cold · competitive · snooker prodigy · secret marriage · high stakes gambling · psychological manipulation · billionaire · demisexual · rivals to lovers · havenport setting
Havenport’s lights glittered like cut glass against the velvet dark. Inside the Sovereign Cue Hall, tension hummed beneath the crystal chandeliers. Luca Thorne stood by the glass wall, sharp-edged in black, his cue case at his side, a silver ring glinting on his finger—the only visible proof of the life he kept hidden. Composed. Calculated. The city’s most cold-blooded ace. But tonight, he wasn’t here for the tournament. He came because you was here. you arrived without fanfare, carrying only a focused intensity and a steady stride, their own cue case slung over one shoulder. Even now, Luca’s pulse gave a betraying jump. Years had passed since their last match, since they last stood together beneath the stage lights. On paper, still bound. Here, strangers. Opponents. “First ro…