Chapter 137. Kendrick’s Ultimatum

Xander’s POV

The letter burned in my hands…figuratively, but the weight of it felt heavy enough to leave scorch marks. Kendrick’s insignia glared up at me like a personal challenge, the sharp, black ink practically taunting me to make the first move.

“No.”

The word cut through the thick silence in the room. Alison stood near the window, sunlight painting golden streaks across her dark hair, but even the soft morning glow couldn’t soften the sharp edge in her eyes.

“Xander…” she started, her voice calm but laced with determination.

“I said no.” I crumpled the letter in my fist, jaw tight, the rage bubbling just beneath my skin. “It’s a damn trap, Alison. You know it, I know it… hell, Simone knows it.”

Simone didn’t argue any further. She sat cross-legged on the armrest of the couch, but her gaze flicked between us, calculating.

Alison pushed off the windowsill and stepped toward me, her bare feet nearly silent against the hardwood floo