Chapter 3

They all froze when they heard me.

But Chloe recovered fast. She doubled over laughing, clutching her stomach. "Elena, are you seriously this jealous?"

"Logan already showed you the DNA test and you're still making excuses?"

"The owner of Apex Industries is a Thorne, not a Reeves? That's hilarious. Who do you think you are? You think you know more about his family than he does?"

Logan snapped out of it too. He smirked and pulled a set of car keys from his pocket, dangling them in front of my face.

"See these? My dad gave them to me."

"Every car registered under his name, I can drive whenever I want."

"Rolls-Royce. You probably won't sit in one your whole life."

"And he told me once I come home, shares in the company are mine too. If that's not the heir to Apex Industries, what is?"

He was getting more and more worked up, like he could already see himself inheriting it all.

But did Arthur Reeves actually say all that?

He was just a butler. Where did he get the nerve?

Chloe chimed in with her sugary little voice. "Elena, it's too late to regret it now."

"Logan is going to inherit an entire empire. Why would he ever want a girl who can't even respect herself?"

The people behind them with their phones out started piling on.

"Elena's so salty right now, it's pathetic."

"Can't have him so she starts making stuff up. What a joke."

"Logan just flashed a Rolls-Royce key and she's still talking back!"

I rolled my eyes internally.

Thank god I'd listened to my dad and kept my family's money a secret.

Otherwise a nobody like Logan would've thought he'd hit the jackpot and treated me even worse.

Whatever. Not worth thinking about.

I took a deep breath. I was done arguing with these people. "Logan, since you're so sure you're the Apex heir, I'll be here waiting to watch you eat those words."

"We're broken up. If you've got nothing else, get out."

Logan stepped forward and grabbed me by the collar. "What did you just say?!"

"You still want to run that mouth?!"

He was strong. I stumbled from the force of it.

Chloe rushed over and shoved me. "Elena, how dare you talk to Logan like that?"

She shoved me again as she said it.

I staggered back two steps and my shoulder slammed into the bedpost. It hurt.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I snapped.

Before I could even touch her, she let out a shriek and threw herself backward.

She dropped to the floor and grabbed her knee, sobbing. "I was just trying to calm you down! How could you push me?"

Logan rushed over and helped her up. "Chloe, are you okay?"

She shook her head, eyes brimming with tears. "I'm fine. I'd rather it be me than you getting hurt."

Logan looked like his heart was breaking. He whipped around to face me, eyes burning. "Elena! Get on your knees!"

"Apologize to Chloe!"

I almost laughed from the sheer audacity. "Why should I?!"

"Why?" Logan sneered. "Because I'm the Apex heir!"

"Because you slapped me and pushed Chloe!"

"Now get on your knees and apologize!"

Right then, the door handle turned.

Silas?

I looked toward the door, and hope surged through me.

But before I could react, a figure walked in. "I'd like to see who has the balls to cause trouble in my hotel!"