?Chapter 113:

Rachel’s face was twisted in frustration as she ranted about hertest encounter with Jasmine. The girl had grown a backbone – one I was determined to snap like a twig.

“You let her threaten you?” I asked incredulously, staring at Rachel like she’d lost her mind. What the hell had happened to my loyalpdog? Rachel squirmed in her seat, chewing nervously on her bottom lip, her eyes darting away like she couldn’t stand my gaze.

“I didn’t expect her to stand up to me…” she muttered, rubbing her arms as if she could shake off the embarrassment of it all.

My fingers drummed impatiently on the table as I stared her down. “Jasmine thinks she’s growing wings, does she?” My voice dripped with contempt. Rachel nodded, not daring to meet my eyes. She had the nerve to act like she wasn’t part of the problem. Useless.

“She’s not backing down,” Rachel added, her voice small.

If it weren’t for my restraint, I’d have thrown something at her by now. Instead, I clenched my jaw and kept my voice calm. “This cannot continue.” I paced the room, my mind working faster than lightning, trying to figure out the best way to crush that bitch’s newfound confidence.

“‘We’ll break her,” I vowed, my eyes narrowing as the words left my lips. “No one defies me and gets away with it. She’ll be back in the shadows, right where she belongs.”

Rachel shifted uneasily in her chair, clearly out of her depth. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean… we’ve already tried—”

I mmed my fist on the table, cutting her off. “Don’t question me,” I spat, venomcing my words. Rachel jerked back, her eyes wide with fear. I reveled in it. “You failed once, and now you want to give me advice? Shut the fuck up and let me think.”

The silence that followed was exactly what I needed. My thoughts zeroed in on the issue—Jasmine was gaining confidence, and that could be dangerous. But she didn’t have the kind of backing I did. She was nothing more than a momentary distraction for Ryder, a ything he’d eventually toss aside. And when he did, I’d be there, waiting.

The real problem was Ryder himself. If I weren’t so dead-set on winning him, I would’ve given him a piece of my mind a long time ago. But I couldn’t. Not yet. He was too damn wrapped around Jasmine, taking her side in everything.

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Ryder protecting her was a problem. I knew I couldn’t take her on directly, not while he was watching, but there were other ways to break her. He wouldn’t be able to protect her from everything. I’d stayed quiet when Ryder brought that little tramp into our world because I knew, eventually, he’d see sense and put me back on top. But now? That little stunt of hers had me rethinking things.

I swallowed hard, thinking about the punishment that awaited me if Ryder found out I’d pulled some strings behind his back. Hell, when he found out. The mess I’d created was one I had to clean up before it came back to bite me.

I had two choices—shut her up, which would onlyst so long—or get her out of the pack for good.

JASMINE’S POV

I stared nkly at my te, not really seeing the food in front of me. Maverick’s words echoed in my mind like a broken record: “Ryder’sing back tomorrow.” Tomorrow. Just like that. No warning, no call, no message. Nothing. It felt so typical of him—doing things on his terms, always keeping me guessing. I knew I was supposed to feel relieved, maybe even excited that he was returning. After all, his presence had always kept the bullying and judgment from others at bay—a shield of sorts. But as I sat there, I couldn’t help the gnawing ache growing in my chest.

My fork rested idly on the te as I absentmindedly pushed the sd around. I wasn’t hungry anymore, not after hearing that news. Why should I care? I shouldn’t. I couldn’t. He hadn’t even bothered to contact me in days. Thest text I received from him was brief, distant—the kind of message someone sends when they’re thinking of anything but you. How could he just disappear like that, without a word?

A rush of frustration bubbled up, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from yelling. The world around me continued as usual, while inside, my mind was a mess of anger and confusion. I checked my phone for what felt like the hundredth time, hoping—praying—that a message would appear. Maybe something like, “I miss you,” or “Can’t wait to see you.” But, of course, there was nothing.

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