What happened next might have been dismissed as minor, almost trivial, if not for what it revealed. Collins’s foot moved—just a quick, careless motion—and struck the metal cup.
The sound it made was sharp, metallic, echoing in a way that felt louder than it should have been. The coins scattered, rolling across the pavement and into the grass, their brief, bright glints disappearing almost immediately.
For a moment, everything stilled.
Victor didn’t react right away. Not outwardly. But something shifted in the set of his shoulders, a subtle tightening that spoke of restraint rather than passivity. Orion’s body followed suit, his posture changing just enough to signal readiness without escalation.
“That wasn’t necessary,” Victor said quietly.
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