The music shifted from a sweeping orchestral piece to a low, rhythmic tango—sharp, precise, and dangerous. On the dance floor, Yuna and Leo moved like two blades clashing in the dark.
"You're out of practice, ARES," Leo whispered, his hand firm on the small of her back. "Life at the Academy has made you soft. Or maybe it's just the company you're keeping."
Yuna followed his lead with effortless grace, her expression a mask of cold indifference. "I'm exactly where I need to be, Rogue. And Jaxon Thorne isn't a 'project.' He's a variable I'm currently managing."
"Managing?" Leo's golden eyes flashed. He spun her toward the edge of the floor, momentarily shielding her from the room's prying eyes. "The Council thinks you're a liability now. They think you've traded your crown for a school uniform. I'm here to see if I need to bring you back—or bury the ghost myself."
As the song reached a crescendo, Leo leaned in, his lips inches from her ear. But he wasn't whispering sweet nothings. "Check your pocket, Queen. The game has changed."
The music stopped. Before Yuna could respond, a heavy hand dropped onto Leo's shoulder. The air around them turned frigid.
Jaxon stood there, his eyes dark with a possessive fury that made several nearby socialites gasp. He didn't look like the polished heir of the Thorne empire anymore; he looked like a predator reclaiming its prize.
"The dance is over," Jaxon said, his voice dropping an octave. He didn't ask—he commanded.
Leo let go of Yuna, raising his hands in a mock gesture of surrender. "Relax, Thorne. We were just catching up on old times. Though, I must say, your taste in 'partners' is... exquisite. High-maintenance, but exquisite."
"She's none of your concern," Jaxon retorted, stepping between them to shield Yuna.
Leo chuckled, adjusted his obsidian blazer, and leaned closer to Jaxon, lowering his voice so only the two of them could hear. "You think you know her because you sit next to her in class? You're playing checkers while she's dismantling the world's servers. Don't get too attached, Heir. When the lights go out, she's the one who disappears."
With a final, mocking wink at Yuna, Leo turned and vanished into the crowd as quickly as he had appeared.
Jaxon turned to Yuna immediately, his hands hovering as if he wanted to grab her shoulders but was afraid he'd break the spell. "Who is he, Yuna? Really. And don't tell me he's just a headache. No one looks at a 'headache' the way he looks at you."
Yuna didn't answer. Her hand slid into the pocket of her hoodie—now hidden under her gala attire—and felt a small, cold microchip. Her heart hammered against her ribs, but her face remained stone.
"He's the past, Jaxon," she said, her voice trembling just enough for him to notice. "And the past is a dangerous place to go looking for answers."
She walked away, leaving Jaxon standing in the middle of the ballroom, the realization sinking in: he wasn't just falling for a girl with a secret. He was falling for a girl who lived in a world where he was the outsider.