Lacy couldn't believe Aaron had humiliated her in front of those people after she'd already lowered herself by spending time with him. She was certain that girl was a bad influence. He wouldn't have done that if she hadn't been manipulating him. She wanted to accelerate her plans, but the prom was still a month away.

She wanted Aaron to be her prom date, but given his anger, she should never have mentioned his father. If Alistair Hale learned what his son was doing, Aaron would be severely punished, but that wouldn't help Lacy. Aaron would know the news came from her and might never speak to her again.

She had to be patient. That commoner would be out of his life soon enough, and Lacy was in it for the long haul. What she couldn't understand was how Aaron could abandon his principles for such a useless person, especially considering their history.

They'd met at a children's party on Christmas Eve when they were thirteen. She was instantly smitten with his good looks and aloof demeanor. While other children played games, Aaron sat at a table, looking supremely bored. Compared to the idiots she usually encountered, a mature gentleman was appealing.

"What do you think of the party?" she asked, approaching him. "Totally lame, right?"

He gave her a disinterested look. "You are?"

"Lacy Knighton. My father is a financial advisor on Wall Street; he's collaborated with your family's business."

"I see."

His brevity didn't discourage her; she saw it as a challenge. She would make this aloof prince talk.

"I haven't seen you around before. Is this your first time coming with your parents?"

"No. I prefer not to come to these things. Nobody takes their role seriously."

"Their role?"

"I predict nearly everyone here will be a useless second-generation playboy by college. I've been training to take over my father's position since birth. Can any of these fools say the same?"

Lacy was shocked but had to admit he had a point. Her best friend, Max, wanted to be a racecar driver—frivolous, in her opinion. Why throw your life away for a thrill?

"My mother has been training me to be a high-society wife," she said, trying to relate. "I'm studying diplomacy, politics, and business to hold my own at parties."

"At least you know your place in the world. We are meant to carry on legacies, not waste unearned wealth. People need to act befitting their status."

"I agree!"

She agreed with anything he said; he sounded so smart and cool.

Aaron didn't speak much that night, but he tolerated her presence as she practiced her conversational skills. Afterward, she sought him out at similar events and convinced her father to enroll her in his high school.

Lacy considered herself his closest female friend and carefully cultivated their relationship for three and a half years until Keeley Hall appeared. Keeley, the ill-behaved daughter of a civil engineer, didn't belong in their world. She wasn't even pretty! Lacy saw nothing appealing about her.

It wasn't uncommon for wealthy heirs to date beneath their station before marrying appropriately, but Lacy never thought Aaron would. He had ideals! He understood class distinctions! He was supposed to be flawless! What had happened?

Max, her neighbor, approached her nervously after school, their usual meeting place.

"Hey, I heard what happened. Are you alright?"

"No," she growled. "I want that girl to vanish."

"Easy," he coaxed. "She'll be gone in a few weeks."

Lacy whined, "That's too long! I want her gone now!"

"Our plan won't work," Max said patiently, patting her shoulder. "You'll never see her again after graduation. We'll be in Massachusetts, she'll be in New York. By the time we return, the chances of running into her are slim."

"But Aaron hates me! You didn't see him today! I…I messed up."

Tears formed. Even without Keeley, he might not forgive her threat.

"What did you do?"

"I told him I'd tell his father how he was treating me," she mumbled.

Max gasped. "Are you suicidal?! Nobody likes a tattletale, and Aaron might kill you! His father is even colder than he is."

"I know! I regretted it instantly. His father is a double-edged sword—his greatest asset and obstacle. I'll worry about his forgiveness later. Right now, I need a prom date. You'll do," she sighed.

She didn't want Max, but he was her best bet, providing an alibi on prom night when they drugged Keeley.

His face lit up. "You won't regret it! Limo, mini-bar, best restaurant… Seafood or Italian? What color's your dress? You look good in anything…"

Listening to his rambling, she already regretted it.

The website reference has been removed as it is irrelevant to the text's content and seems promotional in nature. The cleaned-up text focuses on improving grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and word choice for clarity and flow.