Page 85 of The Chaos She Brings

Nico groans. “Oh, come on.”

I ignore him and keep going. “Sir Nico the Stubborn was known far and wide for two things—his incredible ability to get lost in his own castle and his absolute inability to read a map.”

Nico scowls. “I hate this story already.”

“Too bad, it’s my turn.” I flash him a wicked grin. “One day, the king ordered him on a noble quest—to retrieve the legendaryGolden Spoon of Eternal Bragging Rightsfrom theCaves of Certain Death.”

Nico leans forward, rubbing his chin as he picks up the thread. “What youfailto mention is that Sir Nico wasn’t actuallystubborn—he wasbrilliant. In fact, he was the most intelligent, dashing, and feared warrior in all the land.”

I scoff. “Feared because he kept accidentally setting things on fire?”

Nico points at me. “That wasone time. Andtotallyonpurpose.” He grins, settling back in his chair. “Anyway, Sir Nico set off on his noble quest, but little did he know… he wasn’t alone. No, lurking in the shadows, following his every move, was a rogue assassin known only asLady Red—famous for her deadly skill, cutting wit, and, uh…undeniableattraction to Sir Nico.” He smirks at me.

I roll my eyes but laugh anyway. “Attraction?! More like an unstoppable urge tostabhim.”

“Same thing,” Nico says with a shrug. “Love and murder are two sides of the same coin.”

I huff. “Fine.Lady Redhad been hired tostealthe Golden Spoon before Sir Nico could retrieve it. Because, little did he know, the spoon wasn’t just a legendary artifact—it was also a key. A key that unlocked theVault of Unimaginable Richeshidden beneath the king’s throne.”

Nico raises an eyebrow. “Ooooh,plot twist.I like it.” He cracks his knuckles and jumps back in. “So, there they were, deep in theCaves of Certain Death, where they had to battle monstrous, three-headed serpents, dodge collapsing tunnels, and—”

“—argue about the correct direction to go every five minutes,” I add.

Nico points at me again. “Because Sir Nicoknewthe right way, but Lady Redrefusedto listen.”

I snort. “Or maybe Sir Nico was justwrong.Again.”

Nico gasps in mock outrage. “Blasphemy. I will not stand for this slander.”

I smirk. “Then sit down and let me finish.” I lean forward, getting dramatic. “After a long and treacherous journey, theyfinallyreached the legendary chamber where the Golden Spoon was kept. But just as Sir Nico reached for it—”

Nico jumps in, grinning. “Lady Red snatched it first! But instead of running away like she’d planned, she found herself…” He pauses, thinking, then his eyes light up. “Faced with a terrible choice! Because the second she touched the spoon, the entire cave started collapsing. The only way to survive? Team up with Sir Nico and escape together!”

I narrow my eyes. “Soconvenient.”

“Hey, I don’t make the rules,” Nico says, grinning. “Actually, Ido, because it’s my turn.”

I sigh dramatically. “Fine, but you’d better make this good.”

Nico leans forward, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “Oh, don’t worry. This is about to beepic…”

“Did you always want to be this person?” I ask Nico as I plate up dinner.

He smirks, lounging back in his chair. “Devilishly handsome with a winning personality?”

I roll my eyes. “Mafia.”

His smirk falters for a second before he schools his expression into something unreadable. “Wasn’t a choice, really. My dad was in this life—I was born into it.”

I glance up at him as I set a plate in front of him. “Would you change it? If you could?”

For a moment, he doesn’t answer. He picks up his fork, idly pushing food around his plate. Then, finally, he speaks. “No. I wouldn’t.”

He stabs at a green bean but doesn’t eat it. “I’ve always wanted to do something with my life that gives it meaning. A sense of purpose. This lets me do that.”

I sit down across from him, watching as he finally takes a bite, chews, and swallows before continuing.

“Some guys in this world, they do it for the power. The money. The control.” He shrugs. “That’s never been it for me.”