Chapter Seventy Four - Amused

Valkyrie Behati

Everyone fell into a hush after my declaration. The silence was thick until Giovanni broke it with an eruption of laughter. He laughed so hard that he nearly collapsed to his knees.

“You think you can take down these fifty ruthless rogues standing before you? I'd like to see that happen,” he said, his voice dripping with mockery and superiority.

Giovanni's derision wasn't anything new. He was always quick to belittle me, to make me feel insignificant in the face of his arrogance. I was used to it.

He hasn’t changed a little. I wanted to scold myself for thinking he might’ve changed for Laine or his people.

I turned to face the rogues, their faces twisted with hunger and determination. They seemed desperate to win, their eyes gleaming with the promise of a meal they had likely longed for days on end.

“I told you before,” I said softly, my voice steady despite the tension. I began to tie my hair into a tight knot, each movement deliberate as I prepared for the fight ahea