The phone buzzed again, shattering the fragile silence that had fallen between us. My heart jumped as I glanced at the screen, the message that flashed before me stopping me cold: The real game has just begun.
I didn’t need to read it twice to feel the weight of the words. It was a warning, a reminder that whatever peace we’d managed to carve out amid chaos had only been temporary. That storm was far from over.
I turned to Alexander, whose expression was still calm but now tinged with something I couldn’t quite place. He had already stepped into this fight with everything he had—his body, his mind, his spirit. But now, there was something different in the air. Something heavier. Something more personal.
He looked at me, his jaw set, eyes darker than usual. “This isn’t just about us anymore, Leila,” he said quietly, as if the weight of the words was still sinking in for him. “This is about everything. Everyone.”
I took a step closer, my chest tightening. “What do you mean?” My voice ba
