Alicia's ambush had been clean, sharp, and fast—so fast, in fact, that even she was impressed with herself.
But what completely threw her off was the reaction—or lack thereof—from the room.
She had a dagger pressed to Skinny Pete's throat. A hostage situation, textbook leverage. She expected panic, shouting, maybe someone begging her to calm down.
Instead, no one even flinched.
No tension. No fear. Not even a raised eyebrow.
What the hell?
Did they not care if she slit this guy's throat? Or was this guy just that unpopular?
"Not bad, huh?" Ethan said casually, glancing at Pete. "Her ability's got some bite."
"Yeah, she's good," Pete replied, nodding with genuine admiration.
He wasn't even mad. Just impressed.
Sure, she'd only stunned him for two seconds—but in a real fight, two seconds was all it took to lose everything. And now here he was, a hostage in his own living room.
