CHAPTER 90: MAKE SPRING KAINE A PUBLIC WHORE.

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Chapter 90

~Spring’s POV~

Sadly, it ended, but instead of stepping back to my corner, I surprised them all by moving straight to Kael.

"You don’t need to—" he began shyly as the others cheered, but I silenced him with my lips.

Kael’s kiss was teasing at first, tasting like laughter and warmth. Then he stilled, and pulled me closer, letting my body press against his as something sharper bloomed under his calm, possessiveness and want.

"You’re beautiful," he murmured against my lips, brushing my jaw with the back of his fingers. "You’re going to ruin us."

I laughed a little, breath caught. "I’ll be happy to, mate."

Then I moved on to Jace.

"You knew I’d get mine," he whispered before I could speak, and unlike the others, he kissed me.

Harder than the others. Not because he wanted to claim me, but because he wanted to make me feel and remember him. It was fire, reckless, and chaotic, the way Jade thrilled inside me and the way my body responded.

It was all Jace.

When I moved back, I exhaled as my eyes glistened for a moment, and finally, I turned to Storm, this time standing.

He hadn’t moved a muscle once. His jaw was tight, and I could tell he wasn’t so pleased or okay with sharing me.

"I want you to know," I whispered, "you mean a lot to me, Storm. I know it’s only been a short while since we’ve—"

"I know," he interrupted softly. "You mean a lot to me, too. You don’t have to explain. Even though I want to snatch you from the world, I know I can’t just yet. I’ll have to fight four other men for you... unless I learn to share."

My breath caught as he stood and stepped forward.

"That doesn’t mean I’m giving up on making you mine."

Then he kissed me. Storm’s kiss wasn’t wild or desperate. It was fierce and controlled. He kissed like he held back a storm in his chest. Like if he let go for one second, I’d be swallowed whole.

And maybe I wanted to be.

By the time he pulled away, I was trembling and almost lost my footing, but he caught me quickly before guiding me to sit on the cloth close to him.

This time, my head rested against his chest as I sat between his legs.

Storm glanced at his watch. "We’ve got an hour left."

"Left of what?" I asked.

"To drop you off at home so that you can prep for your assessment."

I groaned and dropped my head. "Ugh. School. Right."

Tyrion leaned over, blocking out the sun. "Think of the bright side... after that... Storm gets you alone."

I tilted my head to the side to get a clear view of his face. Storm didn’t look away. "I intend to keep that promise."

"Well," I murmured, brushing a leaf from my lap, "at least I know I’m in high demand."

Kael chuckled. "Imagine the billboard lighting up with your face. Spring Kaine. Most wanted girl in Noxshade."

Jace nudged me. "You okay, really?"

I looked around at them—Storm, Jace, Kael, Tyrion—and smiled softly.

"I’m okay," I whispered. "More than okay."

And this time, it was the absolute truth.

"Alright. So what should we do next?" Tyrion asked, looking at all of us.

"Well..."

"How about we go swimming?" Jace asked.

"How about we all wolf out?"

"No," Storm interjected before I had the chance to finish. As if his protectiveness wasn’t enough, he wrapped his arms around me.

"Why?"

"You want to rip your clothes in front of them?"

My cheeks flushed when I realized where his protectiveness was coming from, and I simply smiled.

"Then swimming it is," I finalised, and he simply leaned in, sniffing my hair.

"Okay with me."

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~Rose’s POV~

"You should have seen my birthday party. Ruined."

The sharp heels of my boots echoed on the tiled floor as I paced the living room, phone clutched so tightly in my hand that my fingers had started to ache.

My teeth gnashed... my jaw locked tight. I was seething.

Spring. Spring, Spring, Spring.

Everywhere I turned, it was her name on everyone’s lips—like she’d walked on water and turned stone into gold.

They adored her as if she hadn’t appeared from nowhere in their lives and stole everything that should have been mine. Their love, devotion, adoration, money... everything.

My lips twisted as I pressed the phone closer to my ear.

"She’s untouchable now," I hissed when my mom did not answer me. "The maids, my damn brothers, even my mother and father. I’ve tried everything. Nothing works. She always finds a way to crawl out looking shinier than before."

A soft sound came through the line, almost soothing like a lullaby laced with knives.

"Oh, my sweet girl," came my mum’s voice, but I knew better. I could sense the eerie tone in her voice. "Then it’s time to take the throne from the little peasant."

I paused mid-step, staring out the tall glass windows of the villa’s sitting room.

"She’s stronger now," I admitted bitterly. "And worse... she’s protected. Rhys, Kaius, and Eryx—those fools would die for her. And I heard she now has four guys chasing after her in her school." I swallowed hard. "They would burn cities for her, so I’m told."

"All men are predictable," Mum said, the venom wrapped in honey. "Power makes them sentimental. But we don’t need to break her through strength, Rose. We break her through shame."

I fell silent as she added, "If we can’t humble her emotionally, we humiliate her publicly. Shame is a longer blade, and far more permanent."

My throat tightened. "How?"

"We ruin her image. Her reputation. Her name," she stated coldly. "We show Noxshade that she doesn’t belong. That she was always a fraud. And we make the Kaines choose—her or their honour."

I stood still. "You want me to—"

"Do what you should’ve done years ago," Anastasia snapped. "Expose her. Fabricate whatever you must. Get the academy to turn on her. Create whispers. Build tension. A scandal. A betrayal. Enough shame and suspicion, and even her brothers will start to question what they’ve brought into their home."

I felt the smile begin to curl on my lips again.

"She will not finish this semester," Anastasia said smoothly. "Mark me. This is the end of her fairy tale. And the beginning of our empire.. Make Spring Kaine a public whore."

I swallowed as she ended the call abruptly, and I lowered the phone slowly.

Time for you to go down.