Chapter 29 I Won’t Lose

George Andrieux I watched as Nicholas walked away, my fists clenched at my sides, my jaw still aching from his damn punch. The bastard acted like he owned the world—like he could do whatever the hell he wanted, and no one could say a damn thing about it. And the worst part? My father just let him go. No reprimand, no consequences, nothing. I turned sharply toward my father, my anger bubbling over. "Why didn’t you do anything?" I demanded, my voice laced with frustration. "He punched me in the face, and you just stood there like it was nothing!" My father barely looked fazed. He simply sighed and regarded me with his usual, unreadable expression. "Did you provoke him?" he asked, as if it was my fault. I scoffed. "No, I didn’t provoke him! I was just telling him to calm down, and out of nowhere, he punched me!" Another sigh. My father shook his head. "Nicholas wouldn’t do such a thing unless he was provoked." My hands balled into fists. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My own