Chapter 144

• I forced a steady breath into my lungs, reigning in every twitch of my muscles, every flicker in my gaze, every betraying sign of the fear rising like bile in my chest. This was a game to them a psychological dance to see what strings they could pull. Chun Kit revealing this much wasn’t a flex of power. It was a crack. They were restless. They must have sensed that Ami and Renzo had the potential to unravel everything. And now, they thought they could use me to neutralize the threat.
• My gaze drifted slowly intentionally from the predator lounging on the sofa to the one seated behind the desk. Then, with careful precision, my lips curled into a cold, lifeless smirk.
• "I’m not sure you realize," I began, voice dipped in casual disdain, "but Renzo and I were never close. We’ve been rivals for most of our lives. If your aim was to threaten him through me, I’m afraid you’ve picked the wrong pawn."