#Chapter 62: The Game Begins

Emily I recognized the sound of her heels before I saw her. The rhythm was unmistakable: deliberate, attention-seeking, and perfectly timed for the lull in conversation that always came just before dessert was served. I didn’t have to turn my head to know Chloe had arrived. The brunch was meant to be low-key, a charity event hosted by one of Logan’s allied Packs with just enough press to make it useful. I’d worn pale blue, simple lines, and a fitted waist. Professional, approachable. Safe. Chloe, of course, wore crimson. She swept through the garden like the lead in a movie that no one had agreed to watch but suddenly couldn’t look away from. Her dress hugged every curve, her smile was practiced to perfection, and her hair gleamed like something out of a dream. Or a nightmare. “I didn’t know you’d be here,” she said brightly as she approached. Not to me, to Logan. She barely glanced in my direction. “I wasn’t aware you’d returned to the city,” Logan said coolly.