​The heavy silence of the luxury condo wraps around the room, but my chest feels tight, constricted by a panic I would never dare show anyone else. My arms are locked completely around Jewl, burying my face into her neck, breathing in the scent of her skin like it's the only thing keeping me grounded.

​She's brilliant. Annoyingly, infuriatingly brilliant. I hate how effortlessly she sits at the top of our classes, outranking me in exams without even breaking a sweat, just like I hate how she manages to outmaneuver my syndicate half the time. But right now, none of that matters. All I know is that she walked out on me, and my phone is sitting right there on the nightstand, lighting up with Yuri’s pathetic, desperate texts trying to steal her away. The mere thought of anyone else touching her makes me want to burn both of our empires to ash. I cling tighter to her waist, pressing a desperate, feverish kiss against her shoulder, my voice cracking with a vulnerability I reserve for her and her alone.

Don't you dare talk about Yuri," I whisper, my voice shaking as my fingers tangle frantically into her hair, pulling her impossibly closer against me. "I don't care about your exams, Jewl. I don't care that you're smarter than me, or that you're richer, or that half the school and the underground are drooling over you... Please. Just stay here. Look at me. Tell me you're not going anywhere