Chapter 8

Their happy faces made Josephine want to throw up and when she spotted the prince storming out of the balcony behind her, she knew she had to hide. With the way she had acted towards him in private, she wouldn't be surprised if some guards picked her up at any moment and tossed her into a prison cell. Josephine slid past some guards fearfully and she tried to escape back to the front garden of the castle.

Josephine had just made it to the exit when she felt a strong tug backwards. Her heart raced and she squeezed her fingers into a fist, readying herself for a fight. She wasn't going to be imprisoned so easily- but as she swung her fist at the assailant, she came face to face with Valentina who shrieked in horror. Valentina screamed and took a step back when she saw Josephine fists inches away from her face. She turned back to look at her step sister in horror and then her expression turned poisonous. She couldn't believe that someone as timid and weak willed as Josephine could stand up to her or even threaten to punch her in public. She knew something was off with Josephine and she was going to find out how such a once timid and useless creature was now staring her dead in the eyes like she could devour her.

Valentina refused to be scared; she stomped back to her and slapped her face. Yet Josephine simply glared back at her.

"Remember your place, you rat!" Valentina spat in her face.

How dare this carrot-topped guttersnipe look down at her? She was possibly going to be queen one day and when that happened, her family would be free of Josephine and the life they used to live. Then she wouldn't have to see her wretched ungrateful face anymore.

"Where have you been? I'll tell mother that you ran away from the party!" Valentina spouted with a snide smile; she knew her mother would punish Josephine later for wandering off, but Josephine showed no sign of remorse or care.

Instead, Josephine brushed past Valentina, almost pushing her to the ground. Valentina grabbed her by the shoulders, making sure to dig her perfectly manicured nails into Josephine's exposed flesh. "I was talking to you!"

Josephine felt the sting on her skin; it felt like someone was biting her. That was it! She was done being passive with Valentina; she was going to kill her tonight and dump her body somewhere. She turned around, fully ready to punch Valentina in the face when she felt a hand pull her away from Valentina. Valentina's eyes widened and a shocked expression plastered onto her face.

"Your highness." Valentina curtsied with a slight dip that exposed her cleavage.

The prince stared at Valentina and back at Josephine. Josephine looked at his arms around her waist and so did Valentina. Valentina fisted her slender fingers, pulling on her skirts till her knuckles turned white. Josephine shoved the prince so he fortunately unwrapped his arms from her.

Josephine couldn't imagine what would happen to her next; Was the prince here to punish her? Were soldiers going to come take her away? Her mind was tracing every possible worst scenario. But then, wonder of wonders, the prince simply smiled at Josephine and lifted her knuckle to his lips.

He kissed it and said out loud, "I look forward to seeing you next time, Josephine." He had a snide smile on his face and Josephine realised, after noticing the enraged look on Valentina's face, that the prince had set her up. He intentionally wanted to make her step sister jealous so she'd make her miserable. "If you ladies will excuse me," He turned and bowed to Valentina who curtsied again.

When the prince passed Josephine, he whispered low enough for her to hear, "I guess we are even."

After, he disappeared into a crowd of women all fighting for his attention. Josephine let out a breath. When she turned around, she acknowledged a throbbing vein on Valentina's forehead.

"So you were busy seducing my prince, were you?" Valentina seethed. "How dare someone as lowly as you even speak to him? As if he'd ever want to see you again; he was just being nice." She shoved Josephine. "No one would ever want to see you again! You're a nobody,"

"Are these words supposed to hurt me?" Josephine folded her arms and stepped up to her. "Nothing you say has any effect on me-"

'-because I am not goddamn Josephine!' she held back on adding. Valentina's eyes widened with maddened anger.

"Then how about a beating from mother? That always seems to do the trick." She pushed past Josephine and turned to head back into the party. But Josephine stopped her.

The last thing Josephine needed was another beating. Not that Luca couldn't take it, it's just that she'd have to fight a strong urge to brutally murder them all. Blast this fucking stupid family.

"What do you want in exchange for not telling Madia?" Josephine squeezed Valentina's wrist.

Valentina looked at her and with a straight face, said, "What makes you think I want anything from you? What could you possibly offer me?" She smiled snidely. "I'd much prefer mother beating you like the silly dog you are,"

Her arrogance didn't faze Josephine; she was already used to arrogant people in her past life. Luca's father, Don Torello, had to have been the literal king of arrogance. All she had to do was bide her time and when she found a weakness, she would get rid of Madia and her evil step sisters...just like Luca got rid of his father.

Josephine needed her wits to survive this strange and new hellhole.

"I spoke to the prince and I told him about you," Josephine mischievously watched as the hatred in Valentina's eyes morphed into hopefulness.

"And I am supposed to believe you? Just like that?" Valentina squinted at Josephine. "You are just saying that to avoid a beating-"

Josephine technically wasn't lying; she had indeed mentioned her to the prince.

"He mentioned something about wanting a bride and I said you would be a great candidate." Josephine stepped towards her and Valentina's face flushed.

"What did he say next?" Valentina was now totally invested in what Josephine had to say, though the prince barely knew of Valentina's existence a few moments ago. However, Josephine strung the love sick fool along.

"He said he can't wait to see you at the next ball." Josephine lied. "He was just thanking me for the scintillating conversation we had earlier,"

She ruffled her billowy dress, knowing that Valentina was eating up her lies. Valentina looked a little skeptically at Josephine and wondered why she would help her at all like that; they hated each other. She wondered for a moment if Josephine was simply trying to trick her.

Josephine continued and said, "He really liked the dress you wore- he said his favorite color is blue."

Now, Josephine didn't know what the prince's favorite color was...but it didn't matter. What mattered to narcissists like Valentina, which Josephine had learned as Luca, was them feeling like they were the center of attention. These types of people needed to know that their lives were of most importance to others. So Josephine had to make sure Valentina believed that the prince had indeed thought and talked of her. And when Josephine was done with her, Valentina would do as she was told to do.

So to seal the deal, Josephine craftily knew what exactly to say next.

Chapter 9