Chapter 5. The Game Bites Back

The East Wing was a cathedral of silence, cast in sterile light that erased shadows as if they were imperfections. After hours, Van Hollen didn’t just feel empty—it felt designed that way. A vacuum crafted with intention.

Harper Quinn moved through it like a ghost wearing armor. Each step tapped against the polished stone, sharp and solitary. The coin pulsed faintly in her palm, still warm from hours against her skin. She hadn’t slept. She hadn’t returned to her dorm since the gala.

Lilah’s touch still hummed across her spine, but it wasn’t desire that kept her awake—it was the warning coiled behind the flirtation. Something darker had followed her home.

Now, summoned again to Room 4 without explanation or courtesy, Harper sensed a shift approaching. Whether it marked elevation or erasure would depend on how she handled the next ten minutes.

The door was ajar. She pushed it open.

The room had changed.

The long table was gone. In its place stood a