BEFORE THE BREAKUP
Spade's POV
"I missed her."
I scanned my surroundings again, searching for Xyrine. A smile crept onto my lips when I spotted a woman wearing a cap not far from me. Just as I was about to take a step toward her, someone suddenly blocked my path.
"Spade can we talk?'' she asked in an almost innocent tone as she kept her head bowed.
"Drop the act already."
She immediately lifted her head, her wide eyes feigning innocence as if my words had caught her completely off guard. "What do you mean, Spade?" she asked, her lips parting slightly as if she truly had no idea what I was talking about.
I stepped closer, my breath ghosting against her ear as my voice dropped to a cold whisper. "Stop acting foolish, Althea. If it weren't for your family's status, I would have been the one to kill you," I seethed, my jaw clenching as flashes of the last game flickered through my mind like a broken reel of film.
She didn't even flinch. Instead, the corners of her lips curled into a slow, knowing smirk, her amusement making my stomach churn. What a real piece of shit.
"So you already know, huh?" She tilted her head slightly, "Is that why you came to my house last night and had the audacity to humiliate me by rejecting our engagement right in front of my parents?" Her voice finally shed its layer of deceit, dripping with irritation as she let her carefully crafted mask slip.
"Now that everything is clear, quit messing with my life and fvck off," I said, turning on my heel without hesitation. I had wasted enough time on her.
"This is ridiculous! What happened to you, Spade?" she called after me, her voice rising in frustration. "As far as I know, you weren't like this before. I didn't think one woman could make you fold like this."
Her words hit me like a spark to gasoline, igniting something dark and furious inside me. I stopped in my tracks, inhaling deeply through my nose as Xyrine's face flashed through my mind. The thought of her, the only person who had ever truly seen me for who I was, only made my anger burn hotter.
Slowly, I turned back to Althea, my gaze sharp enough to cut. I loosened my tie with one hand, running my fingers through my hair as I exhaled sharply. "That woman is the only reason you're still breathing the same air as me," I said, my voice as cold as the winter air outside. "If you understood how much I loathe even looking at you right now, you'd quit pestering my life and disappear." Without waiting for her response, I turned and walked away, leaving her standing there with nothing but my words slicing through the air between us.
"Spade you can't do this! You can't just throw me away!" she screamed, but I didn't spare her another glance.
I pushed through the cafeteria doors and into the hallway, my thoughts consumed by one person—Xyrine. Right now, she was the only thing that mattered. I needed to find her. I needed to talk to her, to explain everything before it's too late. She had to understand—she had to.
I searched the entire campus, my frustration growing with each passing second, but no matter how many places I checked, she was nowhere to be found. My gut twisted with unease.
The maze. She must be in the maze.
Without another thought, I sprinted toward the garden maze, my heart pounding so hard it echoed in my ears. The moment I reached the entrance, my breath hitched in relief when I finally spotted her sitting on one of the stone benches beneath the canopy of ivy. But before I could call out her name, my steps faltered.
She wasn't alone.
A guy sat beside her, his posture too relaxed, too familiar. My chest tightened as I took a few more steps forward, my stomach sinking when I finally recognized who it was.
It's Louren.
My brows furrowed automatically. Why the hell are they together?
I opened my mouth, ready to call out to her, but the second I saw Louren pull her into an embrace, my throat closed up.
My fists clenched at my sides. My entire body went rigid, my nails digging into my palms so hard it stung. I forced myself to take another step forward, but then—
"With what you're doing, you're only making me want to stay even more."
My entire world screeched to a halt.
I stopped dead in my tracks, my breathing uneven as my pulse roared in my ears. My jaw locked, my entire body strung so tight I thought I might snap. My chest ached with something sharp, something bitter.
What the fvck is this?
Then, as if the universe was hell-bent on testing my limits, Xyrine smiled at him.
At him.
A slow, easy smile, one that I had convinced myself was only meant for me.
That was all it took.
Without another thought, I turned my back on them and walked away, my fists trembling with so much rage. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to confront them, to demand answers, but I forced myself to keep walking.
By the time I reached the cafeteria again, my head was spinning, my entire body on autopilot.
"I knew you'd come back."
My head snapped up, my vision darkening when I saw Althea standing there, her arms crossed like she had been waiting for this moment.
"Get away from me," I muttered, my voice tight with restraint.
"Spade, you still haven't realized?" she asked, taking a step closer.
"I SAID GET AWAY FROM ME!" I snapped, my voice thunderous as it echoed through the cafeteria. The room fell silent, all eyes turning toward us, but I didn't care.
"Problem, dude?" Ten stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Hands off."
"Okay, okay! Chill," he muttered, taking a step back.
"Where have you been? Did something happen?" Ren asked cautiously.
"Shut your fvcking mouth!" I bellowed, my patience hanging by a thread.
A suffocating tension filled the air, but I barely noticed. My head was a mess, my thoughts tangled in a storm I couldn't escape. I ran my hands through my hair, my frustration boiling over as I kicked the chair in front of me with full force.
"AHHH, FVCK!" I gushed out.
I had no idea where to go, what to do—until my gaze snapped toward the entrance.
And there she was.
Xyrine.
But she wasn't alone.
Louren walked beside her, his presence mocking me, their proximity driving a knife straight into my chest.
Then she smiled again.
That same fvcking smile.
Something in me snapped again.
Fine. If this is what you want, then let's do it.
Without a second thought, I turned to Althea. My movements were calculated, my steps deliberate as I reached for her. She barely had time to react before I grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her close.
For a split second, I met Xyrine's eyes. And then, with a smirk, I kissed Althea.
The moment our lips met, something inside me shattered. I wasn't sure if I had hurt her more or myself, but when I saw Xyrine's face fall, when I saw her turn around and walk out of the cafeteria without a single word, the weight of what I had done came crashing down on me.
W-What the hell have I done?!
"Spade!"
The moment I turned around, a powerful punch struck me square in the face, sending me crashing onto the floor. Pain shot through my jaw, my vision spinning for a second before I managed to steady myself.
"What the hell is your problem, Spade?! Can't you see how much effort she's putting in just to understand you, just to make things right?!"
I clenched my fists as I pushed myself back onto my feet, my gaze dark with frustration. "Really? Then care to explain why I saw you two hugging in the maze earlier?" I didn't wait for a response. My anger exploded, and before he could react, I swung my fist straight into his jaw.
"You saw us?" Louren staggered but didn't back down. He wiped the blood from his lip and glared at me. "Then why don't you also know that our conversation was about you?" He returned the punch, sending pain searing through my ribs.
"Yeah? And was it about how she's planning to break up with me?" I sneered, my voice laced with venom before landing another punch on him.
"If that's what you want to believe, then that's not Xyrine's fault."
I froze, my fist still raised, ready to strike again, but before I could move, someone stepped between us.
"Get out of the way." My voice was dangerously low.
"Spade, stop this!" she shouted, her voice filled with desperation.
I ignored her and took another step forward, ready to swing again.
"Spade," her voice wavered, but there was no hesitation in her words. "I wouldn't argue if you just told me you didn't want this anymore."
I stopped.
For a moment, everything else faded away.
She lowered her gaze, inhaling deeply before speaking again. "Honestly, I think this is for the best."
Something inside me tightened painfully. My heart pounded erratically as I watched her lift her head, her expression unreadable.
Don't say it... I wanted to beg, no, I want to command it, but no words left my lips.
"If I'm the reason you're acting like this, then maybe we really should end this."
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "W-What are you saying?" I asked, my voice blank, but my breathing unsteady.
"Let's end this, Spade."
It felt like ice water had been poured over me. My chest constricted so hard it hurt, my mind reeling.
I watched, frozen, as she turned to Louren and helped him to his feet before walking past me—without looking back.
"You really want this? You really want a breakup?" My voice finally found its way out, though it barely sounded like mine.
Slowly, she turned to face me.
"Yes," she answered in a low tone, her lips curling into the faintest, most bitter smile.
"We're over, Spade."
I stood there, motionless, as I watched her walk away with him, leaving nothing but a hollow ache in my chest.
"What a pity," a voice murmured from behind me. "Looks like she saw the announcement about our engagement on the bulletin board."
My entire body went rigid.
I turned sharply, my eyes locking onto Althea. "What the hell are you talking about?"
She smirked, crossing her arms. "I didn't know the admin would still post the invitations, so technically, it's not my fault." She tilted her head slightly. "But you know what? Maybe it's for the better. At least she's out of the picture now."
Something inside me snapped.
Before I knew it, I grabbed her by the tie and yanked her forward, forcing her to meet my glare. My patience was already hanging by a thread, and she was slicing right through it.
"Out of the picture?" My voice was deadly quiet. Then, without warning, I yelled, "OUT OF THE PICTURE?!" My rage boiled over, the cafeteria falling into a suffocating silence.
I glared at her as my grip tightening. "I don't usually hit women, Agatha, but if you say one more word against Xyrine..." I pulled her closer, my voice barely above a whisper but laced with venom. "I swear, not a single member of your family will ever see the sun again."
With that, I shoved her backward, sending her stumbling onto the floor.
"Spade, she's still a woman—" THUD!
Before the guy next to me could finish his sentence, I grabbed the nearest glass and smashed it straight into his face. He staggered back, blood dripping from his forehead.
"Spade, you're going too far!"
I barely acknowledged the voice before stepping toward the guy I had just hit. My expression remained blank as I delivered a swift kick to his stomach, making him double over in pain. I didn't stop there—I grabbed him by the collar and struck him across the face with my knee.
"You crazy, Spade! Stop this!"
I turned my head to the person who had spoken, my movements slow, deliberate. "crazy?" I echoed emotionlessly.
Reaching for a chair, I gripped it tightly and began stepping toward him. "Do you even know what crazy means?" My voice was eerily calm.
"Do you?" Without waiting for an answer, I swung the chair with full force.
A sickening crack echoed through the cafeteria.
Still unsatisfied, I grabbed the guy by his hair and dragged him across the floor, ignoring the gasps and murmurs around me.
"...Yeah," I muttered under my breath, more to myself than anyone else. "It's over."
Over?
I stopped in my tracks. Then, suddenly, I laughed.
"WHY, XYRINE?! WHY?!" I shouted, my voice ringing through the cafeteria.
I let go of the guy in my grasp and stumbled back, feeling like the air had been sucked out of my lungs.
"What the hell is happening to you, Spade?" I heard Ren's voice from behind me.
"If Xyrine hadn't walked out after seeing you kiss Althea, you wouldn't have punched Louren, and she wouldn't have broken up with you, right?" His voice was sharp, cutting straight to the truth. "This is your fault."
I halted, turning to glare at him.
"Last night..." My voice was hoarse, almost unrecognizable.
"I took Althea home because I needed to speak to her father—the president of DYG Corporation. Do you know why?" I let out a hollow chuckle. "To tell him that I refuse the engagement. Do you even realize how risky that was?!" My voice rose, my anger directed at no one and everyone at the same time.
I scoffed bitterly. "We're both heirs to major companies. Do you understand how much damage I just did to my own family's name?" I ran a hand through my hair, my laughter dry, almost insane.
"It's ridiculous, right? But do you know what's even more ridiculous?" My fists clenched.
"Last night, I saw her with Louren. And you know what? I let it go. I thought maybe she just needed him more than anything in that moment cause I'm in a total mess. But today—" My jaw tightened, my rage boiling over again.
"I was on my way to explain everything to her. But do you know what's ironic?" I let out a bitter laugh. "While I was out there fighting for her, she was with another guy."
The moment the words left my lips, my chest tightened. My vision blurred as my throat burned with the urge to scream.
"So, what now? Is she happy?" My voice cracked slightly.
"Now that we're over?"