Page 76 of Shattered by Grace (The Locke Empire Duet #1)

Chapter Sixty-Five

" W inner…Tristan Locke!"

The roar of the crowd was deafening, vibrating through the very bones of the arena.

Tristan stood tall at the center, fists clenched, chest heaving with the adrenaline of his victory.

Blood stained his knuckles, a trophy of his latest conquest, but before the announcer could even raise his arm in triumph?—

Click.

Click.

Click .

The sharp echo of heels striking the bloodied floor cut through the noise, silencing the crowd.

Energy shifted, a storm sweeping through the arena.

All eyes turned toward her as she moved with the confidence of a queen reclaiming her throne.

The rowdy crowd quieted, whispers spreading like wildfire.

The announcer turned, mouth half-open to speak, but Victoria plucked the mic from his hand with effortless ease.

"I’ll take that, thank you."

Gasps rippled through the arena. Tristan tensed, his entire body snapping to attention. The referee froze, unsure whether to intervene or step the hell back.

But up in the raised platform, Cassian Locke didn’t move. He simply watched, dark eyes calculating. Still. Silent. The weight of his gaze pressed down like an iron hand.

And Victoria?

She felt it. She welcomed it.

Stepping toward Tristan, she closed the space between them, stopping just inches away.

Close enough to feel the heat of his rage, to see the tension coiling in his shoulders, to watch the way his jaw flexed.

Slowly,, she placed a hand on his chest. Not just to reassure him that she was okay, but to tether him to her. To remind him exactly who she was.

Then, soft enough for only him to hear, teasing and laced with wicked amusement,she murmured.

"Miss me, love?"

The reaction was instant.

Tristan’s entire body went rigid, muscles coiled like a viper ready to strike. His hands flexed at his sides, seconds from grabbing her, from doing something.

But Victoria didn’t give him the chance.

She stepped around him, the tension solid in the air. Her heels clicked sharply, echoing, as she walked toward the raised platform where Cassian stood, her back straight, her chin lifted in challenge.

Gripping the microphone tighter, Victoria’s voice blasted through the arena, amplified for everyone to hear.

“Cassian.”

The word hung in the air like a guillotine. The arena was silent.

Cassian’s eyes flashed with a volatile gleam and ruthlessness, but his face remained stoic as he leaned forward slightly. His presence was the type that suffocated, that made everything else shrink in comparison.

Victoria didn’t flinch. She stood tall, her voice sharp.

“I hear you’ve been looking for me.”

The moment those words left her mouth, a heavy silence fell over the arena. The crowd was holding its breath, waiting for the storm to come.

A controlled smile played across Cassian’s face, leaving his eyes sharp and empty.

"Ah, the traitor’s daughter finally shows her face," he said, his voice smooth like a blade being sharpened. His gaze locked on her, calculating, as if she were the only thing in the room. "What’s your game, Victoria?"

Victoria didn’t have to turn around to feel the weight of Tristan’s stare. It pressed against her spine, heavy and unrelenting. She knew he was watching her, knew every muscle in his body was probably coiled tight, barely holding him together.

And still, she didn’t face him.

Instead, she looked Cassian in the eye, standing her ground as if Tristan’s presence meant nothing. But she could hear the sharp exhale, the way his jaw had to be clenching, the crackling energy of restraint rolling off him in waves.

"Well, your lapdog there,” her daggered eyes flicked to Justin, “kidnapped someone important to me, but you already knew that.” She was looking through him, not at him.

“And if Justin,” she spat, her eyes narrowing dangerously, “doesn’t take his fucking hands off her…”

The words were venomous as she leaned in, voice dropping to a lethal tone.

“...he’ll be lucky if he ever pleasures himself again.”

But Taylor wasn’t standing by quietly. She squirmed in her seat, pushing against Justin’s grip, her body straining to break free. Her breath came in short gasps, panic rising in her chest.

Justin slammed his hand onto her shoulder with more force than necessary, pressing her back into place. The force behind the move was enough to make Taylor’s breath catch, her eyes wide with desperation.

Victoria’s eyes snapped to Justin in a heartbeat. The fire in her chest ignited, and without hesitation, she took a step forward.

“You think I’m playing, Justin?” she growled.

Justin didn’t even look at her. He shrank back, a nervous, guilty glance flicking toward the ground as if he could make himself invisible. His hand faltered on Taylor’s shoulder, but he didn’t dare meet her eyes.

“Enough.” Cassian watched the exchange with an eerie calm, amusement playing on his lips. He tilted his head slightly, the sinister edge of his grin never faltering.

Before she could say more, Tristan stormed forward. His fury was a living, breathing thing, crackling in the air between them. He didn’t care about the audience, didn’t care that Cassian was watching. He only cared about her.

Without thinking, he grabbed her arm, his grip like iron.

"What the fuck are you doing, Victoria?”

Cassian’s eyes narrow. His voice is low, sharp with frustration.

"Tristan. Control yourself. Now.”

Tristan didn’t answer, but his muscles twitch with barely-contained fury. Cassian’s jaw tightens.

"You think you can defy me for some girl? You’d throw away blood and loyalty…for her?”

Tristan stays silent, his glare fixed on Victoria. Cassian’s patience snaps, his voice cold and cutting.

“Give me twenty. That’s all I need.” Victoria injected under her breath.

“You know what happens to those who betray me.”

She didn’t flinch.

Didn’t waver.

Her eyes never left Cassian’s as she twisted her arm free with practiced ease, stepping back like she owned the damn room.

“Sorry about that, where were we?”

Cassian let out a low chuckle, leaning back against the railing, tapping his fingers as if debating something.

"You want her freedom?" he mused, his voice almost mocking. "Then fight for it."

Victoria’s lips curled into a smirk.

"I thought you’d never ask."

Cassian leaned forward, eyes gleaming with calculated malice. Amusement. Anticipation. He tapped a finger against the railing, dragging the silence just long enough to make the moment suffocating .

He spread his arms wide, turning slightly as if addressing the entire arena. "I know the perfect person."

The air shifted. The crowd murmured, a restless, hungry energy crackling through the space.

Cassian’s gaze flicked toward the side of the ring, his voice smooth as silk.

"Lena, why don’t you step your beautiful self up here?"

A slow, deliberate movement.

The crowd stirred, whispers turning into a low roar as a figure stepped into the light.

Lena Chase.

Victoria’s stomach twisted. Not with fear, but with recognition.

She knew that name.

Cassian smirked. "For those of you unfamiliar, this is Lena Chase, from one of the top five families. A fighter unlike any other and is also quite skilled with daggers." He leaned against the railing lazily. "And she’ll be Victoria’s opponent tonight."

The arena exploded in cheers and gasps, the crowd consumed by the sheer madness of it all.

Victoria? She just cracked her neck, rolling her shoulders, completely unfazed.

Because it didn’t matter who Cassian chose.

She was going to win.

Tristan, however, was seeing red.

"No." His voice was a growl, pure fury wrapped in panic. His hands were already reaching for her, already trying to drag her out of the ring. "Absolutely fucking not."

Victoria turned to him, utterly unbothered. She could feel his intensity radiating from every muscle, but she wasn’t about to let him control the space between them.

"Relax, champ," she grinned, amusement dancing in her eyes. "I’m about to toss that bitch on the mat. Splish, splash, time for a bloodbath."

Tristan snapped.

"Victoria, this isn’t a joke?—"

Her smile vanished. “Do you see me laughing?"

The confidence in her voice made something twist deep in his chest and scared the hell out of him.

Cassian is looking at his son with a murderous smile as Tristan reacts to Victoria.

Justin? Still dead silent.

Lena rolled her shoulders, casual and unbothered, like she had all the time in the world. Then, with a lazy, taunting motion, she ran her fingers along the ruby necklace at her throat.

“Didn’t expect to see you again?” she mused, tilting her head. Her tone was light. Ttoo light.

The moment Victoria’s gaze landed on it, her breath stilled. Her necklace. Stolen. Planted. A setup. And Lena knew it.

Her smirk widened. “Oh, this caught your eye?” she teased, voice dripping with amusement. “You really should be more careful where you leave your possessions.”

“This bitch wants to die today.”