“In my town, a party usually involves a few guys grabbing a keg and inviting everyone else to share it with them in the old quarry or somewhere out in the woods. Or maybe a few beers in someone’s backyard. That’s about it,” I said. “We always hear about Royal Falls parties, though, and how they’re supposedly so wild and crazy compared to ours. But this…” I gestured at some of the nearby guests and lowered my voice. “It’s a little dry and stiff compared to what I imagined it would be.”
The guy chuckled. “Dry and stiff, huh? Bet my father would love to hear that.”
My eyes widened again. “Your father?”
“I’m Hunter Connery,” he said, plush lips twisting into a sinful smirk.
Oh, fuck.
I knew Charles and Tinsley Connery had kids, because my mom had mentioned it a few times over the years, but I’d never heard their names or seen their faces before.
“Sorry,” I said, face blazing with embarrassment. “I wasn’t trying to insult you or your party. I only meant—”
Hunter cut me off. “Don’t apologize. I agree with you,” he said. “Why do you think I’m over here talking to you instead of the guests?”
“Uhh… I’m not sure.”
“It’s because this party is boring as fuck, and you might be the only person in the entire room worth speaking to, from what I’ve seen so far.”
“Don’t you have friends here?” I asked, brows drawing together in puzzlement. He clearly belonged in this lavish world, so it surprised me to hear that he didn’t want to hang out with anyone at this event.
He shrugged one shoulder. “There’s a few people from my school here, but I wouldn’t exactly call them friends.”
“Your school?”
“Yeah. RFA,” he replied. “This is sort of like an alumni party. Old students, current students, their parents, staff members. I’m only here because I literally live in this house, and there’s nothing better to do tonight. Apparently this is the prime event of the month.”
“RFA is Royal Falls Academy, right?”
“Yup.”
I nodded slowly. Royal Falls Academy was one of the most prestigious schools in the country. The tuition fees were something like thirty-five thousand dollars a year, and that number doubled if you were one of the boarding students from other states.
“I’ve heard good things about that school,” I said in a casual tone, trying to sound like I actually knew something about the establishment other than ‘you need to sell your soul to the Devil to afford it’.
Hunter nodded. “It’s pretty decent. Anyway, you didn’t tell me your name.”
“Oh. Sorry. It’s Delaney. But people usually—”
Before I could finish my sentence, a loud crash and a shout from the other side of the room made me jump. I whirled around to see what was going on.
A red-faced man with a heavily-receding hairline was shaking his fist at a short bespectacled man next to Charles Connery. Shattered glass littered the floor around their feet.
“Do you know who that is?” I whispered to Hunter, figuring he might actually have some idea of what the hell was happening here.
“The short guy next to my dad is the headmaster at RFA. No idea about the bald guy, though,” he replied. “Never seen him before.”
I turned my gaze back to the men. Most of the other party guests were staring too; some with amusement and others with open disdain.
Charles had one palm raised in a conciliatory manner, but the balding man didn’t back down. He kept shouting at the other man with glasses, and a few seconds later, he grabbed another champagne glass and threw it on the floor. “I told you, I’m not leaving here until you tell me what the fuck you’ve done with my daughter!”
The RFA headmaster furrowed his brows. “Mr. Armstrong, as I’ve said three times now, we haven’t doneanythingto your daughter. As far as I know, she’s right here in the ballroom, enjoying all of the festivities,” he said, sweeping one hand around.
“That’s right,” Charles cut in. “Now, I think it might be best if you leave. We don’t want any more trouble.”
“Leave?” The angry man threw his hands up. “I’m her fucking father! I have every right to be here, just like any other parent of an RFA student!”
“Yes, but the other parents aren’t making scenes like this,” the headmaster said through gritted teeth.