Chapter Twenty-One ~ Sabotage-2

"Wh-what?" "Don't you get it? She doesn't care about us. Our secrets are nothing to her—in fact, they're entertainment. She's a psycho." I thought back to Felix's sociopathic comment and shook my head. "What do you mean?" She pulled a USB from her clutch and flicked it open. There was a shine to her eye that had me nervous. "I'm just doing the age old accidental switch around of her birthday video..." "What's on there?" I watched as she uploaded a file and then clicked on it, moving one of the screens in my direction so I could see. There was a video taken on a darkened street. Instantly I found the setting familiar, although it was taken from a completely different angle. A girl stepping from a car and kissing Cole Kensington on the lips. Except, in this version, her identity wasn't concealed. It was Jada. "Penelope got me into this mess back when Poppy and I were only a fling. When you were brought in, I was supposed to be free. But, that bitch betrayed me." "Ella..." I watched in horror as she renamed the file to match the title of Penelope's birthday video that was already loaded onto the system. Then she deleted the original. "Done." My brows knitted as Ella pulled her USB socket out. "Now we get to watch as the shitshow ensues." I left the room, my heart pounding. I hated Penelope, sure, but maybe this was too far. I couldn't watch as Ella blatantly embarrassed her in front of everyone. Penelope's greatest fear was that Cole was unfaithful, and now it'd be shown to everyone. He wasn't cheating with just anyone, either. It was with one of Penelope's best friends. When I'd told Penelope Jada was crying at that party, she'd felt so bad for not being there for her. She'd been jealous every time I hung out with them when she was too far away. These people were more than the glitz and glamor of the modeling world to Penelope, they were her family. She did stupid, insane—even cruel—things for them, sure, but it still made my insides bleed to think Penelope would have a betrayal like this exposed at her birthday party. Besides, more importantly than that, maybe if I warned her—did one kind thing for her—she'd show me grace. I'd be safe. I could swap one secret for another and be free. My quickened pace turned to a jog as I made a beeline for the stage. "Penelope!" I hissed, hoping the others hadn't seen me rush towards her. Or worse. Ella. I didn't expect her to hear, but she turned on her heels and narrowed her eyes. "I need to speak to you. Now." Cole looked between us. "Alone," I added. The last thing I wanted was to involve him in her blackmail against me. "Um, okay," she said slowly. She looked at Cole as if to say, who is that freak? "Didn't realize you two knew each other," he noted. But he gave us one final wary glance before letting go of Penelope's hand. Penelope rolled her eyes, but led me to a room behind the stage. It was lined with couches, like a room a performer might hang out in before playing a gig. "This better be fucking important, Joselyn." "It is." I gulped. "But before I tell you anything, you have to promise me something in return." She raised a primped brow. "You can't tell anyone about the dirt you have on me. You take it to the grave." I stood straighter. I remember once being intimidated by Penelope's confidence, but now I had to exert my own. "And in return?" "I'll save your reputation." "Go on." "Your birthday video's been replaced by the footage Ella took of Cole and Jada." Her expression remained unphased, but I swear I saw her pale behind her mask. "Why are you telling me this?" "Because I don't want this to blow up. For any of us." Penelope sprang into action pretty fast. She stormed out of the room, I guess to check whether it was true. Maybe she'd catch Ella red-handed. Maybe she'd let me go from this unscathed. Hope jolted me. Maybe nothing would have to change at all. Maybe Felix would never know any of this. I could actually be his girlfriend. I could be given a clean slate. It was such a selfish thought, but it would be so much easier than the alternative. I don't know what I would do. It's not like he would ever possibly forgive me. I returned to the ballroom, this time feeling as if a weight was lifted from my shoulders. I couldn't see Penelope or Cole anywhere, but I could see Poppy and Ella dancing. The music was slowing to a stop, until the only sound was the clink of glasses and soft murmur of conversation. The room started darkening, and behind the stage was a scene projected onto the wall. I held my breath. Only, instead of the video I expected to see, there were pictures of Penelope. Pictures of her doing editorials as a young teen, pictures of her with celebrities. Her birthday video. Relief washed over me. I looked back to Ella and Poppy. Ella's face was upturned in disgust. Then, her eyes found me, and they were full of hatred. I continued my trajectory to find Felix. For now, he was all I cared about. I searched the back of the room, trying not to obstruct the views of the masked people who had paused to watch the video play out, standing against the gold decorated wall with champagne flutes poised in their hands. When I did find him, it was because I recognized his face. He'd removed his mask, the profile of his face visible outside from where I watched from the threshold. He was sitting on one of the stone benches, one leg on either side as he faced the girl in front of him. Her hair was in shiny blonde swirls, her nose a perfect button shape and her lips full and pink. Her cheeks were rosy and she smiled, her hand moving to rest over Felix's on the stone. Their body language was clear. There was a lot of chemistry between them. He must have sensed me frozen there, because his eyes darted to connect with mine after half a moment. I saw his face drop and he stood up abruptly. "Josie," he said, his tone telling me he'd been caught off-guard. "This is Paisley."