yours,” she explained. “After you hand yours in, they will switch them before they are graded.”

“How do you know this?” I asked. It was such a devious plan.

She looked over her shoulder and kept her voice low. “Mitch overheard John Cameron and Tim Clayton talking at a party Friday night. Mitch asked me to warn you without anyone knowing about it.”

There had to be a way to prevent John and his ilk from getting away with this. I would discuss it with Victor.

“Thank you for letting me know,” I said. “And thank your husband for me. We will keep this matter between us.”

“Thank you,” she said. “They would try to make things difficult for Mitch if they knew we warned you.”

“I understand,” I said. “Don’t worry. No one will hear about it from me.”

“John also threatened poor William James’s parents to force William to bring Karen to the picnic,” Casey added. “I feel sorry for him to have to put up with that spoiled girl.”

“I had wondered how that came about,” I said.

Why did John involve William in his plans? I needed to tell Victor. He knew better than me how these sneaky Alphas thought.

I thanked Casey again and went outside to find him.

He was speaking with Mitch. I gave them both a warm smile and asked to borrow Victor for a moment.

“I need you to help me find my contact case in your car,” I said loud enough for everyone around me to hear.

He followed me around the front of the house to the Lamborghini. But when he opened the passenger door, I leaned close and told him everything Casey had said.

“It sounds like something John would do,” he said. “We will find a way to make sure they don’t cheat. And if John’s responsible for William being here with his daughter, you must stay away from them.”

“He’s trying to start more gossip about me, right?”

“Yes. Any jealousy on your part will solidify the gossip about you and William,” he replied.

“Then I’ll make sure Diana behaves,” I said.

“Excellent,” Victor said. “And since we are being watched, we should put on a little bit of a show.” He took my hand, and we returned to the picnic.

I had a smile on my face even though I was angry. My relationship with William or Victor was nobody’s business but my own.

Victor and I ate barbecued chicken and chatted while sitting at the picnic tables under a large poplar tree with the rest of the crowd.

William and Karen sat nearby, but they barely spoke. William talked to a guy from school who sat across from them, and Karen sat silently, looking angry.

At one point later in the afternoon, Victor tossed an arm around my shoulders while he talked to Mitch. I hadn’t seen William or Karen in almost an hour.

But I soon heard Karen’s voice. “You’re in love with Daisy Wilson!” she shrieked. “Don’t deny it.”

“Karen, keep your voice down,” William said. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Daisy and I are just friends.”

“Liar!” she screamed. “It’s obvious to anyone watching. The two of you keep exchanging private looks, and she’s practically ignoring her fiancé, just like you are ignoring me.”

She pulled away from William and walked over to me. “You can’t have both of them, you know. What kind of a bimbo are you?”

I didn’t know what to say. I was embarrassed beyond belief. It was part of the plan to smear my reputation, and I wasn’t sure by the crowd's silence if it wasn’t working.

William came to my defense. “Stop it, Karen. This kind of behavior is why I don’t like you. Daisy has nothing to do with it.”

“How dare you talk to me like this over her,” Karen said and stalked away.

William grimaced and followed her. “Wait, Karen, I’ll take you home.”

I stood next to Victor with my legs shaking. He put an arm around me again and pulled me against his side. I felt safer instantly.

“Are you alright?” Casey asked.

I nodded. “I’m sorry if that scene ruined your picnic.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Casey assured me.

But some of the other guests were staring at me in a way that made me feel like it was my fault.

Before long, Victor and I excused ourselves and left.

Victor was silent all the way home. I wondered if he was as embarrassed as I was about Karen.

When he pulled in front of the mansion, he finally spoke.

“Look, I’m not happy about what happened, but I know it wasn’t your fault. Just ignore the gossip, keep studying, and try not to be seen making out with William or something.”

I felt my face grow hot. “How can you say that? Nobody has ever kissed me!” I blurted out. The huge smile that bloomed on Victor’s face made me blush hotter.

“Good to know,” he said with a genuine wolfish grin.

“Why… Ugh!” I sputtered while my face turned magenta.

Victor began to laugh hard.

“I’ve had enough embarrassment for one day,” I declared and opened the car door.

Victor put a hand on my arm to stop me from leaving. “I’m sorry, Daisy. I shouldn’t have laughed, and nothing was your fault. I’ll make it up to you.”

“How?” I asked.

“You name it,” he replied.

“I need some new clothes for all the parties we’ve been invited to recently,” I said. “You can take me to Gisele’s tomorrow after school.”

“You got it,” he said.

I went inside and told Alex I was home. And then Diana and I went for a run until it was time for dinner.

The next day after school, Victor was as good as his word. He picked me up and drove me to Gisele’s.

Gisele was happy to see us, and she and her assistants made us welcome. They had several suggestions for the outfits that I needed.

After my purchases were rung up and we were leaving, we ran into Karen Cameron coming into the shop.

3

“I see your other lover is buying you clothes,” Karen sneered. “What does William buy for you?”

My temper rose from the pit of my stomach, and I couldn’t hold it back.