The girl doesn’t respond immediately.
Rogue steps closer. I don’t turn around, but I can feel the shift in the air, the weight of his presence settling like a threat.
“I said walk away,” Rogue repeats.
A beat passes. Then I hear footsteps. Slow. Deliberate. The troublemaker is moving.
But not before she delivers one last line, her voice dripping with false sweetness. “See you around, sweetheart.”
Vi’s body jerks forward, and I lift one hand, pressing it lightly against her shoulder. Not hard. Just enough to stop her momentum.
“Don’t,” I say.
Her breathing is ragged now, her whole body vibrating with barely controlled rage. “She can’t just?—”
“She can,” I interrupt. “And she did.”
“And you’re going to let her?”
“For now,” I reply.
Vi’s eyes flash. “That’s not good enough.”
“It has to be.”
She stares at me for a long moment, her chest rising and falling rapidly, her hands still clenched into fists.
Then, slowly, she forces herself to step back. One step. Then another. Her shoulders drop slightly, the tension bleeding out of her in increments. But the anger doesn’t leave her eyes.
“Good,” I say.
“Don’t patronize me,” she snaps.
“I’m not.” I glance around the room. Every eye is stillon us. “But you just gave everyone here a show. And now they’re wondering if you’re worth the attention.”
“I didn’t start this.”
“You kind of did,” I say. “But you almost finished it, too. And that would’ve been a mistake.”
Rogue reappears at my side, his gaze still tracking the girl as she disappears into the back corridor. “She’s gone,” he says. “For now.”
I nod once, then turn back to Vi. “Come with me.”
“I’m working, Armen,” she says stubbornly.
“You’re done,” I reply.
“I just got here.”
“And now you’re leaving.” My voice drops. “That wasn’t a request.”
She holds my gaze for another beat, defiance flickering in her eyes. Then she exhales sharply and steps past me, heading toward the exit.
I follow.
Rogue stays behind, his presence a silent reminder to everyone in the room: this isn’t over.
39
