Page 2 of Cruel Devotion

Now, the dance had taken on a new rhythm, one of possible rivalry and new passion, as Duck and I both somehow found ourselves drawn to the same flame—Monique.

How the fuck did this happen? And why did he think that once I handcuffed her to my wrist that he could still talk to her?

Entering the arena, I slipped off my shoes then stepped onto the cool blue stones.

Anticipation tingled in the air.

Across the ring, Duck stood with his shirt and shoes discarded. His athletic build was on full display and accentuated by nothing but blue training pants. There was no hint of joy or laughter in his face—only a scowl promising imminent battle.

On the sidelines, Chen tried to dissuade us. “This does not have to be an intense sparring. We have a long day of training tomorrow, Lei. By the way, I had an extensive conversation with Duck and I have come up with several ways he can be disciplined—”

“That’s enough, Chen.” I kept my view on Duck.

Closer to the waterfall and appearing super nervous, Hu cleared his throat. “Mountain Master, I believe Duck understands the wrong of his ways.”

The respect in Hu’s voice normally would’ve persuaded me.

But then I thought of Monique’s missing panties and rage surged within me like a tempest—a maelstrom of emotions that consumed every ounce of reason. And with that, white-hot fury burned away my sanity leaving only the blistering embers of wrath.

The world around me narrowed down to shadows and colors, melding until only one figure remained in stark clarity—Duck.

I took several steps forward.

Gravel crunched beneath my feet.

I halted a mere four feet from Duck. Close enough to see the flicker of surprise in his eyes replaced almost immediately by defiance.

For what felt like an eternity, our eyes locked, and the silence between us grew, thick with unspoken words, betrayals, and a shared past.

I leaned my head to the side. “Where are Monique’s panties?”

The words hung in the air.

The silence following my question was broken by Chen’s shriek, a high-pitched sound of confusion that bounced off the mountain peaks. He stepped into the ring and furrowed his brows. “Hold on!Whatare we talking about?”

Hu held up his hands. “Whose panties are missing?”

My gaze remained fixed on Duck. “Did you hear me? Where are they?”

A defiant expression covered Duck’s face. “I’m not sure.”

The line of my jaw twitched.

He crossed his muscular arms over his chest. “Perhaps a bird took them.”

My fists clenched at my sides. “A bird took them?”

Duck’s eyes gleamed with an unreadable emotion. “Yes, perhaps.”

And then, as if the previous statement wasn’t audacious enough, he shrugged. “It could have been a duck.”

His smirk, that cocky, infuriating smirk along with those fucking words, was the final straw.

My blood boiled.

My anger spilled over.

“Hold on!” Chen waved his hands. “How did we get on panties? And how did they go missing?”

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