After my encounter with Ron, I took a moment to steady myself before retracing my steps back toward the meeting hall. But as I neared the entrance, my steps faltered. I hadn't expected to see Ron and Aries standing together, engaged in what looked like a tense conversation. From where I stood, Ron did most of the talking, his body language exuding confidence. A little too much confidence. My heart sank. s**t. That asshole was ratting me out. Was I surprised? Not at all. But I had expected more time—time to prepare an excuse, to come up with something convincing. Now, I had nothing. Before I could react, a sharp sound echoed through the air, snapping me out of my thoughts. My gaze shot up just in time to witness Aries’ fist connecting with Ron’s face, sending him sprawling to the gro

