ADRIANNA’S POV

Coach Steele’s sudden revelation about Eric’s birth and true identity caught me off guard. I was stunned beyond my wildest imagination. Never in a thousand years would I have thought Eric to be someone of royal blood.

The thought of it unsettled me deeply because I was afraid that if Eric accepted and took up that position, he might turn out like Hermes, Nolan, and the rest. He’ll be no different from those monsters who ruined me. But after Coach Steele made that last statement, I found myself hesitating, torn between my fear and desperate hope for what seemed like our only route to survival.

Can his acceptance...