CHAPTER 22: THE GAME BEGINS
POV: Nate --- The punch had faded, but the sting hadn’t. Not on his cheek. On his ego. Nate stared at his reflection in the gym’s bathroom mirror, gently tracing the spot where Ayoola’s fist had landed days ago. She had hit him clean — not like a scared girl, but like someone who had nothing to lose. He admired that. But admiration wasn’t the same as surrender. “You really blew that one,” Tega muttered behind him, laughing as he sprayed cologne over his designer shirt. “You went too fast.” “You tried to kiss her like you owned her,” Leo added, sitting on the counter, legs swinging. “That girl isn’t one of your run-of-the-mill party pets.” Nate didn’t answer. He kept staring at himself — jaw clenched, thoughts spinning. “You know,” Leo said suddenly, “I’ll raise you fifty kay tha
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