The morning sun streamed through the villa's windows, casting golden light on the polished floors and sleeping bodies. But the serenity was deceptive. Beneath it, a current of tension pulsed through the air.
Nova hadn't slept. Not really. She'd spent most of the night staring at the bed beside hers—Darius's bed, now a tangle of limbs, silk, and possessive energy. Yuna was wrapped around his left arm. Alicia's leg draped over his waist. Emma and Avery had pressed in on either side, leaving no space for interference.
It wasn't a bed. It was a fortress.
And she was outside of it.
She lay still in her pristine, untouched bed, jaw tight. Her plan to slide into Darius's orbit had met a wall of coordinated resistance. The harem wasn't just real—it was loyal. And territorial.
Still, she wasn't done.
She never played for second place.
But even as she plotted her next move, a chime rang out across the villa.
Announcement Alert.
