Novel & Cerita Cunning

The end of Cunning. Learn what is next for Nox and Charli in DECEPTION

“I ask again, how did you get it done?” He leaned back in his chair, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Cunning isn’t just about brute force, boy. Sometimes, it’s about knowing who to bribe, who to threaten, and who to convince that they made the choice themselves.” I clenched my fists, forcing my voice to stay steady. “So it wasn’t clean. There’s always a price when you play like this.” His smirk widened. “Ah, and that is why you’ll never be as dangerous as you think. You see the surface, but you don’t always feel the currents underneath.”

And Sophie was proving that she understood the game better than anyone realized. I closed my eyes for a brief second, taking a deep breath. The streets outside were dark and silent, but I could almost hear the distant chaos of events that were yet to unfold—the unseen strings being pulled, the alliances forming and breaking in shadows. My jaw tightened. One thing was certain: patience had limits. Fear could be measured, controlled, but cunning… cunning was unpredictable. And Sophie had it in spades.

She strategized, her mind racing through countless possibilities, analyzing potential outcomes with precision. Vihaan , known for his quick thinking and clever tactics, watched Sukoon's every move with a mix of admiration and determination. He knew she was a formidable opponent, her sharp intellect matched only by her unwavering determination. He studied the board, contemplating his next move, searching for the perfect opportunity to outmaneuver her.

Bruno had almost outsmarted him—and Mykhol seemed to savor that fact as much as he resented it. Lady Funda made a sound—half scoff, half snarl—as if the word clever itself offended her. “Clever?” she snapped, stepping forward, breath sharp with perfume and anger. “It was dangerous. It was stupid.” Her claws flexed as though the argument required them. “You see now why I said it, my son—why I’ve always said it. Surely you do now, how both of them must be—” “That’s quite enough of that, mother.”

He just was interested to make sure his pack was protected. “I’ll give Alpha one thing…he is sly, sneaky, methodical, and almost always outsmarts his opponents without having to exert his physical strength. That’s why most packs leave him alone and leave our pack alone because they know he is better than them at strategy and outsmarts them nine times out of ten. Hell - do you see Alpha Callen storming down here with an army of warriors to tear this place apart to look for you?!” Charley explained as he finished his plate and got up to go get seconds.

But tonight, the threat wasn’t only physical. Intelligence reports had flagged a new adversary: a strategist who rivaled even the stepbrother’s former brilliance. Known only as *The Architect*, this figure didn’t rely on brute force or numbers. Instead, they manipulated perception, anticipation, and human psychology, turning allies against each other and sowing hesitation where trust should reign. This was a battle for the mind, not the streets.

A devil in disguise. If Franz in his status as a powerful man this girl will be first on the line that suited him. And that seems to strike Jamie's heart. Cause why not! That girl suited him so much… That even though she has everything now, her insecurities and disappointments clouded her being, she can't deny she is also jealous. She grasps her hand tightly as if she wants to punch someone, and tightly dig her nails on her hand, she can feel the blood splitter in it. She composed herself and courage and said.

When he frowned, I knew he didn't catch a scent. A giggle that had my hand clutching Julian's tighter reverberated through the area, bouncing off the marble walls. It was as if she made the maze out of marble for that exact reason — to have us shitting bricks with terror which would make us sloppy. "You may see it as the behavior of a coward but I see it as being strategical. Can't hit a target you can't see," the fae crooned and it almost sounded as if her voice was coming from multiple directions, "how do you think I bested so many of your kind. You have to work smart. Not hard."

Clever could not help but clicked his tongue; sometimes his friend's tongue was harsh in word. "But Zion counted there, get out of there Zion and you open the door for me." He commanded and looked at Knox with a tease. Zion was about to open the door but Knox pushed it shut again and came to the back door and opened it, "Here it is, Master. Get in before you get strangled by me." Knox jokingly threaten his friend. Clever, on the other hand, was overjoyed; it felt good when he won, especially when he knew the feeling that he could use the weakness of others.