Kai plugged the USB into his laptop, waiting for the ping to tell him it's ready to open. He scrolled through the files with determination, squinting his eyes so he doesn't miss the one he's searching for.
last night.mp4
He lets out a small chuckle, clicking on the file and opening it. Winter stands behind him, her eyes narrowed and her forehead creased with worry as the video loads. Her eyes almost fall out of her head when she realises what it is.
A sex tape. A sex tape she knew that you didn't know was being taken. A sex tape that so clearly shows your face and how it twists with utmost pleasure.
Conveniently, Kai was cut from the shoulders upwards, not even a strand of blue hair on show to help identity whether it's him. It was an ingenious form of blackmail, and so conniving.
Winter covers her mouth in shock, stopping the gasp before it escapes her lips.
"What do you think?" Kai asks, the smirk not leaving his lips as he scans Winter's face for her reaction. He can tell she thinks it's an awful thing to do, but it only makes him more pleased with himself.
"What are you going to do with that?" Winter asks, her voice small and slightly frightened.
"We've got an upcoming council panel, I think it might be good material to use against my opponent before we carry out plan B," Kai explains, shrugging his shoulders as Winter turns away. A tear falls from her eye and cascades down her cheek.
"How did you even manage to sleep with her? She hates you," Winter's voice was laced with confusion.
"She doesn't hate me as much as she lets off," Kai spoke smugly, "I think she might be wrapped around my finger, shame we have to get rid of her."
Winter knew it wasn't unlike Kai to manipulate people into doing his bidding with sex, the same way he was planning on using his fellow cult member, Meadow.
"Okay Kai, whatever you say," Winter knew she couldn't talk back to her psychotic brother, and instead ascended the stairs to leave his vicinity.
—-
It was the morning of the campaign panel, and you had never felt a bigger weight on your shoulders. It was a big day for you and your small team of women, who had banded together over the past couple of weeks to support you, volunteering their free time for what they thought would look good on their resumes.
"Ready? You look great," Jude was by your side, adjusting the lapels of your navy blazer. You'd never dressed so formally in your life, but you felt like you had to match your male opponent, who would definitely be wearing a suit.
"Thanks Jude, I'm nervous," you confide in your best friend, rubbing your hands together in an attempt to alleviate some anxiety.
"You'll do great, don't even worry. Kai has nothing on you," Jude reassured you, rubbing a hand up and down your back to comfort you. If only she knew that you'd caved and slept with him, she'd be so disgusted and disappointed.
You sucked in air deeply, exhaling a shuddering breath as you approached the lectern. You hadn't yet seen Kai, but you weren't sure how you would react. After all, you'd slept with your worst sworn enemy only a couple nights ago in a drunken lapse of judgement. It made you feel so dirty, but for some reason you couldn't shake the thought from your mind.
Almost as if he was summoned, Kai appears from the entrance of town hall to join the rally. Your breath catches in your throat as you drink in his appearance.
Navy suit, white button down, red tie and tan loafers. He looked undeniably good, his hair back in a high man-bun, his face clean shaven.
You shifted your weight between your legs, your heels beginning to hurt the balls of your feet. It didn't take long for Kai to make eye contact with you, his lips curling upwards into a menacing smirk. It was almost as if he knew something you didn't.
He turns to the crowd next, offering up a wave as they erupted into a round of applause.
