Chapter 2: Fate's Game

Victoria Palmer. Of course she'd be here tonight of all nights. I gripped the wine bottle tighter and kept my head down. The universe really does have a cruel sense of timing.

Just minutes ago, I'd been feeling almost hopeful. Working part-time at Le Blanc while waiting for the Morgan & Wright hire list wasn't ideal, but it was a step toward the life I'd been fighting for since that graduation night. A life where men like Caspian Drake couldn't reduce me to nothing with a bet and a laugh.

"And here's that record-breaking play again, folks!" The announcer's voice crackled with excitement. "Caspian Drake, the hottest quarterback in the league right now, showing us exactly why he was named Rookie of the Year!"

Don't look. Don't look. Don't— Fuck. I looked. There he was, larger than life, that million-dollar smile flashing as he completed what they were calling a "miracle pass." Six years had been kind to Caspian Drake. The boy who'd broken my heart had grown into something more powerful, something that made my stomach twist with a confused mix of anger and old pain.

"Can you believe we got the private room tonight?" A junior associate from Morgan & Wright gushed as I arranged place settings. "I heard the partners are announcing the new hire list."

My hands trembled slightly. After months of part-time paralegal work, I was hoping my name would be on that list. One step closer to becoming a real lawyer, to proving I was more than just that naive girl who'd fallen for a stupid bet.

"Excuse me? This section is reserved." Victoria stood there, surrounded by expensively dressed friends. Her Hermes bag probably cost more than six months of my rent. The sight of her made my skin crawl – she represented everything I'd spent six years fighting to become: successful, powerful, worthy.

The manager hurried over, flustered. "Miss Palmer, I apologize, but this area has been booked for a private event."

Victoria's eyebrows rose as she looked me over like something stuck to her designer heel. "Oh, is this person setting up for Morgan & Wright? Daddy knows them. I'm sure they wouldn't mind waiting. Our celebration is far more important than some corporate dinner."

I kept my head down, focusing on the silverware. My hands were shaking from rage, not fear. Six years ago, I would have shrunk away from her contempt. Now it just made me want to prove her wrong.

"Watch out!" Victoria's leg shot out as I passed with a bottle of wine. I stumbled, and red wine exploded across her cream-colored designer dress. The restaurant fell silent, and for a moment, all I could hear was my own heartbeat.

"You clumsy bitch!" Victoria shrieked. "Do you have any idea how much this dress costs? You couldn't afford to replace it with a year's salary!"

"Victoria, that's enough."

That voice. God, that voice. It hit me like a physical blow, sending electricity racing down my spine. I'd spent six years trying to forget how it had sounded whispering my name in the dark of his study, how it had laughed with his friends about the bet I'd been worth.

Caspian Drake stepped between us, his broad shoulders blocking Victoria from view. The scent of his cologne – expensive but subtle, just like in high school – made my head spin with unwanted memories. "It was clearly an accident."

Victoria's eyes narrowed at my name tag. "Sage Winters? Wait... the library girl from high school!" The malicious glee in her voice made my stomach turn.

I fled to the bathroom before anyone could see how badly I was shaking. Not from humiliation – from fury. At Victoria, at Caspian, at myself for still letting them affect me after all these years. I gripped the sink until my knuckles turned white, staring at my reflection. I wouldn't cry. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

The night air hit my face as I slipped out the restaurant's back door hours later. A sleek black SUV crawled along the street beside me. My heart started pounding so hard I thought it might crack my ribs.

"Sage? Let me give you a ride home." His voice was softer now, almost pleading.

I walked faster, pretending I couldn't hear him, pretending my body wasn't hyperaware of his presence. My heel caught in a metal grate, and suddenly I was falling.

Strong hands caught me before I hit the ground. The warmth of his touch sent fire racing through my veins, memories surging to the surface like a tidal wave: that graduation night, the softness of his lips, the tenderness in his eyes, the way he'd made me feel special right up until I'd learned it was all a game. My body remembered everything my mind had tried so hard to forget.

"I've got you," he murmured, and those three words threatened to shatter every wall I'd built.

I jerked away from him like his touch burned – because it did, it burned through every defense I had. "Let go of me. I'm fine." My voice came out raw and angry, full of six years' worth of pain and rage I couldn't quite kill.

The hurt in his eyes made my chest ache. For a moment, he looked just like that boy who'd made me believe in fairy tales, the one who'd taught me they were just pretty lies wrapped in promises. I yanked off my broken heel and ran for the approaching bus, not daring to look back.

My phone buzzed as I stumbled into my apartment. Unknown number.

We need to talk. It's about your position at Morgan & Wright. My office tomorrow morning. -Diana Wright

The managing partner herself? My stomach dropped. Had Victoria already complained? Was I about to lose my shot at the associate position before I'd even been officially hired?

Another buzz. This time, a news alert: Warriors star Caspian Drake in contract dispute. Sources say he's seeking new legal representation after fallout with management.

My fingers gripped the phone so tight I thought the screen might crack. Victoria's father owned the Warriors. Caspian needed a lawyer. And somehow, I was caught in the middle again, just like six years ago.

I poured another glass of wine, my hands shaking with something darker than fear. They thought they could control me. Victoria with her daddy's money, Caspian with his pretty apologies. They thought they knew who I was – the bookworm, the scholarship girl, the easy target.

They had no idea what I was capable of now.

I opened my laptop and pulled up the Morgan & Wright case database. If Diana was calling me in, I needed leverage. Something to make myself invaluable.

Warriors contract disputes. Morality clauses. Player representation conflicts of interest.

If Caspian Drake needed a lawyer, and if my job was on the line...

Maybe it was time to turn six years of pain into something useful. Something powerful.

Maybe it was time to finally make him pay.

My fingers hovered over the keyboard, a dangerous idea taking shape.