I Borrowed Money From My Bullies Before Faking My Death Chapter 08

I stepped one foot out.

And walked straight into a cold, hard smile.

“Who told you you could leave?”

Knox. Dark eyes narrowed. Voice low.

Everyone inside heard the commotion and came spilling out.

Delilah froze. Caught on quick. Immediately deflected. “She said it was stuffy in there. Said she needed air.”

Knox’s cold question was aimed at me. “Did I not tell you to stay put?”

I froze mid-step, brain scrambling.

The observation deck had security cameras. Just pull the footage.

But that would take time. Time I didn’t have.

I had to be gone before Silas got here.

I clutched my stomach. Painted pain all over my face. “I had a reason. Stomach hurts.”

Knox’s expression didn’t even flicker. Cruel. Cold. “Suck it up.”

Excuse me?

How could he be like this!

Then, a lazy voice drawled from behind.

“Knox, what’s taking so long? The cars are already on the track—”

Something about that voice.

By the time my brain caught up, I was already staring into a pair of teasing, deep-set eyes.

The words died in his throat.

I went rigid.

The System, however, was thrilled. [Perfect! The last target just showed up!]

The boy whose smile never reached his eyes had grown into a man.

Tall. Lean. Gray shirt, casual but sharp. Matured features. Stunning.

His easy grin froze the second he saw me.

The atmosphere turned suffocating.

Asher Cole’s gaze locked onto me like a heat-seeking missile. Didn’t move an inch.

Knox frowned. “The hell are you doing?”

“Nothing.” Asher pulled his gaze back. Smiled, light as air. “Just discovering the world is full of strange surprises.”

No one else understood a word.

Except me.

The world was full of strange surprises. Like someone coming back from the dead.

Asher looked at Knox. “She’s yours?”

Knox grunted, dismissive. “Quite unruly.”

Asher was quiet for a moment. Then, calm and steady. “This race still needs a prize. I want her.”

His finger pointed right at me.

Silence.

Knox’s brow ticked up.

Delilah’s shock was loud. “She was stealing from the Whitmores just yesterday! Good thing I caught it in time.”

“The Whitmores? Stealing?” Asher’s lips barely moved as he repeated the words.

His gaze flicked between me and Knox.

Then it settled on me alone.

He smiled. “Perfect. I’ll punish her on Knox’s behalf.”

He bit out the word “punish,” biting it off hard.

Cold sweat slicked my skin.

Knox snorted. Didn’t agree right away. “Didn’t you want my supercar? Thought you had decent taste. What’s this about now?”

Despair crashed over me.

I’d been so focused on dodging Silas, I completely forgot to watch out for Asher. The guy with the sweet smile and the venom underneath.

Knox’s tone was lazy. “She’s not worth it.”

Asher let out a soft laugh. His voice left no room for argument. “If I lose, my family’s heirloom vase is yours. I win, she’s mine.”

Knox’s brow furrowed.

Then he turned and strode toward the track. His voice carried back, magnetic. “Done.”