CHAPTER 92
**WINTER**
The heavy thuds of Zion’s fists against the door shook the frame, each strike more violent than the last. “Open the damn door, Snowflake!” he bellowed, his voice a mix of fury and frustration. “Don’t test me—I’m warning you!”
I stood my ground, my back pressed against the door as if it could somehow keep his anger at bay. My arms were crossed, and though my heart was pounding like a war drum, I kept my voice steady.
“Why should I?” I fired back, my voice dripping with mockery. “So you can barge in here and throw another fit because someone had the audacity to mess with the almighty Zion King? Or are you just going to send one of your cheerleading minions to handle it since the mighty ‘King’ doesn’t like to get his hands dirty?”
“You’re right—I usually don’t like to get my hands dirty. But right now? I don’t mind them getting a little bloody, because you’ve really pushed me too far.”
The word bloody hit me like a slap, slicing through my facade of calm. My throat felt tight, and any clever retort I might have had died on my tongue. I pressed my lips together, then licked them nervously, trying to swallow the fear rising in my chest.
I wanted to say something, anything, to hold on to the upper hand, but the venom in his voice made my brain short-circuit. I stayed silent, my hands gripping the edge of the dresser for support. Zion was pissed, more than I’d ever seen him, and for the first time, I wasn’t sure if my bravado would hold.
"What’s the matter, Snowflake? Cat got your tongue?"
“No, I’m just too busy trying to figure out how you managed to survive this long with such a tiny brain.”
A low, guttural growl escaped him. “You think this is a joke? First, you throw that apple at me, and now you shove me into the pool in front of my team? You’ve got some fucking nerve, Snowflake. Open this door before I lose my patience!”
I rolled my eyes, letting out a mocking laugh. “Lose your patience? Please. You’ve been acting like a spoiled brat since the moment I got here. Maybe if you tried growing up, you wouldn’t get so bent out of shape over a little water. Boohoo, Zion got embarrassed. What’s next? Crying to your mommy?”
There was a beat of silence, the kind that made the air feel heavier. Then his fist slammed into the door again, harder this time, the sound reverberating through the room. His voice, when it came, was low and dangerous.
“You better watch your fucking mouth, Snowflake. You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”
I snorted, though my palms were slick with sweat.
A dry laugh escaped me, laced with defiance. “Oh, I know exactly who I’m dealing with—a guy who’s so out of his mind that he thinks bullying counts as personality. Your a self-obsessed jerk who thinks he’s untouchable. Poor Zion can’t handle a little payback after spending days being an absolute asshole to me. Your little kingdom saw you get knocked off your pedestal, and now you’re throwing a hissy fit. Must be tough.”
“Keep talking,” he snarled, his words dripping with venom. “You think you’re untouchable behind that door? You think I won’t knock it down and make you regret every word that’s come out of your mouth?” His breathing was heavy, each exhale like a warning shot.
I stood firm, heart pounding in my chest, but I refused to let it show. I leaned a little closer to the door, my voice calm but laced with sharp defiance.
“Do your worst, Zion. I’m not scared of you. You can threaten me all you want, but we both know you’re just all talk. It’s pathetic, really.”
"Snowflake..!"
I forced a laugh, though it sounded shakier than I wanted.
“Let me guess—if I open this door, you’re just going to barge in, shout some more, and act like a spoiled brat because I dared to hurt your precious ego? Go ahead, Zion. Show me how predictable you really are.”
His voice was sharp and cutting, like the edge of a blade. “You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. But don’t mistake my patience for weakness. When you come out of there—and you will come out—I’ll make sure you regret every second of this.”
I felt a cold shiver crawl up my spine, but I bit back the fear, determined not to let it show.
“Wow. Such big, scary words. You should write a book: How to Be a Bully and Overcompensate for Your Fragile Masculinity. Bet it’d be a bestseller.”
The door shuddered again as he slammed his fist into it, and I flinched despite myself.
“You’re really pissing me off, Snowflake,” he growled, his tone dropping even lower, more threatening.
“You think you can keep hiding behind that door forever? You’ll have to face me eventually, and when you do…” He let the sentence hang, his anger seething in the silence that followed.
I swallowed hard but managed to keep my tone steady.
“I’m not scared of you,” I lied, my voice laced with defiance.
“Now do us both a favor and go away. I’m done with this conversation, and I’ve got better things to do—like sleep.”
A bitter laugh escaped him, sharp and cruel.
“You should be scared, Snowflake. If you knew what was coming, you’d be terrified.”
“Blah, blah, blah,” I said, my voice dripping with mockery.
“Big threats, same old Zion. Are we done now? Because I’m bored.”
There was a long pause, then one last furious slam against the door that rattled the entire frame.
“You’ll regret this,” he hissed before I heard his heavy footsteps storming down the hall.
I let out a shaky breath, my legs feeling weak as the tension bled out of my body. Zion wasn’t someone who let things go. I’d won this round, but something told me the war was far from over.
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