Page 99 of Knot So Lucky

The casual way she delivers that information—like she's discussing minor mechanical failures instead of her twin brother nearly dying—makes my chest tight.

Because that's how Aurora processes trauma.

By compartmentalizing, by focusing on solutions instead of emotions, by presenting facts with clinical detachment that hides how much she's actually feeling.

Richard stops pacing long enough to ask the question we're all thinking.

"Who drugged Roran?"

"Dante," Aurora and I answer simultaneously.

Our voices overlap with perfect synchronization, and we exchange a glance that carries entire conversations. Agreement that Dante Moretti needs to face consequences. Shared fury at what he did. Recognition that this situation just became exponentially more complicated.

Richard groans, pinching the bridge of his nose with the kind of dramatic suffering usually reserved for Greek tragedies.

"This isn't going to fucking work." He collapses into his desk chair with the gracelessness of someone whose world is actively falling apart. "They're going to finalize the new team merger within the hour, and we're?—"

Aurora sits up straighter, uncrossing her legs and leaning forward with sudden intensity.

"What do you mean, new team?"

The question hangs in the air while Richard visibly debates how much to reveal versus how much to hide until he's had time to process.

He settles on brutal honesty because, at this point, what's the use in sugarcoating?

"The race was designed to disqualify anyone who didn't have an Omega on their roster," he explains, words coming out flat with exhaustion. "But the team mergers were officially decidedbeforethe race results came in. Based on preliminary rankings and projected compatibility."

Aurora and I share another look—this one carrying confusion and growing concern.

"Okay," I say slowly, spinning my chair to face Richard directly. "But what does that have to do with us?"

Richard's expression suggests he'd rather eat glass than deliver this news.

"Team expansion allows up to four drivers per team now," he says, each word clearly costing him. "Which means youand Rory…or rather,Aurora…are officially partnered with Luca Thorne and his team."

The silence that follows is so complete I can hear the air conditioning cycling through the vents.

Aurora's jaw drops, eyes going wide with shock that would be comical if the implications weren't so catastrophic.

"How the fuck did that even happen?" she demands, voice climbing several octaves above her usual carefully controlled register.

Richard spreads his hands in a gesture of helpless frustration.

"I have no fucking clue. The racing commission made the decisions based on some algorithm that supposedly optimizes team dynamics and competitive balance. Probably designed by someone who's never actually worked in racing and thinks drivers are interchangeable parts."

"What about Roran?" I ask because someone needs to address the elephant in the room. "And the Dante situation?"

Richard's expression goes from bad to worse, which I didn't think was possible.

"That's where the problem lies."

Aurora leans forward even further, elbows on her knees, giving Richard her full attention.

"What do you mean?"

"Dante officially pulled out after the press conference," Richard reveals, and there's bitter resignation in his tone. "Transferred to a different team. Says he got a better offer, and conveniently, their roster already has an Omega, so they weren't at risk of disqualification. They're among the top ten now."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," I growl, hands clenching on the armrests hard enough that the leather creaks. "Why? How does he just get toleaveafter poisoning Roran?"