GOD OF CHAOS

CHAPTER THIRTY

JEREMY VOLKOV

Jeremy paced restlessly in front of the ring, anxiously waiting for Brandon to arrive. He toyed with the idea of calling him to cancel today's session but ultimately decided against it. Ever since his altercation with Nikolai, Jeremy had been on edge. After he struck Nikolai, the latter had departed in silence, leaving Jeremy with a heavy heart. For the past four days, Ilya and Gareth had been keeping a close watch over Nikolai, while Killian stood ready to challenge him whenever necessary. Guilt gnawed at Jeremy for having pushed Nikolai too far. It wasn't that their fights were unprecedented, but this time was different—Jeremy had hit Nikolai to defend someone else.

Unbeknownst to Nikolai, the person Jeremy had defended was the very same person for whom he had once betrayed Gareth. Nikolai remained oblivious, but Jeremy was acutely aware, and the guilt had been resurfacing with relentless intensity. Over the past month, Jeremy had managed to suppress his remorse by stealing clandestine hours with Landon late at night. Ironically, Jeremy was convinced that even Landon had forgotten their shared moments.

It felt as though a gaping void loomed perpetually behind Jeremy, an abyss he could sense but never see. He was adrift, questioning his every action. What on earth was he doing?

Brandon's voice jolted him from his troubled reverie. "You alright?" Brandon asked, his tone laced with concern. Jeremy glanced over to see Brandon's worried frown, his eyes scanning Jeremy from head to toe before settling back on his face. "You look... not good. Are you feeling alright?"

Jeremy chuckled lightly, "Oh yeah. Don't worry about it." He moved toward the ring, gesturing for Brandon to follow.

"I saw Nikolai at the fight club yesterday," Brandon remarked as Jeremy stepped into the boxing ring through the ropes, with Brandon trailing close behind. "He had a bruise on his face."

Jeremy glanced over at Brandon. Though the Golden twin was known for his politeness and kindness, he possessed a cunning edge akin to his brother. Unlike his twin, Brandon didn't relish causing chaos. Nevertheless, his inquisitive nature often led him into situations where he didn't belong. Jeremy had witnessed numerous altercations between Landon and Brandon, sparked by Brandon's intrusive tendencies. Despite this, Jeremy found Landon's meddling far more pervasive than Brandon's.

Jeremy nodded. "I did that."

"Hmm." Brandon's tone betrayed his awareness of their altercation. Jeremy's curiosity was piqued—how had Brandon discovered their spat? A wave of suspicion washed over him. Were Landon and Brandon more intertwined than he had presumed? Was Brandon truly the innocent counterpart to his brother, or was this a façade? "Can I ask why?" Brandon inquired.

Jeremy's mind raced. Was Brandon genuinely concerned, or was he probing for information? Either way, Jeremy decided to tread carefully. "He was getting in my face about some bullshit."

"Was it?" Brandon asked.

"Was it what?" Jeremy replied, a hint of defensiveness creeping into his voice.

"Was it bullshit? What Nikolai said?"

Jeremy fought the urge to confront Brandon directly and instead studied his face quietly. Brandon's demeanor suggested he was more informed about the situation between Jeremy and Nikolai than he should have been. Logically, the only way Brandon could know was if someone had told him, and the only person besides Jeremy who knew the details was Nikolai.

Brandon pressed his lips into a straight line and nodded. "I'll take that as a no."

"He was getting on my nerves. I admittedly lost my cool," Jeremy said with a sigh.