“In my experience, someone like you doesn’t just jump from A to Z,” he says. “It takes time for them to build up to that level of arrogance. And I bet you dollars to donuts that if someone were to look into you, they’d find more than a few skeletons lingering in your closet.”
Blythe scoffs again, looking between us. “And who’s going to be doing ‘the looking’? The penniless son of a disgraced politician?”
Jase clicks his tongue. “Wrong on the first part, misguided on the second. But neither of those conditions is relevant. Not here. It’s about who you know, and trust me when I say I know all the best people in the lowest of places. If you’ve so much as jaywalked, they’ll find out. And if you don’t believe me, just give it about, oh, ten minutes or so.”
Nobody seems to appreciate the countdown or the ominous tone he’s set, because the whole room falls into an uneasy silence, only making Jase grin even more broadly.
He gets right up into Blythe’s face, and I’m not sure if it’s the close proximity or the look he’s giving her, but she finally has the common sense to back away. Or, in her case, stumble.
“As you’re about to see, I don’t take kindly to people going after my girl. If you so much as sneeze in Ali’s general direction, I’ll fuck up your life so thoroughly that you’ll only wish I had ended you.” His grin could rival the Cheshire Cat as he wraps his arm around my waist, steering us towards the door. “Now,if you’ll excuse us, we have a double feature to watch in the banquet hall, and it’ll be a show to remember.”
Despite their collective confusion, Derek, Vanessa, and Luke all follow after us. The fact that no one bothers to even look at my parents tells me enough. Jase could have offered to take them to a sewage plant and it would still be more enticing than having to stay in that room.
Returning to the party, Jase finds a table to his liking near the man of the hour and settles into a seat, disregarding the place cards. Thankfully, everybody’s too busy mixing and mingling to notice or care. Besides, we won’t be staying long. The rest of us follow suit, accepting champagne from a passing server.
I scope out the crowds, not expecting to find Sienna. After her little photography revelation, I figured she exited stage left, but it turns out she’s quite The Brave Little Toaster. Or maybe she’s just that angry. We’re too far away to hear what she’s saying because she’s off in the corner, but she’s yanking Patrick’s arm, demanding he follow her.
He doesn’t budge, too fixated on his phone. It’s a thing of beauty, watching his eyes turn to saucers and the blood drain from his face.
Sienna isn’t looking at the screen, but something about the phone, likely the sound, draws her attention. She immediately rips the device from his hand, more than horrified. The girl looks like she may very well piss herself.
Sure enough, phone after phone begins buzzing, no doubt with the first video of our double feature.
I don’t need to watch it to know what they’re all seeing.
I lived it.
Despite the video having been recorded in the high school locker room, the audio quality isn’t hindered much by the echoing. Although, it wouldn’t matter either way. Trent’s andSienna’s actions speak for themselves. With Olivia’s camera work coming from the doorway, both are in clear view and on full display as the video shows them attacking me in my naked, frail state. The unedited version was already sent to the police, but Dash made sure to blur out any sensitive body parts, including my face, in the “leaked” version everybody here is currently digesting.
And though it’s all in one video, it’s a two-parter.
After the footage from the locker room ends, another clip shows the inside of Trent’s bedroom. Based on the setup and position, it’s clear this isn’t just coming from a security camera. It’s been staged to get the best angle of the action. Aria lies on his mattress, feebly shoving her hands up at his chest and face as he lays on top of her. All the while, she continues to whimper and beg for him to stop, but all he does is laugh. Dash also made sure to blur Aria’s face to protect her identity, because as much as he didn’t want to show either of us in these positions, the videos are necessary for everyone to see. Ravenswood’s elite can’t keep sweeping their crimes under the rug. Not after this. Public scrutiny will demand a full investigation that will no doubt lead police directly to Trent’s private video collection, which Dash informed me cataloged an extensive library of depraved footage.
I’m so busy taking in all of the horrified expressions and outright gasps around me that I nearly jump out of my skin when someone’s arms grab me from behind.
It takes a second too long to realize this person isn’t trying to strangle me. At least not on purpose. My sister doesn’t say anything, and I prefer it that way; she just wraps her arms around my shoulders, sniffling.
“If you had evidence of what happened to Ali this whole time, why is it only coming outnow?” Derek demands, trying and failing to hide his anger as he looks at Jase.
“Because it only recently came into my possession. Once Olivia realized how out of hand things were getting, she filmed it with every intention of handing it over to the police, but Trent took her phone the second they left the locker room. He deleted the video, but not before sending a copy to someone else. Olivia suspected it was one of his dummy accounts, and if the video still existed, she knew only one person could get close enough to Trent to recover it.”
“Her brother.”
Jase grins. “There’s no way Patrick would turn on his best friend without a little incentive, which his sister was more than happy to provide. Granted, his indiscretions aren’t nearly to the degree of Trent’s. They’re not even criminal, but they’re well-documented, and it’s enough ammunition to get him in some serious trouble with their father. There’s no more effective means of putting the fear of God in a privileged fuckboy than threatening his bank account, and trust me, the shit Olivia has on him would have Mr. Bouchard cutting off his son faster than you can say Jack Robinson.”
Sienna has the good sense to flee the room, but Mr. Easton’s too busy schmoozing to realize something’s wrong. Not until it’s too late.
The hulking man lurking behind Trent’s father, likely his bodyguard, interrupts whatever conversation is being had to whisper something to Mr. Easton, handing him a phone.
He does a better job of schooling his expression than Patrick and Sienna, but the initial shock is still visible. His easy demeanor falters, and he just about freezes in place. When he recovers, he politely excuses himself but doesn’t make it very far.
I have no idea how Dash planned it, but the timing couldn’t be more perfect as five police officers enter the banquet hall. Chief Nohl leads the way, and despite his attempt to look authoritative, he just looks uncomfortable to be here altogether.The way his shoulders slump the closer he gets to Mr. Easton says as much. He even lowers his voice enough that no one can hear what he says when confronting the man.
Mr. Easton doesn’t grant him the same courtesy, not when the chief makes it clear what’s about to happen. “I had nothing to do with this,” he barks, motioning to his phone.
Chief Nohl looks at the screen but shakes his head. “That’s not what this is about.”
Nope, it most certainly is not.
