Page 109 of The Ruthless Rivalry

“Whoa! Nice shot!” Sutton exclaims, her eyes wide with surprise.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, a grin spreading across my face.

The LED display flashes, and I lean forward, eager to see what prize I’ve won. The screen changes, revealing my reward.

“Congratulations!” Sutton exclaims. “You’ve won a…date with…Sly?” she says, her voice filled with shock as his name appears on the screen and the audience erupts in some cheers, but mostly disappointment from the surrounding females.

Wait, what?

“Did you put all of our names in the drawing?” I hear Sutton ask Camden, her tone uneasy. “I thought it was just going to be your name?”

I swallow hard as I turn to look at Slyvester, whose expression is a mix of surprise and amusement. He raises an eyebrow at me, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips.

“Well, would you look at that,” Sylvester drawls, taking a few eager steps closer. His eyes sparkle with excitement as he surveys the game with a grin that could light up the entire carnival. “Looks like fate’s got a little surprise in store for us.”

Camden coughs and shifts uncomfortably, casting an apologetic glance at Sutton, whose disapproval seems to weigh heavier on him than the entire world. “Uh, yeah…I might’ve improvised a little to make things more interesting. Didn’t think it’d actually be this big of a deal.”

I feel my chest tighten as I process what just happened. Adatewith Sylvester? Is this some kind of joke? I glance around, looking for any sign that this is a prank, but the serious faces around me confirm it’s real.

“So where should we go for our date, babe? I’m up for something exciting,” Sylvester says playfully, giving me a flirty wink.

Bishop, who appeared uninterested earlier, now has an expression that could wither the entire forest surrounding us with just one look.

Aubrey, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, steps forward. “Wait a minute, this doesn’t seem right. There must be some sort of mistake.”

Her cousin shrugs casually, unfazed by her concern. “No mistake. The system’s designed to be foolproof. It’s running on over 20,000 watts of power, with a system that tracks targets in real-time. Once a prize is hit, it’s locked in.”

“Sounds complex,” Aubrey says, her tone less skeptical and more curious. “How’d you manage to get this approved by Maxwell?” Her eyes glint with a touch of humor. “I mean, it wasn’t until a few years ago that she even started allowing the Ferris wheel.”

Camden grins, clearly amused. “Oh, you know. A little charm, a lot of persuasion…and maybe a well-timed donation or two.”He grins, leaning casually against the nearest pillar. “But hey, she’s come a long way. The Ferris wheel? That’s practically ancient history now.”

“Well, isn’t this convenient? The Legacies geteverythingthey want, including a game that practically runs itself.”

Camden shakes his head. “It’s not like that. We’re not justgettingeverything, Aubrey. We’re running the show ourselves. The system’s connected to our own power grid—completely separate from the rest of the carnival setup. We can tweak and adjust the power flow as needed, make sure everything’s working at full capacity without taking power from everyone else.”

Aubrey’s lips curl. “Impressive. You must feel so important, running your own little power grid. Let me know when you’re actually doing something thatmatters.”

Camden is clearly unfazed by her jab. “Hey, someone’s got to keep the lights on. Sorry your idea wasalmostgood enough.”

Before Aubrey can respond with another retort, Sylvester slings his arm casually around my shoulders, his confidence radiating off him. “Looks like it’s meant to be for us.”

I don’t flinch at the weight of his arm around me. In fact, I keep my posture relaxed at the unexpected turn of events. “Yeah, looks like it,” I say, my voice steady.

Bishop steps forward, his jaw clenched so tightly it looks like it might crack. “This is ridiculous,” he growls, his glare cutting straight through Camden. “You can’t just add people’s names without their consent.”

Sylvester’s arm tightens slightly around me, a subtle shift that’s hard to miss, but he smooths it over quickly. “Nobody’s forcing anyone, man,” he says, his voice even, though there’s a slight sharpness lurking beneath it. “It’s all in good fun.”

I exhale, pushing through the tension in the air. I need to regain some space, some control. Without thinking too much, Istep out from under Sylvester’s arm, giving myself a bit of room to breathe.

“I’m looking forward to it,” I say, surprising myself with the words. I’m not sure if I mean it, but I know I need to take control of the moment. The truth is, I’m confused by all of it—especially Bishop.

He’s frustrating—infuriating, even. Recently, he was the reason I panicked in the first place, purposely goading me on that boat, knowing I was terrified. He baited me, teased me, and then just... let me unravel.

But then—when it really counted—he grounded me. He calmed me down in a way no one else ever has. He held me there, not like he pitied me, but like he actually cared. Steady hands, steady voice. No teasing. No jokes. Just quiet support that made it almost impossible to breathe for an entirely different reason.

It’s the contradiction that messes with me most. One minute he’s pushing me over the edge, the next he’s the only one keeping me from drowning.

Yet right now, he looks like he could snap at any second. It was like the calm, reassuring version of him from yesterday has completely disappeared, and in its place was this seething anger. I didn’t know what to make of it—what to make of him.

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