“Steve’s safe for now,” Jace said, leaving me puzzled.


    He exined, “Quartz Cue pretends to be just a cue sports club, but they’re deep in illegal betting.


    Their original n was to take down Steve to keep their championship status and rake in the


    gambling profits.”


    I’d heard rumors about underground betting, but snooker? Really?


    “When they couldn’t get to Steve directly,” Jace went on, “they switched it up. They’re betting big on


    him, shifting the odds in his favor. If he wins, it looks like they lose–except they’re making secret


    deals to make way more on the back end.”


    I shivered. Something as simple as Steve’s snooker career had turned into this dark web of


    schemes and shady money moves.


    Steve once told me he started ying because he loved it–like, genuinely loved it. He wanted to


    prove that someone from our country could go global. Knowing he was just a pawn now… I couldn’t


    imagine


    how crushed he’d feel.


    “Does Steve have any clue about this?” I asked, feeling a weight in my chest.


    “No. If he knew, he’d probably refuse to y,” Jace said, eyes darkening. “But if he doesn’t y…


    he could lose a lot more than just a match.”


    I froze, a wave of dread washing over me. Jace’s voice turned grim. “Rea, just because Hayden


    saved him once doesn’t mean Steve’s safe now. This whole thing was a setup from the start.”


    My stomach did a nervous flip. Hayden hadn’t said anything about this. Did he even know?


    “The match is in two days. They can’t afford anyst–minute disruptions. But Bruno’s fans? Total


    loose cannons, out of Quartz Cue’s control. So, to keep everything smooth, they mighte after


    you. They won’t hurt you, but they’ll want you as leverage.”


    A knot tightened in my chest. “They’re worried Hayden might go after Quartz Cue again, aren’t


    they?”


    Jace shook his head slightly. “You’re not just leverage against Hayden. You’re also a way to


    pressure Steve into ying.”


    “But… but I…” I stammered, totally thrown. “Hayden and I aren’t even together anymore, and Steve


    is just a friend.”


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Jace looked at me with this unreadable expression before letting out a low, amusedugh.


    I was baffled. “What’s so funny?”


    “You’re still so… naive,” Jace replied, though his words felt more like a veiled criticism than a


    compliment.


    I frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean? Just spit it out.”


    He shrugged. “Just that even if he’s ‘just a friend,‘ Steve would never abandon you if you were in


    real danger. And, for the record… you still call him your close friend.”


    I opened my mouth to argue but stopped. He had a point. Jace was warning me: this was


    serious, and I’d somehow be a target. Whether it was Bruno’s fans or Quartz Cue, if they


    got to me, it wouldn’t just


    be bad for me–it’d drag Hayden and Steve right down with me.


    I took a breath, realizing this wasn’t the time to be stubborn. “Alright. So, is Wayne’s ce safer, or


    should I just head back home?”


    “Wayne’s, hands down. You shouldn’t be moving around too much–anyone out there could be one


    of Bruno’s fans,” Jace said, pulling out his phone.


    He handed me his phone. “Look. This came from a contact. You’ve been posted in Bruno’s fan


    group. There’s a bounty on you. Three million dors for anyone who brings you in.‘


    I stared at the screenshot, letting out a bitterugh. “Wow. Didn’t know I was worth that much.”


    Jace’s eyes darkened. “No one expected one person could stir up this kind of storm.”


    I managed a wry smile. “Isn’t that a little dramatic?”


    “You might not get it now, but you will,” he said, serious. “So… are you ready toe with me


    now?”