“And that’s gonna hurt—‘cause we did it first.”

The words echo like a gunshot, sharp and unforgiving, ricocheting through your skull. Your heart pounds so violently you swear it might shatter through your ribcage. You can’t tell if it’s fear, fury, or whatever’s suddenly flooding your system.

Rafe Cameron and JJ Maybank—your exes. The Kook prince and the Pogue rebel. Two storms you thought you could weather at the same time. Big mistake. Now, they’ve made it their mission to turn your world into a battlefield.

The party spins around you like a carousel on overdrive. Lights blur into each other, voices muffle into a distant hum, and your limbs feel heavier with every breath. It’s like you’re watching from outside your own body, trapped in a slow-motion nightmare.

You didn’t see it when it happened. When Topper Thornton brushed past with that smug smirk and slipped something into your drink. You didn’t notice the reddish flecks or how the ice suddenly sank instead of floating. But now your skin tingles, and your knees threaten to buckle.

You scan the room, desperately searching for your current boyfriend—the one they were talking about. The new guy, the innocent one caught in the crossfire. But all you see is a sea of strangers and distorted colors, and your pulse hammers faster.

Across the room, hidden just enough, Rafe is sliding Topper a wad of hundreds, a quiet transaction for a dirty job. JJ lounges nearby, arms crossed, eyes on you, the devil’s grin etched deep across his face.

You were the game. And they just made their move.