Chapter 608

Bruno kicked back in his chair, flashing that smug demeanor. It was obvious he already had something planned; the whole thing was just him messing with me, trying to get under his skin. Hayden, as usual, didn’t flinch. “However you wanna settle it,” he said.

I could see it now—Hayden was the kind of guy who never cracked. No matter how much Herman tried to mess with him, he just stayed cool, like nothing could faze him. Bruno twirled a colorful snooker ball in his fingers. “We’re enemies now, right?” he said, looking at Hayden.

Hayden didn’t reply. Bruno’s gaze drifted over to me.

“How about you and I play a few rounds?” Bruno suggested, his grin widening. “If you win, I grant your condition. That includes letting Hayden off the hook.”

I knew what he was up to. Ever since the first time he saw me, he’d been obsessed with playing against me. This guy was relentless. But seriously, what was it about me? I’d never faced him, never humiliated anyone, never played to show off. So why was he so hell-bent on getting a game?

I couldn’t help it—I had to ask. “Why me?”

“Why not?” Bruno shot back, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “You’ve got something about you. Played a perfect game just a few days ago in the tournament, right?”

So now it was on. A challenge. I knew if I refused, he’d make me play anyway. I might as well agree, but I wasn’t going to make it easy for him. I locked eyes with him. “If I win, you’ll really let go of this grudge?”

I left Hayden out of it. The way he acted toward me—so distant and indifferent—made me think, There’s no way I’m begging Bruno for him. Not like that.

“Of course,” Bruno said, grinning wider. “When I make a promise, I keep it.” Then he threw in a twist. “But if you lose? What do you think should happen?”

I clenched my jaw. “Whatever you want.”

Clap, clap. Bruno applauded. “Bold. No wonder you got so many guys wrapped around your finger.” He waved a hand, and his men set up a pool table.

“We’re playing here?” I frowned.

“What, don’t like it?” Bruno smirked.

“It reeks here. The vibe’s awful. It’ll mess with my mood, and you know that messes with my game,” I shot back, making sure he knew I wasn’t impressed.

I could get away with being demanding because Bruno had to answer to someone higher up. Whoever was pulling the strings wanted me alive, which meant Bruno couldn’t push things too far. Sometimes, acting like you’re important works.

“Fine,” Bruno said, standing up and motioning for us to follow. “We’ll go to my pool hall.”

As he passed Jace, he stopped, eyeing the wound on his arm. “Get a doctor to patch him up. All that blood’s gonna ruin the mood.” As if this wasn’t all his fault in the first place.

Jace stayed silent, his face pale from the pain. Bruno wasn’t wrong—the wound was bad; I couldn’t even look at it directly. Instead, I focused on Jace’s pale face. “Can you hold on? Maybe we should get you to a hospital.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ll wait for you,” Jace said, voice strained.

I helped him toward the door, with Hayden and Yara following behind. When we reached Bruno’s pool hall, I had to admit—it was impressive. The pool table was made of rare material, and even the cue sticks had tips made of the same stuff. It was clear—Bruno’s thing with snooker wasn’t just a hobby.

Chapter 605