a

ed the celebration around me. Music filled the grand hall,

feel antsy throughout the night. Just

y mind drifted

el

had kept hidden from her. And

the man responsible for her parents' dea

n't fo

had been searching

ph Ca

name made my jaw tighten

e man who

me everything I knew

a weapon. He taught me how to fight, how

also r

d I wasn't his soldie

broke

tion from nothing and cr

dn't take

came e

family to me. Although I hunted him down and killed fifty

oseph

find him. And that was the pa

wn Joseph

ning, waiting for the

ened, I needed Ce

n't need

r carrying the we

had ended in another dead end.

king up at me with a smile as though to

ent between

sin

y would become mine through alliance. The

a calcul

no intention of pre

hard," I let out in

r arm, her expression droppi

e crowd again. And inevitab

ed my head before I c

found out about my engagement

finding some mischievous way to get und

elf her attitude these

moment when she had stumbled and fall

orce myself

e wasn't just a little girl any

'm her

hing

walked up to her two friends wh

e is C

froze when

inted toward

to find her. I heard the boy ch

ony doors, my eyes immedia

ar the railing, her

a step

line

enly emerged f

. A hood covered his head, and a

react, he shov

ood ra

eli

st her

ged fo

rward, screaming for help. Her body crashed a

ely, her breaths coming out

lammed agai

ond, I couldn't breathe

h me so sharp that it quickly turned in

eli

r. Her body tremb

ared at the man. He had

t, he simply

could see the panic in his e

et

while shouting toward the entrance. Tw

him escape

k off aft

st immediately and

ulance?" he asked in a

toward th

nd out who he is." My

s, b

ppeared

was still trembling. Her lips were s

eli

touched he

, Celine," I

were wide with fear. She tried to spea

. Who the hell had

what would have happened if

the other around her back. Before she

ave

lly came out, b

e got

against my chest, h

und my neck, and I pressed her agains

her towar

gs, making sure no one else was near her. As soon as

to fade beneath

Da

y, her eyes widening when

t hap

nswer. I ke

, but I shoved her of

somewhere safe. Her friends rushed

she h

e," I said to them instead and contin

n the middle of the hall. I could feel

dn't

w except the little girl t

. Her fingers were tight

whispered desp

ttle too fast as I