Chapter 15

"Choosing the Game"

Valeria's POV

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I'd been lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to sort through the disaster zone that was my life. Ren's offer had been on a loop in my head for days, and no amount of sarcastic internal commentary could shut it up.

Partner with me. Work under my protection.

Ugh. The audacity of that man.

On one hand, I wanted to tell him where he could shove his offer. On the other, I couldn't deny that there was a twisted sense of logic to it. Not the protection part—please, I'd sooner trust a paper umbrella in a hurricane—but the part where he acknowledged my skills.

He wasn't wrong about one thing: I was already too deep in this mess. Between Raymond breathing down my neck and the Moretti family dragging me into their chaos, I had no exit strategy. Not yet, anyway.

But working with Ren? It felt like jumping out of a plane without a parachute—thrilling, stupid, and guaranteed to end in disaster.

I groaned and rolled onto my side, glaring at my laptop like it held the answers. Spoiler alert: it didn't.

Think, Vee. You're smarter than this.

The truth was, I had a plan—or at least the outline of one. If I accepted Ren's offer, I could keep Raymond off my back by pretending I was spying for him. Meanwhile, I'd use Ren's resources to dig up everything I needed to take Raymond down for good.

It was risky as hell. But when had I ever played it safe?

"Okay," I muttered to myself, sitting up. "Let's do this."

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and padded out of my room, heading for Ren's office. If I was going to sell my soul to the devil, I might as well get it over with.

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Ren was exactly where I expected him to be, lounging on the couch in the living room, looking like he owned the world. He had a glass of whiskey in one hand, his tie loosened, and his shirt sleeves rolled up just enough to reveal strong forearms.

Damn it. Why did he have to look like that?

He glanced up as I walked in, his lips quirking into a slow, smug smile. "Couldn't sleep, darling?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Moretti," I said, crossing my arms. "I've got something to say."

His eyes sparkled with amusement, but he didn't interrupt. He just leaned back, swirling the whiskey in his glass like he had all the time in the world.

I took a deep breath. "I've thought about your offer."

"And?" He set the glass down, his attention sharpening in an instant.

"And I'm not saying yes," I said, tilting my chin up. "But I'm not saying no either. Let's call it... a trial run."

"A trial run?" he repeated, his voice dripping with amusement.

"Yes. I'll work with you—on my terms. And if I don't like how you're running things, I walk."

The corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk. "You've got conditions. How predictable."

"Predictable? I'm the least predictable person you'll ever meet," I shot back, stepping closer. "And if you have a problem with that, tough shit."

His smirk widened, but there was something darker in his eyes now. Something that made my pulse do a weird little flip.

"Anything else, darling?" he asked, his voice lower, smoother.

"Yeah." I stepped even closer, close enough to feel the heat radiating off him. "If you ever try to control me, I'll make you regret it."

His hand rested on the back of the couch, his fingers twitching like he wanted to reach for something—or someone. "Noted," he murmured, his gaze dropping to my lips for a fraction of a second.

For a moment, the world narrowed to just the two of us. His eyes were locked on mine, and the air between us felt like it was about to catch fire.

I didn't move. Neither did he.

"You're bold, Vee," he said softly, almost like a challenge.

"And you're too cocky for your own good," I countered, my voice quieter now.

His smirk softened, and for a heartbeat, I thought he was going to kiss me. Hell, for a heartbeat, I thought I was going to let him.

But then reality crashed back in, and I stepped away, breaking the spell.

"This doesn't mean I trust you," I said, my voice sharper than I intended.

"I wouldn't expect anything less," he replied, leaning back like he hadn't just obliterated my ability to think straight.

I turned on my heel and walked out, my heart pounding like I'd just run a marathon.

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Back in my room, I shut the door and leaned against it, trying to steady my breathing.

What the hell was that?

Ren Moretti was dangerous. Not just because of who he was or what he did, but because he made me feel things I couldn't afford to feel.

I needed to stay focused. I needed to remember that this was a game, and I wasn't here to lose.

But damn it, why did he have to make it so hard?

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˗ˏˋ Author's note ˎˊ˗

Heyy (✿◡‿◡)

It's getting hot here. Ughh. Where can I order a Ren from?

I feel smart after writing this chapter. Like the plan is good bro. Proud of myself. ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ

Please Vote and comment to make another insignificant human happy (^◕.◕^)

Question of chapter:

If you could visit somewhere in the world for free, where would it be?

Paris.

See you next Sunday!

Remember, somethings have to end for better things to start <3

*hug*

*sprints away*

Byeeee

Izel

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