Bullied By My Alpha Stepbrother novel Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Jasmine's POV

Maybe it was because I was sitting on the floor, my hands holding my face that I was sure was turning red. But Hardin looked larger than life where he stood, his hands folded as he raised his eyebrows in question.

He looked like a predator in that moments, his eyes narrowing at the scene in front of him and his expression stoic in a way that was threatening and made me swallow nervously.

I wanted to believe that he was truly aware of Dahlia's involvement in spearheading the spread of the rumour about me throwing myself at him but from the way his eyes watched Dahlia and the way her face paled in fear as she looked at him, I doubted that it was.

"Hardin, it's not what it looks like." Dahlia started but when Hardin raised a hand, she fell silent.

"The rest of you, get out." He said calmly and immediately, all the other girls ran away, looking relieved that they would not be here to witness whatever was about to happen.

Dahlia was about to move when Hardin raised an eyebrow.

"And where do you think you are going?" He growled and she froze, her hands shaking.

"I thought that by the rest of you, you wanted to be alone with Jasmine." She said and even I knew it was a lie because she perfectly understood what Hardin had said.

Cornering Dahlia until her back was against the wall, he kept his hand behind his back and growled.

"So, you were truly behind the rumour. Explain yourself now!"

Looking everywhere but at Hardin, she whimpered.

"I know how much you don't like her and she has been nothing but trouble since she entered your life. Has she not? I thought you would be thanking me for helping you to make her life miserable just like you wanted, right?"

"And where did I ever ask you to do such a thing, Delia?"

Her eyes widened in surprise and I would have laughed at the fact that Hardin did not even know her name if I was not in shock to see how angry he was at the rumour.

Everything Dahlia had said was true. Hardin had never hidden how much he disliked me ever since I had stood up to him for Nadia and it had only gotten worse after my mother married his father and he saw it as a strategy to get his family fortune.

He had bullied, harassed and even degraded me ever since then, so why was he so upset about someone else doing it? Especially when it was his lover?

"It's Dahlia, Hardin and I thought we were a team." She raised her hand and tried to touch his face. But, he caught her hand mid air.

His mouth lifted in a cruel smile and he nodded.

"Oh, because we fucked a couple of times? Is that it? Is that what gave you the audacity to behave like you can do anything you want? And who cares what the fuck your name is, little brat?"

Dahlia shook, tears starting to fall from her face and a part of me wanted to feel sorry for her. I knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of Hardin's rage but she did not deserve my sympathy.

She had deliberately set out to ruin another person's life just to receive validation. She would never understand what it was to cry herself to sleep over allegations that were completely false. She would never understand how it had felt to see those notes on her locker and be called a slut.

"Hardin, I'm sorry. You're scaring me. I thought we were a team. I thought you liked me."

"Then you've obviously been nothing but delusional and I have been making one fucking big mistake not scaring you from the first fucking moment you met me." He growled as he grabbed her neck and she shook in horror as he dragged her until she was in front of me.

"Now, apologize to her. And mean it." He whispered in her ear.

Dahlia's eyes widened in shock and she looked at me, seeing that I was surprised too.

"Don't keep me waiting, I have things to do."

Swallowing her sobs, she wiped her eyes, her makeup already smearing her face and nodded. Her mascara darkened beneath my eyes and she looked at me, her expression filled with guilt.

"I'm sorry, Jasmine." She whispered and when I looked at Hardin's face for his reaction, he looked like he was bored.

"You're doing it wrong. I'm guessing you're the reason she's on the ground. So, do it again."

Gently, she knelt in front of me and stifled her sobs.