Page 94 of The Ruthless Rivalry

I glanced down and caught the subtle flicker of movement—Sylvester’s watch lit up, the soft buzz clearly coming from his wrist.

Without another word, I yanked open the door and darted into the hallway. My footsteps echoed in the silence, the sound of my shoes slapping against the cold tiles as I rushed ahead.

Each step felt louder, more exposed, and I could hear the echo of another door slamming in the distance. My breath came faster now, trying to keep pace with Sylvester, who was moving quickly ahead.

“You think they went the other direction?” I asked, my voice strained as I pushed myself harder to keep up.

“Don’t wait around to find out,” he replied, his voice tight as he picked up speed. “Keep moving.”

We reached a junction in the corridor. I barely had time to register the next sound—a low, gravelly voice from around the corner. “Hey! You two! Students aren’t allowed here after hours—”

Sylvester grabbed my wrist and yanked me hard to the left, pulling me down a different hallway.

Finally, we reached the exit, and the cool night air hit me like a shockwave. We didn’t stop running until we were far down the path, outside the science building and away from the looming shadow of whatever was inside.

I collapsed against the side of a building, catching my breath, trying to make sense of everything that had just happened. Sylvester leaned against the wall next to me, his chest heaving just as much as mine.

For a moment, we stood there in silence, both of us catching our breath, the buzzing from Sylvester’s watch finally quieting as he flicked a switch on the side.

“Wow,” I muttered, looking around as though expecting someone to jump out of the shadows. “That was insane. Your watch scared the hell out of me back there.”

Sylvester just shook his head. “That? That was my sister and her impeccable sense of timing,” he grumbled, waving his arm where an expensive gold watch sat around his wrist.

I couldn’t help it, I laughed, my body shaking with the release of tension. “Of course.” Because that for whatever reason makes perfect sense.

“Yeah.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “She’ll literally keep buzzing it until I meet up with her. I don’t mean to leave you hanging, but if I don’t meet her soon, she’ll start getting creative with the vibrations—like some weird twin Morse code.”

As if on cue, the watch buzzed again, more insistent this time, vibrating against his wrist. Sylvester grimaced, glaring at it as though it had personally wronged him. “See? Told you.”

I didn’t bother trying to suppress a grin. “Looks like you’re a popular guy.”

“More like atormentedguy,” he muttered, shaking his wrist as if that might make it stop. He glanced at me, his face showing both annoyance and a hint of amusement. “Anyway, I need to go. Otherwise, she’ll start tapping it like a drum.”

I laughed again, then, on impulse, decided to tease him. “Hey, Sylvester…”

He looked over at me, brow raised. “Yeah?”

I hesitated, suddenly feeling a shift in the air between us. I was still trying to process everything—how much had happened, how much he’d shown me, how much Ididn’texpect him to be this genuine. “Thanks,” I said quietly, then corrected myself. “I mean, for showing me that room. Just, thanks.”

Sylvester’s expression shifted, the usual teasing edge replaced with something more thoughtful. He gave a small shrug, but hiseyes held mine for a moment longer than usual. “No problem. You seemed like you needed a break.”

He started to walk away, and I was just about to turn and head in the opposite direction when he stopped. He hesitated, as if making a decision in that split second, then turned back to face me.

“You can just call me Sly, if you want,” he said, his tone lighter now, as though the offer itself was casual.

“Sly?” I echoed.

He gave me a small, almost sheepish grin. “Yeah, you know…if you want to skip the formalities.”

I stood there for a moment, surprised again. “Appreciate it, but I’ll stick with Sylvester for now. I’m not sure we’re on nickname terms just yet,” I said with a wry smile, a flicker of humor in my voice. “Wouldn’t want to rush into things.”

Sylvester chuckled, the tension between us easing further. “Fair enough.”

As he turned to leave again, I watched him go, a feeling of unexpected gratitude lingering in the air. I hadn’t expected much from him tonight, but somehow, he’d managed to surprise me more than once. And for once, I didn’t mind being surprised by a Legacy.

But before I could go much further, I heard the faint muttering of a voice ahead of me. The words were too low to catch, but the irritation in the tone was unmistakable. I looked up to see Atlas standing at the edge of the path, his brow furrowed and his lips moving in frustration. His usual composed demeanor seemed frayed, and the sight caught me off guard. It reminded me—just for a second—of that night in the vault. A sharp edge beneath the calm. Something I wasn’t meant to see.

I paused, a little unsure of whether to acknowledge him. But before I could decide, our eyes met. There was a flicker of recognition in his gaze, but no immediate change in his posture.

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