Page 136 of The Royal Art of Revenge

Maybe they’re in the grey area in between, where morals and reality collide.

They are, of course.

I’m neither the victim nor the aggressor. I’m a complicated mix of both. I’m the wronged party whose life was stolen from her and the vengeful villain determined to take back what’s mine.

I’m not evil, but nor am I a good person.

Even now, the only reason I sit in this palace is because I schemed my way into it. Because I lied about recognising Finn, because I played just coy enough to occupy a part of his mind, because I willingly walked into a place I knew could trap me.

It might have been chance that we met that day in the park and then again in the hotel, but nothing else is. Everything else is by design.

Except the ease with which people have turned on Jasmine Sinclair.

That... I could not have predicted. Not even in my wildest dreams did I think it would be this easy.

I understand that the internet isn’t real life. What happens in the echoing caves of social media doesn’t translate to actual daily life in the slightest, but social media is a powerful tool all the same. It doesn’t matter if what you read is true or not, because most of it is opinions rather than facts.

Which is how I’m stuck in the spiral of reading people’s opinions about mine and Jasmine’s relationship. About how she’s wrong. About how I’m wrong.

About my relationship in general with my father and stepmother.

And those... Well, those are almost the best ones.

@urbeautybestie: ok but can we talk about the photos of her dad when she was announced as prince finn’s fiancée? Omg

@asuka_27: @urbeautybestie NGL I don’t think she gets on w her parents, didn’t they keep her a secret??

@looloolime: omg they did, if your daughter suddenly appeared after going missing 20 years ago wouldn’t you scream it from the rooftops??? Idk but I guess it is her stepmum, they prob aren’t close

@banana_20split: @looloolime for sure, my mum said she remembers when she disappeared and was like OMG HOW DID THEY NOT SAY ANYTHING!! I swear she cried for her poor mum, how can her dad be so angry at her

@looloolime: @banana_20split maybe they didn’t know?? If they aren’t close it might make sense, ppl get married without telling their parents all the time and if their relationship is bad I wouldn’t blame her

@strawb_grape_blueb: is she even the same person tho?? Didn’t they bury a girl they said was her? What if she’s just a faker

@sparkythalia: @strawb_grape_blueb do u really think the palace just let some rando get engaged to the heir to the throne lmao

@jennasparkles2004: ok but hitting her seems out of character for jasmine?? Like she’s so sweet, everyone says how nice she is so why would she just hit her sister

@purplegrasscloud: @jennasparkles2004 none of us actually know her tho, I think it’s just an act and tbh those photos and stuff do not make her look good

@jazzybaby: uhhh @purplegrasscloud we weren’t there, we don’t know what harriet said to jasmine, maybe she provoked her

@trexasaurus: @jazzybaby so what if she did? my sister goes to college w someone close to maddie green and she said jasmine and her friends ruined her bday when they demanded the private room SHE booked at green elephant in st peters. jasmine made the owner kick her party out. she’s actually a bitch

Oh.

Well.

That’s news to me, but that sounds exactly like something Jasmine would do. Given how she’s scapegoated me so many times, kicking someone out of a private room at a restaurant is child’s play.

I pick up my phone and open my conversation with Valentina. Her last message was sharing a link to a video of a cat—something she does so often that I’m sure watching them is a legitimate hobby for her.

Unfortunately, I’m not here to engage in that particular vice, as enjoyable as it is.

ME: Did you get a chance to reach out to Stella?

VALENTINA: Saw her sister this morning. I was about to call you. Hold on.