NICHOLAS
The ringing in my ears drowned out the cheers, my heart beating too fast, my vision still covered in red. I glanced back at Miguel’s limp body and spit on it. Taking out a Castillo will always be my pleasure.
Robert should’ve known better.
Sending his lapdog into the arena like that… like I wouldn’t see through it eventually. The gala. The fake smiles. The invitation. All of it was bait, a carefully laid trap to remove me from the board.
So he could take her.
Emily.
He thought he was clever enough to get away with it. Thought I’d lose myself in the game, in the chaos.
He miscalculated.
I’d considered going after him, tearing down his house of cards with my bare hands. But after a long, long moment, I realized something:
Fear was better than revenge.
It was better for th
