Snow Lands on Top

Chapter 10

Coriolanus makes his way over to Dr. Gaul's lab. He would find a way to get some night lock in a beverage and then kill her. She would not fall easily for one of Coriolanus's tricks. He had to appear completely normal today or she would be onto him. He walked into the lab and Gaul was standing there with a champagne bottle and two glasses.
"Snow, what took you so long?" She asked.
"Livia and I spent our first night together in our new house. I did not have an alarm to wake me up this morning" he said covering for himself.
"Ah, well I thought we could celebrate today. There is no work that must be done today and I didn't get to see you at the party last night" she said popping the bottle.
"That sounds amazing" he said as she poured him a glass. She handed it over to him.
"Snow you have been an amazing assistant game maker. I know my games are in good hands when I retire. You will progress The Hunger Games to mean so much more. I look forward to every year watching the games" she said raising her glass to him. He raised his and clinked her glass to his.
"Thank you. I appreciate all that you've done for me. You're an amazing mentor" he said.
This was hurting Coriolanus deeply. He meant what he was saying, Gaul was amazing to him. He didn't want to kill her, she was just in the way. There was no other way to get rid of her. He needed her dead, so he get rid of Lucy Gray completely, and also move up in the Capitol elites. He wanted her job. Was this his life now, killing anyone who got in the way, even if they were agreeable? He didn't mind it, it would work. If he kept killing people then taking their job, it wouldn't take long for him to become president.
Coriolanus and Gaul share conversation as they down the entire bottle.
"Coriolanus, go into the back room. There is another bottle in the fridge" she said drunkly.
"I won't be able to stay here for it. I have to get to school" he said.
"Grab it, I'll drink alone" she said shooing him away. He walked away from her, knowing this was his chance. He walked to the back room and found the bottle in the fridge. He found a full syringe of night lock. He popped the bottle open, and pushed the contents within the syringe into the bottle. He couldn't be caught on camera handing Dr. Gaul the bottle. He quickly ran out the back exit of the lab to see if there was any employee in the hallway. Luckily there was, a young guy, probably just graduated from college.
"Hey! You need to give this bottle to Dr. Gaul, she is in her office. I have to get going and don't have time" Coriolanus says commanding the man older than him. The guy just nods and takes the bottle.
Coriolanus rushes out of the building and makes his way down to the car that is waiting to take him to school. As he gets in he realizes Livia is in the backseat too.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"We're engaged to be married. We have to arrive at school together" she said obviously. Coriolanus was out of breath but just nodded.
"Anyways, you didn't have your school bag so I went by your apartment to pick it up" she said handing it to him.
"You what?" He said upset. Had she seen the state of the Snow penthouse. It was still under renovation, it was still very obvious that the apartment was run down and dingy.
"Yeah, it was interesting...seeing where you grew up. I always thought that the Snow's were rolling in money" she said rudely.
"Livia, you cannot be mad about this. How did you expect me to tell you, daughter to one of the richest families in the Capitol, that I was poor. By the way, I am not poor anymore. I make plenty of money and after today, you will not have to worry about my financial issues!" he said screaming at her. She looked down as a tear rolled from her eye.
"I just wish you felt like you could open up to me" she said.
"Livia, I do not need to tell you everything. I promise to always tell you what you need to know. Let us remember that you were the one that used to bully me in grade school for my parents dying!" He said causing her to cry more.
"I was a kid Coryo! I didn't know what I was doing" she said snapping back.
"You're ridiculous Livia. I wish I never would have spent the night with you. My first time should've been with Lucy Gray" he said finishing the conversation then getting out of the car.
Livia sat in the car heart broken. Her parents, the entire city would look down on her if she left him now. They have a house together, Coriolanus is probably the most well respected university student in the Capitol. She can't leave him, no man would think she's a worthy catch if she leaves Snow. She wipes the tears away from her face and puts on a fake smile. She hops out of the car and sees that Coriolanus is still standing there waiting for her.
They walk in together without holding hands or touching.
"Livia can I see the ring?" A classmate asks. She smiles at the girls and holds out her hand to them. The group of girls all start giggling and complimenting it.
"Coriolanus, the ring is so perfect" one of the girls says. He turns to look at the group.
"I think the girl wearing the ring makes it perfect" he said giving Livia a wink. She furrows her eyebrows, is this her life now? Coriolanus pretending like they are some perfect couple when behind doors he resents her. She would rather this than call off the marriage and live a life alone forever. Livia looks at Coriolanus in the eyes and sees her entire future. She will have a few kids with him, just to make a family, she will have to raise them, he will continue to rise to power and eventually she will die, and so will he. That is all Livia Cardew will ever amount to, just the wife to Coriolanus Snow. She didn't love it, but she decided it was better than nothing. She would still live a life of luxury, maybe Coriolanus would show her little acts of love once in a while. She could live with that, even with his obvious indifference to her.