Unmasked: A Reverse Harem High School Bully Romance (An Evergreen Academy Novel Book 4)

by Ruby Vincent

  “What the hell are you talking about?” asked Paisley.

  “You’re not allowed in here,” Isabella confirmed. “You eat in Roundtree’s class now. The staff has been told to bring your meals there.”

  “So we’d better not see you in here again,” Darren finished. “Get out.”

  The Knights stepped forward as rage blotted my vision. That is enough of this. I’m doing it now.

  Natalie put out her hands like she was getting ready to shove me. I darted around her.

  “Hey!”

  I ignored her as I stormed up the dais. “We’re doing this again,” I cried into the room. “More bullying, more insults, more freezing me out. Another stupid card shows up in my locker and you turn on me—”

  “Valentina!” Airi shouted.

  “—but have any of you asked why?” I climbed on the dais and kept climbing until I was on top of the table. The new Knights rushed me and I was reminded of the last time I stood up here. “Do you know why I was marked? Do you know why you’ve been torturing me and the people who have tried to help me?”

  “Get down!” Natalie seized my leg. Her nails dug into my skin hard enough to make me cry out. Without thinking, I doubled over and brought my hand up.

  Smack!

  Natalie let out a scream as her head snapped to the side. Her friends grabbed her as she stumbled back from the force of my slap and I took my chance.

  “I know exactly who marked me in freshman year—”

  “Valentina!” This shout drew my attention. Maverick, Ryder, Ezra, and Jaxson had entered the lunchroom. Ryder was the first one to run at me.

  No, I have to do this.

  Every eye was on me as the secret I had been keeping for years fell from my lips. “It was Scarlett LeBlanc. She was an art professor, a Spade, and... a pedophile. She marked me when I found out the truth.”

  The final word was barely out of my mouth before Ryder took hold of me. The room blurred as I flew off the table and into his arms. Ryder spun and raced toward the door, trying to get me out as quickly as he could, but there was one more thing I needed to say.

  “You’ve been attacking me on the orders of a child-molesting predator!” I shrieked. “So what are you going to do now?!”

  Mayhem descended the moment the doors swung shut. The shouting and screaming echoed through the halls and was only ended by the stairwell door. There was no Knight room to take me to so Ryder burst onto the main floor. I yelled at him to put me down the whole way to our dorm, but he didn’t listen.

  It was only when the door was locked and bolted behind us that he let me scramble out of his arms.

  Our chests heaved as we gazed at each other across the front room.

  “Valentina.” Ryder’s eyes were glittering silver pools. “What did you do?”

  “I did what I said I would do last year. If I had, none of this would have happened. Ace wouldn’t have come for me. The class wouldn’t have followed the mark.”

  “People are going to investigate her now—her disappearance. They’ll interrogate you!”

  I tossed my head. “You don’t have to be worried. I won’t tell anyone what Scarlett did to you or—”

  “You think I’m worried about me?!” The bellow blew me back. “We don’t know what Ace is going to do now! You’ve outed one of them as a pedophile. If there is an investigation and you start tossing the word Spades around to the police; they’ll have to dig deeper. They have hidden themselves for decades. They won’t be brought out of hiding now. What if they decide to shut you up permanently?”

  Everything Ryder said I had considered a hundred times. I knew what I could be setting off, but I also knew a war with the Spades was inevitable. It was either going to be me who started it or Ace, because a thousand marks wouldn’t get me out of this school.

  I held his gaze without wavering. “I had to take that risk. I’ll do what it takes to protect all of you.”

  Ryder opened his mouth to say what I would never know, because, at that second, the door flew open and the others ran in. Seven voices pelted me at once and Ryder was pushed to the side as Sofia grabbed me in a tearful hug.

  We ended up missing our classes. I only managed to get out when the final bell rang because I reminded them my phone was still in the box. I said I would go alone, but got a resounding no from the entire room.

  I could feel Ryder’s eyes on me as we crossed the courtyard. His gaze was as penetrating as Jaxson’s, Maverick’s, and Ezra’s. We desperately needed to talk alone.

  Roundtree looked up when we entered the classroom. “I thought you forgot.”

  “Forgot what?” Sofia asked.

  “You’re spending the afternoon with me.”

  I had forgotten. Ryder looked for a moment like he was going to argue, but I placed a hand on his arm.

  “What do you need us to do, Professor Roundtree?”

  He shook his head. “Not you, Miss Moon. The headmaster wants to see you in his office an hour ago. You should go now.”

  “Okay.” I turned to leave, but it was Maverick’s turn to take my arm.

  “Val, wait. We have to talk first. What are you going to tell him?”

  “I’ll tell him what I can,” I said softly.

  Ezra stepped to my side. “I’ll go with you.” There was a determined set to his jaw. “I’ll—”

  I smiled to let him know what that meant to me. “Not this time. I don’t know what I’m walking into. Let me speak to him first.”

  “Miss Moon,” Roundtree interrupted. “Get going.”

  I slipped out of Maverick’s hold and made for the door. Jaxson stepped into my path as I reached for the knob. He didn’t speak. Instead, he cupped my cheek and kissed me, banishing any doubt that I was doing the right thing. They had protected me. Now I had to protect them.

  Jaxson stepped to the side and let me go. The halls were quiet as I walked to the headmaster’s office but my mind was anything but. Mrs. Khan looked up when I entered. There was no smile on her face.

  “You can go in, Valentina. They are waiting for you.”

  They?

  I went inside and found out exactly who they were. Headmaster Evergreen sat at his desk. Behind him stood Gus and Mrs. Stanton, the school nurse.

  Mrs. Stanton came around the desk as soon as I lowered myself into a seat. She sat down in the one next to me and put a hand on my shoulder.

  “Miss Moon. Do you know why you’re here?”

  I studied Evergreen. His emotions were usually written across his face. I could tell when he was angry, fed up, or disappointed. This time, I could see nothing.

  “Yes, I do, Headmaster.”

  “You made an allegation against a former professor,” he continued. “I have gotten many reports, but I would like to hear this from you. What happened between you and Mrs. LeBlanc?”

  I did not speak right away. The head of security was here, and it seemed like Mrs. Stanton had been asked to come and support me. Maybe a part of me had feared Evergreen wouldn’t believe me—sweep it under the rug for the precious reputation of the school.

  This is really happening. It’s time for it all to come out.

  I took a steadying breath and let it out slowly. “It all started in freshman year on the night of the masquerade ball. I heard shouting in the woods and ran to help. I discovered a student arguing with someone who later turned out to be LeBlanc.”

  Gus broke in. “Later turned out to be? You did not know it was her?”

  “No. It was pitch black and they were wearing masks. All I could make out were raised voices. They were shouting about an awful thing LeBlanc had done and the student threatened to tell the truth.”

  “The student?” It was Evergreen who interrupted this time. “Who is this student?”

  I lifted my chin. “I can’t say. They aren’t ready to come forward.”

  “Miss Moon, you understand that we cannot act on hearsay. If this student is the victim; they must report it themselves.”


  “This is not about what happened to them; it’s about what happened to me.”

  I expected more argument, but to my surprise, Evergreen inclined his head. “I understand. Please continue.”

  “Thank you. Like I said, they were fighting and LeBlanc threatened them and said they would regret it if they told anyone. I got worried that it would escalate so I called out. That’s how she found out I was there.

  “They both ran before I could see who the student was fighting with. When I opened my locker the Monday after, I discovered I was marked.”

  Gus reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a notepad. “So you naturally assumed that these events were linked,” he stated as he scribbled on the pad.

  “It was the only explanation. I didn’t understand it at the time, but I had witnessed something horrible enough that some— that a Spade wanted me out. I was sure of it as things got worse and there were multiple attempts on my life. It was a secret worth killing an innocent person for so I tried to put it together. I had to find out what truly happened that night.”

  Mrs. Stanton reached for a box of tissues. I was hardly on the edge of tears but I appreciate that she took her job of comforting me seriously.

  “In the end, I found the student Scarlett threatened in the woods. They told me everything. LeBlanc had molested them when they were younger and they had never been able to come forward, but when they heard she would be working with children again they had to do something. After that, I confronted Scarlett.”

  Evergreen’s stoic mask cracked as a flicker of surprise crossed his features. “Confronted her?”

  “Yes. I knew it was her. It was her who hurt the student and her who tried to kill me to keep me quiet. The problem was I didn’t have proof. The only way to end it was to get LeBlanc to confess.”

  “You could have come to me,” Gus said. “That would have been safer than confronting a person you suspected of trying to kill you.”

  I looked him directly in the eyes. “After everything I’ve gone through, I had no reason to think anyone would step in to help me. I had to do it myself.”

  Gus pressed his lips together in a thin line. I knew he didn’t like my reply, but he couldn’t argue it.

  “What happened when you spoke to Mrs. LeBlanc?” Evergreen asked when the silence stretched longer than was comfortable.

  “She denied it at first. She played the sweet and innocent act until I hit her with everything I knew. Every detail the student had given me. Then she changed her tune.”

  “Did she admit what she had done?” asked Gus.

  “She admitted to trying to drop a planter on my head. LeBlanc even said she should have tried again and ‘made damn sure.’”

  Gus and Evergreen shared a look I couldn’t read.

  “What about her actions against the student?” Gus went on after a beat. His eyes flicked from me to the notepad as he wrote. “Did she confess to that as well?”

  “She was deluded. LeBlanc refused to call it what it was—molestation. But she did say that she loved them and was there for them when no one else was. She said they needed her.” My stomach writhed thinking of that twisted snarl and the even more twisted mind behind it. “Anyway, I left after I got the truth out of her.”

  “She just let you go?” Gus questioned.

  “I had my bodyguard waiting outside packing a gun. She didn’t have a choice.” His response was to nod and write some more. “I got out of there but I wasn’t sure what to do next. I finally knew the truth, but I couldn’t force the student to come forward and I didn’t think LeBlanc would skip down to the police station with me and confess... and I was right. The next day, there was a resignation letter on her desk and she was gone.”

  As I uttered the final word, I slumped back in my seat. I had fudged the truth toward the end, but they knew everything they needed to know.

  “What happens now?”

  Evergreen jerked at my question as though he had been lost in thought. “Now, I ask you if there is anything else you need to tell us. Anything you’re holding back.”

  My brows snapped together. What was he trying to say? Does he know something?

  The headmaster rose from his seat. “You might feel more comfortable speaking to Mrs. Stanton alone.”

  Just like that, it hit me what he was trying to say. “No,” I said quickly. “Scarlett did not touch me in that way.” He slowly lowered himself down. “But if you want my advice, you should speak to the students. You should also contact any school she has worked at. Make it clear that the truth is out and you’ll provide a safe space for anyone who wants to come forward.” My hand curled into a fist beneath Stanton’s. “There’s a chance the student wasn’t the only one she molested.”

  “That is a good suggestion, Miss Moon. Thank you.” Evergreen looked at Gus once more. “First, we’ll contact the police and see how they want us to proceed.”

  “The police?” I couldn’t help the surprise that laced my voice. “But you’ve never gotten the police involved before.”

  “This is not a situation that we are equipped to handle on our own, or one that we should. The police need to lead the investigation... and I need to apologize to you.”

  “To me?” I repeated, not quite registering what I heard. I had seen a lot of emotions on Evergreen’s face, but this one was new. It looked like... remorse.

  “I have failed you, Miss Moon, and this student who for years has suffered in silence rather than come to me and report what was done to them. I will never forgive myself if you are right and... there are more.”

  I tried to fight it, but a niggle of pity wormed its way in. “You can’t blame yourself for Scarlett or what she did, but... you can blame yourself for allowing the Spades to create such a culture of fear and intimidation.” The words were out of my mouth and falling too fast for me to stop. “The Knights don’t run this school. The Spades don’t run this school. You do. You’re our headmaster, and even though you didn’t admit it then and you still haven’t to this day, you knew I was marked and you did nothing to stop it. If you want to apologize, apologize for that.”

  A deep silence followed my speech. Neither Stanton nor Gus said anything. I’m not sure they were breathing. They didn’t move as Evergreen and I locked eyes.

  The wall clock ticked as he gazed at me. It counted out sixty seconds before he finally got to his feet. “You are correct, Miss Moon.”

  I held still, waiting for more.

  “You may leave. We need to contact the police.” Evergreen held out his hand toward the door.

  Without argument, I stood and walked out. I threw open the door to the main hall...

  ...and slammed right into a warm body.

  “Val.” I jerked my head up and looked into Ryder’s face. “We have to talk.”

  He set off, a firm grip on my hand, and I saw we weren’t alone. Jaxson, Maverick, and Ezra fell in behind us.

  “Where are we going to go?” I asked Ryder. “We’re running out of places to talk privately.”

  “Fountain. Front lawn.”

  That was all I could get out of him until we were across the courtyard and out on the lawn. The sun was setting on Evergreen and a fierce wind made the blades of grass dance. I pulled my blazer tighter around me. There was something in the air, and it wasn’t just the chill.

  Ryder sat me down on the lip of the fountain and Maverick and Jaxson immediately took up my other sides. They pressed into me, chasing away the cold.

  “How did it go?” Ezra asked.

  “I told him. I didn’t mention any names or the cliffs, but I told him that Scarlett tried to kill me.”

  “Did he believe you?”

  “He did. I wasn’t sure that he would, but he truly seemed to. He’s going to call the police.”

  “They’ll want to talk to you,” Maverick said.

  “I’ll tell them exactly what I told Evergreen.”

  Ryder began to pace. “They’re going to investigate. They’ll look into e
verywhere she has taught. They’ll ask people who know anything to come forward.”

  “They will,” I agreed.

  “What will Ace do?” He stopped and spun on me. “Have they texted you? What did they say?”

  I was shaking my head before he finished. “No messages. Not one.” I took my phone out of my pocket and handed it over so he could see himself. “But there is one thing. I’m sure Ace didn’t know about Scarlett. They were losing their minds over me knowing a truth about her that they didn’t.”

  Ryder was quiet while he read the evidence of that for himself.

  “What about the rest of the school? The mark? The seniors? The Spades?” Ezra rattled off.

  “They have a decision to make,” I said. “The seniors, the Knights, and the Spades if there are more of them. They have to decide if they’ll keep trying to drive us out now that they know about Scarlett, or if they will finally do the right thing.”

  Jaxson leaned in and pressed his head against my temple. “How are you so calm about this?”

  “I’ve been thinking about this for months.”

  “Months?” Ezra’s eyes grew wide. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

  “You would have stopped me, but that would have meant all of this would keep going on. Ace and the Knights would have fought harder until, one way or the other, they got what they wanted. I had to force an end to it.”

  “But that’s—”

  “She’s right.” That one sentence stopped Ezra in his tracks. “You know she is right, man,” Maverick repeated. “For the first time since this started, we have a real chance to end it. Ace didn’t know what Scarlett was before, but they do now. They might take the marks back themselves.”

  “We don’t know that,” said Ezra.

  “We don’t know anything. So there is no point in arguing about it.” He pointed at my phone. “When they reply, then we’ll know what comes next. Then we’ll make a plan. Until then, we should get something to eat.” He rubbed a finger along my cheek. “You must be starving.”

  “I am now that you mention it.” I smiled up at him. “It would be nice to sit and eat with you guys. Laugh and talk like we used to do before everything went to shit. Thirty minutes of normal—that’s what I want.”