The Game Begins (2)

His words hung in the air between them, heavy with meaning. My mind raced as I tried to process what he was saying. Trust him? Be by his side? Could I ever truly trust a man like Tristan Romano?

"I don't need your love, Selena," Tristan continued, his voice low. "But I need your loyalty. I need to know that when things get messy-and they will-you'll stand with me, not against me."

My pulse quickened. I had known, deep down, that this moment would come. The moment when I would have to decide what kind of person I was going to be in this world. A pawn, used and discarded by the powerful? Or a player, ruthless and willing to do whatever it took to survive?

And the terrifying part was, I didn't know which one I wanted to be anymore.

"You saved my life last night," I said quietly, my eyes searching Tristan's. "But I don't understand why. Why risk everything for me?"

Tristan's eyes softened, just for a fraction of a second, but it was enough. Enough for me to see that beneath the cold, calculated exterior, there was something more. Something human.

"I saved you," he said, his voice almost a whisper, "because you're mine. And no one touches what's mine."

My breath caught in my throat. There it was again-that possessiveness, that dangerous edge to his words that both frightened and thrilled me. I hated that I felt drawn to it, but I couldn't deny it any longer.

I was in too deep.

"And if I don't want to be yours?" I challenged, my voice trembling despite myself.

Tristan leaned down, his face inches from mine, his gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that made my heart race. "You already are," he whispered, his breath warm against my skin."Whether you want to be or not."

The words sent a shiver down my spine, and for the first time, I realized the full extent of the game I was playing. There was no escape. No way out. I was bound to Tristan now, for better or for worse.

To be continued.... loviessssss ❤️ 🤭