Should I?Even after everything Jace had said, I wasn't sure.He was watching me, waiting for an answer, eyes steady and patient. Finally, I said, "Let me check with Hayden."His expression shifted, a flicker of something unspoken in his eyes, but he nodded and stepped back, giving me space.It wasn't that I didn't trust Jace. I did. But I trusted Hayden completely. I just needed to hear it from him.When he picked up, Hayden's voice was low, calm—the kind that could make my heart skip a beat without trying. "Something wrong?" he asked, like he already sensed it.I swallowed, forcing myself to sound steady. "Hayden, there are two people watching me from my hotel café. Are they with you?""Table 3A?" he asked, not missing a beat. I glanced over; that was exactly where they were sitting.Even from a distance, he knew everything going on around me, down to the tiniest detail.There was no need to explain that Jace was here. Clearly, Hayden already knew, which saved me from spelli
The burning ache in my throat spread straight to my heart. As silence hung on Hayden's end, I forced myself to say, "I won't bother you while you're picking out rings. Goodbye."Then I hung up, pressing the button so hard it felt like I was crushing my own heart along with the call.I stood there, frozen, until Jace walked over. The second he got close, I dropped my head and hurried toward the elevator. "Wait here. I'm just going to pack my things," I mumbled as I passed him."I'll go up with you," he said."There's no need. I can handle it myself," I replied, voice sharper than I intended, quickening my pace.But Jace followed anyway. "What's wrong?"He could tell something was off.The bitterness clawing at my chest nearly broke me then and there. I felt myself on the edge, seconds from falling apart, from letting everything spill out in front of him.But I couldn't. Not in front of Jace.When I'd chosen to be with Hayden, I'd been so sure, practically bragging to Jace that
Sometimes people just... zone out. And right now, that was me.Normally, I'd be halfway to the door by now, maybe screaming a little. But instead, I just sat there, curled up on the floor, blinking up at him and asking who he was."Feeling heartbroken, are we?" he asked. His face was intense—chiseled jaw, deep-set eyes, high cheekbones. He looked like someone straight out of a movie, and apparently, he could see right through me."Who are you?" I asked again, still dazed.Then, like a lightbulb flicking on, I remembered what Jace had told me about the leader of Quartz Cue.Only, I'd imagined someone totally different—rough, kinda brutal-looking, like Thorsten. But this guy? He was almost elegant, in that rugged, model-like way.If I'd seen him on the street, I'd probably think he was a Calvin Klein ad or something.And then I remembered Jace had said something about the leader of Quartz Cue being injured, so I squinted, looking him over. But I didn't see any scars or bandages. J
Just as I opened my mouth to call back, Hernan leaned close, voice low in my ear. "If I let him in, what makes you think I wouldn't just take both of you?"He was trying to mess with my head, make me too scared to fight back."Rea?" Jace called again, his voice sharper now, more urgent.I couldn't just sit there. So I did the first thing that popped into my head—I bit down on his hand, hard.Hernan jerked back, his grip loosening just enough for me to break free. I bolted for the door, yelling, "Jace, help—!"But then I felt a chill against my neck, and before I could react... everything went black.***When I woke up, the room was pitch-black, with just a few dim floor lights casting eerie shadows. I was lying on a soft bed, wrapped in blankets.The last few minutes before I'd blacked out hit me in a flash. Heart pounding, I threw back the covers, checking my clothes.Seeing I was in a random set of pajamas, a chill ran through me. I barely had time to process it before the d
"Hernan!" Hayden's voice came through, cold and menacing.Weirdly enough, hearing him made me feel... safe? I wanted to yell, 'Get me out of here!' but I forced myself to stay calm. The more freaked out I looked, the more power Hernan would have.Hernan just laughed, setting the phone up on a stand before grabbing his wine like this was some kind of twisted FaceTime hangout. "Your girl's quite the catch—so beautiful, so charming. Real nice.""She's not my girl anymore," Hayden shot back.Ouch. I knew it was true, but hearing him say it like that still hurt."Oh, not anymore?" Hernan clicked his tongue, fake disappointment all over his face. "Looks like I need to update my sources.""If you're done, I'm hanging up," Hayden replied, and his indifference was like a punch to the gut.It's not like I expected him to come to my rescue, but... he didn't even sound worried. Here I was, thinking I was some kind of pawn in this twisted game, but apparently, that was just me holding onto s
"Haddy really is a heartless one," Hernan let go of me, his voice dripping with mock sympathy.I shot him a look, feeling my blood boil. And before I knew it, I just snapped. I grabbed the closest thing to me and hurled it at him. "See? I was never his girl! What a jerk. Total... idiot."I don't normally curse—like, ever. But in that moment? I didn't even care who I was mad at anymore. I just needed to say it.Shouting all that—the anger, the frustration, the hurt—it actually made me feel lighter, like I could finally breathe again. Like I was throwing off this weight I'd been carrying around for way too long.Hernan didn't flinch. He just stood there like a wall, taking it all.By the time my arms were too weak to move, I crumpled to the floor, curling into a ball. I felt empty, like every ounce of energy had been drained from me.Eventually, Hernan walked out. But as the door clicked shut behind him, I caught a voice from outside."You seriously think she's the one who's gonna
Snooker? Yeah, right. This was just his way of keeping me locked up like some kind of hostage while he tried to force Steve into winning.It was clear now—I wasn't getting out of here until after the game.Fine. If I had to stick around, I might as well make it count.Honestly, I'd already calmed down. The whole phone-smashing thing was just for show.Hernan had been spying on me, tampering with my phone to track every call and message. Destroying it was the only way to stop him from eavesdropping.I'd thrown my little tantrum, and now he was going full-on villain mode with his plans. Any more drama would just be a waste of energy.So, I stepped out onto the terrace for a little fresh air. But the second I saw it, I froze.The terrace was massive—it stretched across the whole estate, with lush gardens, a golf course, an open-air snooker hall, a pool, and probably some other stuff I hadn't even seen yet. It looked like a giant playground for rich people.And there he was—Hernan,
"Three rounds!""No problem," I shot back, grabbing the cue stick that felt just right in my hands."Good choice," he said, eyeing me like I'd just picked out some rare treasure.I raised an eyebrow.He smirked. "That's my favorite cue.""Is that so?" I asked, matching his playful tone as I glanced down at the stick. That's when I noticed the engraving.Curious, I leaned in closer. It read 'Hart.'Before I could stop myself, the words slipped out: "This isn't your cue... it's..."I almost said Hayden's but caught myself just in time. No way. Hayden and Hernan were total enemies. There was no way Hernan would have one of his cues, especially not something personalized like this. It was clearly for someone who took snooker seriously.I remembered asking Hayden once how good he was at snooker. He'd shrugged it off like it didn't matter, saying he was "just average." No way someone like him would splurge on a custom cue. And if he did, there was no way he'd leave it for Hernan to