The Stark Chronicles: Book 1 The Decoy

Chapter 3 Diamonds of Deception

I went to my dorm and sat the package on the top of her table.

"Tori, Tori," Belle said from where she was sitting on her bunk. "Heard you got in trouble again."

"Yeah," I laughed. "Wasn't the best idea to blow up the lab."

"I thought I told you not to do that," Belle laughed. "Whose the package from?"

"Don't know, don't care." I shrugged. "You can open it up if you want."

Belle slid off her bed and walked to the table. "Says its from New York."

"Nice," I said nonchalantly.

"More specifically: Stark Tower."

I turned to look at her. "That can't be right."

Belle opened the box and pulled out a velvet box. "Looks expensive."

I took it from her and opened it to see a diamond necklace. Inside was a note that said: Just because. - Tony

"That is beautiful!"

"That is fishy," I replied to my friend. "My dad doesn't send stuff just because."

"Maybe he has had a change of heart," she suggested.

"So 19 years of ignoring me and finally he wants to be a daddy?" I rolled my eyes. "I don't think so."

"Teenagers," Belle rolled her eyes. She was 21 as was everyone else in my classes. I'm just super smart, what can I say.

I stuffed the box in my purse. "Whatever. I gotta go catch my plane."

"Going back to Florida?" Belle asked.

"Yeah just for the weekend. NASA is forcing me to take a class. I'll be back on Monday," I told her. "Take care of the place while I'm gone."

"No worries," she promised.

I found my way back to my car and took off the roof. Then I sped of campus listening to AC/DC. Just as I was jamming to TNT, I noticed I was out of gas. So I stopped to get some gas as this sketchy gas station by the airport. I sat and waited for my tank to fill while observing a black car park in front of the building. The driver didn't get out. Finally my tank was full and I slid back in my car. Weirdly, the black car started its ignition up again before I started mine. While I had been there, he had not gotten out of his car. I pulled out and the car followed me. I thought for a split second about calling 911 but then realized that it would be silly to do so. I had no proof this car was specifically coming after me, right? So I only watched out of my rearview mirror. Soon the guy veered off onto another road and I was safely at the airport.

While I waited for the plane to take off, I texted my dad regretting it almost immediately.

Thanks for the necklace xx

I sat back and closed my eyes. It was a long way to Florida.