جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 80

Xane’s PovBy the time Kael’s car disappeared down the drive, my jaw ached from holding back a grin. That tense little exchange had played out exactly the way I wanted it to. I had Kael’s distrust? Predictable. Lucas’s guilt? Even better.I waited a second longer, then walked calmly toward the car parked beneath the hidden tree just off the school gate. Its sleek black body shone under the low sun, tinted windows hiding what most students would never suspect. It looked like a chauffeur’s car, but the power inside it was anything but.The door clicked open the moment I approached.“Always so dramatic,” I muttered to myself as I slid into the backseat.My mother sat inside, her legs crossed, hair pinned into a bun. Her tailored cream suit made her look every inch the high-class CEO that she was. My mum had a calm sweet face but she was dangerous and not someone to be messed with.“Was that Lucas you were talking to?” she asked, inspecting me with curiosity.I sighed as I leaned into t

Bennett’s Pov. I slammed my locker a little too hard and got a side-eye from one of the freshmen. I have never been more pissed off like I am right now. Xane had latched onto Lucas like some damn parasite, and Lucas didn’t even seem to notice. I know he had been asked to take him round the school but they had looked too relax while at it. And the fact that Xane was comfortable enough to make sexual jokes? That part got under my skin the most. Because I knew there was something off about Xane. He had the too-perfect smile, the calculated charm, the fake vulnerability. It all reeked of manipulation. I saw it, why the hell didn’t Lucas? ~~ The ride home was a mix of angry thoughts and what-ifs. What if Lucas had come into the bathroom alone without Xane tailing him like a lost puppy? What if I hadn’t let my ego get the best of me? What if Xane hadn’t shown up at all? My phone buzzed. It was a message from Ryder. “Got to talk about the new kid. Call me when you get home.

LUCAS’S POV When I opened the front door, the first thing I heard was shouting—not raised voices or bickering but full-on yelling. My father wanted to tear the house down. He was fighting my mother again! I froze for half a second in the entryway, my backpack sliding off my shoulder. My mother’s voice was sharp and she sounded panicked and desperate. “I will not do this, and you can’t make me!” There was a brief pause as though my father was considering her words then his voice boomed across the walls. “You will, or you can consider yourself exiled from this pack!” I didn’t wait to hear anymore, I had heard enough. I dropped my bag and sprinted to the living room. I skidded to a halt at the sight before me. My Dad was towering over my mum, his face twisted with fury. She was gripping his wrist, trying to pull him back, and he looked about two seconds from— “Hey!” I shoved myself between them, my hands on his chest, forcing him back a step. “What the hell is going on?” “Lucas,

LUCAS’S POV I woke up with a knot in my stomach, and it hadn’t eased since. I was anxious for two reasons. One Xane. Or more specifically, the fact that I’d agreed to hang out with him today. My father’s words from two nights ago kept looping in my head: Get close, seduce him, sleep with him, convince him and his mother to work with us. Two Bennett. The gap between us was widening, and I didn’t know if it was my fault or his. Probably both. After Xane had confirmed our plans last night, I’d texted Bennet. A lot. Every message went unanswered. Either he was ignoring me, or he was actually busy, and somehow the first possibility hurt more. By the time I got to the locker room that morning, my chest was tight in panic and my head was buzzing. I kept telling myself it was just another day, just another class, but my hands were clumsy as I shoved books into my bag, triple-checking I hadn’t forgotten my math folder. I didn’t hear footsteps approaching, so I jolted hard when a pai

Dominic Storm(Lucas’s Dad)The clock on the reception wall ticked loudly, each second punching into my skull, making my headache worse. I shook my leg restlessly, ignoring the receptionist’s polite smile.I’d been sitting there for fifteen minutes already, long enough to memorize the pattern in the marble floor and the faint scent of expensive wood polish mixed with industrial coffee.Mrs. Baxter wasn’t late. People like her never were. But waiting always made me restless and gave my mind too much room to run.This meeting mattered. I’d asked for it personally, not through an assistant, which meant I was putting my pride on the table. I didn’t do that often. But someone had to move first. I wasn’t about to sit around and let Amara and her useless son fumble opportunities until Sebastian Cross swallowed them whole.They say if you want something done right you've got to do it yourself right? I needed to make a move.Footsteps echoed down the hallway. It sounded like a woman’s footste