*Aryanna*

I stared at Darren hard. I tried to peel back that calm, unreadable mask. My head spun with every piece he laid out in front of me, every move of the chessboard, every moment he’d been watching, waiting for me to slip. But one thing didn't fit. I hadn’t made it easy. I buried Aryanna Kyle under layers of lies, built someone Darren would never recognize. And yet he'd seen through it all.

I took a slow, steady breath, prodding gently. “Darren?”

His brows ...