Chapter 117Xavier's POV
The heavy doors of the royal office slammed shut behind me with a resonant thud. I stood there for a moment, alone in the echoing corridor, my pulse hammering in my ears.
Everything. Every single step, was unfolding just the way Joe said it would.
I ran a hand over my face, exhaling slowly. Joe had told me Ivan would seize control, that he would bait me, that he would find a way to shove me onto the frontlines with him. And here I was, a newly minted second-in-command, not because Ivan trusted me, but because he wanted me to burn.
It was like playing chess blindfolded, except Joe had already set the board. All I had to do was follow the moves.
Still, my gut churned. Knowing the plan was one thing. Standing in the middle of it while your enemy smiled like a snake? That was another.
I turned to leave, to finally breathe air that wasn't poisoned with Ivan's arrogance, when a guard stepped out from the shadows.
