Chapter 31: The Game Has Begun

She exhaled sharply and shook her head, trying to push away the lingering warmth in her chest. The moment she convinced herself she was fine, a sudden knock on her door made her jolt.

Her pulse spiked for an entirely different reason now.

Noelle frowned. He came back?

She hesitated for a moment before pushing herself up, wincing slightly as her sore foot protested the movement. She hobbled toward the door, unlocking it and pulled it ...