The Valkyrie Returns and Slays (Raven)

Chapter 66

Chapter 66

Right then, a guy stepped out of a slick, limited-edition Bentley. He was rocking a sharp black trench coat,

moving with a smooth, almost godly grace.

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Those killer eyes-good enough to make anyone melt-locked onto the Century Globe Hotel's entrance. A tiny

spark of hope flickered in them, so faint you'd miss it if you blinked.

As he headed for the doors, a decent-looking guy in his mid-twenties jumped out of the car and hustled to keep

up. The guy had a chiseled jaw and gave off total "loyal wingman" vibes.

He shot the man a look, his face full of silent gripes-for what had to be the millionth time.

Then he spoke up, "Master, no way the one you're after is here. Isla's just drooling over your face-she made up

this 'I've got a tip' nonsense to reel you in!"

The man's cold stare slid over to him. "This time's different," he said, voice smooth as ice.

This time, he could feel it-she was nearby.

The assistant rolled his eyes, barely keeping a groan in check.

"Sir, how many times have you said that?"

He stopped for a sec, then pushed on, "How many times have you dropped that line? Last time, sguy said

he had a clue about her and tried to sell you junk. You said, 'This time's different

"The tbefore that, a fortune teller fed you scrap about your love life being jinxed with too many exes.

You freaked out, thinking she'd get jealous

your old flings, and shelled out three million to 'erase every past fling-except her, obviously!

"And guess what? Your love life's still a mess. That dude's ‘curse fix was pure garbage. | told you he was full of it,

and you still said, "This time's different.""

"And the tbefore that-" he started again.

But the man shut him down. "Quiet."

His voice wasn't loud, but it had a razor-sharp chill that hit like a smack. The assistant's heart jumped, and he

zipped it fast.

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The man tilted his head a little.

"I'm heading in solo. Hang back," he said.

His assistant was way too good looking.

If the he wasn't half-decent at his work, he'd have canned him ages ago.

Once he tracked down his girl, this assistant was gone-better to dump him quick before he stirred up any mess.

The assistant caught the man's vibe and knew exactly what he was thinking.

alll alll alll

For a hot second, he legit thought about yanking out the tiny mirror in his pocket and shoving it in his boss's

perfect face-let him drool over himself for a change!

He couldn't figure it out. His boss had a face that could start riots-how could he possibly think a regular guy like

him was any kind of competition? Where'd this weird paranoia even cfrom?

Still, watching his boss march off, the assistant lingered for a beat before jogging after him.

| wasn't about loyalty—it was that his usually stone-cold, untouchable master turned into a total pushover the

second she was in the mix.

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16:45 Mon, 14 Apr

Chapter 66

If his master got so hooked on a lead that he let Isla play him, he'd have to take himself out from the

embarrassment just to square things up!

But the man had barely stepped inside the hotel when he stopped dead in his tracks.

Then, like ssixth sense kicked in, he made a straight shot for the Valor family's banquet hall on the second

floor.

Just as he started moving, a girl showed up, walking right toward him.

No makeup, just raw, natural beauty-cool and classy, like a flower popping up on ice.

Her tight white dress clung to her, flaunting a figure that could stop you cold, all while keeping that pure, don't-

touchlook locked down.

And this girl? She was Isla Thornton, the campus queen at Regalhold Academy, also one of the Hottest Five.

The second Isla saw the guy, her usual cool, distant attitude softened up fast.

Her stunning eyes zeroed in on him, and a smile lit up her face-bright enough to make everyone else freeze.

"Cassian!" she said, her voice perky and excited, like a kid spotting their best buddy.

Cassian stopped walking, his cold eyes landing on her.

His sharp, good-looking face didn't twitch, even with her warm smile aimed right

at him.

He wasn't here to catch up with Isla. He got straight to the point.

"Where's SHE?" he asked.

Isla's smile faded, and a hint of embarrassment turned her cheeks pink.

She'd lured him here with a fake lead-saying she knew about the woman he wanted-just to get him to show.

In her head, once he was here, she'd reel him in.

She was counting on her charm, and even more on a Starcard being too tempting

to pass up.

But she never thought Cassian would look at her-after three hours of perfect makeup-and not even flinch.

Worse, the first thing he asked about was sother woman.

Isla had never felt so crushed.

Still, this wasn't the tto second-guess herself.

She had one chance, and she couldn't mess it up.

So she stepped closer, flashing a big smile at Cassian.

"No hurry on that," she said casually, waving it off. "I've got a surprise for you-

cwithfirst."

She reached for his arm.

But Cassian slid back smoothly, leaving her grabbing at nothing.

At the stime, his carved features turned icy.

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"Tellwhere she is," he said, his voice low and steady.

Ista felt his vibe hit her like a punch. Her face went white in a flash.

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Chapter 66

His tone made it obvious-if she admitted she'd made it up, she was done for.

She pressed her lips tight, a spark of hurt flickering in her eyes like his coldness had cut her.

Those pretty eyes started to water as she looked at him.

But Cassian just stared back, his face blank as always.

Seeing that, Isla's expression twisted with frustration and bruised ego.

"Cassian, do you seriously not feel anything for me?" she asked, her voice shaky.

Cassian's sharp brows slowly pulled together as he looked right at her.

"What am | supposed to feel?" he fired back.

The chill in his eyes made her shiver, her heart pounding.

But she knew if she let this slip away, she might never get him again.

Gathering all her nerve, she locked her teary eyes on his. Her voice cout firm, loaded with a rare

seriousness.

"Cassian, | like you!"

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She swallowed hard, nerves buzzing, then kept going. "From the moment | saw you, | knew you were it for me.

I'm not going to fall for anyone else."

When she was done, she stared at him, out of breath, waiting for even a tiny sign he'd budge.