Chapter 61: Nigel's mum.

Chapter 61: Nigel’s mum.

ANNOUNCING THAT HE didn’t have a mum wasn’t what Nigel had meant to do.

The words, raw and unbidden, sprang from him before he could snatch them back. Pete’s brows arched, a slow, deliberate ascent that made Nigel’s stomach clench. Foolish, he cursed himself. He should’ve let the comment die, swallowed it like so many others. Pete, with his incessant chatter, would have surely forgotten. But it was out now, a live wire sparking between them. What the hell was wrong with him? His mind moved with the precision of a sharpened blade, calculating every risk and every outcome. Impulsiveness was a death sentence on Umicore Prime. Was Pete, the bloody royal, chipping away at his control, dulling his instincts? A cold prickle traced its way up Nigel’s spine.