“Yeah, well, she did, and you will lose everything if you don’t pay out and accept this,” Avior said for me.
“I’ll lose my fucking head when I answer to the owner that a fucking broad won,” he snarled.
I decided to do my best to de-escalate this. “Someone already posted on social media or let it out. They always do. It’s done. Your decisions now and how things pan out will decide what happens next.” I snorted when he glanced at me. “I know how rare mystic dragons are. I’m maybe one of the only ones who fights. And a female?”
“You’ll have fighters far and wide coming to take her on,” Avior said, taking the hint. “And she’s backed.” He flinched when there was banging at the door, worry in his eyes. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his card. “It’s magic, not just a number. You call it and Ihave tofind you within a day or it brings pain.”
“You can’t be serious giving her that,” the manager whispered glancing between us. “Who backs her?”
“They don’t back me, but they did the bet,” I clarified. “But yeah, I know them well.” I took the card. “The prize?”
“You shouldnotwalk out of here with that and you don’t want it wired, right?” Avior checked.
“You don’t think I’m stupid enough to leave it with you,” I practically snarled.
“I don’t think you have a choice,” the manager worried when there was more banging and yelling. “He’ll do it.” He swallowed loudly. “We both will. This is a mess tonight but—fuck.”
“I want some sort of promise or collateral,” I argued. “You’re talking millions.”
Anger filled the manager’s eyes. “Then where do I wire it?”
Yeah, okay, fair enough. Walking out with twenty million was stupid.
I gave a swift nod. “I’ll be back with an account and there better be a wire ready.”
“We have it,” he promised. He glanced back to the main area with worry. “Now get out of here so we can announce it’s over and done.”
I chuffed a few times but then left knowing they were right and there was no way to rectify it in that moment. In my upset, I was turned around a few times, but then I managed to sneak back into the castle.
Which again, wasn’t great.
“Where are you coming from, Your Highness?” Benson asked from behind me as I came out into the main hallway near the residence wing.
Normally, I would have kept my composure better, but I was honestly furious Icouldsneak in and out of the castle so easily. “Wherever I want.” I didn’t even glance at him and kept in the direction I was heading.
But he was taller and his steps ate up the distance faster, suddenly in front of me. “I’m sorry?”
“For?” I asked, glancing up at him with a raised eyebrow.
He frowned as he studied me. “I was merely inquiring as to—”
“My whereabouts as if I’m a child?” I interrupted.
He flinched, worry filling his eyes. “Not at all, Princess. I apologize if that’s how it came off. I simply wanted to know…” He cleared his throat and glanced around before leaning in. “Are you okay? I saw you and just wanted to check in.”
I swallowed down what him being that close to me did to my body and dropped the mask I wore flawlessly. “Why?”
He reacted as if I’d slapped him. “Sagan, what is…” He looked truly wounded. “I’m sorry I haven’t—” He swallowed loudly. “Of course I care and am worried about you.”
I hummed thoughtfully. “I’m fine. I’m always fine, thank you for your concern.” I swallowed a sigh when that was clearly not enough. “Please let me by.” I ground my jaw when he didn’t. “What, did I do something to Elira again that you want to discuss? Or another lecture about—” I pushed past him when he sighed.
Fuck him. Seriously just… Fuck him.
Fuckeveryoneeven. I couldn’t deal with anything else. I was so overloaded, and the last thing I needed was whatever he was trying to put on me.
I flinched when I saw Thorn and a group of people not far away, but while they were all talking and not paying attention, Thorn only had eyes for my interaction with Benson. I acknowledged him with a nod but kept going. I had more important things to handle right then than any man or his feelings.
I had to make a call I didn’t want to and risk too much to hopefully save my parents’ reputation and my future situation.
And I really wasn’t sure which way it would go.
The fight earlier that had such bad odds against me was honestly a cakewalk as opposed to what I was doing next. That was just my life now it seemed.
