Four Of A Kind - Chapter 185: [4.3] Operation Make Him Mine

Chapter 185: [4.3] Operation Make Him Mine

Her feet carried her across the pristine lawn, past the tennis courts, through the rose garden, and toward the pond. The night air slapped her face, cold and sharp. Good. Let it hurt. Let something physical distract from the nuclear explosion in her chest.

Of course it was Vivienne. Perfect, poised, always-gets-what-she-wants Vivienne. The Valentine heiress with her perfect grades and perfect hair and perfect fucking life.

The boy who kissed her sister.

“Stupid,” she whispered to her reflection in the dark water. “So fucking stupid.”

Cassidy laughed, a harsh sound that scattered a pair of ducks nearby. They flapped away in protest.

The worst part wasn’t even that he’d kissed Vivienne. It was that Cassidy never saw it coming. She’d prepared for competition with Sabrina—the mysterious one with her books and her secret touches. She’d watched Harlow—the sunshine sister who made everyone fall in love with her just by existing. But Vivienne? Corporate ice queen Vivienne?

The word echoed across the water, bouncing back at her like an accusation.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket for the third time. Harlow, probably. Sweet Harlow who followed her outside before Cassidy told her to go back. Harlow who looked just as devastated as Cassidy felt.

Cassidy had tennis. And anger. That was about it.

And Vivienne? Perfect Vivienne had everything. The company. Their mother’s approval. The grades. The future. And now she wanted Isaiah too.

Cassidy pulled her knees to her chest and tried to sort through the hurricane in her head. What did she even have to offer compared to her sisters?

She was just… Cassidy. Loud, angry, failing-her-classes Cassidy. The problem child. The one who broke things. The one people tolerated rather than chose.

The obvious answer made her stomach twist: he wouldn’t.

That wasn’t faked.

“Maybe,” she whispered, “maybe it’s not over.”

She might not be the smartest Valentine. Or the sweetest. Or the most accomplished. But she had one advantage none of her sisters had:

Vivienne wanted a competition? Fine. Cassidy would give her one.

That meant their bet was still active. The Pet Bet, where if she failed to get a B, she’d be Isaiah’s pet for a day. Do whatever he wanted. Even wear a collar if he asked nicely.

Now it was her secret weapon.

By the time she reached the east wing, Cassidy had a plan. Not a good one. Not a smart one. But a plan.

She paused outside his guest room door, hearing low voices inside. Her blood froze. Was Vivienne in there? Had she gone running to him the moment Cassidy left?

“…talking about which sister really kissed you on the steps.” Sabrina’s voice, soft but clear.

She pulled away from the door, mind racing. She couldn’t barge in now—it would be too obvious she’d been eavesdropping. And whatever Sabrina was talking about, it was something none of them knew.

First, someone had kissed Isaiah on the steps, and it wasn’t Vivienne.

Third, Vivienne and Isaiah were now apparently a thing.

She stared at her ceiling, plans forming and discarding in her mind. The Pet Bet was a good start, but she needed more. She needed to make Isaiah see that Vivienne wasn’t his only option. That Cassidy Valentine was right here, wanting him with an intensity that scared even herself.

Isaiah: Are you okay?

She considered ignoring it. Considered telling him to fuck off. Considered something crude and dismissive.

No. But I will be. Get some sleep, tutor boy. We still have a bet to finish.