《The Broken Angel & Her Overprotective Brothers》 Chapter 1 - Introduction ************* A Glimpse In The Story: She wanted nothing more than to end her sufferings for once and all, but something was stopping her. A secret or a punishment? She wanted to run away from everything but no matter how far she ran, the pain and sorrows of her past surrounded her at every corner. She was ready to give up, ready to accept that she didn''t deserve goodness, happiness, or love. But then her life changed. For the first time in sixteen years of her cold and broken life, she found people who called themselves as her family and she found a place to call home. But did she want a family? Was she ready to forget about her past and move on? How could you move on when you felt like you were not welcome in your own family, just like her past. For them, she was their little sister, For her, they were strangers who suddenly appeared in her life and took its reins in their hands. She was becoming the center of their lives, while her life was caught in the center of darkness and pain. They promised to cherish her and give her a better life, but she was struggling for every single breath. Living with, or to be precise under, six elder brothers who were complete strangers for her, Emily found herself in a completely new world. A place which was completely different but at the same time felt like home. Her brothers loved her, at least that''s how they acted...most of them! But they were hiding something. Their lives were as full of secrets as Emily''s and none of her brothers was telling her anything. It''s like she hadn''t already been lied enough in her life that once again every day she was facing more mysteries and lies. The new bond between the brothers and their little sister was weak and it needed time and patience to bloom. Though slowly but she finally started trusting in the word - family. The walls that she had built around her started lowering around her brothers. But with time, new secrets would be unfolded, many mysteries and questions would arise, and their trust and bond would be tested. Now it''s up to the Alessandro siblings to pass all the hardships as a family. It''s a trial for Emily to defeat the darkness of her life and become the sunshine of her brothers'' lives and it''s also a test for Alessandro brothers to heal their sister with their love and support. Emily would need to learn that the word "Family" always comes first. That she wasn''t alone anymore and she too deserved love and happiness in her life just like everyone. And the Alessandro brothers would need to learn that protection didn''t mean controlling. Good motives didn''t confirm good results. That everyone should be given a chance to speak, to defend, to stand up for their rights and they deserve respect for their decisions.....even their little sister. "Family is not just an Important thing. It''s Everything~" *********** Main Characters : # Emilia Alessandro, aka. Emily Age - 16 Appearance - milky white skin, dark green eyes, long dark brown hair, and a cute round face. About 5''3" in height. Even though her life was the second name of misery and pain but she was a young girl whose heart was full of love and kindness for others. She had strong walls built around her which stopped anyone and everyone from looking too deep into her life. Her past was her greatest weakness and she was the broken angel who''s either about to shatter or maybe miraculously come out even stronger than before. --------- # Domenico Alessandro, aka. Domenic Age - 28 Appearance - well-built body, about 6''3" in height, dark green eyes, sugar brown colored hair, and a handsome face which looked like it was sculpted by God himself. He''s Emilia''s legal guardian. Being the head of the family and their multi-million dollar business empire, Domenic carried a cold and unreachable persona. He''s not lenient when it comes to the safety of his younger siblings. He''s more of a father figure and a person who''s strict on rules. His words were the final decision. ----------- # Daniello Alessandro, aka. Daniel Age - 25 Appearance - well-built body, about 6''2" in height. Dirty brown colored hair, green eyes, and handsome features. Being the second eldest brother, Daniel was the second in command in the absence of Domenic. He was more approachable compared to other brothers...only for his little sister. He''s more like a mother figure for his siblings and super protective of Emily. But didn''t mistake his calm and peaceful aura, he could be as ruthless as Domenic when the situation demanded. -------- # Marco Alessandro, aka. Mark Age - 22 Appearance - Black hair - surprise! Well, he had colored them. Dark green eyes, also 6''2" in height like Daniel, handsome just like his other brothers. Mark was the bad guy of the family. He''s a heartless monster for the rest of the world but loved his siblings more than his own life. His heart was soft only for his little sister but he would never admit it. For him, violence was the solution for every problem.....*sigh* --------- # Cristafano Alessandro, aka. Crist Age - 22 Appearance - Dirty brown hair, dark green eyes, same 6''2" height, handsome features which climbed a few steps higher in those sexy round glasses that he wore. Mark and Crist were twins, but Crist was the polar opposite of Mark. He''s the most chilled brother out of all the siblings. More of a geek and loves his little sister dearly. He''s not as imposing as the other brothers but still overprotective. -------- # Simone Alessandro, aka. Simon Age - 20 Appearance - exactly the same hair and eye color as Emily, about 6 feet tall, handsome without any doubt. Simon was as cold-hearted as Mark if not any less. He too solved most of his problems with his fist. Though he acted cold towards Emily just like Mark but he too loves her more than anything. ---------- # Leonardo Alessandro, aka. Leo Age - 18 Appearance - exactly the same as Simon except he''s a few inches shorter than him. Being the youngest brother, he was the closest to Emily. He''s also overprotective of her but never tried to overdo it. He''s a little bit more understanding and cool kind of brother when compared to others. ********** A|N: This story will be a roller coaster ride if you decided to join. I''m challenging myself with this storyline but it''s something I wanted to write for a very long time. You will feel so many emotions throughout the journey of this story. There will be pain, sadness, frustration, happiness, and much more. At least that''s how I wanna write it, something that can move your emotions. This story even though a fiction, is the sad reality of many people in our world. Maybe not exactly the same as this storyline but there will be many parts where you can relate. WARNING: There will be use of abusive language and some scenes may contain child abuse. If you find it as a triggering content please don''t read it. THERE WILL BE NEXT TO NO ROMANCE IN THE STORY FOR THE FIRST HUNDRED SOMETHING CHAPTERS SINCE OUR GIRL IS ONLY 16! But please give this story a chance. I myself is more of a fantasy, wuxia, and romance genre lover but sometimes you can find love for unexpected things when given a chance. Just like I said, I''m challenging myself with this story, and it means I''m open for your honest reviews. If you have ideas about the story plot, please feel free to leave them in the comments. I''m always up for good suggestions. Hope this little experiment of mine will work. Enjoy reading! Chapter 2 - One: The Red Porsche Cayenne "Family" isn''t defined only by last names or by blood; it''s defined by commitment and by love. It means showing up when they need it the most. It means having each other''s backs. It means choosing to love each other even on those days when you struggle to like each other. It means never giving up on each other. ~ ***************** I checked my phone for the hundredth time within the last twenty minutes as I waited for some kind of miracle to happen. I was currently sitting at the first bus stand closest to the City A International Airport, where my flight had landed about half an hour ago. I was about to become a fried chicken because of the burning sun when finally a shining red Porsche Cayenne stopped in front of me. The driver window rolled down and in there sat a handsome man probably in his mid-twenties. His designer suit, perfectly combed hair, and dark glasses created an intimidating aura around him. I was about to ignore both the car and the man when he suddenly opened the car door and slipped out. I still pretended to not give him too much attention but exactly that moment my phone finally buzzed. My hands trembled slightly as I opened the screen lock and found a message. ''Let''s go home, Emily.'' I raised my brow in confusion as I stared at the message. Suddenly I noticed the man who was now standing exactly in front of me only a few feet away to not invade my personal space. Before I could say anything, the man showed me his phone which was showing a message that he had sent to someone. My breath caught in my throat as I realized that the message was exactly the same that I had received just a minute earlier, which meant that the man who was standing in front of me in his full glory was one of my brothers. But exactly which one? Yeah, meet my poor self, Emily. I''m a fifteen-year-old orphaned girl who was adopted by a man last week who claimed himself as my eldest brother along with five more elder brothers. The worse part, I couldn''t even deny it since it had already been verified by a DNA test that I''m indeed the youngest member of the Alessandro family. How would you feel if after six years of being an orphan you suddenly found out that you had a family? Not one, two, three, or four but exactly six elder brothers. I should be feeling happy, right? But there was no happiness. All that I could feel at that moment was numbness... I slowly nodded my head and stood up from the bench. I was about to reach for my suitcase when a large hand dragged it away from me. I looked at him with confused eyes which grew even bigger when he suddenly engulfed me in a warm hug. I had even forgotten exactly how warm and comforting hugs could be. "Welcome back little sister. Welcome back." He softly murmured in my hair and finally let me go. For a moment I thought that his eyes looked moist but when I looked more closely I realized that I was only imagining things. Moreover what he meant by welcome back? It''s my first time in City A, isn''t it? I was too tired at that moment that I dismissed all the questions and silently slid into the passenger seat when he opened the door for me like a gentleman. "I''m sorry that you had to wait here like this. Actually, Mark was supposed to pick you up but then he had an emergency at work and I was the only one who was free. But since I was at the other end of the city, it took me a little bit of time to reach here. I hope you will forgive us for such a poor welcome." His voice was full of regret and hope as he looked at me with warm eyes. I was too shocked by his gentle tone and the fact that he was actually apologizing, that I hurriedly nodded my head to tell him that I wasn''t angry at them. How could I be? I didn''t even ask him exactly which brother of mine he was. At least I know he wasn''t Mark. To be honest, I actually didn''t care which brother he was, as long as they didn''t abandon me here in an unknown city. Yeah, it had happened before. Three years ago, a foster family adopted me. I traveled to City N and waited at the airport for almost ten hours but no one ever came to pick me up. Could you imagine that? I never got to know exactly what happened to that family and why didn''t they pick me up from the airport, because according to the orphanage administration I didn''t have any right to disturb them for such mere problems. "Did you have any kind of problems during the flight?" He asked in a way to start a conversation. He probably didn''t like the thick silence inside the car. "I''m already here. It doesn''t matter now." I replied in a soft tone. It was actually true. What''s the point in complaining now when it was already over? He was shocked by my response or maybe my soft voice, I wasn''t sure. I asked my own question before he could say anything, "Which one are you?" He stared at me in shock. For a few seconds, I saw a hurt look in his eyes as his knuckles turned white around the steering wheel as his grip tightened and a vein in his neck throbbed. My heart started beating so fast as nausea erupted inside me. Had I angered him? Was he going to throw me out of the car? My breathing was accelerating as the dark thoughts took over my mind. The future which was supposed to give me some kind of hope suddenly became hazy and just as dark as my past. I was about to start hyperventilating when suddenly a warm hand covered mine, but this only made me flinch as I retreated back in my seat. I saw a flicker of confusion passed through his eyes before I was pulled into a warm embrace once again. The feeling was so foreign and new that I went stiff immediately but he didn''t let me go. His large hands soothingly patted my head in order to calm me down. For the first time in my life, I felt some kind of protection in the presence of another person. I didn''t remember how long it took, how long I was snuggled up in his arms but it was a moment I wanted to keep in my heart for a long long time. The warmth, the feeling of safety, and security that I felt at that moment was enough to bring tears into my eyes but I pushed them back. I couldn''t let any of my brothers know exactly how broken I was. I didn''t want them to throw me out of their house and life. I didn''t want to lose the chance that I had received to leave my past behind. I finally pulled away from my brother and blushed slightly as my eyes landed on his amused ones. "Sorry for my impolite behavior Sorellina. I was so excited to bring you home that I forgot to introduce myself. I''m Daniel, 25, and your second eldest brother." Daniel introduced himself as he apologized to me. His eyes still held warmth and a sense of welcome in them. My breath hitched when the word Sorellina rolled out of his mouth. It meant LittleYounger Sister in Italian. I had taken Italian and French in my middle school and I was pretty decent in both. The love and warmth that the word held in it was too much for me. I just silently nodded my head, not sure how to respond. But Daniel didn''t make the situation awkward as he immediately fastened my seat belt which had come undone at some point and after securing his own, started the car as we head towards my future home. The rest of the journey was silent but it wasn''t awkward. Daniel didn''t try to ask any more questions probably because he didn''t want to pressure me or maybe it was because he didn''t want to deal with an emotional little girl. No matter how desperate or hopeless this sounded but I wanted it to be the former. It took us about half an hour before the car was pulled in front of a huge black gate. The area that we had entered about ten minutes ago appeared to be slightly out of the city and I had seen only four or five villas and mansions in the neighborhood. The next second the huge black gates opened and my eyes landed on the tall trees that were standing on either side of the road. It took us three more minutes before Daniel finally stopped the car. I could see a glimpse of a house from Daniel''s side window but didn''t catch much due to the fact that my brother was a 6-foot monster and there wasn''t enough space left for me to spy. I unbuckled my seat belt and before my hands reached the handle, the door opened, and there stood my brother with his hand extended towards me. I hesitated for a few seconds but then my lips stretched into a tiny-tiny smile and I slowly placed my small hands in his larger ones. We moved around the car and I came to a halt as my eyes landed on the house...Wait! No, the mansion....a huge fucking mansion that stood in front of me. It was built in such a way that the main part of the house was residing at an upper level. My eyes were probably about to pop out of their sockets and my jaw was still lying on the ground. Was it possible to drool over a house? The first-class ticket that I received to arrive at City A and Daniel''s Red Porsche Cayenne had already given me a hint that my brothers were pretty rich but nothing had prepared me for what was standing in front of my eyes. A chuckle that came from Daniel finally broke my trance. I blushed in embarrassment as I noticed the humor in his eyes. it wasn''t a mocking humor but one which held love and adoration. "Let''s go in," Daniel said as he intertwined his large fingers with mine and started walking up the stairs. I noticed a man in a grey suit, who had appeared out of nowhere, taking my suitcase and bag out of the car. "Why so many stairs?" I almost whined when we were only halfway up the stairs. A sweet chuckle broke out of him as he lightly ruffled my hair with his free hand as he replied, "Most of your brothers are foody. These stairs make sure that they exercise a little bit every day." I turned towards him with raised eyebrows. I wanted to roll my eyes but controlled the urge as something was telling me that such kind of behavior won''t be tolerated. But again the reason sounded ridiculous, right? ************ AN: "When someone treats you like you''re just one of many options, help them narrow their choice by removing yourself from the equation. Sometimes you have to try not to care, no matter how much you do. Because sometimes you mean almost nothing to someone who means so much to you. It''s not pride - it''s self-respect. Don''t expect to see positive changes in your life if you surround yourself with negative people. Don''t give part-time people a full-time position in your life. Know your value and what you have to offer, and never settle for anything less than what you deserve." Love you all! :) Chapter 3 - Two: The New Home As we entered into the house, the first thing that came into my view was the Grand living room and the two spiral staircases going towards the second floor. The house was as huge and breathtaking from inside as it was from the outside. It was built entirely in modern-day design and the interior decor was something that I had only seen in magazines or online. Everything was polished and shining as the sunlight filtered inside through the floor to ceiling windows. I once again stopped in my tracks to admire the beauty and glamour that had graced my eyes but a tug at my hand pulled me towards one of the staircases. After we reached the second floor there were rooms lined one after the other. We finally stopped in front of one of the doors. It was in the center of all the other rooms. Daniel opened the door and stepped aside for me to enter. If I was shocked by the beauty of the rest of the house then I had no words to describe the room. My breath got stuck in my throat as my eyes took in the room in which I had entered. It was a massive room with the queen size bed placed in the center of it. The walls were painted in light violet and blue colors. Due to some coincidence, these two were my favorite colors. "Unpack and then freshen up. The others will be home in the next two hours. Come downstairs when you are done," Daniel said in a soft tone as he gave my head a soft pat before leaving the room, closing the door behind him. I let out a sigh and pulled my suitcase on the bed and opened it. I shifted all my clothes in the walk-in closet which was half the size of my bedroom. My shoes and slippers followed next. The bathroom was huge and as lavish as the bedroom and closet. I put all the toiletries in the bathroom. I didn''t bring any personal items with me. Nothing that could remind me of my past and the darkness that it held. No pictures or resemblances. It took me barely ten minutes before I was done with my unpacking. Though the room was luxurious but there was nothing comfy or familiar about it. It was completely bare of anything that would give it a personal feeling, a feeling of familiarity. I sighed as my eyes took in the room which appeared lifeless to me even after its expensive decor and design. I took a long shower, letting the tiredness seep out of muscles. After that, I ended up wearing black leggings and a large brown sweater that was too big for my 5''1" frame. I blow-dried my waist-length hair and loosely braided them, a few loose strands falling around. With the last touch of baby pink lip balm, I was done. By now I was both thirsty and hungry since it was almost five in the evening and I hadn''t eaten anything since the single sandwich that I had for breakfast. I was too nervous to eat anything on the plane and therefore missed lunch. But controlling hunger was nothing new to me. I had learned to control it through a hard way and it''s going to stick around. I came out of the room and started walking towards the right, the same side from where we had come upstairs or was it left? And when after wandering around for nearly ten minutes I still didn''t come across any staircases at all, I got my answer. The worst part? I wasn''t sure exactly which part of the house I was in anymore. After wandering around for a little bit more, I finally found a huge oak door which was left slightly ajar, and I could hear soft murmurs coming from the room. Having no other option, I slowly raised my right hand and lightly rapped on the door. I was biting my lips so tightly that I was afraid they would end up bleeding. The whispers stopped immediately and I heard hurried footsteps moving towards me, towards the door. Honestly, I should not be afraid, right? After all, it''s my brothers'' house and now I was also a member of it but in reality, my heart was beating so rapidly that all I could feel or hear was my heartbeats. At some point, I even thought about turning around and running away but before I could have even registered the thought properly, it was taken away from me as the door finally opened, and my fearful eyes settled on a pair of dark green eyes exactly like mine. I watched as the frown on his face changed into recognition and then into confusion. "Emilia." He softly said like he was afraid to break the moment. It wasn''t a question, rather it was a confirmation of my identity. "Crist who''s disturbing us?" Another pair of green eyes appeared behind the man who was standing in front of me. The question finally broke out Crist from his trance and a smile appeared on his lips. I was so not cursing myself for not fleeing away when I had the chance. The first thing that I noticed about these two was the dangerous aura around them, which had miraculously disappeared as they recognized me. ''Was it really this easy to tell that I''m their sister?'' I asked myself but of course, I already knew the answer. The same green eyes, dark brown hair, and over the top beauty, it''s a give away that the two men in front of me were my brothers. I didn''t need verification for that. The exact reason why I never questioned Daniel when he came to pick me up. He could be a fraud or someone pretending to be my brother but just one close look at him and I knew that he was one of my six brothers. "Em!" The younger one, who was staring at me with huge eyes from above Crist''s shoulder, said as his eyes took in my presence at the door. I was trying to find if they were happy, confused, or angry after seeing me here. Well, that''s bold of me to think that they would be happy after seeing me, a girl who had suddenly appeared in their lives out of nowhere. As for confused, then it was normal for anyone to get confused to see a complete stranger roaming in their house and even knocking on their door to alert them of their presence. The last one that''s left was anger and that''s when I realized that I had disturbed them during some kind of their discussion and as far as I remembered the younger boy didn''t look happy about the fact that they were disturbed according to the words that he had spoken to his brother. That''s why I immediately started explaining myself. "I a-am so sorry. I just wanted to go downstairs just like Daniel has asked me. But since I am new here, I got lost and couldn''t find my way either back to my room or downstairs. That''s when I heard some voices coming out of this room. I didn''t mean to disturb you but I am not sure which way should I go." I was literally babbling by the ending and my fingers were tightly clutching the hem of my sweater that ended at my mid-thighs. To be honest, I wasn''t expecting the hearty laugh that was accompanied by the insult of my explanation. The next thing I knew, I was surrounded by a warm embrace for the third time that day. It took me some time to realize that rather than one, I was being hugged by both of my brothers. I wasn''t sure how to respond? Should I hug them back? Or should I say something? Exactly how was a person supposed to behave when two of their brothers, who didn''t even exist a few days ago, hugged them suddenly at their first meeting. Wasn''t hug registered for close ones, family, friends, and relatives? I couldn''t be considered as a close one. Though I''m their sister by blood but I''m as a stranger to them just like any random person walking on the street. My mind was so confused and full of questions that I remained stilled. My hands were hanging loosely by my side. Maybe my two brothers also felt the stiffness in my body because soon they released me. There was an expression in their eyes which was not easy for me to read but soon their face bloomed into small happy smiles and that strange expression disappeared from their eyes. "Welcome home Em! We have been waiting for the entire day to welcome you." It was the younger one who spoke. He looked at least two or three years older than me but again I didn''t know a single thing about my brothers or their ages. Also, he said that they were waiting to welcome me? Sure, I could see that. If my memory was right I was greeted by an empty and cold house with no sign of welcome hanging anywhere. Crist probably read my thoughts because the next moment he replied. "We actually wanted to welcome you in a nice and warm manner, but Domenic thought that it could be too much for you to see all your brothers at the same time. That''s why we decided to wait until you have settled down for a few hours before having our first dinner together tonight." His voice was soothing and soft. Like he was afraid of frightening me. For a moment my breathing stopped at the sudden thought that passed through my mind. What if they already knew about my past? What if they already knew exactly how broken I was from inside? No! That''s impossible. I had made sure to keep everything a secret about my past. I had buried it deep down from the sharp eyes of everyone. If they had known about my past they would never have brought me to their house, to their family. No one wanted a broken little child in their lives until....they want to broke them more. ************ AN: WHAT BOUNDARIES SOUND LIKE It''s not your responsibility to make sure that others are responsible. It''s not your job to rescue people from their drama. It is okay if others get angry. It''s okay to say no. It''s your job to make yourself happy and figure out what brings you joy. It''s not your job to think, feel, or live for others. You have a right to feel your feelings no matter what anyone else feels about your feelings. No one has to agree with you. No one has the right to verbally abuse you, and that includes family, friends, partners, and coworkers. It''s not okay to enmesh with your thoughts, emotions, or other people. It''s okay to spend time alone without explaining yourself. You do not need permission to be who you are and to think what you think. Other people have every right to not like you or disagree with you, but they do not have the right to disrespect you. You have a right to end draining conversations and relationships. You know yourself enough! Chapter 4 - Three: Meeting The Brothers "By the way, this is the library. It will take some time but you will soon be familiar with the house. Now, let''s go downstairs," Crist said as both the brothers came out of the library and closed the door behind them. I nodded my head and followed them. Both of them passed me a few glances but stayed silent as we finally reached downstairs. We entered into what seemed like the dining room which was connected with the kitchen, where Daniel was currently busy baking some cookies. He noticed the three of us and passed a warm smile towards me as he said, "So, you met Crist and Leo too." I just nodded my head, noting that the younger brother was Leo. I was looking around the kitchen which was as perfect as the rest of the house when I noticed the three men passing worried glances to each other before all their eyes ended up on me. I gulped down as a tight bubble started forming in my stomach. I knew that I had not done anything wrong. I didn''t even speak all this time in fear that I would somehow mess up. I didn''t act rudely too. Then exactly what was going on? Were they angry because I wandered around the house and disturbed Leo & Christ? Were they going to punish me? I bowed my head down as I fixed my eyes on my sneakers, biting my lips so hard that it started hurting. I should have known better than wandering around the house. I should not have left my room at all. Didn''t I have learned to control my hunger? Then why didn''t I control it and stay inside my room? Once again my mind was trying to make me realize that I was going to ruin a perfect opportunity of leaving my past behind. An opportunity that I did not even deserve. "Em! Are you okay? Is there something troubling you Sorellina?" Daniel''s soft voice entered my ears. His hand came forward to hold my chin as he made me look at him. His deep green eyes were carrying worry and confusion in them. I looked behind him to see that both Crist and Leo were looking as worried and confused as Daniel. "I''m asking you something, Sorellina!" Daniel''s voice was a little louder than before but it was still full of warmth. "I-I am sorry. I didn''t mean to wander around the house like that and I didn''t disturb them on purpose." My voice was barely above a whisper but the chuckles that followed my miserable apology told me that they had heard me clearly. An arm circled around my shoulder and the next second Leo was side hugging me. I looked at them with surprised eyes. Why were they not shouting at me? "Sweets! This is your house too. You can roam around it the entire day, enter whichever room you want, and do whatever you wanna do. No one is going to be angry at you for playing around in your own house." Leo chirped happily as he lightly squeezed my shoulders. My mind was not ready to register his words. Did he really mean that? Were they really not going to get angry at me for strolling around the mansion? Was this really my house too? When they kept looking at me with patient gazes, waiting for my reply, I slowly nodded my head in understanding. I heard Daniel letting out a deep sigh before he pulled me away from Leo and made me sit down on a dining table chair. I silently followed his instructions and sat down on the chair, facing my three brothers who also settled down on chairs around me. "Sorellina, you need to start talking a little bit more. It''s not healthy to stay quiet too much. Make sure that from now on whenever someone asks you a question you reply to them with a verbal answer. Don''t always nod your head and keep quiet like this. Everyone here is dying to listen to your sweet voice. Okay?" Daniel''s voice was soft and so were his eyes. But my mind registered that he wasn''t actually giving me a choice here. Behind his words was an order which I needed to follow. And I was trained by certain people to follow orders, without questioning them. "Okay." My voice came out hoarse and raspy, completely opposite to the sweet one that Daniel and others were assuming. "Here drink this and taste these cookies that I have personally baked for you." Daniel put down a tray with a plate full of freshly baked cookies and a glass of orange juice. Both Crist and Leo received a glare from Daniel when they tried to pick cookies out of the plate. A faint smile appeared on my face as both of them made cute pouty faces as they gave me warm smiles. I slowly pushed the plate towards the two of them. "No! They are for you, Sorellina. These guys can have their share from the next batch." Daniel said as he pulled the plate away from the hungry wolves and once again placed it in front of me. "I don''t like sweets," I mumbled as I looked at the three men who had suddenly gone still after my little revelation. "Yo-You don''t?" Leo asked with uncertainty in his voice. "Yes. I don''t." I was not sure if I was the only one aware of the pain and sorrow behind my words or if they had also felt it. But the warm and welcoming environment had suddenly turned heavy. ---- This time I somehow managed to find the right direction towards the staircase that led me directly to the living room. It was now half-past seven and listening to the voices that were coming from the kitchen, I was sure that my other brothers had also returned home. I once again became nervous even though I had spent the last entire hour in preparing myself to meet my brothers, my new family. But looked like all that was for nothing, as my heartbeats exhilarated with every step that I was taking towards them. I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn''t even realize that I was about to hit a wall and by the time I noticed, it was already too late. I staggered back a few steps as I tried to rub my nose to calm the pain down. My eyes turned upwards to look for the wall which was so cold-hearted that it almost broke my nose. Yeah! Put all the blame on the wall! But what my eyes found in front of me wasn''t a wall but a man with cold dark green eyes. His dark black hair was falling on his face, hiding most of his eyes. His bare arms were covered in so many tattoos that only harden his appearance. He was looking at me with.....nothing! Yeah, there were no emotions in his eyes. They were completely empty, devoid of any feelings and he almost appeared bored with the entire scenario. I was about to apologize when he started speaking, "Everyone is waiting for you. Let''s go." And with that being said, he turned around and disappeared into the kitchen. Was he also one of my brothers? I asked myself as I stared at the empty space in front of me. But of course, I didn''t get an answer to my question. I sighed and started walking towards the kitchen, towards my awaiting dinner night with my brothers. When I finally entered the dining room, it went completely silent. I was so nervous that I bowed my head and stared at my feet which had given up on their job of walking. "Emilia, come and sit." A deep and intense voice entered into my ears, automatically making my legs start moving. I didn''t look up for a single second. Just reached the dining table and settled down on the first seat that came into my view. Who knew that I would sit between two of my least favorite brothers or at least that''s how I felt about them for a long time. "Didn''t your mother teach you any etiquette?" I recognized the voice immediately. It was the same man with whom I collided just a few minutes ago. I realized that he was sitting on the chair at my right. "Mark!" The same deep and intense voice boomed through the room, probably stopping Mark from making any more comments about my mother and the etiquettes or the lack of them in me. But it was already too late. The dark memories of my past already started appearing in front of my vision, making me clench my fist tightly under the table. "Oh! Someone is getting angry. What are you going to do? Punch me? Is that what you learned in the orphanage other than running away at every chance you got?" Mark''s taunting voice once again mocked me. I wanted nothing more than to just disappear away from that room, from his mocking words, and the images of the past that were taunting me, laughing at me. But I stayed glued to my seat even though the urge of fleeing, vanishing from the front of those eyes that I could feel were fixed on me, was too strong to ignore. It was a miracle that I still appeared normal physically even when my mind was anything but normal at that moment. I was still looking at my shoes beneath the table and my loose hair was covering most of my face, that''s why no one could see my face or my sorrowful expressions. Mark only noticed my clenched fist but even he couldn''t see my expressions clearly. "Enough Mark! Go and help Daniel in setting the dinner table." The commanding voice was back, ordering my ass of a brother to shut his mouth. I heard Mark muttering something under his breath as he stood from his chair and moved towards the kitchen. Coincidentally I heard a few choices of his words. I was curious if he used them for me or for the person behind that deep intense voice. I wanted to know about the person behind such an authoritative voice. It was clear that whoever he was, he had his command over this house and the people who lived inside it, including me. I felt a hand pressing on my left shoulder out of nowhere and it finally made me look up from my shoes. It was Daniel who was standing behind me. His eyes held a little glimpse of worry but mostly they were full of the same warmth that had started to feel familiar to me somehow. It was like I had started to look forward to these warm gestures from Daniel even though it was barely a few hours since I had known him. And once again that day I realized exactly how much desperate I was for this, for this new family, for this new chance, and for a better life. I just wished that this new family didn''t end up just like the other families from my past. The nicer they behaved with me the more I feared for the worst. I was just too broken to trust someone or more like anyone at this point. If someone behaved nicely then my mind started seeing a hidden purpose behind their facade and if they didn''t act nicely, my mind automatically registered them as one of the monsters from my past. I was already broken and if I had to face my past once more, I would probably end up shattered and there would be no more hope left for me. ************* AN: "Fall in love. Maybe it doesn''t have to be with someone. Fall in love with music, art, dancing in the dark, car rides at 1 am, the glistening of the stars, the color of the sun as it rises, the smell of flowers, the feeling of adrenaline that takes over your whole body and suffocates your lungs with joy, good friends who bring out your best, silence, noise, fall in love with the little things that make you feel most alive and find purpose. Fall in love with your Life!" Chapter 5 - Four: Dinner With My Brothers "Emilia." I turned back around and my eyes finally landed on the man who was sitting at the head seat of the dining table. And it didn''t take me more than a second to realize that he was one of my brothers and the authority in his every word and the serious look told me that he was definitely the eldest of the Alessandro Brothers, the boss of the Alessandro Empire and my legal guardian, Domenic Alessandro. He was as handsome and well built as the rest of my brothers. His black suit, perfectly styled hair, expensive watch, and the elegance that was sticking to his every move like a magnet, shouted his status and reputation aloud. His dark green eyes were looking directly at me. He didn''t appear to be judging me but his empty expressions were not helping me to find out exactly what he was thinking. "I''m Domenic Alessandro. Your eldest brother and also your legal guardian," he said after a minute of silence. His voice was much softer than before but there was still a firm edge into it. I had already guessed that much about him but I still nodded my head and muttered a weak ''hello'' remembering that I was supposed to answer verbally as much as possible. I actually appreciated his effort of introducing himself to me, something that the rest of the brothers had completely neglected. Of course, Daniel had introduced himself too after I reminded him but that didn''t mean I would go around asking each of my brothers their name. If they wanted they would tell on their own. "I''m sorry for Mark''s behavior. He''s just in shock to suddenly see his younger sister and doesn''t know how to react," Domenic continued as he apologized for his brother''s attitude or maybe defended him. "Now, I want all of you to introduce yourself to her and be polite. Remember that she''s our little sister." This time his words were directed at the men present inside the dining room. I praised all my brothers in my mind for not quivering under Domenic''s authority. But they would probably be used to his personality unlike me. The dining table was completely set and both Mark and Daniel had taken their seats. Once again my angry bird of a brother was sitting beside me. I started to get nervous as everyone''s attention turned towards me. I hated it, the feeling that several pairs of eyes were watching my every move and judging me, I hated it. Even though I knew that none of them were actually trying to judge me. But I relaxed as I saw a smile blooming on Daniel''s face as he started introducing himself. "Welcome home Sorellina. I''m Daniel, your second eldest brother and I''m looking forward to once again learn more about your likes and dislikes." He finished with that signature warm smile of his that almost melted my heart if I wasn''t too focused on the part where he talked about learning about me once again. But before I could ask any questions, the next brother started with his introduction, silencing my questions. "Hi Em. I''m Crist. I and that jerk beside you are twins. Welcome to the family little one." His voice was welcoming and so were his eyes that looked at me with happiness. Leo chuckled at Crist''s chosen word for Mark and Daniel just shook his head with a sigh. When no one spoke next for several seconds which appeared like hours due to the deafening silence and Domenic''s hard glare that were drilling holes in Mark, I was once starting to fidget. "Oh for fuck''s sake she already knows that I''m Mark and that I''m Crist''s Twin. Can you now stop glaring at me?" Mark suddenly let out in a frustrated tone as he first gave me an irritated look and then turned towards Domenic. "Language Mark." Domenic''s calm and deep voice silenced Mark immediately. "I''m Simon." Someone muttered from my left side and when I turned towards that person I came across the only brother whom I had not seen yet. I was so busy in staring at my shoes and avoiding everyone that I didn''t even realize that he was sitting right beside me. He looked exactly like the rest of the brothers, of course, Mark was an exception. But hearing his stiff words of introduction that barely held any warmth, he appeared more like Mark to me at that moment. Before my mind could ponder on the fact that one of my brothers outright disliked me, another looked not too happy to see me and one was too hard to even read, my youngest brother disturbed with his booming voice. "And I''m your youngest brother Leo. Whenever you feel like you want to take your revenge on any of them, remember to come to me. I''ll help you out," He said with a chuckle and sent a quick wink towards me. I smiled softly at his words which gifted him a few chuckles and a glare from Mark, but he shrugged the latter off. As the introduction was over everyone''s attention had shifted towards the mouth-watering food that was placed on the table. I wasn''t sure what to pick. It''s been ages since I last saw this much tasty food at a single time. I wasn''t used to eating too much, therefore I needed to select accordingly. But before my mind could decide, Daniel placed a plate in front of me. The smell of Chicken-fried-steak and the gravy entered into my nose immediately making my mouth water. I turned around to thank him, in return of which he softly patted my head and went back to his chair to eat his own dinner. I didn''t waste any more time and immediately launched into my food, all the while making sure not to appear like a starved wolf and somehow I succeeded, looking at the fact that no one pointed out my table manners. When dinner was over Daniel took out ice creams for everyone, which I of course declined. And once again I watched the shock and confusion that appeared on all my brother''s faces. Even Domenic had a slight frown on his face. Though I didn''t see any difference in Mark''s expression. Finally, the dinner ended and everyone retired to their rooms for the night. I was leaving the kitchen after getting a water bottle from the fridge when Domenic stopped me. "Emilia, I would like to talk about a few important things with you. Please follow me." ---- I somehow ended up sitting on one of the living room sofas with a cup of hot milk in my hands. Domenic was sitting beside me and for the past five minutes, he had been completely silent, not saying a single word even though it was him who wanted to talk. Due to some unknown reason, Domenic intimidated me the most. There was something about him that told me it would be a challenge for me to keep my past hidden from his deep dark green eyes. "Emilia, I know that all of this is so new and sudden for you. Take your time to adjust to this new life of yours and I want you to give this same chance to your brothers. It''s also new for them," he started without any emotions in his voice. I nodded my head and he continued, "Your school record is good and so are your grades. I want that to stay the same here too. There are still three weeks left before the new term will start. I hope in these three weeks you will be a little bit more settled down." I once again nodded my head. "Emilia, I want you to look at me while answering and use words to answer my questions. Understood?" "Yes," I said or more like whispered as I looked up at him. Still, he had no emotions in his eyes. "Good. Also, you are not supposed to talk back to any of your brothers. No bad language, no impoliteness would be tolerated. If you need any kind of help tell one of your brothers. If they don''t listen or ignore it, then inform me, but don''t worry they will not ignore your demands until or unless they are not good for you." "Okay." "Don''t leave the mansion without permission or without any of your brothers accompanying you. There''s no place for lies in this house. And I want you to follow all these rules without questioning them." "Okay." I waited for him to continue with his list of rules but even after waiting for an entire minute, he didn''t speak. Probably these were the only rules that I needed to follow. I wasn''t surprised actually. I already knew that it was coming at some point. A house full of wealthy people who loved rules and regulations, won''t let a girl like me destroy it. I didn''t have any problems with the rules. Talking back to any of them was not even in my plans. If everything went according to my plans then I would make sure that we didn''t even need to talk much. I didn''t bad mouth or curse. Nor I needed anything from any of them. I had no interest in wandering around a completely new city and neither I loved to stay up till late at night. "Good. Now finish your milk and go to bed." And with that, he stood up and left the living room. No good night, nothing. Just an order to finish the milk and go to bed. Actually, none of my brothers wished me a good night. But it was nothing new for me. It wasn''t like I had lots of people wishing me good morning or night before this. And I wasn''t expecting that to change even now. Due to some reason, I felt a sadness taking over my heart. I knew that I won''t be welcomed with flowers and sweets in this new family but I didn''t expect it to be so cold and dry. Though Daniel, Crist, and Leo were sweet and kind of welcoming but who knew if they were only trying to pity me. Truth was, the warmth that I felt from three of my brothers got defeated in front of the coldness that the other three greeted me with. And the person who popped the bubble of my misunderstandings was Domenic. Deep down I was expecting that the brother who had found me, who did so much to bring me back to this family and became my legal guardian would be happy to see me here. But nothing prepared me for the dryness that greeted me through Domenic. Happiness was probably the last thing he felt after seeing me. I sighed and stood up from the sofa after finishing the milk. I washed the glass and placed it in the cabinet after drying it up. I had no idea what the coming days would bring for me but for now, I had to deal with the dark night that was going to challenge my sanity once again just like it always did. I had barely gotten into my bed after changing into my pajamas when there was a knock on my door and it opened. I wasn''t expecting three of my polite brothers to suddenly enter into my room. I was about to sit up when Daniel stopped me and tucked me under the blanket. "We are here to just wish you a good night Sorellina. Have sweet dreams little one," Daniel softly said as he lightly patted my head. Crist and Leo too wished me good night and then they all left the room, which turned silent and dark. So, looked like I finally had people in my life to wish me good nights. For the first time in a very long time, I slept with a small smile plastered on my face. ************ AN: "Letting go sounds easy, but as human beings, it''s probably one of the hardest things we''ll ever have to do. It takes an immense amount of courage to be able to say goodbye to something or someone who meant a lot to you." "But, my love, you can''t keep holding on to things that make you sad. If you do, the misery will build up in your heart and start running through your veins until it consumes you. Don''t let that happen. Have the strength to say goodbye to who or what you used to love." Chapter 6 - Five: A Day Out With Daniel The next morning I was greeted by an empty house when I went downstairs or at least that''s what I thought at that moment. I ate my breakfast as fast as I could so that I could return to my room before any of them returned. I wasn''t used to eating a lot so I only ended up eating a half piece of toast and a glass of milk. Just when I was leaving the dining area, Daniel came in front of me out of nowhere. "I''m free today. Let me take you out for a short trip," he said as he looked at me expectantly. My initial thought was to deny immediately but then I found myself slowly nodding my head. Well, maybe it''s a good idea to spend a few hours out of the mansion. Within twenty minutes, I was sitting on the passenger seat of the same Red Porsche Cayenne as Daniel settled into the driving seat. I had hurriedly changed into a black jumpsuit that covered me properly and a pair of black sneakers. My long hair was tied in a loose ponytail. I stared at the beautiful scenery as the car raced out of the residential area. "If you don''t mind can I ask you something?" Daniel asked after about five minutes of silent driving. I had no idea about what he wanted to ask or if I would even want to answer his question or not. But since I had no particular reason to refuse without sounding rude, I nodded my head giving him a green signal. "Why do you have such long hair?" Daniel asked as he looked at me curiously. His eyes went towards my hair which was almost touching my butt, before once again settling on me. To be honest I wasn''t expecting him to ask this question. There was no perfect answer to his question. My mother never let me cut my hair when she was alive since she liked them long. After her death, I was too busy saving myself from getting bullied by the older children in the orphanage or sometimes running away from foster homes, that I never got the chance to ever think about my hair. Though there were moments in the past when I hated my hair to the core and I wanted to cut them as short as possible. "There''s no one who could have cut them short. I once tried to do it on my own but the result was not good," I finally answered him, hiding the story behind what actually happened when I tried to cut my hair on my own. Hiding about how I almost ended up in the hospital with a broken rib. "Oh!" That was his reply. Either he wasn''t expecting such an answer or probably he didn''t care. But I didn''t try to prolong the topic. About after fifteen minutes or something, Daniel stopped the car outside a three-story building. It was painted in light pink, violet, and lemon yellow shade. I looked at the board that was hanging above its front door and looked at Daniel in confusion. "Why are we here?" I asked him, forgetting to keep my tongue in control but thankfully Daniel didn''t comment on it. He just grabbed my hand and dragged me inside. The receptionist politely welcomed us and immediately led us to the second floor. We entered into a huge room where an old woman probably in her mid-fifties was sitting on a sofa as she flipped through the pages of a fashion magazine. She looked up towards us as she heard our movements inside the room. I looked behind me and found the receptionist leaving the room as she closed the door behind her. I once again turned to face the old woman who was now standing a few feet away in front of us. My fingers tightened around Daniel''s hand and he gave me a light squeeze in return as he spoke to the woman. "Miss Marta, it''s been a long time." He smiled at the woman softly. "Oh my dear, it''s indeed being so long. May I know what made you come to this miserable place?" the woman asked him as her eyes looked at me. There was no judgment in them, no questions, no opinion, she just gave me a soft smile, and I finally relaxed a little. "Miss Marta, this is Emilia. The princess of Alessandro''s and our little sister." Daniel introduced me to the woman who immediately beamed at me with sparkles in her eyes. Though the way she became so happy that she started crying was too shocking but my mind was still stuck on Daniel''s words to even pay any attention to her or her words that she was trying to say through her hiccups. Who knew how long it took her to finally calm down. All this while I just stood there looking at her with expressionless eyes. And to my surprise even Daniel didn''t try to comfort her, he just also kept standing beside me. When the old woman finally quieted down, Daniel finally opened his mouth. "I want you to give my baby sister a pretty and cute haircut. Something that she would like and be comfortable in." The woman immediately nodded her head as she gave me a final soft smile with her watery eyes, before returning to her professional self. She ringed a bell and a team of about seven or eight people entered the room, whom she immediately started giving orders. I turned around to stare at Daniel. I was both shocked and confused. But he only gave me a soft smile before moving towards the sofas and taking a seat on one of them. Meanwhile, I was dragged into another room by two girls who immediately started their experiments on my hair. I had no idea how long it took. Maybe it was only an hour or two or probably ages later but when I finally looked at my new haircut, I would have to say that I was really surprised. My hair was still waist length long and Daniel strictly prohibited them from coloring my hair. I was amazed to see that they still somehow found a way to make my hair look better, shiny, and softer. "You are looking beautiful, Sorellina," Daniel said as he watched me staring at my reflection in the mirror. I just passed him a small smile but stayed silent. Fortunately, he didn''t question my behavior, and soon enough we were walking out of the building. The next stop came after ten minutes of drive and Daniel parked the Porsche in the underground parking lot of the biggest mall that I had seen in my real life. "Why are we here?" I asked in a soft voice as he opened my side of the door and pulled me out of the car. ************ AN : You can rise up from anything. You can completely recreate yourself. Nothing is permanent. You are not stuck. You have choices. You can think of new thoughts. You can learn something new. You can create new habits. All that matters is that you decide today and never look back. Chapter 7 - Six: Shopping And Embarrassment Never in my entire life, I would have thought that one day I too would wear pretty dresses that would cost hundreds and even thousands of dollars. I didn''t even get the chance to deny anything as Daniel kept loading clothes after clothes in the cart. All l did was to stare at their price tag. "What about this one, Sorellina? Do you like this one?" Daniel asked as he picked up a royal blue-colored evening gown from the dozens of gowns that were presented in front of us at my brother''s demand. I looked at the gown. I liked the color. Dark colors were my taste. The gown was pretty long with a proper V-shaped neckline, though it wasn''t deep at all, barely would show a little collarbone and the neck. It was covered with silvery vines design in the middle and the sleeves could cover more than half of my hands. In short, it was a very beautiful gown. Something that I would be comfortable in wearing and would also love to wear if given a chance. My eyes that were staring at the dress with amazement probably answered his question as he chuckled slightly before ordering the saleswoman to pack the dress. After that, a few more pretty and expensive dresses made their way into our cart, though we weren''t carrying a cart in the first place. I didn''t even get to take a break before I found myself in the footwear section of the mall and this time Daniel actually picked a cart. Who knew how many pairs of cute slippers, shoes, and boots Daniel bought for me. All I knew was that there was a beautiful pair of two inches black heels buried somewhere in the cart. It was an only pair of heels in the entire cart that was filled to the brim with footwear from different brands, but I wasn''t sad about it. Rather, my mind was over flowing with worries. What if I ruined them? What if I end up breaking them somehow? What if I lost them? Would my new family, my brothers, kick me out if I ended up ruining these expensive things? They were the luxuries that I could never afford in my entire life and suddenly having so many expensive things in my possession was scaring me. I wasn''t excited about buying them at all anymore. Well, I wasn''t excited even before but now, I was almost afraid of buying anything. However, I stayed completely silent. Not uttering a single word because I didn''t want to annoy Daniel. He had been a good elder brother since the moment we met. Even though it could be a facade but I still appreciated it. At least he didn''t scare me like some of the others. Nor did I felt completely unwelcome in his presence. I still had not gotten the chance to think deeply about this change in my life. I was too busy in keeping myself from freaking out that I never got the chance for it. "Let''s go and buy some personal items for you. Shall we, Sorellina?" Daniel asked, pulling me out of my trance. Before I could form any words, I found Daniel grasping my hand in his large ones as he started walking out of the footwear section. I had no idea exactly how much we have already bought. I could tell that each item was expensive and we have bought dozens. After selecting all the items, we left them on the counter as we headed towards our next destination. As I selected personal items like undergarments and sanitary pads for myself, Daniel was always standing behind me. I wasn''t comfortable with him being there with me while I was buying such items. It felt weird and I was sure that my cheeks were burning in embarrassment. Before this, I was never accompanied by a man while buying such things. Suddenly being surrounded by only males in a house didn''t felt really a great idea to me. The staff of the mall that was trying their best not to look at us and the other customers, especially the females, who were looking at Daniel with dreamy eyes and at me with such darkness filled eyes, were not helping me much. I had no idea what thoughts were flowing through their minds and for some reason, I wasn''t interested in knowing either too. The worst part started when Daniel started giving his suggestions about the size and quality of the underwears that I was buying. He did the same while I was picking sanitary napkins. By the time we left the aisle, I was a replica of a tomato. Throughout the ride back to the mansion, I was as quiet as I could be without appearing rude. In short, other than a head shake for saying no when Daniel asked if I wanted to eat ice cream, I stayed completely still and silent. It''s probably gonna take them some time to finally remember that I wasn''t a fan of sweet things. Though Daniel noticed my silence but he had no idea what suddenly happened to me. I noticed him opening his mouth a few times through the corner of my eyes as if he was going to say something but then he changed his mind and stayed completely silent just like me. The ride was a little awkward but I was not paying much attention to that. I just wanted to reach the mansion and lock myself in my room. As soon as the car stopped at the foot of the staircases that led to the mansion, I was out of the car, speedily running towards the stairs. I could tell that Daniel was staring at me from his driver seat with probably a dumbstruck expression plastered on his handsome face. Though, I didn''t care at all. I just needed to run away from him for the time being, so that I could calm down my chaotic mind. I completely forgot my manners and the dozens of shopping bags that were stocked in his car. Little did I knew that I was going to face my first ever punishment in the new house because of my reckless behavior and also that my brothers would finally realize that something was wrong with me...very, very wrong. Chapter 8 - Seven: Hugs I ran up to my room and locked the door behind me. What a surprise that I ended up in my own room and not in some other strange part of the mansion. I just sat on my bed looking at the mirror, my reflection staring back at me. My cheeks were still on fire and I realized that even the tips of my ears had turned pink too. Hours had passed since the moment I ran away from Daniel and locked myself in my room. It was currently five in the evening and the rest of my brothers would probably be returning home anytime soon. I was surfing through one of the lifestyle magazines that I found on my desk. Me reading a lifestyle magazine explains exactly how bored I was. Just as my eyes were getting heavy with sleep and I finally decided to succumb under it, a light knock on my door brought me out of the slumber. I hurriedly ran towards the door to open it, while trying to adjust my clothes and the hair which probably was looking like a wild goose''s nest. "Come downstairs, Sleepyhead." It was Leo, the youngest brother of mine. He was again chirpy as usual, even helping me in straightening my messy hair. "Just give me a minute." I told him and at his nod, I closed the bedroom door and hurried to the bathroom. I washed my face and tried to adjust my hair in a messy bun. My hair was still smooth due to the princess treatment that they had got a few hours ago. Therefore, it didn''t take me too much time to tie them in a loose bun. I put on my slippers and opened the door of my room. I was surprised to see that Leo was still waiting there. He passed me a soft smile and then we both started walking downstairs. Halfway through the stairs, I was on the edge of freaking out. How was I going to face Daniel? Since I had cooled down, now I was feeling stupid about running away from Daniel in the afternoon without saying a single word to him. We were already in the living room and once again my eyes were trained on my shoes, not daring to look up and see the disappointment in Daniel''s eyes. I felt someone''s fingers at my chin as they tried to make me look up. As I followed their instruction, my eyes landed on a familiar pair of dark green eyes that were still looking at me with warmth and concern. "Are you alright, Sorellina?" Daniel asked softly as he tried to read my eyes. I wasn''t sure what took over me at that particular moment but the next thing I knew I was hugging my big brother tightly. Daniel too was taken aback by my sudden attack on him, but it didn''t take him long to fold his muscular arms around my small frame. "Oh come on, baby sis! If you wanted a hug you could have told me, I would have happily showered you with hugs." Leo whined with a pout as he gave both of us complaining looks. I giggled lightly at his antics as I finally pulled out of Daniel''s arms. Within a second, Leo had pulled me in his warm embrace as he lifted me up a little and whirled me, making me squeal and giggle at the same time. I noticed Daniel and Christ smiling as they watched us. There was Simon too in the room. He wasn''t smiling but I could see that his eyes were filled with softness. I found myself relaxing in the company of my brothers. The worries that were eating me a few minutes ago, flew out of the window, leaving me light and tension free. As Leo finally let me down, I still found myself smiling like a fool. But then my smile dimmed as my eyes landed on the shopping bags that were sitting on the coffee table. As the others noticed the change in my expression they followed my gaze to see what was the cause behind it. I watched Daniel moving closer to me from the corner of my eyes. "Sorellina, what happened at that time? Why did you run away like that? Didn''t you like the clothes?" Daniel''s soft tone and the concern that was covering his eyes made me feel even worse. I felt my lower lip wobbling as I tried my best to keep the tears from spilling that had suddenly emerged in my eyes. "Maybe she''s lacking in manners. What will you expect from someone who''s been leaving in an orphanage and running away from foster homes?" I didn''t need to turn around to know that these words belonged to Mark. For a moment my eyes became blurry with tears but I tried to keep them from spilling. "Mark! Can you just keep your mouth shut?" I wasn''t expecting Daniel''s angry tone which made goosebumps appeared on my neck, even though his anger wasn''t directed at me. For the next few seconds, the entire living room was filled with silence. I was even made to wonder if they were still there or not. "All of you can leave. I have something to talk about with Emilia." It was like my soul almost left my body as the deep commanding voice of Domenic entered my ears. "But Domenic..." "Not now, Leo. We will meet with you guys in the kitchen within twenty minutes." Domenic announced in his deep voice. Yep, announced! Because within a second, everyone disappeared from the living room, leaving me alone with Domenic. There were no more tears in my eyes. However, my heart was about to burst out of my chest at any second. I was still staring at my shoes, not sure what to do when suddenly someone grabbed my hand and started walking towards the basement door. I was so stunned that my head immediately moved to look at the person who was holding my hand. "Who are you?" Chapter 9 - Eight: Punishments I looked around the office which was located in the basement. The room was huge with shelves after shelves filled neatly with books and documents. Various paintings were hanging on the walls and a huge mahogany table was placed on one side while a sofa set was placed around the small fireplace. I was sitting at the table with Domenic sitting right in front of me on his boss chair. "She''s too quiet." The boy who was sitting on the seat beside me suddenly said, making me turn to look at him. Of course, he was talking about me, but I still had to find out about his identity. He was the one who had grabbed my hand in the living room a few minutes ago as I was being dragged into this basement office. I had no idea who he was and from where did he come from? All I knew was that Domenic knew him very well. "Who are you?" I know that at the moment I was repeating the question but I did not care. I just wanted to know exactly who that boy was and why was he with us. "I''m Jackson, Jackson Hart. It''s a pleasure meeting you Emilia." The boy who looked like he was in his late teens with dark black hair and matching eyes which were hiding behind his round glasses, said as he offered me his hand. I know that the guy was probably trying to be sweet but I was in no mood of making friends. Therefore, I just stared at his hand and then turned to look at Domenic with questioning eyes. I heard a sigh leaving the Jackson guy as he too turned to look at my guardian, probably thinking of me as a weird creature. "He''s Jackson Hart, the eldest son of Mr. Hart who works for me." Domenic introduced the guy to me by adding another piece of information in it. I just stayed silent, not even sparing a single glance at the Jackson dude. I was waiting for the bomb that both my heart and mind were anticipating for Domenic to drop. "He''s here as your personal tutor," Domenic added this new piece of information which left me a little confused. He probably noticed my confusion because soon he was explaining, "There is still quite sometime before the schools will reopen. Jackson will help and guide you in your subjects. You are a part of the Alessandro family and you need to maintain the fame of this name." I was left completely shocked. Never had I ever imagined that returning to my home and becoming the Alessandro princess would be like this. "Brother Domenic, I''m thankful t..." "No, you are not!" I was about to voice out my objection against that so-called private tutor in a nice way. Not because I was being bratty but because I didn''t need them to burn their hard-earned money on me. However, before I could even complete a single sentence, Domenic interrupted me. But what shocked me the most was his deep voice and his eyes which were pointed at me as he continued. "No Emilia. You are not even a single bit thankful towards me or any of your brothers. Running away without any explanation from your brother who spent his entire morning making sure that you have a nice morning doesn''t look like a thankful action to me." I felt my cheeks burning with embarrassment as my head dropped. My eyes were fixed on the designer tiles as I was not confident enough to look into Domenic''s eyes any longer. "But since I saw you asking for forgiveness from Daniel, I''m letting you go easily this time. This private tutoring is your only punishment for now. But you have to make sure that such things won''t be repeated. I''ll not be lenient every time. Alright?" At Domenic''s question, I immediately nodded my head. But when I didn''t hear anything in reply for the next few seconds, my curiosity made me raise my head. Domenic''s cold gaze that was staring right at me made the word fly out of my mouth on its own. "Yes!" When I saw his shoulders relaxing as he nodded his head once, made me relax too. "Since everything is clear now, let''s head to the dining room. Everyone is waiting for us." Domenic said as he stood up from his chair. Jackson, who had been silent throughout mine and Domenic''s conversation, also stood up from his seat and started following behind Domenic. I was also quick to leave that basement office since I didn''t like it even a single bit. The three of us made our way out of the basement and towards the dining room where the rest of my brothers were already waiting for us. As we all sat down on our seats for the dinner, I realized that Jackson too was joining us for the dinner, and not only that but after the dinner both of us, Jackson and I, were supposed to discuss our time schedules and other things related to our sessions. Just great! "Em, all the things that we bought today have already been sent to your room. If you want help in setting them up you can ask one of the servants and if not them then one of us can help you." Crist said as he filled my glass with orange juice. I was quick to answer this time and I know that somehow every single pair of eyes and ears in the room were trained on me. "Thank you. But it''s alright. I think I can manage." I said while plastering a soft smile on my lips. I think my reply did its work as soon everyone started eating their dinner and their attention was no longer trained on me. For the rest of the dinner, I was quiet as I tried to finish my dinner. Though everyone noticed my quietness but no one questioned. Daniel, Crist, and Leo tried to involve me in their conversations where I replied with a simple yes, no, or mmhmm, otherwise I stayed silent and the dinner passed calmly. Little did I knew that the coming night was bringing a storm for me. Chapter 10 - Nine: Shattered (Part One) It took me around half an hour to set all the things that we bought into the right places. The previously empty walk-in closet was now filled with luxurious clothes and footwear. A few branded clutches and purses were also shining in their glory as they rested on the shelf. The huge full-length mirror that was placed along with one of the walls in the closet showed a young girl in a purple pajama set with her long hair pulled into a loose ponytail. Beside the mirror was another table where three pairs of high brand watches and a few cosmetics were neatly set. A sigh left my mouth as I turned to leave the closet. I knew that my brothers were trying to make sure that I had everything that I needed, from luxurious clothes, shoes, watches, to high-quality cosmetics. However, I was not used to such things. Luxury was an alien word for me and suddenly being surrounded by these things was not really giving me much happiness. Maybe one day I would get bold enough to accept and enjoy these luxuries with a happy heart, but for now, I was content with the thought that at least my brothers were trying to care for me. I decided to give them a chance, to give this new life a chance. Maybe this was exactly what I was looking for. The light, the magic that I wanted to enter into my dark life. As I entered my room I saw Leo and Jackson in there. The first one was sprawled on my bed while the latter was sitting on the desk chair. "Oh, you are finally out. Come here, Em. Let''s arrange the schedule for your private classes." Leo said as he patted the space beside him. I sighed as I dragged my feet towards the bed and plopped down beside my youngest brother. For the next fifteen minutes, Jackson and I worked on our schedule while Leo kept lying on the bed in silence. It was around nine-thirty when I was finally ready to get my much-needed sleep. After wishing Leo, Crist, Daniel, and Simon good night, I finally gave in to the sleep that was trying to take over me. These four were the only ones present in the living room when I went downstairs to wish them goodnight. I woke up around midnight because I was feeling thirsty. Unfortunately, there was no water in the room. I decided to keep in mind to bring a water bottle with me from the next day. I closed the door of my room silently behind me to not wake up my brothers. However, as I reached the entrance of the dining room, I heard voices coming out from inside. I didn''t know why but on instincts I immediately hid myself in the shadows as I tried to listen to what they were talking inside. My ears picked up the ending of Daniel''s sentence. ".....let''s final it then. We will go according to your plan." I had no idea what they were talking about but as far as I knew they could be talking about their business plans or something. "By the way, Mark...?" "Yes?" "You will take Emilia out in the morning to let her get acquainted with the neighborhood and the city." The silence that followed Domenic''s deep and authoritative voice was exactly like a horror movie to me. My heartbeat had accelerated as I waited for Mark''s response and to say that I was not expecting this reply would be a lie. "No! I''m not free in the morning." "It''s not a choice Mark." I heard Domenic''s sharp voice which shouted to not test his patience, but Mark was probably deaf to not hear that. "I''m not her fucking babysitter! It was your idea to bring a spoilt brat like her into this family, so you should be the one taking care of her. Don''t drag me into this." I stood there in the shadows with my body stiff as a stone, my breath caught in my throat as I tried to stop the tears from spilling that had suddenly covered my sight. Even though Mark had really not been the best brother to me but it did not mean that his words weren''t like a knife straight to my already fragile heart. I heard chairs creaking and soon loud footsteps approached the door of the dining room. I watched from my hiding place behind the shelf as Mark climbed the stairs and probably vanished into his room. "Domenic..." I heard Daniel say in a soft and tired tone but he soon got cut off by Domenic. "Don''t even try to find an excuse for his behavior, Daniel. He knows exactly what he is doing and I''m not going to tolerate his misbehavior." I was in no mood to hear any more of their late-night talk. I silently made my way out from my hiding place and started climbing the stairs. I was almost near my room when suddenly a door opened and soon I was facing a half-conscious, half sleepy Simon. However, the sleep from his eyes disappeared within a second as his eyes landed on me. There was not much light in the hallway, therefore, I was not sure if he saw the tears that were previously running down my cheeks. Though I made sure to wipe them away as fast as I could, but one look at my eyes and he would know. "What are you doing here?" He asked as he walked closer. It took me a few precious seconds to make sure my voice didn''t give away the secret that I was actually trying to hide. "I was thirsty and...there was no water in my room." I finally replied in a barely audible voice. He probably heard me because the next second he pulled the empty water bottle from my hands and looked at me with raised eyebrows. "I''m not thirsty anymore. I''m going to sleep. Good night." I didn''t wait for even a single more second as I rushed towards my bedroom door and closed it behind me. There was only one voice ringing through my head and it was repeating the same thing again and again. Mark definitely hated me! Chapter 11 - Ten: Shattered (Part Two) I huffed at myself as I took a quick glance at my appearance in the full-length mirror in my walk-in closet. I planned to dress as simple as possible since I was going to ruin my third official day in my new home with my least favorite brother, Mark. But here I was, looking graceful and pretty even in a simple black jeans and a white jumper which I paired with black sneakers. My long hair was pulled in a loose side braid and the tiny pearl earrings were peeking through the locks that were falling loosely around my face. Other than my favorite baby pink lip balm, there was no hint of makeup on my entire face. This won''t do. It would look like I had purposely gotten ready for my time out with Mark. Nope! I could not let him make me feel any more embarrassed. I had no idea how did he end up agreeing with the idea of taking me out, but I sure was not even a single bit excited about it. But what could I do or say? If even he could not get through Domenic''s order, then I had no interest in making a fool of me in front of my guardian by trying to make him understand that I was not interested in going out. A knock brought me out of my trance and the next second, Daniel entered into the closet. His eyes took in my appearance and I could see approval in them. "Since you are already ready, you should head downstairs. It''s already time for you and Mark to leave." Daniel said as he stood there by the door. Even though the entire closet was filled with luxuries, but at that moment in front of Daniel, who was dressed in a royal blue suit, accompanied by an expensive watch and his elegantly combed hair, the luxuries of the closer failed to match his standard. I just nodded my head lightly and started walking towards the door which led to my bedroom. I was almost at the door when Daniel called me and I turned to look at him, waiting for him to continue with whatever he was going to say. His eyes roamed through every corner of my bedroom, taking in all the details and finally resting on me. "You haven''t made any changes to this room. Do you like its current setting? Or do you have any special idea to decorate it?" he asked me curiously. My eyes roamed over the setting of my bedroom and then again landed on Daniel. "I have no personal ideas for decorating it. As long as I have a comfortable bed to sleep in, I don''t care about the rest." I replied honestly with a shrug. I could see the flicker of surprise in his eyes but they soon returned to their normal self as he slowly nodded his head. I didn''t wait any longer in the room and immediately headed downstairs. As I came out of the mansion and made my way downstairs to the ground level, I saw a black shining car standing right in front of the stairs. When I reached the car there was no one there. I looked at the watch on my wrist and it was showing 9:02 am. We were supposed to leave at nine. Since there was no sign of Mark, I decided to sit on the stairs and wait for him. 9:02 changed to 9:15, then 9:20, and even 9:30, but Mark had still to make an appearance. Just when I was tired of waiting and decided to head back to the mansion, I heard footsteps approaching from the left side. As I descended the last few steps of the stairs to look at the incomer, my eyes landed on Mark. Clad in black jeans and a polo red shirt, he was excluding the aura of a typical bad boy with those tattoos peeking through his shirt. "Let''s go." He said as soon as his eyes landed on me. I was unable to read his expressions due to the dark sunglasses that were covering his eyes. A sigh left my lips as I made my way towards the passenger side. I was about to settle down on the seat when his sharp commanding voice entered my ears. "In the back." I looked at him with confused eyes but when he refused to even give me a single glance, I decided to save my energy and sat down on the back seat. Within a minute we were driving our way out of the Alessandro''s Mansion grounds. I looked at the villas and mansions passing by through the window and realized that not even a single mansion matched the level of Alessandro Mansion, not even close. Around twenty minutes later, Mark stopped the car in front of a cafe. I had no idea where exactly we were heading. Were we supposed to spend the morning in a cafe? Since I had no idea about what to do, I remained sitting in my seat, waiting for Mark to order me to come out of the car. Amazingly, I didn''t get to leave the car, and nor did we spend our morning at the cafe. Rather, a girl with blonde hair and face covered in makeup opened the passenger door and set down in the front seat. She was probably around twenty or something and her dark brown eyes made me recoil from her, didn''t even let me start about her harpy like voice. "Hey, Mark baby! How have you been this past week without me?" I could swear that she had pots of honey hidden somewhere in her football-sized mouth. Alright, alright! Let''s just say that I didn''t like her at all without even spending a minute in her company. But, did my opinion mattered? Absolutely no! I watched as she planted a kiss on Mark''s cheek and left the red prints of her lips there. If I was disliking her so far, then her actions made me gag. However, I was smart enough to sit still in my seat without even showing much emotion on my face. And then, the harpy''s eyes finally landed on me, and oh my, did I just saw my death in them? Chapter 12 - Eleven: Shattered (Part Three) "Who''s she?" The harpy.....sorry, the girl asked Mark as she eyed me from head to toe and made a disgusted face. Of course, she won''t be praising my simple and makeup-free look. In her eyes, I''m the typical ugly and old fashioned girl. Who cared! "No one important." Ouch! I knew that Mark was not really that happy about my presence in his family and house but I was slowly realizing that he almost despised my existence. I would be lying if I said that his harsh words were not affecting me at all. However, I made sure to not show my feelings on my face. I gave the harpy one of my judging looks as I took in her appearance from her head to toe and then I just settled down in my seat with my hands folded in front of my chest as I looked out from the window. I didn''t even need to look at her to know that she was definitely pissed by what I just did. My act made her feel like there was nothing interesting in her and this didn''t sit right with her ego. However, what surprised me the most was the lightest twitch on Mark''s lips that I caught in the mirror. I just shrugged my shoulders and relaxed in my seat. I would be alright until someone decided to mess with me. Thankfully the blonde just huffed and decided to ignore me in return. After ten minutes, Mark finally parked the car in a dark alley. I didn''t need someone to tell me that it was finally the time to leave the car. As I came out, the silence that was engulfing the alley started creeping me out. Not even a single soul was lurking there except the three of us. Only a bike and another small old looking were parked there. The alley was giving me the vibes of those dark streets from movies and dramas where an alone girl would be passing and suddenly some serial killer would appear there to either kidnap her or murder her. There was a small staircase leading to a small door, probably the back door of the three-storey building that was standing on our right. Mark started walking towards the staircase with the harpy and me following behind him. We entered into a storage kind of room and then a hall with many rooms on either side. I kept following behind Mark with my eyes curiously trying to grasp as much detail about the place as they could. We climbed the stairs and I finally got to see some people as they either passed us on our way or were standing in the halls talking with each other. I noticed that almost all of them nodded at Mark while passing me curious glances. I immediately looked down to avoid the stares that were aimed at me. The three of us stopped in front of a door and Mark finally turned around to look at me. "I''m going upstairs to take care of some important work. This is a private room. Stay here and don''t even dare to step out of until I''m back. If you need anything then tell it to the bodyguard standing outside your door. Understood?" His voice was deep and commanding. Moreover, he also took off his glasses to give me his cold glare. It didn''t take me much time to hurriedly nod my head as I replied, "Yes." A man in a black suit and dark glasses opened the door. I gave Mark and the smiling harpy a last look before entering the room. The door closed behind me as my eyes took in the sight that was in front of me. There was a sofa set placed in front of a big aquarium. There was a coffee table with a beautiful vase placed in its center. The walls were defeated by paintings and murals. Other than this the entire room was empty. I walked towards the sofas and sat down there comfortably. Barely two minutes later, the door of the room opened and the bodyguard entered with a tray in his hands. He just placed the tray on the table and left the room without speaking a single word. There was a glass of orange juice, a packet of chips, and a pack of tissue paper in the tray. Looked like I was destined to get bored. A sigh left my lips as I adjusted in my seat in a more comfortable position. I had no idea how much time had passed when I heard voices coming from behind the closed door. It took me a few seconds that there were people talking in high voices, probably shouting. However, even before I could move, the door flew open with a bang, making me recoil in my seat. "....stop lying..." A boy in his late teens entered the room and stopped dead in his tracks as his cold icy blue gaze landed on me. His long silver hair was tied in a high ponytail and he was wearing a black suit. A simple but an entire inch long earing was dangling from his left ear. After my eyes finally took in his ethereal appearance, I noticed the two burly men behind him who were holding the bodyguard in their tight grip. My shocked eyes returned at the silver hair dude. He also looked more collected as his shock had resided. "Who are you?" His deep velvety voice entered my ears as he walked a few more steps into the room. Before my mind could even register his question, the bodyguard spoke up as he tried to get free from the tight grip of the two burly men. "She''s a guest of the Alessandro''s. Please, Master Sullivan, don''t include outside members in your and Masters'' personal matters." A gasp left my lips as the silver hair boy slapped the bodyguard with a huge force. "I''m not talking to you. Get him out of here and make sure that no one disturbs us." He ordered the two burly men who immediately dragged the bodyguard out of the room, closing the door shut behind them. Chapter 13 - Twelve: Silver Hair The room was once again filled with silence as both I and that silver hair boy stood there looking at each other. I finally realized that my heart was beating so fast that it was nearly about to pop out of my chest. My hand was clutching the hem of my jumper tightly as I tried my very best to not succumb to the hard icy gaze of the silver hair guy. He was handsome, to be honest, very handsome. Of course, his beauty was accompanied by a five-ten or five-eleven something height. His persona shouted that he was one of those cool and bad boy kinda person, probably the leader of their group. If Mark was fire then the silver hair appeared pure ice. They were in direct contrast to each other, however, I could bet that both of them were equally dangerous. The silver hair stepped closer and it immediately made me step back. I could not help it. I was not some cool kid who could take anything and everything. Rather, I was someone who could not stand her own shadow, her own past, and her own history. I was not afraid because I had never dealt with a bad boy before in my life, rather, I was afraid because I had dealt with enough bad boys in my life to know that they had the power of shattering me into pieces. "I-I''m sorry. I n-need to leave." I hated that my voice came out cracked. But I had no time for reprimanding myself for that. I just wanted to leave the room as soon as possible. To get as far away from the boy as I could. However..... "Ah! Why in so hurry? I have a few questions for you. Just answer them and I''ll let you go immediately. I promise!" He had a twinkle in his eyes which only made me scared of him even more. Nonetheless, I nodded my head in reply. As long as I could get away from the room and the boy, I was ready to answer his questions if I could. "Perfect! Alright, so what is your name?" He asked the first question. "Emilia," I replied without much emotion visible in my voice. I could tell by his expression that he was waiting for me to tell him my surname. But I kept quiet, not even looking at him. "Emilia..., such a nice name. What''s your relation with Mark Alessandro, Emilia?" This time he didn''t waste his energy on pretending to be nice. He asked exactly what he was dying to know. I had no idea how to reply to his question. Should I tell him that I''m Mark''s sister? But if I remembered it right, the bodyguard said that this boy and Mark had problems with each other. My mind was suddenly filled with so many questions that it almost made me felt dizzy for a second. I watched as the silver hair took a step closer to me. I was about to open my mouth in fear to say something when the door of the room flew open with a bang. The next thing I knew, the silver hair was pushed away from me and I was staring at Mark''s back. "Stay away from her!" Mark''s voice came out sharp and deep as he probably glared at the silver-haired boy who was now smirking. "Why? Who she is? Your new fuck toy?" A gasp left my mouth as my ears registered the words of the silver hair. My hands immediately found their way to Mark''s arm as I clutched his shirt in a tight grip. Probably the horrified and disgusting looks on our faces gave him the answer to his question. "Her relation with me is none of your business, Sullivan. You better keep both your eyes and hands away from her." Mark said through gritted teeth. A smile appeared on the silver-haired guy''s face. His eyes were trained on me and it started making me even more afraid of him. "But what if I want to make her my business? What if I want to steal her away from you? What will you do, Alessandro? Huh?" The mockery and challenge were clear in his tone as he gave me a last stare before turning to look at Mark. Mark''s hand found my fingers that were clutching his shirt tightly. He pulled my hand away from his shirt and took my hand in his own, closing my cold fingers in his warm ones. The shock must be evident on my face as I stared at the large hand which was holding mine carefully. "Aww, come on baby. If you want someone to hold your hand you can always come to me. I can hold more than just your hand." The silver hair said with a twinkle in his eyes. "Fuck off, Sullivan. We are not really free to waste our entire day here on you." Mark gave a last firey glare to the Silver hair before pulling me towards the door where the harpy was already waiting for us. I could not help myself from turning around to look at Sullivan. However, the promise and challenge that I found in his eyes as he stared right at me, left me even more confounded. We came out of the building and this time I was made to sit in the front even though the harpy was about to make a scene on that. However, one glare from Mark, and she immediately changed her tactics as she plastered a fake smile and gave him a flying kiss before making her way towards the backseat. Of course, in the middle of all this, I also received a gift from her as she passed me a deathly glare before shutting the door. We dropped the harpy at the same cafe from where we had picked her and then we headed towards the Alessandro Mansion. The silence that was present in the car throughout the journey was making me feel more and more afraid. I was just waiting for Mark to start shouting at me for causing problems even though we both knew that I did nothing wrong. However, what happened next was completely different. Chapter 14 - Thirteen: Lies Mark stopped the car at the security checkpoint of the Eastcliff Residential area, the home of the most powerful and wealthiest people of the city. Of course, the Alessandro Family was one of the most powerful and wealthiest families. Even though I had next to no idea exactly what kind of business my brothers ran. I was slowly learning about the wealth and power that my brothers held in their hands. I was a little confused since it was the first time we needed to stop for the security check. But I soon got my answer as Mark turned towards me with his cold eyes. I was waiting for him to burst out in anger, however, his words were completely different from my prediction. "Forget about everything that happened today. I took you to a cafe and then drove you around the city for a while. This is exactly how we spent the morning. You met no one and saw or heard nothing." His voice was deep and carried a dangerous edge in it. The kind which promised a hell to go through if you went against his wish. Since my life was already an image of hell itself, I was in no mood to add extra spice to it. As his familiar eyes bored into me, I tried to gulp the saliva down my dry throat. I seriously had no interest in pissing off this man. He already was not that fond of me. Who knew what would happen if I ended up making him angry by mistake? I nodded my head hurriedly, not wanting to test his patience. I still had to decide which one of these two was more intimidating - Mark or Domenic. The first one had already made it clear that he did not like me even a single bit. His harsh tone and cold eyes were the proof. Mark had barely said a single word to me or about me that was not laced with either anger, frustration, or judgment. While Domenic had not been harsh or cold towards me, but at the same time, he was also not the warmest or sweetest one. He carried an indifferent aura around him. Like everything would be fine as long as you follow his rules and did not create any problems. "Good," Mark muttered and started the car and took off towards the Alessandro Mansion. Looked like we really didn''t need to stop for the security check! No more words were exchanged between us and I was very happy about that. Within the next ten minutes, we were already climbing the stairs of the mansion. It was around noon when we reached the mansion, meaning it was the time for lunch. Normally, most of my brothers would be out due to their work or for God knew what other things they did. However, as I entered the living room I found every single one of them present there. I was a little confused to see all of them. They were dressed in either branded suits or jeans and shirts, not something I assumed they would wear on their off days. Daniel and Domenic were the first to notice me and Mark as we walked closer to the couches that were placed around the coffee table. I was about to open my mouth to ask the question and clear my confusion when suddenly a woman in her late thirties walked out of the dining room with Simon. She was tall, around five-seven or five-eight with shoulder-length blonde hair. Her lips were painted bright red and her blue eyes twinkled from behind her glasses. "Oh my! Hello, my dear. You are just as gorgeous as the rest of your brothers. There''s no doubt that you are their young princess. Just look at you!" I was suddenly pulled in a tight hug by the woman as she kept shrieking nonsense. It took a lot of effort from my side to free myself from her clutches. However, the very next second, a hand snaked around my shoulder making me jump a little. I turned to look at Mark in surprise but he gripped my shoulders and made me again look at the smiling woman. "Aww, so sweet. Your brothers definitely love you a lot. All of this is just a formality that is needed to be completed. Otherwise, Mr. Alessandro, we do not doubt that you will take care of Emilia and keep her happy." The woman said as she looked at Domenic with a smile. I was so confused that my mind had even stopped working at all. I just stood there still like a stone as I watched the woman praising my brothers and how well they were taking care of me. "Emilia, this is Mrs. Smith. She is from the head department of the orphanage. She is here to make sure that you are living here a happy life and don''t have any kind of problems." Domenic told me as he introduced the woman. "Oh! Umm....well, hello Mrs. Smith." I finally got my brain under control and plastered a small smile on my lips. Since now I knew the identity of the woman, that explained the presence of all my brothers. "Sorry for being late. I just took my baby sis to have some fresh air. I hope you won''t mind." Mark said to the lady with a polite smile. Baby sis? Was this man for real? If I had not to pretend that everything was completely normal, I would probably be gawking at Mark with my jaw hanging open. I was not surprised about the lie that he just told everyone. Rather, I was left speechless by the endearment that he used for me and the soft smile that was visible on his lips. Bravo! The devil could smile. Even though I could see clearly that the smile was just as fake as his words. However, looked like Mrs. Smith was completely oblivious of it. She just kept praising Mark for his efforts that he was putting in to make me feel comfortable and a part of the family. Only if she knew! At that time I had no idea that the next few minutes were going to destroy all my hopes and dreams. That once again I would be left hopeless and broken. That I would regret having a heart. Chapter 15 - Fourteen: Deception "Mrs. Smith, why don''t you take a look around the Mansion before we set down for the lunch?" Daniel suggested in his usual warm and polite tone. How could anyone deny such a sweet person, right? Well, that was exactly how I found myself following Domenic, Mark, Simon, and Mrs. Smith as we all started taking a tour through the huge Alessandro Mansion. The fact that I was surrounded by my least favorite brothers and a weird woman, didn''t help to brighten my mood even a single bit. Daniel, Crist, and Leo stayed behind to set the table for the lunch that we were going to attend with Mrs. Smith. We passed through the library, a parlor, storage, guest rooms, long hallways, gym, activity room, Domenic''s office, and finally entered the hall where our bedrooms were located. Of course, no one bothered to look at any of my brothers'' rooms but we all stopped exactly in front of mine. What was there to look in my room? As far as I could see it was just a room, a big one which looked thousands of times more expensive than my poor soul. "And this is Emilia''s room," Domenic told Mrs. Smith, and the woman suddenly looked too excited. It was like she was going to find some kind of treasure in my room. I just stayed completely silent as I looked at Domenic. What I liked about him was that in front of Mrs. Smith he didn''t try to be fake. He didn''t suddenly start calling me by nicknames like Mark. I was still Emilia to him. He was still his indifferent self who didn''t bother to pay me any attention except the one and only moment when he introduced Mrs. Smith to me. In short, he was acting exactly the same towards me as the last two days. However, on the other hand, Mark''s arm was once again around my shoulder. I wanted to shrug it off and stay far away from him but at the same time, I didn''t want to cause any scene in front of Mrs. Smith. As I struggled with the jumble of thoughts that were running through my mind, we finally entered into my room. It took me a few seconds to register that my entire room was looking completely different from how it looked in the morning when I left. "Oh my! I have never seen such a beautiful room before in my life." Mrs. Smith exclaimed in surprise as she looked at the room in amazement. I was no different from her, however, I was amazed at the beauty of the room but the lies that were filled in it. And if the new decoration of the room was not a hard blow to both my mind and heart, then the words...no, the lies that Domenic started telling Mrs. Smith crushed me to my core. "Daniel took her for shopping yesterday and we brought everything that she needed....." Yep! The closet was really filled with clothes, shoes, bags, simple cosmetics, and a little bit of jewelry. "....we barely have spent time with her but these are some of the happy memories of the first day...." There were photo frames lined on my bedside table and also on the desk. There was one when I was a baby, cuddled in the arms of a man whom I had never seen before in my life. There was another one where I was with my mom and we both were smiling as I held a huge lollipop in my hand. I had never seen that photo before in my life. In the photo, I was around seven or eight. From where did my brothers got that photo? Another frame held a photo with me and all my brothers. The only photo that I recognized since it was taken on the very first day when I came to the Alessandro Mansion. It was the moment when we all were sitting in the dining hall and somehow the photo gave the feeling of warmth and coziness, even though at that time I was feeling anything but happy. Another photo with me riding a bicycle as I was looking down at something near my foot. I looked cute in the photo to others since I heard Mrs. Smith cooing as she looked at it. However, only I remembered the dark truth behind that photo. Each and every frame showed me living a happy and cheerful life, but all of them were lies. Pure lies that made me dig my small nails into my palms. My mind had already started piecing the puzzles, however, Mrs. Smith''s next words summed everything up pretty well. "Aww, look at that sweet Emilia. Your brothers love you a lot dear. There''s no doubt that they will always keep you happy. It has barely been two days and they have already make sure that you won''t experience any kind of discomfort." Mrs. Smith said in her chirpy time as she looked at my brothers with satisfaction. "They gave you such a beautiful room, brought you so many things, probably more than what you needed. They are already taking you out to make you familiar with the city and they have chosen the best school in the city for you." Mrs. Smith continued praising my brothers. I wanted the woman to shut up immediately. How could she not see the lies that were so obvious? They changed the decoration of my entire room just because she was going to visit. I thought that Daniel brought me shopping along with him because he cared, but no! It was also because they knew about Mrs. Smith''s visit. The photos? They were nothing but lies. Where did they even found photos of my childhood? They took a photo of me on my very first day in the Mansion and I was not even aware of it. I thought Domenic asked Mark to take me out because he actually wanted me to become familiar with the city. Oh my! How wrong I was? From the moment I set my foot inside the Alessandro mansion, my brothers covered my life with lies and deception, exactly like my room. Chapter 16 - Fifteen: Tears I climbed down the stairs, following my so-called brothers and Mrs. Smith. My mind was completely blank. There was nothing left in it. And my heart was feeling so heavy that it was becoming hard for me to even breathe properly. No one paid any attention to me as we all made our way towards the dining hall and I was more than thankful for that. I was in no state to face either of my brothers nor I wanted to listen to Mrs. Smith''s praises that she had been raining on the Alessandro brothers all this time. Yeah, they were Alessandro brothers, not my brothers. I, a girl who just entered their lives out of nowhere, meant exactly nothing to them. I was just a responsibility for them, for Domenic, and he would do anything to make sure that I won''t be the reason for the downfall of their family name. If it meant that they had to build walls around me and cover up my life with lies then that was exactly what they would do. We seated down around the dining table and everyone immediately dug into their food. I was not really hungry but I stayed silent as Daniel piled up food on my plate, ushering me to eat more. I was only waiting for Mrs. Smith to leave so that I could get away from their company, from the suffocation that was trying to kill me. I could feel that they had started feeling the change in my attitude, but I did not care about it anymore. I heard Leo and Daniel calling my name as they tried to include me in their conversation but I stayed still in my seat, not even looking up from my plate. Unaware of the worried glances that Daniel, Crist, and Leo passed to each other and then looked at Domenic for help. Domenic himself had no clue about what was wrong but he also did not want to cause any scene in front of Mrs. Smith. Therefore, he signaled all his brothers to stay silent for the time being. Everyone followed his order, even though a weird kind of feeling was seeping into their hearts. Was it the worry for their little sister or the fear of losing something precious? What I also did not notice was the slightest flicker of distress in Mark''s eyes as he looked at me and the concerned glances that Simon passed towards me. I noticed nothing of these since I was busy in staring at the plate which was still completely filled with food. What was amazing about the entire situation was that Mrs. Smith was completely clueless about the tension that was surrounding the dining table. Or was she just pretending to be oblivious? I did not know the answer to that question and neither did I care to know. All I wanted was for that woman to leave as soon as possible. And after the next fifteen minutes or something, the woman finally stood up from her seat with her purse in one of her hands as she thanked my brothers for the amazing lunch. Of course, she did not forget to give me a tight warm hug before leaving, even though I felt anything but warm at that moment. I was just relieved that she didn''t say anything other than ''Have a happy life child'' and then left the dining hall with Domenic and Crist. Only if she knew! I could feel four pairs of eyes boring into me but thankfully no one said anything. I kept sitting in silence till the moment when I finally heard the sound of the front door closing as Mrs. Smith left the mansion. I did not waste a single more second as I stood up from my seat and rushed out of the room. My sudden movements definitely left my brothers shocked, but Mark was quick to react as he tried to catch me as I passed through his chair. It was pure luck that his hands failed to grab me as I ran out of the dining hall towards the stairs. I could hear several voices calling my name, shouting for me to stop but of course, I did nothing like that. Rather, I ran right towards my bedroom where all the lies of the past two days were stored, where the evidence of my fake life was stored. I wished to reach my room before Domenic could return. However, I just reached the top of the stairs when the deep intense voice of Domenic pierced through the mansion. "Emilia...!" His voice was so deep and cold that it held the power of freezing me in my tracks. However, at that moment I cared about nothing. Not even Domenic''s sharp commanding tone was enough to stop me. I reached my bedroom and entered inside, closing the door behind me and locking it. My heart was beating so fast and I was completely out of breath. I stood there against the door as I heard someone coming upstairs. Soon enough someone knocked on the door and with that Domenic''s voice traveled inside my room. "What kind of behavior is this, Emilia? This is the second time within three days when you have run away like this without explaining. I already told you that I won''t tolerate this kind of behavior. You have ten minutes to calm down and return downstairs. Only ten minutes!" With that being said, he didn''t waste any more time standing outside my door and immediately left. I felt the wetness on my cheeks and only then did I realize that tears were rolling down my cheeks at full speed. My eyes blurred and the photo frames at which I had been staring disappeared from my sight. That''s what I deserved for placing my hope in strangers. I deserved this suffering since I was idiot enough to think that I could find a family and a home in the middle of unknown people. This was what I deserved for wanting a happy family. As the memories of my dark past resurfaced, a certain voice of a woman whom I loved dearly at some point in my life suddenly filled my ears. ''You don''t deserve a family. You deserve only pain and suffering. And that''s exactly what you will get in your life.'' Chapter 17 - Sixteen: Fire I stared at the pile that I had created on my head. It had taken me barely five minutes to grab all the new clothes that I and Daniel bought the previous day. All the luxury bags and cosmetics were also piled up on the bed with the clothes. A tiny voice somewhere in the back of my mind was trying to tell me that I was going to do something that I would regret later. But the bigger part of my mind which was suffering in pain and agony was in no mood of listening. It just wanted to vent out its frustration and destroy all those things that were making it suffer. My hands trembled as I picked up the matchbox which was sitting in the top drawer of my desk. I suddenly heard faint footsteps that were coming upstairs towards my room. Looked the time limit of ten minutes was already over. I hurriedly lit up and dropped it on the satin top. It barely took the top a few seconds to catch fire. By now the footsteps grew louder as the person entered the hall where all the bedrooms were located. My entire body was trembling at this point. Tears once again were running down my cheeks as sobs finally made their way out of my lips. As I heard faint knocks on my bedroom door, my eyes landed on the photo frames that were resting on my desk and bedside table. I could hear a faint voice calling my name from behind the door but my mind was too distracted to understand anything. The memories of my dark past once again appeared in front of my eyes, making cold shivers run throughout my entire body. My hands automatically covered my ears as so many voices started shouting at me, taking all the energy out of my body. I tumbled on my desk as my body refused to cooperate with me. Looked like it was also tired of me and my pathetic life. Black spots appeared in front of my already blurry eyes, my head was throbbing in pain, and the smoke that was coming from the burning clothes did not help my situation at all. For a moment I thought that I heard some kind of ringing sound, completely unaware that because of the fire and smoke the more alarm had gone off. Not only that but Leo, who had been the one knocking on my door all this time, also noticed the smoke that was coming out from my room through the slight gap between the floor and the door. The pounding on the door increased as Leo shouted for me to open the door. However, my entire focus was on the photo frames. I picked up the first frame in my hands as I stared at the blurred image of me with the woman who was known as my mother. I gritted my teeth as anger and pain rose inside me. With all my might I threw the frame at the wall behind my bed and it immediately shattered into pieces and dropped on my bed and around it. My hand reached out for the second frame as my ears registered the several voices that were coming from outside my room. The smoke had covered the entire room and my eyes were burning. Breathing was also becoming harder with each passing second but the rage inside me was still nowhere near calming down. I was sobbing as I broke frames after frames and destroyed my entire room. I didn''t even notice that my hands were bleeding as shards of glass had pierced the skin. I could not even feel the slightest pain from those cuts. All my mind was feeling at that moment was pure agony. The shouts outside my room increased and it took my hazy mind some time to realize that they were trying to break the door. However, I did not care about anything anymore. I was feeling so empty at that moment, so lost, so hopeless. The darkness that had been calling my name all this time once again reappeared in front of my eyes, luring me towards its dark abyss. I stood there like a statue as I watched the fire spread into the bedcovers. Suddenly a loud bang sound disturbed the silence and then I watched three of the Alessandro brothers trying to control the fire as they used fire extinguisher to kill the fire. Another one was opening the windows of my room to let the thick smoke escape from the confinement of the four walls of the room. It was not until a harsh grip on my arm made me turn to face Domenic, did I finally realized that I was not able to breathe. However, what the Alessandro brothers noticed was my disheveled appearance and emptiness that were covering my eyes. I was waiting for Domenic to start shouting at me for ruining the bedroom, for wasting their money, and being a brat, a psycho. However, what I noticed was a flicker of panic in his eyes as he took in my appearance. "Sorellina..." His hands tried to take my face in his palm but I backed away from his touch. If it was a few hours ago, I would have been surprised and ecstatic at the sudden change in Domenic''s expression. His current expressions showed that he cared, that behind hid cool and calm facade there was a hidden tender side of him that cared about her. But she was no longer a fool. She was not going to keep herself in darkness anymore. The shock and worry covered Domenic''s eyes but I did not need them anymore. As I kept moving backward, my back hit something hard, something firm, and before I knew my body was falling towards the ground. I heard several panicked shouts as they called my name. My eyes were tightly shut as I waited to hit the cold hard floor. The darkness that had been trying so hard to take over me was finally winning and I was too tired to fight anymore. Just when I thought that I was about to hit the ground, a pair of firm arms caught me and I found myself held in a warm embrace. I tried to see the face of the person who was holding me but it was too much work for my eyes. Before I knew the darkness took over me and I drifted off into the dark and cold abyss. Chapter 18 - Seventeen: The Panicked Brothers Daniel''s P.O.V I watched as Sam dropped the last shard of glass in the tray. As far as my eyes could see there was only blood, my baby sister''s blood. She was sleeping as Sam took care of all the cuts that were covering her hands. It was a good thing that she was unconscious, otherwise, she would have felt so much pain. I could not remember the last time when I was this much terrified, or maybe I did. The day she was taken away from us. The panic, the sadness, and the fear of losing her that I was feeling at the moment were exactly the same that I felt fourteen years ago when our baby sis was taken away from us. I could not understand what exactly happened to her, which made her go to the length of self-harm. The image of the moment when we all first entered her room after breaking the door as she stood in the center of the smoke-filled room with her hands bleeding and her eyes swollen from crying, was imprinted in my mind. I would never be able to forget that scene ever and I could tell that the same goes for the rest of my brothers who were currently scattered around Domenic''s room, watching in silence as Sam took care of our injured baby sis. My eyes landed on Mark who was standing in the farthest corner of the room against the wall, hiding in the shadows. A sense of guilt took over me as I recalled how both I and Domenic doubted him because we thought that he had ended up saying something very mean to her which led to her current condition. Neglecting the fact that she was completely fine when she first returned with him. Her attitude changed when she returned from the short tour of the mansion with Mrs. Smith and the others. But what actually happened in that short time that led to this chaos? The question was bugging not only me but all my brothers. I kept observing Mark as he stared at the sleeping form of Emilia. He was the one who caught her and saved her from landing on the cold hard floor. As if he noticed my gaze his eyes turned to look right at me. I just nodded my head lightly at him, a small gesture of understanding and comfort. I watched as his shoulders relaxed a little as if some kind of tension left his body. The one sitting next to him on the desk chair was our youngest brother, Leo and unlike others, he did not store his sadness and pain inside his heart. His eyes were swollen due to crying so much. He lost control over his tears the moment he had laid his eyes on the bloody and unconscious figure of our baby sis in Mark''s arms. The last time he cried like this was ages ago when he was twelve and Domenic forbid him from going to meet Grandpa during summer vacations. Ever since then our baby brother who was not actually a baby anymore, stopped crying. However today the record was broken as he cried his heart out. It had taken Crist a long time to calm him down, the ultimate weapon being the threat that he would be sent out of the room if he kept disturbing Emilia''s sleep with his crying. The threat worked its magic as he instantly quieted down, only a few hiccups left his lips every now and then. Simon and Crist both were sitting on the floor against the wall, silently watching as Sam wrapped bandages around Emilia''s palm covering the deep cuts that she somehow succeeded in giving herself The concern was clear on Crist''s face as he left clutching and unclutching his fists, a clear indication of the worry that was erupting inside him. However, on the other hand, Simon was as still and indifferent looking as always. His eyes were devoid of any expressions. Even though at first glance everyone thought Mark and Domenic were the coldest ones but in truth, it was Simon who was actually the coldest. The reason was clear. He barely showed any other emotion on his face except the usual indifferent look. He mostly stayed away from home or closed inside his bedroom, not joining the family dinners, not participating in vacation plans. Except for the most important moments, he never made an appearance in front of us. In the past fourteen years, he had pulled himself away from everyone, not caring about anything or anyone. The fact that he was still sitting in the room and had already not left was the only indication that he cared about the person whom he loved more than anything at one point in his life. That same love was still present in his stony heart, buried somewhere deep. The door of the room opened and Domenic entered the room. It looked like he had aged ten years within the past three hours. His always perfectly combed hair was no more looking perfect. His suit coat was nowhere in sight and his sleeves were rolled up with his tie hanging loosely around his neck with the top two buttons of his shirt left open. This was a sight that was next to impossible to come across. He always looked picture perfect at every minute of the day but here he was, looking tired and completely worn out as he came near the bed and stood beside Sam. Sam was a close family friend who also worked in our business, providing his medical assistance. "She''s in no danger. Just let her rest for the time being and make sure that she was properly fed and taken care of." Sam said in a low tone as he packed his bag and stood up. His eyes landed first on Domenic and then at me. The message was clear in them, he wanted us to follow him out of the room because there was something he wanted to discuss. The dread of what he was going to say settled inside my heart making my eyes immediately dart at the sleeping form of my baby sis. She was alright, right? She was in no kind of danger, was she? Chapter 19 - Eighteen: Screams The hand that was gripping my small fingers in its tight clutches refused to let me go even after all my struggles. The panic was rising inside me as I tried to get myself away from the threat that was invisible to my eyes. All that I could see around me was darkness, the dark abyss that was refusing to let me go. I wanted to shout at the hand to let me go but nothing came out of my tightly sealed lips and that was the moment when I realized that I could not speak. Something was stopping me from speaking. My throat felt so dry that even gulping down the saliva made the pain erupt in my throat. ''Where are you going honey? Don''t you wanna stay here and accompany me?'' The sudden voice pulled my attention away from the pain and towards the hand which was clutching my right hand in a death-like grip. And after a few very slow seconds, the silhouette of a person appeared in front of my eyes. That person was the one holding my hand and suddenly my mind erupted with the dark memories of the past that I shared with this person. The dark, cold, and smelly dungeons, the whips, knives, and so many other kinds of sharp weapons that were kept stored in the shelves, the loud ear-piercing screams that had kept me awake countless of nights. The howls that ranged throughout the dungeons and the sound of a particular footstep that always kept me at the edge of panic attacks. As the memories after memories of the darkest period of my life kept rising, I found my breathing getting shallower. The person in front of me burst out into laughter as they stretched out their free hand towards my neck. The moment those cold and stone-like fingers made contact with my neck, I finally found my voice, and an ear-piercing scream left my mouth. I kept screaming loudly as I thrashed around to get away from those hands that were trying to pull me back into the darkness that had ruined me. ''You won''t be able to get away from me. You can''t hide. There is no one in this entire world who can save you!'' The person shouted at me and started laughing even more loudly. I felt my body moving but was too tired and afraid to pay attention to anything else other than the silhouette in front of me. After a few moments, I finally registered a voice that somehow sounded familiar but no matter how much I tried I could not get a grasp on it. Something was trying to shake me as if I was suddenly trapped in an earthquake. My free hand automatically went to get my right hand free from those tight clutches. And suddenly another silhouette appeared in front of my eyes. It was hidden in the darkness that was surrounding me but I somehow succeeded in finding its identity. All of a sudden, my entire body stilled as I realized that the figure in front of me was not. human but it was not the first time I was seeing her. My body started trembling as she inched closer towards me and my eyes landed on the blood that was covering her body. My screams increased as I thrashed around to get away from her. I could not let her come closer to me. No! I needed to run away from her as far as I could. Unfortunately, I was unable to do anything. I just watched in complete horror as she got closer and closer to me. My screams had turned insane at that point and I could feel that the shaking had increased too. There were more voices present around me but my fear did not let my attention slip from the figure in front of me. As she stood in front of me, looking right in my eyes, I already knew what was going to happen next. But I did not want to see any of that. I would not be able to handle that. Right at that moment, the hair on my nape stood up as a cold sharp breeze passed exactly s few inches away from my ear. An ear-piercing scream once again left my lips as my eyes finally flew open. I could not see anything, could not hear anything. All I was feeling at that moment was fear, grief, and guilt. She was the worst memory of my past that I never wanted to go through it ever again. I just wanted to seal it inside the farthest corner of my brain and forget about it. Would be way better if I could toss it out of my brain and could get rid of it. However, when had I ever got what I wanted? Neither could I toss it out or seal it. I just needed to live with it. I didn''t realize that all my brothers were present there in the room and that I was no longer in my own room. I also didn''t realize that someone was holding me in his arms, rocking me back and forth to calm me down. I had no idea for how long I cried. No idea if it was early morning, the middle of the day, or whether night. All I knew was that once again I was afraid of closing my eyes. I was afraid to see her, afraid of the scene that was about to appear in front of my eyes the very second I broke out of that horrible dream. I could hear a faint voice that was trying to soothe me. A hand was brushing through my open hair. As my senses slowly returned, I noticed that another hand was rubbing my back to comfort me. At that point, I was aware of the identities of the two persons who were holding me, and one part of my brain wanted me to do the most sensible thing and get away from those fake comforting gestures. However, the bigger part of my brain and my tired heart which were still under the terror of my dream wanted some comfort. I wanted to make sure that I was no longer trapped inside my worst nightmare and scariest reality. That I was no longer had to experience those same terrors. And that was why I didn''t push them away. But only for that particular moment. Chapter 20 - Nineteen: Doctor Sam "I''m seriously amazed after seeing your talent in self-harm. You ended up reopening most of the cuts. Do you have any idea that this is the second time I have to hurry over here in the middle of the night to tend to your wounds? At this rate young lady, I''ll end up with huge dark circles under my eyes and you will be responsible for ruining my handsome face." I could not help the slightest twitch that appeared on my lips even though my mood was so down that it was impossible for me to even smile. The young doctor who was treating my wounds had been complaining from the very moment he entered the room. Looked like he was really worried about getting dark circles. After looking at his handsome face which was accompanied by dark black hair and deep brown eyes, I could tell why he was worried. He had a face that was perfect for magazine covers. Rather, here he was, wasting his precious sleeping time in taking care of a useless person like me. "Sorry." I mumbled in a barely audible voice as I felt a little guilty for making him work at 1:45 a.m. At the same time, I was feeling relaxed because Domenic decided to call his doctor friend home rather than taking me to the hospital. I hated hospitals and doctors. Because whenever I needed to visit a doctor or was admitted to a hospital, it was because I was suffering. The hospital and doctors reminded me of the pain that I had experienced in the past. It made me felt sick. It was a good thing that Doctor Sam was not wearing those white coats. Rather he was in his pajamas which made my mind relax a little. There was something about him that was soothing. That made my brain to calm down. "Fine! Since this is your first time giving me sleepless nights, I will not hold you accountable for it. After all, you were not aware of my beauty and the requirement of sleep that I needed to maintain this otherworldly handsome face. But make sure you get injured during the day next time, so that it won''t impact my sleeping hours. Got that sweety?" Sam said as he patted my head lightly. I was about to nod when a huge slap landed on the young doctor''s head almost giving him a concussion. "What the hell!" Sam cried out as he rubbed his head and glared at Mark, the culprit behind that hit. Yep! What the hell was wrong with this rude guy? Could not he stand someone making me feel happy? We all knew that Doctor Sam was just joking. "Stop uttering nonsense! She won''t be getting hurt next time and even if she ended up being injured, you will be immediately called whether it will be in the middle of the day or night. Got that sweety?" Mark smirked at the doctor who just decided to pretend like he didn''t hear anything. I wanted to puke at the fake show of worry that Mark was putting on. He was the last person in the entire Alessandro family who would ever be worried about me. But looking at the fact that we were in the company of a person who was probably a family friend of theirs, I understood the need for the drama that the Alessandro brothers were putting on. "Don''t mind him, sweety. He just can''t stand the reality that there is someone more handsome than him. Do you know why he colored his hair black?" Sam asked me. I had no idea so I ended up shaking my head in negative. "Can''t you see whose hair color matches with him in this room?" Sam asked again. I looked at everyone in the room and then replied, "You." "Exactly! He thought that if he colored his hair black like me then he would become just as handsome as me. Poor guy did not know that his fake beauty won''t be able to surpass my natural beauty...OUCH!" The slap that landed on his head this time was three times more powerful than the last one and it almost made me gasp. "Mark, enough! Just go and get a light breakfast for Emily. She needs to take her medicine." Domenic ordered. I was expecting Mark to at least glare at Domenic for making him work as a maid for me, however, he just silently left the room. I wanted to tell them that I was not feeling hungry but at the same time, I did not want to speak to them at all. Therefore, I decided to stay silent. My eyes landed on the doctor who was now trying to fix his hair which had suffered under those two blows. "See that? He is so jealous of me. Huh!" Sam said with a scoff as he adjusted in his seat and then looked at me with serious eyes. "Now listen very carefully, sweety. You need to eat a healthy diet so that your body could gain energy for healing. Don''t skip either of your meals or medicines. And most importantly, no one will force you to eat more than what you can consume safely. So don''t worry about that. You can do that, right, ?" I stayed silent, not knowing what to say even though he was not asking too much from me. My appetite was not really something that was under my control. "Hey! We need our birthday girl to be fit and healthy before her birthday. Or are you planning to celebrate your birthday in a hospital?" Sa joked with a smiling face. "How do you know?" I asked in surprise. "Well sweety, as you know the Orphanage provided a file with all your information in it. I took a look at it yesterday and that''s how I found out that you will be turning seventeen next month." Sam replied with a soft tone as he rubbed my head. I wanted to tell him that I did not like celebrating my birthday because, to be honest, there was nothing for me to celebrate. However, I was not in the mood of answering any questions. Therefore, I did not say anything. "So? You are going to eat your meals and take your medicines timely, right?" Sam asked me as he waited for my reply. A sigh left my lips and I slowly nodded my head. At that exact moment, the door of the room opened and Mark entered with a tray in his hand. Chapter 21 - Twenty: To Be Left Alone Domenic''s P.O.V I watched silently as Emily stood up from her seat and walked into the kitchen. It had been a week since the incident that left everyone shocked and disturbed. I knew that all my brothers wanted to know exactly what Sam told me and Daniel the very night of the incident. But to be honest he didn''t share much information with us. His only words were a few pieces of advice for us. He wanted us to not bring the topic about that incident in front of Emily for the time being. Also, he asked us not to force her to eat food as long as she finished half of what she was eating. He did not explain what was wrong with her and why we needed to walk on eggshells around her, but we did exactly what he asked us to do. No one talked about that incident in the past week. No one forced her to eat more than what she wanted and no one interfered with her private time. Maybe it was because all of us had been receiving the cold shoulder from her for the past week. She had stopped talking to us completely, not even a good morning or good night. Whenever we tried to initiate a conversation with her in the first few days, all we received was dead silence. After that most of us stopped trying, except for Daniel and Leo. She did not even look at us anymore. She would look anywhere but at our faces whenever we were in the same room. We only got to see her during the meal times, for the rest of the day and night she stayed mostly inside her room....my bedroom. Since most of her room was destroyed by the fire that night, it was no longer available for sleeping. I still remember that morning when I went to tell her about staying in my room for the time being. --- I knocked on the door as I stood outside my bedroom with a tray in my hands. I did not receive any reply from inside the room for the next few minutes which made me think that she probably had fallen asleep. However, as I entered the room I saw her sitting on the bed with her back resting against the headboard. She was lost in her own world as she kept staring at the dreamcatcher in her hands. It was a gift from Leo after we all witnessed the dreadful episode of her struggling with a bad dream. It was just as heartbreaking as the fire incident, if not any less. To see our baby sister struggling and screaming in her dreams as she tried to get away from the nightmare. "Emily..." I called her name softly to not startle her with my sudden presence in the room. She finally looked up from the dream catcher but rather than looking at me she started staring at the tray in my hands which carried her breakfast in it. When she did not speak for the next few moments, I walked closer to the bed and put the tray on the bedside table. "Daniel prepared a light breakfast for you. You have to take your medicines too. Come on!" I said in a soft tone as I settled down beside her on the bed and took the tray back in my hands. "Here, let me feed you. Your hands are still recovering and the doctor has advised to not let you move your hands too much to keep your cuts from reopening." I said as I took a spoon full of soup and started to blow on it to cool it down a little. However, I felt like someone stabbed me with the sharpest knife present in the world when she moved her face away and refused to let me feed her. That feeling of hurt and pain was like a bucket of cold water that soaked me completely from head to toe. "Emily, I..." She did not let me complete my sentence as she hurriedly took the tray from my hands and started drinking the soup on her own. Of course, I was worried about her injured hands but I could not find my voice at that moment to say anything to her. I just sat there watching her as she emptied the bowl and returned the tray to the bedside table. "Your room will need a renovation and it is going to take some time. In the meantime, you are going to stay here in this room. If you need anything all you need to do is to tell one of us and we will make sure that all your needs are taken care of." I waited there to hear her reply. Anything could have worked at that moment. I thought that even though she would end up shouting at me and kicking me out of the room, I would have felt happy about the fact that she was at least speaking again. We have not heard a single sound from her mouth since her terrifying screams the previous night and she had not spoken to any of us from the very moment we had lunch with Mrs. Smith. The Alessandro Mansion and its residents were waiting to once again hear her sweet soft voice. However, when she finally opened her mouth to speak, her voice came out so low that I would have almost missed it. And her words gave me nothing but grief. She sounded so hurt and sad that all I wanted at that moment was to engulf my baby sis in my arms and surround her with love and protection. I gave her a last quick glance before picking up the tray and then headed towards the door. She just sat there staring at the dream catcher in her hands. Her eyes were still looking as empty as before. There was nothing but emptiness in them. As I walked down the stairs towards the kitchen her words kept running through my mind. "I just need to be left alone." Chapter 22 - Twenty-One: Mr. Hart I looked at the clock that was sitting on the huge mahogany desk surrounded by dozens of drawing sheets that were scattered all over the desk. A sigh left my lips as I realized that it was already eleven in the morning. Meaning that I needed to tidy up the mess that I had created. The bed, the floor, the desk, everything was covered in drawing sheets, pencils, colors, and brushes. Yep! I was trying to draw a unicorn the entire morning and ended up drawing a treehouse with a little fairy playing with the ivy leaves that were decorating the treehouse. It really was not an easy task to clean up the mess that took me only a few minutes to create. Within ten minutes, the room was looking exactly how it was around three hours ago, tidy and boring. I was really careful with whatever I did in that room from the very day I realized that my new room actually belonged to Domenic. I seriously did not want to end up ruining something in his precious room since I had no confidence in surviving through his cold personality. Just then a knock on the door disturbed the silence of the room as well as my thoughts. "Come in." I softly said, loud enough to be heard by the person standing on the other side of the door, as I arranged the books sitting on the desk. The door opened and Mr. Hart entered the room along with Leo. I wanted to roll my eyes after seeing the youngest Alessandro brother. However, I controlled my sudden urge and just kept standing there beside the desk with next to no emotion visible on my face. For Leo, the lack of emotions in my expressions was not something new. He had been trying to do weird stuff throughout the past week to make my cold and indifferent expression crack even a little bit. For example, the very first morning after I had that nightmare, I found one of my hands tied with his hand with a silk ribbon. According to him, I had started sleepwalking and I almost destroyed all the precious posters of his favorite band. That''s why he tied his hand with mine so that I won''t end up sleepwalking again and destroy something else. Even though I had no idea what he was trying to do but I was damn sure that the sleepwalking story was a complete lie. I would never dare to enter any of the Alessandro brothers'' rooms, not even in my dreams. That very same day when I was about to retire to bed, he was again there with a storybook in his hands and he wanted to tell me stories. Then there was the incident early in the morning two days later while I was having my breakfast when he placed a glass full of some weird kind of mixed juice which both liked and smelled disgusting enough to make me puke. Moreover, he wanted me to drink that poison because he thought I would love that juice since I did not like sweets. These were just a few of his weird actions that I had suffered through the past few days. Almost every time I encountered him, he started speaking out completely nonsense things. As he entered the room along with Mr. Hart who was surveying the interior of the room, I just waited patiently for Leo to leave me alone with Mr. Hart as soon as possible. I was already nervous about the next few hours where I had to learn about the advanced subjects that I was supposed to take the coming semester. If Leo stayed with us then there was no way I would be comfortable enough to pay attention to anything that Mr. Hart would teach me. The fact that I had started feeling uncomfortable in the presence of the Alessandro brothers made a sad smile appear on my lips. "Miss Alessandro, do you like this room? I mean how it looked?" Mr. Hart suddenly asked me out of nowhere. The question was so sudden that I was left completely anxious as I tried to reply in a calm tone. "I...I''m.....Well, I think..." I wanted to say no. Who would like a room with nothing but darkness in it? The walls were painted dark forest green while the ceiling was dark grey. Even the floor was covered in black tiles with a dark forest green colored rug covering most of the area. I never entered his walk-in closet which stood right beside the washroom. And the room only had a bedside table and a desk. The bedsheets matched the color of the ceiling and except these, the entire room had nothing else in it. No shelf with his important documents, not a single painting as the walls were left completely bare. The room gave such dark and lonely feelings that even if I would switch on all the lights, I could not forget about the emptiness that it made me feel. To be honest, I felt like the room was a replica of my own life. It represented me very well. And that was how I ended up changing my answer as I replied to Mr. Hart''s question. "Yes. It''s pretty good. Suits my taste." I was damn sure my voice sounded as indifferent as it could and as I turned my rues to look at the two men in front of me, I realized that somehow they were already expecting my answer. While Mr. Hart''s eyes bored into me like he was trying to understand something deep, Leo was looking at me with soft eyes. And I hated both. I did not want anyone to look past the facade that I had created but most importantly, I did not want the Alessandro brothers to show me any kind of concern or sympathy. It was like Mr. Hart knew that Leo''s presence was making me anxious because the very next second he looked at the Youngest Alessandro brother as he said, "Thank you for your assistance. I will like some peaceful time with Miss Alessandro." Leo rolled his eyes but then stormed out of the room without a single word. But of course, he did not forget to ruffle my hair before leaving. A brand new hobby of his that was driving me insane. Chapter 23 - Twenty Two: Call Me Jackson "Please Mr. Hart, no need for formalities. You can call me Emily." I said as I pulled out a notebook from the pile that was sitting on one side of the huge desk. "Alright. But it''s only fair if you will call me Jackson rather than Mr. Hart. I''m barely 21 and you are making me feel like an old uncle." Mr. Hart said with a soft smile as he put on his glasses. The boy in front of me had the same kind of calm aura around him as I witnessed on Sam. Even though this was the second time I was meeting Mr. Hart and I barely knew anything about him except that he was my tutor and worked for Domenic, his presence made me relax. "This is the first day and our very first teaching session. I would suggest that we should first learn a little more about each other and only then dive into studies. What is your opinion on this?" Mr. Hart asked as he looked at me with his eyes filled with warmth. "I...I mean sure, why not. That sounds like a great idea." I replied with a small smile. At least I tried to smile. Even I was getting tired of my poker face. I watched as a full smile made its way on Mr. Hart''s lips and somehow it made me relax a little bit more. "Alright. Let''s start with what we already know about each other. I know that you are Emilia Alessandro, the youngest member of the Alessandro Empire and the only princess of the Alessandro Masters." Mr. Hart said and smiled softly in an encouraging way as he waited for me to start. I wanted to scoff at the part of being a Princess, however, like the good girl that I was, I did nothing like that. "You are Jackson Hart, and both you and your father works for Domenic," I said and looked at him to continue. I was happy to know that my tutor was a kind and warm-hearted person rather than some old creep with strict rules and regulations. That would be like a hell to survive through every day. But thankfully Jackson was far much better than the tutors that I had imagined in my mind. "Since I already know about your family, it is only fair for me to tell you a little about mine. Both my parents work under the Alessandro Empire. My father is running the Night Life Restaurant that is own by Daniel while my mother helps with the NGOs that Domenic has started over the past few years." Mr. Hart told me. I nodded my head slightly as for the first time in the past two weeks since I had entered the Alessandro mansion I got to know a little about the businesses that were the reason behind the fame and fortune of the Alessandro Empire. "As for me, I am the only child of my parents. I just wanted to buy my favorite bike for my coming birthday but since I had a very bad experience with my last bike my mom has refused to buy me a new one. As for my dad, he is too afraid to go against my mom. So, here I am. I will teach you and in return, I''ll earn more than enough to buy myself my favorite bike." Mr. Hart told me with a twinkle in his eyes. I seriously was not expecting him to tell me something like that. "Wait! So, this is your first time tutoring?" I asked him. "Right." Mr. Hart replied with a nod of his head. "Umm...are you sure that you can teach me? I mean...s-since this is your very first time and you are lacking in..." I did not get the chance to complete because I was immediately cut off by Mr. Hart. "My lady, both you and your brother have hurt my feelings a lot. You are exactly like him. Just to make sure that I will be excellent enough to teach you, your brother showed no mercy to my self-esteem. Do you know what he did?" Mr. Hart asked me with complaining eyes. I immediately shook my head in negative. Of course, I had no idea about what Domenic did to Mr. Hart. "Then let me tell you. He made me bring all my certificates from the very day I started school till the day I left the university. Then he asked his secretary to double-check my certificates to see that they were not fake." I found a smile making its way to my lips and it took a lot of effort from my side to not end up laughing at any cost as Mr. Hart continued complaining about Domenic. "And this is not the end. I have tutored some of the high school students during my college years. He even called them to ask for their marks and certificates of the year when I taught them. Don''t you think he went too far? How could he behave like this?" Mr. Hart looked horrified just by remembering the way he had suffered in the hands of Domenic. And this time I could not help but let out a soft chuckle as I watched the expressions on Mr. Hart''s face. "Are you too making fun of me?" He looked at me with complaining eyes and it made me shut up instantly. "I''m so sorry Mr. Hart..." "Jackson." "Oh! Yeah. I''m sorry Jackson. I did not mean to laugh. It''s just you looked so funny as you complained. But don''t worry I can see your pain." I quickly apologized. Mr. Hart looked at me with suspicious eyes for a few seconds before finally nodding his head in approval of m apology. "By the way, you said that that you have no experience in tutoring but you have taught high school students." I looked at him with raised eyebrows as I waited for him to explain. "That can''t be counted as an experience, at least not a good one." Mr. Hart replied with a shake of his hand. "Why?" I asked since I was left totally confused. "Because all four of them failed that year." Chapter 24 - Twenty-Three: Extra Homework "..." I just stared at Mr. Hart with my mouth hanging open. I literally had no idea what to say next. He was joking, right? "How can that be possible? That was really funny Mr....Jackson." I finally managed to make my voice work again. "I''m not kidding Emily. All four of them actually failed that year and I was even more shocked than you are right now. For real." Mr. Hart said as he looked at me with serious eyes as if he was trying to make me believe him. "T-then...how did you manage to make Domenic agree for assigning you as my tutor?" I asked with curiosity. "Umm...well, as you can see there''s always another way to use when you think you are failing very poorly." Mr. Hart said as he nervously scratched the back of his neck. "And that is?" I asked with raised eyebrows. "Begging." This was the reply that I received from him and that was when I finally lost it. I clasped my hand over my mouth to stop the chuckles that were making knots appear in my stomach since I was trying to keep them in. Never had I ever imagined to get a tutor who would be this much funny and hilarious. At that time I had no idea that soon enough I would start looking forward to our sessions since they became my only source of relaxation and happiness. "Yeah, go on. Make fun of me as much as you want. You have no idea how hard it is to beg in front of that Ice Lord. If not for me clinging on his legs for around twenty minutes, he would never have agreed. There''s no respect left in this world for such hard work." Mr. Hart grumbled with a scoff. It took all my willpower to not start laughing again at his words and the expression that he was currently carrying. I fanned myself and emptied an entire glass of water before I was finally able to calm down. "I''m so sorry. I should not have laughed but to tell you a secret, I''m actually impressed by you. No matter what kind of method you used to make Domenic agree but the fact that you came out victorious is the most important and remarkable part. I''m really proud of you." I gave him a thumbs up while making sure that I had praised his hard work in the right way. "Really?" Mr. Hart looked at me with suspicious eyes as he observed me to see if I was again making fun of him. "Of course! Even though it''s been only two weeks since I came here but it still is enough time for me to realize exactly how tough it is to make Domenic agree for something that he considers not important or worthy enough of his time and effort." I replied with a serious expression. I was not lying actually. Even though I barely spoke to any of the Alessandro brothers in the past one and a half weeks but that gave me a chance to study them and their personalities. Domenic was the head of both the Alessandro Empire and the Alessandro family. Always carrying an indifferent and cold personality no matter if it w¨¤s outside or inside the house. He loved rules and regulations. His words were the law and what he hated most was when someone, no matter who, broke his law. But then there were moments when I had seen warmth in his eyes as he sometimes observed his brothers having a great time and there were also a few times I caught him looking at me with worry and hurt in his eyes. As for Daniel, he was exactly the same. The mama of the family, the kindest and loving out of all the Alessandro brothers. He never tried to hide his real emotions. If he was hurt, angry, disappointed, concerned, or even happy, you could just see it in his eyes. Crist was no different from Daniel. Though he was not as kind and loving as Daniel but he could be considered the second most approachable person out of all the brothers. He also barely tried to hide his emotions. Mark was...Mark! Yeah, still his usual grumpy and angry self who just wanted to get rid of all the things that irritated him. I had a feeling that I topped his list of those things and people. Simon was a mystery. I could not read him at all. Well, I barely saw him. It was like if I was trying my best to avoid coming across any of the Alessandro brothers then he was trying twice of mine to stay away from everyone. Then there was Leo. Let''s just skip him. He was just the second name of irritation and trouble maker and he loved to prove it. "Fine! I''m letting you go this time because I''m giving you the benefit of doubt. But you better not make fun of my hard work next time, otherwise, I''ll punish you with extra homework." Mr. Hart''s warning brought me out of my thoughts and I quickly promised him to never mock his hard work. "I like the fact that you are a smart one. You know how to skip problems." Mr. Hart praised as he opened a notepad and motioned me to do the same. "Aah! You are embarrassing me. I''m not that smart." I replied as I played with the pen. Mr. Hart just chuckled in response. The two of us settled in a relaxed mode as we questioned each other about our hobbies and favorite things. And as the questions kept coming and I kept replying with almost ''I don''t know'' or ''I''m not that sure'', I realized exactly how different I was from the rest of the youngsters. I was not unique, rather I was someone who could be categorized as weird, or as a freak. I wanted to change myself. I wanted to learn how to enjoy my life, how to be normal. But deep down in my heart, I knew that my past would never stop chasing me that I would never be able to break through the chains of darkness that were surrounding me. Little did I knew that fate was about to play another game with me and this one was even worse than the last one. Chapter 25 - Twenty-Four: The Secret Of Domenics Room "Are you telling me that you have no favorite color, no favorite movie, song, actor, band, color, fruit, or even brand? Like in short, you have not a single thing in this world that is your favorite?" The way Jackson was looking at me with surprise-filled eyes, made me chuckle nervously as I lightly bit my lower lip. "Well..." I had no idea what to say and that led to an awkward silence. "Well, this only means that you need to try everything and finally find out your favorites," Jackson said with a sparkle in his eyes. "...I...I am not sure..." I began to say but was immediately cut off by my tutor who looked at me with his serious gaze. "There''s no negotiations here. From today onwards you will have four hours session with me rather than three. We will do the normal studies for three hours and in that one left hour, I''ll introduce you to the luxuries of a human''s life. I''ll go and ask for permission from that Ice King later today." I kept silent for a few moments as Mr. Hart kept waiting for my reply in silence. "Okay." I finally replied with a sigh. There was no point in arguing with him and after thinking about it I actually liked the idea. Rather than confining myself inside the four walls of Domenic''s room to avoid the Alessandro brothers, it would be a much better idea to spend the time in Jackson''s company. "Perfect!" Jackson beamed with happiness as soon as he heard my answer. "Alright, since we complete our basic introduction and we more or less know each other to some level, let''s go towards the second round," Jackson said in his not so serious tone. "And what is that?" I asked him with raised eyebrows. It was the first time in the past two weeks since I came to the Alessandro mansion that I had spoken so much and that too within an hour. "If you want to give your best in your studies then it''s necessary that you can put your entire focus on it. That means your mind should be calm and relaxed. How you look at your surroundings and what are the things that you can see in them also makes a huge impact on your personality. And your personality determines how focused your mind is on a particular topic. This means you not only need to rock in your studies but you should also develop a wonderful personality." Jackson explained in a calm tone. I nodded my head as I tried to wrap my mind around the meaning behind his words. "So, again tell me, what do you think about this room, Emily? And this time let your mind focus on each and every detail of this room. Tell me what this room portrays. What kind of aura or personality this room contains?" Jackson asked me and this time he actually looked serious enough to make me straighten in my seat as I turned to look around the room in which I had been staying for over a week. My eyes took in the dark theme of the room, the lack of personal belongings, the lack of familiarity, the absence of natural light, the absence of openness, and last but not the least, the lack of warmth. However, the room was clean, every single thing was sitting in its proper place, not a single thing was out of order. I kept looking around the room, observing the same things again and again. Probably an eternity had passed when I finally found myself speaking, "This room carries a dark theme which makes it look cold, like a person with an indifferent personality. Every single thing inside this room is placed at its proper place, no exception, like a person who is trying to make everything look perfect in their lives." I stopped for a second as my eyes landed on the grey drapes that were hiding the ceiling to floor-length glass windows. "The absence of any natural light reminds me of someone who is trying to keep the rest of the world away from looking into the darkness and emptiness that is surrounding them," I said softly as I kept looking at the hidden windows. "But...?" Jackson asked in a very soft tone as if he was afraid of something. I stayed silent for a few seconds but then finally answered. "But in order to keep their secrets from the rest of the world, that person forgot about those who were living inside the house. The people inside the house could see that person''s indifferent and cold appearance and at the same time, they could also see the darkness that was surrounding that person, the lack of warmth around them. That person succeeded in hiding their darkness from the rest of the world but not from everyone." The room was filled with silence as I finished my answer as I still kept looking at the drapes hanging over the windows, lost in my own thoughts. "Do you think that person could overcome this darkness if they redecorated the room in bright colors and change the ''too perfect to be real'' theme of their life?" Jackson asked. And his question made a sad smile appear on my lips as I replied, "Of course, that person could redecorate the room and open the windows to let the natural light enter in their room. But whenever they would close their eyes, the only room they were able to see would be that same old room with the same dark old theme." "Then.....what about trying to redecorate that room behind their closed eyes first? Would that help?" Jackson asked, but it felt like he was trying to make me realize something. I turned to look at my tutor and this time I was no longer lost in my thoughts. I was no idiot. I was well aware of what he was trying to do and to be honest, I really appreciated it. However, he was not aware of the density of the darkness that was covering the room behind my closed eyes. I was about to open my mouth to speak but Jackson stopped me as he started speaking. "I know what you are going to say, Emily. However, I still want you to give it a try. I want to see the capability of your mind. So here I''m giving you your very first homework. I want you to decorate this room in your mind and tomorrow I want a result. I hope you won''t disappoint me." Chapter 26 - Twenty-Five: Silver Hair Boys "...But in order to keep their secrets from the rest of the world, that person forgot about those who were living inside the house..." The room was filled with silence as Sam stopped the recording that was playing on Jackson''s phone. The two young handsome men turned their eyes towards the person sitting on the couch opposite them. The powerful and distant aura surrounding him could make any person tremble in fear. However, both the young doctor and the young tutor looked completely fearless as they faced the most powerful ruler of their business world. "I always thought that you are the only antique piece in this world, never knew that Miss Alessandro would come out as an exact copy of yours. Looks like you two have more similarities between the two of you." Sam said as he looked at Domenic with one of his eyebrows raised high. "What is going on with her, Sam? Why her thoughts are filled with darkness and sadness? I want answers." Domenic almost shouted at the doctor but caught himself at the very last moment. His worry for his baby sister was eating him up. The heaviness that was settling inside the Alessandro mansion and the wall that Emily was trying to create between herself and the brothers, was making everything hard for him to handle. "Relax Domenic. We know that you are worried about her, but we can''t rush with this matter. Confronting her directly or speeding things up would only lead her to lock herself in her cocoon and that''s the last thing that we want." Jackson said as he looked at Domenic with a serious expression on his face. The funny, light-hearted person who was joking and chatting with Emily just a few hours ago was nowhere in sight. "Exactly! It''s the first day of their session and she has already started opening up. Let things proceed at their own pace. Just have some patience." Sam added as he showed his agreement with Jackson''s words. Domenic remained silent as he thought about what the two young men had just said. They were far younger than him but they were good at their job and that was exactly why he trusted them with Emily. "Alright! But do we really have to wait for her to speak to us first? Her silence is killing everyone and..." Domenic trailed off as a sigh left his lips. "No. You can keep trying on your own level. Just make sure not to bring up the past incidents. Don''t ask questions about what''s wrong with her or why she is angry with you all. Just make her believe that you all actually want your baby sis back in your life." Sam said as he gave him a small nod. The room was once again filled with silence for the next few seconds as both Sam and Jackson waited for the Young Master of the Business Empire to say something. After nearly five minutes or something, Domenic finally looked at the two young men as he said, "Alright. We will do as you say. I''m trusting both of you, don''t let me down. You are allowed to increase your tutoring hours if you think that it can help Emily in opening up." Jackson nodded his head as both he and Sam stood up from their seats. As the two young men left the room after sharing last-minute words with Domenic, another person clad in a dark grey suit entered the room. "Is the security team ready?" Domenic asked as he took out a folder from the top drawer of the huge desk. "Yes, Master." The man in the dark suit answered immediately. "Good. Make sure that each of the members is well aware of the person who is the most important to them from today onwards. There''s no place for mistakes when it comes to Emily." Domenic said as he passed the folder to the man. "Rest assured, Master. We won''t let you down." The man did not miss a single second before replying with full confidence. Domenic nodded his head as he looked at the man. "Good. Continue with the set plan." "Yes, Master!" ---- While the Alessandro''s were busy in finding ways to make their sister happy and keeping her safe, there was an uproar flaring at the opposite end of the city. In the very middle of the vast forest that was attached to the outskirts of the city, a huge mansion stood with hundreds of guards keeping their attention focused on any kind of danger as they surveyed the perimeters. The mansion was not one of the modern estates, rather it appeared like a castle from some fantasy movie with dozens of towers standing tall in glory. The top floor of one of those towers had currently become a battlefield. A group of five people was busy in throwing punches and kicks as if they were trying to kill each other. The crowd that surrounded them was too afraid to intervene. They just kept standing at the corners, watching in silence. "ENOUGH!" The door of the room opened with a loud bang and suddenly the entire room was filled with silence. The fear that suddenly took over the people that were present in the room was as clear as day as they all tried to stay away from the five men who were the target of the wrath of the person who just entered the room. The man looked like he was around twenty or something. His long silver hair was tied in a high ponytail which was a direct contrast to his black suit that was molding around his well-built body. His dark blue eyes held nothing but coldness in them as he glared directly at the young boy in front of him who was currently looking like a mess. The two brothers, both carrying long silver hairs and peerless handsomeness, were looking a direct contrast to each other at that moment. While one held himself with confidence, the other could not even stand straight due to the huge cut that was visible on his left leg. One was looking like the young but powerful CEO of a huge business empire while the other looked like a hooligan. "Follow me." The man did not stop even for a single second as he immediately turned to leave. His voice even though was far much lower than before but the command was clear in it. "Brot....!" The one who was covered in cuts and blood tried to call, however, the person had already left the room. "Young Master, this time you have landed yourself in a very hard situation. Master won''t let you go without a punishment." A man who looked around to be in his mid-forties said as he hurriedly came forward to help the injured silver hair guy. "Tell me something that I already do not know." The boy said with a shake of his head as he let the man help him in reaching his brother''s office. Chapter 27 - Twenty-Six: Planning Of Poisoning His Sister "But why? She will like it. Just let me try at least once!" I wanted to cover my ears to save myself from the constant whining of Leo. Only God knew how Daniel and Simon were tolerating him at the moment. When I came downstairs for breakfast I was expecting to have some nice and alone time without any interference from any of the Alessandro brothers since most of them left the house around eight or nine in the morning. I knew that some of them were still in the mansion but I assumed that since it was already around nine-thirty, they would be busy with their daily stuff. However, when I stepped into the dining hall I was greeted with three of the said Young Masters of the Alessandro Empire. I did not get the chance of quietly retreating into my room because Simon noticed me exactly the moment I was going to flee. The fact that he did not ignore me but called my name out loud to alert the two of his brothers about my presence, made me grit my teeth in annoyance. So, here I was, sitting there with my breakfast plate as the three of them fought over the cookies that Leo had baked. "For goodness sake! You can''t even boil water without setting the kitchen on fire and you want us to believe that you have baked these cookies. Impossible!" Daniel said with a shake of his head as he looked at his youngest brother with suspicious eyes. "How can you behave like this, Danny? You should show some faith in your little brother. I''m really pissed right now." Leo scoffed as he folded his hands in front of his chest while making a pouting face. "Mind your language child or I''ll really send you to clean the ice rink for the rest of the year." Daniel immediately threatened Leo. "Aish! In reality, you are a much bigger demon than Domenic. Forget it! Who cares if you believe in my ability of cooking or not? I have baked these cookies for my baby sis and she will be the judge of my skills. Just wait and watch!" Leo replied with a smirk as he looked at his Second Eldest brother with a challenging gaze. A sigh left Daniel''s lips as he said, "Emily doesn''t like sweet things and these are chocolate cookies. There''s no way she is going to eat them. You are just wasting her time." "She will eat it. I''m her favorite brother and she won''t let me down in front of you. Just wait and watc...." Leo trailed off as his attention was grabbed by the coughing Simon who looked like he wanted to throw up. My attention was also pulled towards Simon, not like I was able to keep my attention away from the bickering that was going on between Leo and Daniel. But at least at that time I was not looking at them. However, the sudden coughing from Simon made me turn my eyes towards him. He grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water from the sink. Within five seconds he finished gulping down all the water. "What happened?" Daniel asked while trying his best to hide his curiosity. Although I wanted to stop paying any attention to the three of them. But even I was curious to know what happened with Simon. "What the hell did you put in these cookies of yours? They taste like shit. Were you planning of killing her with your poisonous cookies?" Simon asked as he looked at Leo with huge shocked eyes. "What on earth are you talking about?" Leo murmured as he picked up a cookie from the plate and inspected it with his sharp eyes. To be honest, the cookies looked perfectly fine from the outside. Therefore, even I was curious about what was wrong with them. As Leo too did not find anything suspicious about the cookies he looked up at his brother who just stared back at him with a frown on his face. I was surprised to see Simon talking and carrying any other expression on his face other than the usual indifferent and boring look. After a few seconds of silent staring at Simon, Leo decided to taste the cookie on his own to see what was wrong with it. He almost got a heart attack the moment he tasted the cookies. They actually tasted like poison. "See! And he was planning to make her eat this rubbish. What a great big brother!" Simon mocked as he watched Leo spitting out the cookie in the waste bin. "What''s wrong with the cookies?" Daniel asked as he eyed the perfectly normal looking cookies sitting on the plate. "Why don''t you give them a try to find out the answer on your own?" Simon suggested as he turned his eyes towards me. I was quick to turn my eyes back on my almost empty plate. It was sure not a good feeling to get caught staring at someone, especially when you were not on speaking terms with that person. "No thanks. I love my tastebuds, unlike you guys. It will be enough if you two can tell me what is going on." Daniel replied as he looked at Leo who just finished the second glass of water. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve as he placed the empty glass on the counter. As his eyes landed on the plate of cookies there was pure disgust and horror on his face. "Oh my! They really taste that bad?" Daniel asked as he watched the horrified expression on his youngest brother''s face. Suddenly Leo shouted out of the blue, almost making me jump in my seat. "Now I remember..." "Remember what?" Simon asked as he opened the fridge and took out a cup of ice cream. He probably could not get rid of the bad taste of the cookies and needed the help of the ice cream to soothe his taste buds. "These are the exact same cookies in which I added that durian and ginger paste last Christmas to take my revenge on Mark. How the hell they ended up in the cookie jar?" Leo scratched his neck in confusion as he stared at the cookies. Completely oblivious to the smirking Daniel and Simon who almost gagged when he heard Leo''s words. Chapter 28 - Twenty-Seven: Alessandros Are Not Humans LEO''s P.O.V. "...I mean...that it was..." Leo was left flustered as he finally realized that he had just confessed two things. One, that he never baked the cookies in the very first place and Second, that he was the one behind the poisonous cookies that everyone ate last Christmas. "Listen guys, it was just a little prank. I was not expecting you all to eat the cookies that Domenic especially ordered the chefs to prepare. I thought he wanted to eat them. I had no idea that the cookies were for us. I swear!" Leo hurriedly tried to explain as he looked at both of his brothers with a terrified look in his eyes. He was just thanking the Heavens that it was Simon and Daniel in front of whom he blabbed out his secret. If by any chance Mark and Crist were also there to listen to his confession that he just made in his shock, then he was really done for. The two of them would have made him eat all the cookies that were filling the plate that was currently sitting on the counter, to exact their revenge. Not all of his brothers were sensible human beings after all. To be honest, not a single one of his siblings could be called a human being. If they were living in Hell then Domenic would be the Ruler of Hell with his cold, indifferent, powerful, and ruthless personality. Daniel was more of a mama bear than a human brother. Crist was probably a koala as he was the laziest one in the family and if given a chance he would spend the entire day sleeping off. Simon was definitely some lost alien baby that somehow ended up in their family. Leo had a great urge of one day making the alien brother of his take a DNA test. He was a hundred percent sure that it would not match with the rest of the Alessandro brothers and it would also be revealed to everyone that he indeed was an alien. If Domenic was the Ruler of Hell then Mark was the gatekeeper of that same hell. The three-headed hellhound that was described in the myths completely matched with his personality. In short, according to Leo, not a single one of his brothers could be called a human. He himself was probably the only one out of all the Alessandro brothers who came as close as to be called a human. And the last but definitely not the least, his baby sis. There was no doubt that she was not a human at all. Just one look at her and Leo could tell that she was actually an angel, a princess who was trapped between demons and the evil world of hell. All he wanted to do was to protect her from all the evil that would one day ruin her purity, but the presence of the darkness that could be seen around her was making him hesitate. And he knew that he was not the one who was hesitating. He could feel the same feelings in his brothers, even in Mark and Simon. He had caught Mark standing outside the door of Domenic''s bedroom which was currently Emily''s safe place. He knew very well the reason behind his brother''s daily visit to her room around ten or eleven in the night even though he never tried to walk into the room, not even once. Probably because he never heard her screaming in her dreams again after that night of the fire incident. As for Simon? The fact that he was always seen around or in the kitchen every morning for the past ten days was enough for his brothers to understand that no matter how much he tried to look indifferent, even he cared about her. He even went as far as talking about her even though barely for a few minutes, but that too was something new for their always silent brother. He would never accept but the only reason behind his presence in the kitchen during the breakfast timing of Emily was to make sure that she was eating properly. They all knew about the plan of looking into Emily''s past and her fears that Domenic had constructed with the help of Sam and Jackson. And even though most of them did not like the idea of that plan where they would be spying on their sister''s personal life without her knowing about it, but they still agreed. None of them had any idea about how to approach her, how to make her feel safe and loved, or how to make her open up on her own. They all had been a bunch of boys in their late teens, early and mid-twenties, who had been living together for the past ten years. Emily''s presence in the house was making everything different. It was not like the brothers did not want her to be a part of the family, the thing was that they had no idea how to do that, how to make her feel like she was a part of the Alessandro''s. "Earth to Leo! Are you even paying attention?" Daniel''s loud voice brought Leo out of his thoughts and he realized that he had been staring at the plate of cookies for a long time as he had been lost in his thoughts. "Oh my! Do you think he has been traumatized after eating those cookies? Maybe we should..." Leo was about to give Simon a piece of his mind as the alien once again started teasing him. However, before he could make even a single word leave his mouth, his attention was pulled towards the soft chuckles that filled his heart with a kind of happiness and relief that he never knew existed. His eyes found his baby sis who was laughing sweetly as she tried to suppress her laughter as best as she could as she filled her mouth with the pasta that probably had gone cold. His brothers were no different. Both Simon and Daniel were looking at Emily in a daze as their expressions filled with amazement. It was the first time they heard their little sister laughing ever since she returned and it was the most beautiful and musical sound they ever heard in their lives. Chapter 29 - Twenty-Eight: Strangled By Leo I clasped my right hand over my mouth as soon as I realized what just happened. I laughed! I laughed listening to their bickering! And the worst part? Well all the three of them noticed it. I quietened down quickly as I returned to my indifferent facial expression. However, it was already too late. The next second I found myself strangled by the strong arms of Leo who was probably trying to give me a back hug as I kept sitting in my chair. Did that boy had any idea exactly how muscular his arms were and at the same time how fragile my neck was? Probably not! Because he only tightened his hold around my shoulders and neck. "Let go of me!" I commanded as I tried to remove his hands. However, I was completely ignored by that idiot as he started spouting nonsense. "Did you all see? I made my baby sis laugh! Yeaaa! I''m actually the best brother ever." Leo said as he looked at his two older brothers with sparkling eyes. "You made her laugh? Are you sure?" Simon asked with a raised eyebrow as he looked at his youngest brother with a mocking expression in his eyes. But Leo was definitely not ready to back down. He was set to take the credit for making me finally lose my control. "Why? Are you trying to say that you were the one acting like a cartoon or a joker just now that made her laugh?" Leo asked his brother with his own eyebrows raised as high as the sky. The fact that he just called himself a joker and a cartoon almost made me smile again, almost! Simon just scoffed in reply but did not say anything giving Leo the impression that he, Leo, had won the battle. While these two were busy in their own world of bickering my eyes landed on Daniel who was looking at me with soft eyes. His dark green eyes were once again filled with warmth as he smiled softly at me when he caught me looking at him. Of course, I did not reciprocate. Not with the smile nor with the softness in eyes. I just kept looking at him with my cold emotionless eyes as I tried my best to see if I could find the real face of Daniel Alessandro behind his mask. However, deep down in my heart, a battle was going on. I thought that they all were liars and fake people who were playing with me. But were they really fake? Were they actually what I was portraying them as? Or had I misunderstood them? These questions had been constantly nagging me, making my anger towards them dissipate little by little with each passing day. In place of anger, there was frustration now. The frustration of not knowing exactly what was going on around me, the frustration of being left in the dark. A voice in my mind suggested me to come out clear with my questions with them. But no! I was not going to make a fool of myself in front of them ever again. It would be a different thing if I actually misunderstood them. But what if it was not a misunderstanding? What if the Alessandro brothers were exactly how I was portraying them for the past two weeks? Would not I look like a fool for opening up my heart to them if it was the second scenario? Yep! I would probably appear like an insecure fool while the Alessandro''s would laugh at me and my pathetic self. Maybe my facial expression changed as I was busy thinking about these dark thoughts because I noticed that the room had quieted down. It was not until two warm hands covered either side of my cheeks that I finally returned to reality. My eyes stared directly into the dark green orbs of Daniel as he was crouching in front of me while looking at me with worried eyes. Why was he worried? I was not planning on setting his kitchen on fire. At least not yet! "What do you want to do on your birthday, Sorrelina?" He asked while moving his hands to hold my hands. I just kept staring at him, not even thinking about his question. What Birthday? For me, my birthday was no different from the rest of the days of the year. I had no idea what I was supposed to do on birthdays. Believe it or not! I could remember a few of my birthdays that I celebrated with my mom before she lost herself in alcohol and drugs. She would dress me in beautiful clothes, brought me to amusement park, or sometimes we would watch a movie together. At night she would bake a cake and we would cut it together. That was the time when I was living probably in the happiest moments of my life. A time when I loved to eat ice cream and cakes. Pitty that it did not last for long. As Daniel noticed my lack of interest in his question he started suggesting his own ideas. "Well..., since you don''t like sweets what about we prepare a big feast with a lot of delicious food and if you would like then all the seven of us can watch a movie together here at home in the evening. What do you think?" He was looking at me with such hopeful eyes that the words that were supposed to decline his offer got stuck in my throat. I had no idea why I did that and how I did that. But even before I could realize I was nodding my head in agreement. "Perfect! Don''t worry baby sis, we will not let you down on your birthday. Promise." Leo said as he planted a huge kiss on my temple. And that was the final blow. With all my might I pushed him away from me which made him stumble back in both shock and horror. "Don''t you dare cover my face with your filthy saliva. I swear I''ll kill you!" I growled at him as I stood up from my seat and left the room. The laughter that erupted in the kitchen and Leo''s complaints made a tiny smile appear on my lips as I walked towards my room. Chapter 30 - Twenty-Nine: Blue & Purple "Umm...maybe...blue...or purple?" I looked at Jackson with uncertainty clear in both my reply and my eyes. We were standing in my room, the one which suffered under my hands two weeks ago. The room looked nothing like how it was when I first moved into it. The walk-in closet was empty and so was the washroom. The bedroom was in a similar condition. White walls, a bare bed, bedside table, and a desk. These were the only possessions inside the room. Jackson asked me if I had to redecorate the room according to my choice then how would I decorate it. The question left me completely baffled. Currently, I was supposed to tell him what kind of color or design I wanted on the walls. "You like purple and blue?" The sudden question and the voice that absolutely did not belong to Jackson surprised me. It was Crist who was standing at the door with his hands folded in front of his chest. His eyes were trained on me as he waited for my reply. I was sure that in the past three hours almost all the Alessandro brothers would have got the wind of what happened in the kitchen during breakfast. You knew what that implied? It meant that now all of them were far more confident and comfortable in talking to me than they were till the early morning. For a moment I thought about ignoring him but then my eyes landed on Jackson who too was waiting for my answer. "...I...I-umm...not favorite maybe but I think they look good. Blue, black, green, red, purple, all of them are great. But I think blue and purple are way much better than the rest." I stopped mumbling as I noticed the smile that was playing on Jackson''s lips. I did not need to turn around to know that the same kind of smile was adorning Crist''s face too. "That''s it. She likes dark colors and out of the category of those dark colors blue and purple are her favorite." Jackson said in a tone like he was solving some kind of mystery. I was about to tell him that just because I thought that blue and purple looked quite good than the rest of the colors, then it did not mean that they were my favorites. However, before I could even open my mouth. I watched as Crist hurriedly walked over and stood directly next to Jackson. Not only that but he snatched the notebook and pen from Jackson''s hands and started writing something in it. "What are you doing?" I could not help myself but ask as I looked at him with narrowed eyes. In reply, he looked at me with a magnificent smile as he said, "I realized that if I want to learn more about my little sister then joining your extra classes with Jackson would be a great idea. And look, I have barely been here for five minutes and I already got to know that blue and purple are your favorite colors. I''m amazing, right?" I could not help but scoff at the stupid person that was standing in front of me. I had no idea what was giving me such strength to scoff or frown at the Alessandro brothers since I could barely look directly into their eyes just a week ago. But here I was, glaring at Crist like he was some sort of psychopath who needed to disappear from the front of my eyes as soon as possible. Of course, if instead of him it would be either Domenic or Mark, I would have never dared to even breathe soundly. Scratch that! I could not scoff or frown at Daniel and Simon too. It was probably only Leo and Crist who did not make me feel like they would slaughter me down the moment I did something that was wrong according to them. "I''m just trying to say that I think blue or maybe purple color would look good on these walls. But...., I never said that they are my favorite colors. Stop overreacting." I finally let out my inner thoughts which clearly took the two boys standing in front of me as idiots. "Sweetheart, look! You choose only these two colors out of all those hundreds of colors that are present in this world. The fact that they attracted your attention enough for you to choose them as the wall color of your bedroom clearly explains that they have succeeded in getting your attention." Jackson explained as he looked at me with soft eyes. His words made my mind to go blank for a few seconds making me hesitate in denying his explanation. I was pulled out of my jumbled thoughts when I felt cold fingers touching my wrists. I did not pay any attention to my actions and by the time I did, the deed was already done. Those cold fingers on my wrist made my mind surround with the dark memories of my past. The dungeon, the silver chilled wire wrapped tightly around my wrists, so tight that it cut through my flesh and blood was dripping on the dead body of the girl who became the darkest memory of my life. Crist''s cold fingers on my wrists reminded me of that very same night when I was left tied to that pole and in my stupidity, the moment I felt the coldness on my skin I pushed him away with a lot more force than I thought I was even capable of. My push took him by shock and he stumbled backward. The good thing was that I was not that powerful to cause any physical damage to him. However, looking at the confused expression on both their faces I knew that I had fucked up. "I...I''m s-sorry. I-I really a-am. I was...was n-not..." I was so shocked and terrified that I could not even speak properly. My voice was trembling and I could feel my body losing control. The next thing I knew, a warm embrace engulfed me in a kind of warmth and protection that was completely foreign to me. "Sssh! It''s alright, Em. You did nothing wrong. I''m not angry. Rather, I''m happy to see that my baby sis is far more powerful than she looks. Don''t worry, I''m here for you. All of us are..." I heard Crist softly whispering to me as he patted my head with one of his hands while the other was securely holding me in his arms. Maybe...just maybe, they were not as bad as I was portraying them. Chapter 31 - Thirty: The Nightmare Returns *** I was no longer sure exactly for how long I had been left in the dark and cold dungeon. As far as I know, there were still a few months left before the winter would finally appear, but here I was, trembling and quivering due to the cold that was seeping into my body, freezing my blood and bones. I tried to squirm a little but my body had gone completely numb. I could no longer feel pain in my injured wrists where the silver wire was cutting into my skin. Barely any time was left before it would pierce into one of my veins and everything would end. But I should have known better. How could my fate let me get away from this neverending pain so easily? "Can''t you do something about your cuts? The sight and smell of your blood are becoming a torment for us." My head jerked towards the cell on my right side and there they were. Around a dozen people in dark grey or black clothes who were too weird to be called human. For some reason, almost all of them hated the sight of my blood. But could not blame them, could I? Even I had started disliking the sight of my own blood. "Don''t be so harsh on her. You very well know that she''s the most innocent one out of all of us and they are just using her to torment us." This time my head turned towards the cell that was located on my left. There were also seven people thrown into it, six men and one woman, a very beautiful one. She was looking at me with her soft hazel eyes. Her shoulder-length blonde hair was no longer smooth and silky, rather it had turned dirty and tangled. But as soon as my eyes landed on that beautiful Goddess, my surroundings changed. And for the hundredth time, I pleaded to rather be left bound, bleeding, and starved in that cold cell than face the horrifying scene that was about to play in front of my eyes. I could tell that I was screaming at the top of my lungs as the same woman once again appeared in front of me. I wanted to tell her to run, to get away from me as soon as possible, to save her life. However, the only sound that escaped my lips were ear-piercing screams. And then I heard the air sizzling beside my ear as the loud noise of the gunshot ranged in my ears. And before anything more could happen, my eyes flew open! *** A man stood against the railing of the ninth floor balcony of the Master''s bedroom. His waist-length silver hair was left loose as it flowed in the night breeze. His white shirt was left unbuttoned, making his eight packs and tanned chiseled body visible to the eyes. His dark blue eyes and silver hair, plus his white clothes almost made him appear like a fantasy character as the moonlight shone on him, surrounding him in its warmth and glow. However, if one could look past the facade of the image then they would probably notice the slightest glimpse of sadness and frustration that was visible in his eyes. His hands were clenched in tight fists making his knuckles turn white. He again had that dream, the dream that had been haunting him in his sleep but it was not exactly his dream. Weird, right! Even he could not understand why he was being tormented by them. He could not see anything properly in those dreams, not a single thing. In his dreams, it would be pure darkness and the only understandable thing was the pain, the suffering, and agony of the person who was the owner of those dreams. The Silver hair man could only feel that agony and grief but had no idea who was causing it and exactly to whom. He felt sympathy for that person because he knew that he/she actually existed in the real world. However, his frustration was far much stronger than that sympathy. He was already surrounded by his own world of demons and problems, and these dreams were only creating more problems for him. He wanted to find out the person whom these dreams belonged to and finish their sufferings forever. He would either send them to a psychiatrist or he could always kill them, the best and quickest way of solving most of his problems. However, the worst news was that he could never found that person even if he tried with all his power According to the Oracle, that person would enter his world when the time was right, neither before nor later. It already had been more than two years when he went to meet the old lady who lived at the edge of the Shadow Forest, known as the Oracle. Meaning, he had already been waiting for almost three years for that person to appear and stop the torment of their dreams that had been haunting him. And there''s still no trace of any kind of such person. A sigh left the man''s lips as he returned into his bedroom. The moonlight was the only source of light that was illuminating the inside of the huge room. As he prepared to go back to sleep his eyes landed on the photo frame that was sitting on the bedside table. As soon as his eyes landed on the person who was looking at him with their beaming smile from behind the glass of the frame, a soft smile immediately made its way on his way. His fingers softly grazed the outline of that person through the glass frame as a deep sigh left his lips. "Good night." He softly whispered and with that laid back on the bed, ready to once again try to sleep, and if miracles were possible then maybe he would be saved from any of those dreams this time. --- "Don''t worry. I''m here with you. The lights are on. Just close your eyes and sleep." I stared at Daniel as he kept brushing my hair with light hands. I could no longer stand the tsunami of emotions that were covering his eyes. I was thankful that he was there for me but I needed something rigid to made me believe that I was no longer trapped inside those nightmares. And that''s how I ended up turning away from him as I buried my face in Domenic''s arms. I sure was not thinking straight! Chapter 32 - Thirty-One: Leos Present "So...? Are you guys trying to say that you have not purchased presents for her birthday which is only at a distance of less than two hours?" Leo asked his brothers with raised eyebrows. The time had passed so quickly and it was already a month since Emily returned to her home, the Alessandro Mansion under Domenic''s guardianship. In the past two weeks after the incident in the kitchen where, according to Leo, he succeeded in making her laugh, she had finally started mingling with them once again. Though it was not really that much, like she would only speak when asked a question, but it was still something. At least, she was no longer ignoring their existence in her life. With Jackson''s help, the brothers already had finished preparing one of her birthday presents as a group. However, they still needed to prepare gifts individually. But looking at his brothers'' faces Leo did not need the ability to read their minds to know that none of them had prepared anything yet. "We are just not sure what to gift her. There''s no use in gifting clothes or other expensive things. She would never accept them. And we have no idea what to gift her that would leave her no other choice but to accept." Crist explained his and others'' problem to their youngest brother. The only reason why they were all surrounding Leo''s bed at just one and a half an hour before midnight, was because they got to know that their youngest brother had already bought a present for Em. Not only that but Leo was more than a hundred percent confident that Em would not be able to reject his gift at any cost. Even though he''s an idiot and liked to brag all the time, but somehow he convinced his brothers, probably because they were too desperate to find a solution to their problem. None of them had any kind of experience in giving presents to a girl. They just could not gift her a pair of socks, watches, ties, shirts, or even underwear to their baby sis, now could they? These were the gifts that they exchanged between the six of them at their birthdays or Christmas. Therefore, their knowledge about what to gift to a girl, especially their baby sis, was next to zero. "Don''t waste our time. Just tell us what you bought and how are you planning to make her accept it." Mark spoke in an irritated tone as he glared at his youngest brother. However, Leo was not ready to let go of such a huge opportunity of teasing his big brothers. Therefore, he raised his eyebrows as he eyed his brothers one by one before speaking, "Oh my! What kind of behavior is that? Did no one teach you that there''s a certain way to ask for someone''s help?" This time he was met with multiple stairs and raised eyebrows. Maybe teasing his brothers was not the best decision. "Ah! I was just joking. Don''t mind my nonsense. And as for what I have bought..." He looked at his brothers who were eagerly waiting for him to complete his sentence, the desperation was clear in almost all of their eyes. "She loves drawing and sketching...so, I decided to buy her a complete set of all the drawing equipment. Her love for art and a little persuasion from my side and that''s it! She would accept it." Leo finally revealed the secret. "Wow, brother! You actually have a brain. Not bad." Crist said with a mocking smirk playing on his lips. "Hey!" Leo was definitely offended as he glared daggers at Crist. "Alright! Since we all now know what to do, let''s not waste any more time. Let him sleep and you all too retire to your rooms." Domenic ordered as he lightly patted Leo''s shoulder once, signaling him to not start bickering with Crist. Leo huffed but nodded his head once. There was no other choice after all. "Yes, boss!" The rest of his brothers mockingly saluted Domenic before hurriedly fleeing from the room. Leo just smiled as he looked at his eldest brother who was just shaking his head at their antics. "Good night." Domenic muttered in a small voice before he left Leo''s room. The youngest Alessandro Master waited for about ten minutes before he silently walked out of his room. Making sure that there was no one in the hallway, he started walking towards the room at the very end of the hall. Ever since the fire incident, Emily was staying in Domenic''s room while the Alessandro Master himself was sleeping in the guest room downstairs. They had taken down the lock of his room''s door. The reason was simple. They were not allowing Emily to again shut herself inside a room. He knocked once on the door to let the person inside know about his presence before opening the door and creeping inside the dark room. "Goodness, girl! Why this room reminds me of some scene from a horror movie? Switch on the lights for heaven''s sake!" Leo whispered as he tried to adjust his eyes in the darkness. Just as he finished whispering the room was illuminated by bright light and his eyes landed on his little sister who was sitting on the bed with her eyes staring directly at him. However, there was something in her eyes that he did not like at all. There was panic, even guilt and she was constantly nibbling on her lower lip. Something that she did while being nervous. "What is it, Em? Are you worried about something? Is there anything troubling you?" Leo asked as he walked towards the bed and climbed on it, sitting beside his little sister while facing her. Emily dropped her head on his shoulder as she let out a deep sigh. Her long hair which she had left loose formed a curtain around her face. He immediately started patting her head lightly to make her relax, however, he found her muttering something. "Look at the door." That''s what he thought that she had said. "The door...?" Leo was confused but he still turned towards the door of the room and watched in complete horror as the door, which he had forgotten to close, shut with a loud bang. He gulped down his saliva to moisten his suddenly dry throat. His fingers tightened their holds around his sister as he tried his very best to stay calm and not show his fear. "Don''t worry. I won''t let anything happen to you. I promise." Chapter 33 - Thirty-Two: Caught "I think you should worry about your own life rather than hers." The mocking tone of Mark pulled our attention to him. He was still standing beside the door while resting his back against the wall. His dark raven-colored hair shone brightly in the light that was illuminating the room. And the slightest glimpse of the tattoos that were covering his wrists was peeking through the sleeves of his nightshirt. The moment he entered the room and signaled me to stay silent, I had no clue about what was going on with him. It was probably the second time I saw him in my temporary bedroom ever since I was shifted there. But then I heard Leo''s light footsteps in the hallway as he sneaked towards my room. At that moment, the realization dawned on me. Mark was there to caught his youngest brother red-handed and just thinking about the lecture that Leo would be getting from Domenic, made me cringe inside. At first, I was totally irritated by Leo''s daily night visits. Ever since the night, around one and a half weeks ago, when I dreamed about those dark memories of my past, I realized that most of the Alessandro brothers were constantly checking on me every night. They probably wanted to make sure that I was not struggling with those nightmares again. The fact that none of them asked me any questions about my dreams and me screaming and crying out loudly in the middle of the night, was making my head spin in confusion. I was happy that they were giving me space and not bombarding me with their questions. Because no matter how much they tried, I would never have been able to tell them anything. But at the same time, their silence about my nightmare episodes and composed behavior around me all the time was making me question their motives. Even though they probably were just trying to be polite. But the fact that they never brought up the topic of the fire that I set up in my room without any reason and those nightmares, my brain had started to question them. However, I just decided to ignore those questions in my mind for the time being and let myself get over the last episode of my nightmare. I remembered waking up in the middle of the nights and finding either Daniel or sometimes even Domenic, sitting on the chair next to my bed. Sometimes they would be resting there with their eyes closed and sometimes they would be busy in taking care of their office work. Often, I found Domenic working on his laptop around two or three in the morning and he looked really tired at those moments. And for some silly reasons, I felt bad for the Ice King because deep down in my heart I knew that he was a good person, all the Alessandro brothers were. But both Domenic and Daniel only visited me for the first three days after my nightmare incident. After that, they got busied with important office work and I barely saw any of them around the house. Crist kept visiting me to wish me good nights and share his warm hugs. And to my surprise, Simon always accompanied him during his visits. Even though he, Simon, remained silent all the time and barely even looked at me, but the fact that he took the initiative of visiting me every day was enough to fill my heart with a little bit of warmth for him. And as for Leo, he just became a living headache of mine. The others only paid me short visits. However, the youngest Alessandro master was hell-bent on sleeping in the same room as me so that he would be there when my nightmares returned. Initially, I was completely against the idea and that''s why Domenic prohibited Leo from stepping inside my room after eleven o''clock. But Leo was....well, Leo! How could he just back down just because he was told? And that was how I found him sleeping at the other side of the bed with his warm hands holding my little ones on the very same night when Domenic and Daniel were busy in the office and could not return to the mansion. The youngest Alessandro master sure had some guts and just because I did not want to be the reason for getting Leo punished, I made sure to wake him up around four o''clock every morning so that he could return to his room before the others could wake up. As time kept passing, I came to realize that as long as I was in the company of any of the Alessandro brothers, the nightmares did not disturb my sleep. And just because of that I accepted Leo''s daily night visits because along with him, he always brought calmness and serenity for me. Both me and Leo were oblivious that we were trying to deceive the Ruler of the Alessandro Empire, a person who was able to hold such a huge Empire at the top of his world, how could he not see the game that his younger siblings were playing? However, he never said or did anything. Remaining completely silent as the days kept passing. But Mark was not the same as Domenic. He finally found a way to take out his frustration at Leo and he sure was not going to let go of such an opportunity. "Hehe! Brother Mark, you are here too. What a coincidence! I came here to ask Em if she needed something. What about you?" Leo was looking at Mark with such fake curiosity in his eyes that it almost made me scoff at his poor acting performance. "Can you please deal with your stuff in your own rooms? I''m sleepy." I murdered softly as I stared at the dream catcher that was hanging beside the lamp that was sitting on the bedside table. I was expecting a mocking remark from Mark or at least a scoff, however, I watched in shock as he pulled Leo out of the room and closed the door behind them. Well? Maybe he could also act sensibly sometimes. Chapter 34 - Thirty-Three: The Birthday "Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to dear Emily. Happy Birthday to you...!" I definitely was not expecting to be awakened by the horrible singing of the Alessandro brothers as they crowded my bedroom so early in the morning. Good thing that it was morning and not the middle of the night. "Happy Birthday sleepyhead! It''s already nine in the morning. Come on, get up." Daniel said as he planted a soft kiss on my forehead. How could it be nine o''clock already? My eyes turned towards the digital clock that was sitting on my bedside table and a groan left my lips as I found that it was already thirteen minutes past nine. As I started walking towards the bathroom after murmuring a small thank you to the Alessandro brothers, I got attacked by Leo as he pulled me back towards their group. "What now?" I looked at him with frustrated eyes. I sure was in a bad mood since I did not get a peaceful sleep the entire night and only fell asleep due to exhaustion around five in the morning. It was not exactly nightmares that kept me awake but there was a weird kind of distress and restlessness that was surrounding not only my body but also my mind. The entire night I kept changing my sleeping positions in order to find at least a single position that could help me relax and fell asleep. And somewhere deep down in my heart, I probably was expecting Leo to barge into the room, however, he never appeared. The movements around me pulled my attention back to the Alessandro brothers as I found Leo signaling towards the cake that Crist was holding in his hands. Even though I no more liked to eat anything too sweet but my mind could not refuse that the huge chocolate cake that was sitting on the tray in Crist''s hands, looked too pretty and delicious. For the first time in so many years, I felt my mouth watering at the sight of a cake. Just as I was about to spoke, Leo cut me off as he hurriedly said, "Don''t worry. We are very well aware that you don''t like cakes and that''s why dear baby sis, this cake is not for you." I was left totally confused and probably my confusion was obvious on my face because Crist immediately started explaining. "Actually we thought that without a cake the birthday celebration won''t be complete. Therefore, we decided to bake our favorite chocolate cake. All you need to do is to blow the candle and make a wish. The task of finishing this cake is ours. We won''t ask you to even taste it." "..." I was left completely speechless at Crist''s explanation. How did they even come up with such an idea? "Will you do it?" Leo asked as he looked at her with hopeful eyes. "Huh?" Only heavens knew why I was so lost that my mind could not even understand what Leo was asking me to do. "I mean, Will you blow the candle so that we can eat it?" Leo repeated his question. "I...I...umm...sure! It''s a good idea." I replied while nodding my head for way too long than needed. Daniel hurriedly took out a little candle from the box that he had been holding in his hands all this time and placed it in the middle of the cake before lighting it up. I took a deep breath before closing my eyes to make a wish as suggested. ''May I get the strength and courage of fighting all the darkness surrounding my life and maybe one day I will finally bloom like a fresh new flower. Thank You!'' I slowly opened my eyes and my gaze landed on the brightly lit candle. I blew on the candle and the sound of clapping erupted around me. For the next ten minutes, I just sat there at the edge of my bed as I watched the Alessandro brothers enjoying the delicious cake. By the time those ten boring and torturous minutes of my life ended, there was not even a single crumb of the cake was left. The tray was spotless and Leo even let out a satisfied sigh, adding fuel to my misery. Why the hell was I suddenly eager to taste a cake was beyond my understanding. I just know that seeing the boys devouring the chocolate like it was the most delicious thing in the entire world, also made my mouth water. "Are you not going to get ready for the day, Sorellina?" Daniel asked as he looked at me with raised eyebrows. "Yeah, yeah...I''m going...to get ready." I did not waste a single more second as I hurriedly ran towards the bathroom and shut myself inside. It barely took me half an hour to have a quick shower and get ready in my comfy black trousers and a white long-sleeved blouse with a black bow. I arranged my hair in a side braid and after putting on sandals, I finally found myself in the dining hall where I and the Alessandro brothers had a late breakfast. And it was not until I voiced my confusion when I saw that none of the Young Masters were planning of going to their offices that I found myself embarrassed as hell. Why? Because it was Sunday, meaning a day off for all the Alessandro brothers! It wasn''t exactly my fault that I could not think of that possibility. First, I was not used to keeping track of the days. Second, in the last six weeks, I had barely paid attention to the daily schedule of the Young Master, and third, to be honest, it was the first time when they all were staying at the mansion on a Sunday. Even though I was not keeping track of their daily schedule but it was not hard for me to realize that the Alessandro mansion barely had the pleasure of seeing all its Young Masters staying in the house for an entire day. Chapter 35 - Thirty-Four: Turning Seventeen "Since it''s Sunday...do I really need to take my tutoring classes with Jackson?" I almost stopped breathing as all the six pairs of eyes that belonged to the Young Masters of the Alessandro Empire, landed on me. It was more like I dared to threaten them for giving me a day off, rather than merely requesting for one. "We thought that you liked your sessions with Jackson. That''s why I allowed him to take classes on Sundays. Did we guess wrong?" Domenic asked as he looked at me with pure confusion covering his eyes. A small sigh left my lips as I replied, "It''s not like I don''t like my tutoring sessions. I really do enjoy them and Jackson is really a good tutor. However.....for the past few weeks, I have been taking regular classes without any break even for a single day. I''m definitely not complaining! Nor I want to take any future Sundays off...just...today!" Even though I started my explanation with full confidence but by the time I ended, my voice was barely above a small whisper. My eyes were once again trained on my sandals as I eyed my feet and the contrast between my white sandals and the dark grey tiles that were covering the floor of the dining hall. All the confidence left my body as I waited for Domenic to say something. I would really have liked to get a day off from the studies, but I would not mind if my request got rejected. I seriously enjoyed my tutoring sessions with Jackson and even though he was always trying to challenge me to do something out of my comfort zone, I lately had started to look forward to those challenges. The only reason behind my request was that I wanted some alone time so that I could sort out my present and maybe even a little bit of the future. I was sure that asking for a day off on any normal day would surely have not worked. Therefore, I waited especially for my birthday to request for it. "Alright! But only for today. I''ll call Jackson to let him know about the change in plans." Domenic said while taking out his phone to call Mr. Hart. It took all my willpower to not let out a squeal of happiness. After that, breakfast went smoothly. I finished mine quickly and after placing the dirty dishes in the sink, I immediately flew towards my bedroom. Since it was my birthday, my duty of helping Mrs. Wills in the kitchen with the dirty dishes and cleaning up was given to Simon. I would be taking his spot to help in cleaning the swimming pool along with Mr. Harris on the coming Friday and it was still Monday, my seventeenth birthday. Even though Simon showed no contempt towards me for the changes that happened in our duties, I knew that he was not too happy to accompany the chatty Mrs. Wills. The old woman who was in her late fifties loved to tell stories about her little grandchildren and the few dozen dogs and cats that she had back at her home. Daniel once told me that Mrs. Wills had been working in the Alessandro Mansion ever since Domenic was born and she was one of the most important employees of the Alessandro Empire, almost a part of the family. I just wanted to thank Domenic in my heart to not pick Mark to work in my place instead. Otherwise, my birthday would have ended up as my deathday. It could have, right? Just as I reached the bedroom that initially belonged to Domenic, I stopped in my tracks as my eyes landed on the two suitcases that were standing right beside the already open door. I peeked inside the room and found two house helpers cleaning the entire room and if I was not wrong then they were probably about to transform the room into exactly how it was before I started staying in it. As I turned to move away from the room, I came face to face with Domenic who had been standing behind me. "Follow me." Rather than waiting for my response, he grabbed the two suitcases and turned to walk away from his bedroom. Even though his words were not carrying any commanding tone and were spoken way more softly than I expected from Domenic, I did not doubt even for a single second that I was supposed to follow his words. We stopped in front of a very familiar room, the mahogany door standing in front of us in its full glory. "I think it''s time for us to return to our respective bedrooms. How about going in and taking a look?" Domenic asked as he signaled towards the bedroom which was supposed to be in its worst possible condition. With a sigh, I opened the door and stepped inside...and let me tell you all...I had never seen a more beautiful bedroom in my life ever. I just stood there at the entrance of the room as I gawked at the heaven that was in front of my eyes. The walls were painted in deep blue and long drapes of matching color were hanging on the floor to ceiling windows that were facing the beautiful scenery of the canopy of the forest and the horizon. Pity that it was not the time of the sunset, otherwise the scenery would be a hundred times more beautiful and breathtaking. In the middle of the room was set a huge bed attached to the back wall with purple and blue printed covers. However, there was a new addition. There were fine drapes of blue satin falling around the bed and covering the most beautiful chandelier that my eyes had ever seen. It was a chandelier made of the root of a tree. As if a tree was growing on the roof of my bedroom and its roots were hanging from the ceiling of my room where small little bulbs were adjusted in it. Chapter 36 - Thirty-Five: The New Bedroom "Do you like that?" My eyes turned towards Domenic who was looking at me with curious but hopeful eyes. It took me a few seconds to realize that he was asking about the root-like chandelier that was hanging on the top of my bed. The fact that I got to see other emotions in his eyes except for his usual indifferent ones, made me realize exactly how much my opinion on the new look of the bedroom meant to him and probably to the others too. "Yeah! It''s beyond beautiful." I did not hesitate in replying as I found my eyes returning to take in the beauty of the rest of the room. On either side of the bed were wooden bedside tables with three drawers in each of them. Two identical lamps were sitting on the top, one on each table. My eyes turned towards the space that was left between the bed and the door. A soft purple rug was covering the floor. A wooden shelf was attached to the wall where books, magazines, and my art stuff were neatly organized. Beside the shelf was the study table with a pixie lamp sitting on one of its corners. There were also three bean bags sitting around the small coffee table where a little bonsai was placed. Many small plant pots were sitting all over the room. Two on the shelf, one on the left bedside table, a larger one beside the glass windows. My feet dragged me towards the bathroom and I found it once again stocked with required items and fully furnished. The walk-in closet was no longer looked like a mini-mall as there was barely anything in it, but somehow that made me relax. When I again returned to the bedroom after placing my suitcases in the closet, I found all the six Alessandro brothers standing in the room as they waited for me. The next few seconds were probably awkward as I just kept standing there in front of them, contemplating exactly how to voice out my thoughts. "Thank you. This is so beautiful...and I really like it. Thank you for doing this for me." I finally managed these few words to escape through my dry throat. "No need for a thank you. We are just happy that you are liking it. This is a birthday present from all the six of us. Each of us came up with our own ideas for how to decorate this room." Crist replied softly as his eyes roamed around the room. "Never knew that you all have such good tastes!" It was already too late by the time I got my mouth shut. However, thankfully the Alessandro brothers decided to just chuckle and let it go. "By the way, we have prepared other gifts too. We wanted to give them to you at dinner but since you are not planning for taking your classes today then you will have four extra free hours today. Maybe, these gifts can help you." Daniel said as he gave me a soft smile. "Oh no! There''s no need for more gifts. You have already done so much..." I did not get the chance to complete my rambling as Leo interrupted me. "But we have already bought them.....!" "..." I kept staring at the boy who was giving me his puppy eyes. "Well....then, umm.....I think..." I had no idea what I wanted to say or what I was even going to say. And that made me shut up as I realized that I did not know how to reply to that. Since they had already bought the gifts, was there even a point in refusing? "Don''t worry. We did not waste any money. Everything that we have bought will be useful for you as your school will be starting in the coming week." Daniel said as he ruffled my hair lightly. Ugh! Why people did that? Could they not understand that it ruined the hair of the other person? I thought as I patted my head to adjust my hair. Other than nodding my head in acceptance there were not many choices left for me. "Alright! Then let''s start with Leo. He will be the first to reveal his gift." Crist said excitedly while clapping his hands. "Wait! Why I should be the first one to reveal? Why not you?" Leo quickly objected as he turned to look at his brother with suspicious eyes. "Because you are the youngest one. Either you can be the first one or the last. Now choose." Mark replied as he folded his hands around his chest while looking at Leo with raised eyebrows. "This-" Leo could not decide what to do for a few minutes and that made Mark huff in impatience. "Oh come on, child! We don''t have the entire day to waste here because of you. Either give her the gift or move to a corner." Mark''s cold words brought Leo out of his dilemma as he gave his brother a mocking salute before turning towards me with a bright smile playing on his lips. "Fine! Since they all are begging me to go first then I''ll not be heartless to reject them....OUCH!!!" Leo cried out as a hard slap landed on his head, making him stop spouting the nonsense that he was speaking. "Stop beating your younger brother, Mark." Daniel immediately called out his violent younger brother while at the same time giving Leo a hard glare to make him stop from starting a war with Mark. I watched as Mark rolled his eyes while Keo just scoffed but none of them dared to speak anything. "My present?" I asked to attract Leo''s attention but ended up making all the Alessandro brothers focusing their attention on me. "Oh! Yeah...yeah...right....your present...here it is!" I stared with my mouth hanging open in a very not so gracious manner as I stared at the half of my size box that was wrapped in a purple gift wrapper. "This-?" I looked up at Leo to see if he would tell me what he had bought that needed such a huge box. But what I got in return was a sudden tight hug from him as he shouted in my ear - "Happy Birthday Em!" Chapter 37 - Thirty-Six: Brothers Presents "Another one...it''s acrylic...." "What about this one?" I looked up at the black kit that Crist was holding in his hands. I took it from him and opened it. Inside the kit were dozens of different paintbrushes in all shapes and sizes. "Oh my! Why I never knew that there are so many types of colors in this world? When did they discover all these?" Leo had been staring at the items that kept coming out of the box that he gifted me as my birthday present. This time I was the one who threw myself at him as I hugged him tightly. "Thank you! Thank you so much! This is...." I could not speak anymore as I found my voice becoming shaky as tears started forming in my eyes. It took all my willpower to not start crying as my heart was too overwhelmed after receiving such a beautiful gift from Leo. I had always loved painting. As far as my memory could go, so had always wanted to explore this gift of mine. But then my life took a sharp turn and I could barely afford to continue with my desire of painting. Though I still continued sketching every now and then whenever I wanted to skip the reality. But I was never able to buy the expensive art equipment and other required supplies. That''s why looking at the dozens of different variety of drawing sheets, hundreds of colors in different forms and textures, pencils, brushes, and the other items, I was left completely overwhelmed. "Does it mean you like my present?" Leo asked as he runner my back lightly as I kept hugging him tightly. "I love it! Thank you so much." I replied as I pulled away from his warm embrace and looked at him with sincerity in my eyes. "Now I''m feeling bad for not coming up with this idea first. Just look at how happy she truly is. Not fair, definitely not fair!" Crist said as he shook his head from left to right while staring at me and Leo who just chuckled in return. "Move, it''s my turn," Simon said as he walked in front of me and stood there looking at me. I had no idea how to respond so I just stood there like a statue, waiting for him to give me the present. "Here." He said while pushing a box wrapped in a golden gift packet into my hands. It was heavy and my instincts already knew what I would get after opening the box. Just sd I predicted, it was a smartphone. One of the most expensive and brand new models. "This..." "You will need it since your senior year is about to start. The phone also has a GPS in it and it will help us to make sure that you are always safe. I have already downloaded the apps that I thought will be useful for you. Of course, you can download more if you want. Also, I have saved the numbers of the six of us, Sam, Jackson, Mrs. Wills, Mr. Harris, and Mr. Park, Domenic''s Secretary. Remember that you are only supposed to call Mr. Park when you can''t reach the rest of the ten people. And..." "Thank you." And just like that, the entire bedroom was suddenly filled with silence as Simon stared at me with surprised eyes. "What?" He asked as he kept gazing at me in shock. "Thank you. Thank you for worrying about me and doing so much just to make sure that I won''t face problems. That''s way more than what I was expecting, to be honest. But I''m happy." I replied as I smiled softly at him. Finding myself smiling was just as surprising for me as it was for the six Young Masters of the Alessandro Empire. "Damn! The competition level is increasing. Why did we start with Leo? Can someone please remind me?" Daniel asked as he looked at the dumbfounded expression of Simon who just hurriedly nodded his head and scurried back into the far corner of the room. Next was Crist who gifted me a laptop. It made me look at him with raised eyebrows as I heard his explanation. "You will need it for your homework and stuffs like that. You can thank me later." He finished with a wink while giving Mark a little shove towards me. The room filled with dead silence as we all waited for Mark to say something. However, he only dropped a small box in my hands before scurrying out of the room. I just let out a sigh while Daniel and Leo gave me encouraging nods. As I opened the box it had a beautiful bracelet watch in it. It was beautiful and I knew that it would cost a fortune. "Nice one! A watch is also an important thing in a student''s life. You should always pay attention to the time." Crist said in support of Mark''s gift. Daniel''s gift was actually a voucher for sculpture classes. "I heard you talking with Jackson that you are having some problems with sculptures since you never got a proper chance to learn it. There will be a six-month coaching going on near Sam''s hospital. If you want, you can join it." Daniel told me and his kindness brought another soft but sincere smile to my lips as I nodded my head in agreement. And then everyone was looking at Domenic as it was his turn to give me my birthday present. To be honest, I was not that eager about receiving gifts from them but after realizing that they had chosen the best gifts that they could give me, I was actually happy. Leo coughed softly to pull Domenic''s attention towards the matter at hand. "Leave us alone." Domenic''s order made the rest of the Alessandro brothers start complaining. "That''s not fair. You can''t do this to us." "Yeah! I wanna see it too." "Why are kicking us out?" "..." "RIGHT NOW!" As Domenic''s commanding voice ranged into the room, I watched as the four Alessandro brothers immediately disappeared from my bedroom. And now I was facing the Leader of the Alessandro Empire as he stood in front of me. Just how wrong I was! Chapter 38 - Thirty-Seven: Favorite Animal, But Not An Animal "This...?" I looked up at Domenic as I fingered the bow that was sitting in the center of the gift box that was wrapped in a green wrapper. "Open it," Domenic said as he took a seat beside me on the edge of the bed. His voice was way more calm and soft than what I was used to hearing. And the same softness could be seen in his dark green eyes that were trained on the gift box that was sitting in my lap. I slowly undid the bow and started taking off the wrapper. It took me a lot of time to finally get the box out of the wrapper. However, Domenic kept sitting beside me silently as he waited with patience for me to open the box and look at the present that he had bought for me. As my fingers were about to lift the cover of the box, I found my eyes turning towards Domenic. He gave me an encouraging nod and with a soft sigh, I finally opened the box. "What the-?" I could not find any words to speak out my feelings as I stared at the object that was sitting inside the box. I would never have guessed that I would find something like that inside the box. But my shock only increased as I watched Domenic standing up as he walked in front of me and kneeled down on the floor as he took one of my hands in both of his large ones. His eyes were full of warmth and care, emotions that I had barely seen him carrying, as he looked at me with a soft smile playing on his lips. "I know that you are now seventeen years old and no more a little child, but I still want to gift you this present," Domenic said as he looked at the box on my lap. "Why?" I found myself asking in a very soft voice as I kept looking at Domenic as if I was trying to read his emotions. "This is the present that I bought for you sixteen years ago..." Domenic whispered softly as he kept looking at the box. His words only made my confusion intensify. Questions after questions were popping up in my mind as I waited for him to continue. "It was your first birthday. You were going to turn one year old. Everyone was excited and were eagerly waiting for the big day to finally arrive and I was no different. I had saved five months of my pocket money and I accompanied the rest of my brothers along with Mr. Harris to buy presents for you." As Domenic stopped for a few seconds, I found the silence that suddenly took over us as a heaviness that was not comfortable at all. My mind had gone completely blank. I knew that I was a part of the Alessandro family for a little bit of time, but I never expected Domenic to tell me such a story about my past, of our past. "The moment my eyes landed on this one..." He tapped the box as he continued. "...I knew that this is what I wanted to gift you as your birthday present. But little did I know at that moment that I would never be able to give this to you." I watched in complete shock as a single tear rolled down his left cheek and before I even realized what was happening, my fingers were already wiping away his tear. Domenic grasped my hand in his own as he rested it against his cheek as he continued, "We lost you that day, Emy. When the six of us returned home we could not find you anywhere in the mansion. We found out that your mother took you away just a few moments before we arrived at the mansion." I was silent for a few seconds and when I finally spoke my voice was just as shaky and emotional as Domenic''s. "But I was told that it was her husband who abandoned both her and me." Domenic let out a fake chuckle as he replied, "Both the sides had their own story and I have no idea which is the true one. All I know is that because of those two people, we lost you! You were the life of us brothers, of this family, of this mansion, and the day you left us, we lost our life too." It was not until I felt the wetness dripping on my hands did I realize that I was crying. The warmth and love that I could see in Domenic eyes were making my entire heart and soul shake. "There are so many things that I want to know. Will I ever get to know them?" I asked as I looked at him with my eyes filled with unshed tears. "I know that you want answers and that many questions are swarming your mind. I promise to tell you everything because you have the right to know. But we will take our time. I don''t want to increase your unhappiness. I want my baby sister to be the happiest person on this planet." Domenic replied as he wiped away my tears. A small smile made its way to my lips as I nodded my head slightly in acknowledgment. My eyes returned to the box that was still resting on my lap. My fingers grazed the soft squeezy big white dolphin plushie that was resting inside the box. "It''s so cute...and pretty," I said as I took it out of the box and looked at it with a huge smile on my face. But then my face turned a little serious as I looked at Domenic before asking, "Why a dolphin though?" The smile that was already present on his lips only increased at my question as he replied, "For some reason, you have always been intrigued by dolphins. I remember the day when you were around five months old or something and we went to visit the National Aquarium, you were the happiest when you watched the dolphins playing around in the pool. Ever since that day, you loved to see dolphins on tv or in books. That''s why when I saw this plushie, I knew that you were going to love it." My eyes returned to the plushie that was filling my heart with a warmth that I never experienced before in my life. "I do love it. Thank you! Maybe, today I finally found my favorite animal. The only problem is that it''s not an animal." I said as I shook the plushie lightly as both I and Domenic burst out in chuckles. Chapter 39 - Thirty-Eight: Just Wait! The night was as dark as possible. The sky was deprived of the beauty that the shining moon and millions of stars filled it with every night. Just like the dark sky, the high castle that was standing in a similar dark forest was also filled with darkness. The usually shining towers were now filled with shadows and an ire silence that did not sit right with the normal appearance of the castle. Inside one of those dozens of high towers, a series of stairs led to a small attic that was filled with both beautiful and heart shaking memories. A handsome man who looked nothing like a normal mortal due to his immense features and powerful aura was sitting on the floor with his back resting against the sofa that was set in the center of the attic. Empty wine bottles were scattered around the floor beside him as he continued drinking the soothing liquid that was doing exactly nothing to quench his anger and sorrow. Yet, he still kept drinking more and more, wishing that he would finally pass out after getting drunk. However, the worst part was that someone like him couldn''t get drunk with a mere mortal wine. Someone who''s not a mortal himself, how could the mortal wine be able to make him drunk? A little bit of the wine escaped from his alluring lips as it trickled down his chin and landed on his collarbone, sliding down towards his chiseled chest that was visible due to the black satin shirt that was left open. His long silver hair that was falling around his shoulders was making a direct contrast with his black shirt. But what was most alluring about that handsome man was his shining eyes. There were golden and red-colored rings around his irises that shone brightly, making his eyes the weirdest but at the same time most beautiful sight to behold. While on one hand, this handsome man was busy reminiscing the sad and heartbreaking memories of the past, three other men were standing outside the attic as they looked worried and a little bit anxious. "Second Master, what are we supposed to do now? The matter is really important and it needs the Master''s attention asap! However...." The man with short blonde hair and a well-built body who was speaking in soft whispers trailed off. His features filled with worry and anxiousness as he fumbled with the gun that was resting at his waist. The other two men did not need the blonde to complete his sentence. All of them were aware that no matter how important the situation was, they could never enter the attic to disturb Master Sullivan on this particular day. "It''s her birthday. He''s once again filled with sorrow and sadness. No matter how risky the current situation is, we can''t disturb him. He''s not in a state where he can pay attention to the matters of the pack. We should find some other solution for the time being." It was the said Second Young Master, who spoke this time. His long silver hair was tied in a high bun as a few strands fell loosely all over his face. His deep blue eyes were a direct contrast to his brother''s firey golden ones but they both held a pull and charisma of their own. "Should we call the Elders for a meeting? We can''t afford to waste any more time. This matter needs immediate action. Second Young Master, what''s your opinion." The third man who unlike the other two, looked quite old almost in his late fifties, spoke as he looked at the young boy. "Aish! Why are you doing this to me? Did I not make it clear that I want to stay away from the matters of the company or the pack? Then why you always keep throwing these matters at me?" The powerful and cold aura of the Second Young Master suddenly changed into that of a little whining boy who was upset because he was not getting the time to enjoy his young life. "Do you know anything else except whining and crying? I''m still waiting for you to do something productive for at least once." The sudden cold and commanding voice that filled the silent tower made the three men turn their heads towards the door of the attic. And there he stood, the Leader of the Silver Dawn Pack that resided in the depths of the huge forest at the outskirts of the city. His beautiful eyes looked cold and indifferent as usual. He was once again clad in a dark suit which was even accompanied by a white tie. His hair was neatly held in a high ponytail and miraculously even after drinking tens of bottles of wine, he smelt like the fresh morning dew and wet sand after the first rain shower. No one could predict even in their dreams that just a few minutes ago, this same man was sprawled on the dusty floor of an attic while reminiscing about the sad memories of his past. "You look.....epic!" The Second Young Master said after a few seconds of silence while giving thumbs up to his elder brother. In return to his shocked and also impressed expression, Master Sullivan barely raised one of his eyebrows to give him one of his usual amused looks. "Whatever! By the way, only you think that my crying and whining are not productive but you have no idea exactly how beneficial it is. Only you are cold enough to not be melt by my tears." The Second Young Master said with a scoff as he folded his arms in front of his chest while giving his brother one of his comical looks. "What''s the use of such skills when they can''t help you in my case? Does not that mean that these so-called skills of yours are nothing more than just garbage?" Master Sullivan said with a little twitch on his lips as he started climbing down the steps with the two other men following behind him. While the Second Young Master stood there gawking at the back of his elder brother. "By the way, we will discuss about your future choices after I''ll take care of this issue." The words that were filled with command and teasing entered into Second Young Master''s ears and he almost started crying. His brother loved to torture him every single day and he could do exactly nothing to get free from his evil clutches. Suddenly a small evil smile took over his lips as his expression changed into that of a confident man as he softly muttered. "Dear Brother, you just wait. I''ll definitely find someone who will help me in taking revenge for all the tortures that you have made me go through. Just wait!" Chapter 40 - Thirty-Nine: Young Master Rylan "Are you sure you have not forgotten anything?" "Maybe we should look through the list one more time." "You are looking just like a little baby doll. So cute..." "I know right! Our baby sis can win the title of the most beautiful girl in the world." "You guys are making me gag with your too cheesy words." "..." I just stood there beside Daniel as Crist and Leo kept gushing over me. It was finally the first day of my new school term and somehow, three of my brothers were even more excited and nervous about my first day rather than me. As I watched both Crist and Leo glaring daggers at Mark for what he just said about their overacting, I found a small smile making its way to my lips. Somehow, I had started liking Mark''s taunts and rude comments. Not because I had gone insane or something. Rather because I realized that my poor brother only knew how to interact, when it came to me, using his sharp tongue. He''s completely clueless about how to interact with others using sweet words or a soft tone. It took me some time to realize that whenever he made any remark about anything nowadays, ninety-five percent of the time he wanted to be included in the conversations. Although he never made any remark on me or about me but every time he did, it was so that he could get my attention. If it was not for Daniel pointing this out to me around a week ago, I would never have realized the real reason behind Mark''s behavior. "Sorellina, are you okay?" I turned towards my right to look at Daniel who was staring at me with his warm but worried eyes. I took one of his large warm hands in mine as I replied softly, "Don''t worry Dany. I''m completely fine. Even though I''m about to enter a completely new place and environment today, I''m more excited about it rather than being nervous. And I promise that I''ll call you or the others if I felt otherwise." I was aware that the rest of the brothers, Leo, Crist, and Mark, were also listening to my words very keenly. "Alright. It''s good that you are excited about your new school. But keep this in mind, whenever you feel like anything is wrong all you need to do is to call one of us. We will be there immediately. Okay?" Daniel was looking at me with his eyes filled with seriousness. A small smile appeared on my lips as I realized that he was worried about me. "Okay, okay! Now don''t be so serious. I''m dying of hunger here." I said with a small pout as I rubbed my belly over my brand new school uniform. Within a blink I found myself seated on my chair at the dining table as Crist and Daniel placed the hot tasty breakfast in front of me. By the time it was past eight twenty in the morning, I was sitting on the passenger seat of Daniel''s red Porsche Cayenne as he drives out of the mansion''s huge gates. **** "Second Young Master, wake up and get ready for school before Master arrives here!" The west wing of the Silver Dawn Castle was currently in an uproar as a group of servants kept trying their best to wake up the boy who had turned a deaf ear to their pleads and urgent shouts. "Second Young Master...!" When they realized that their pleads were not working on the young boy, one of the servants started slowly walking towards the bed. However, even before his fingers could touch the soft fabric of the duvet, he stopped in his tracks. "Do you all want to die?" The sleeping boy suddenly shouted out loudly from under his covers and immediately the room became pin-drop silent. The servants did not dare to make any kind of noise to disturb their second young master and the one who was going to pull the duvet away immediately rushed to stand next to the door. However, no matter how much the second young master intimidated them, they could not dare to go against the orders of their Master. Master Sullivan had given them the order to get Master Rylan ready within half an hour for the first day of the new term of his school. As the servants were busy passing each other quick nervous glances, the door of the bedroom opened, and a woman in her late fifties entered the room. "Madam Wang, you are finally here. Please help us in getting Master Rylan ready as soon as possible. We don''t want to be thrown into boiling water for failing in our job." One of the servant girls begged the old lady as she looked at the elder with her pitiful eyes. "Stop exaggerating. The worst punishment that you all can get is merely a salary cut or a few weeks in the ice dungeons. Yet, you all love to pretend like the Young Master Sullivan is the most cold-hearted person alive on this planet." Madam Wang said with a small scoff as she walked towards the bed where the Second Young Master of the Silver Dawn Pack, Master Rylan, was sleeping. The servants passed quick glances to each other as they showed their objection and unhappiness about what Madam Wang had just said through their eyes. Maybe the great Master Sullivan was not a cold-hearted beast in the old lady''s eyes. However, the servants had completely different thoughts than her. A few weeks in the ice dungeons were equal to years of suffering in the darkest and coldest prison of the universe. "Since Madam Wang is here to take care of Master Rylan, we won''t keep disturbing you." The oldest servant of the group hurriedly said as they all prepared to flee out of the room. "Don''t try to over smart me." Madam Wang said in a sharp tone as she glared at the group of servants who immediately looked down to avoid her gaze. The old lady again turned her focus at the sleeping boy and the next second she emptied the cold water of the jug, that was resting on the bedside table, on the young boy''s face. Chapter 41 - Forty: Ill Let You Know "Are you nervous?" Daniel asked as he opened the car door for me. "Don''t mock me, Danny! I''m trying my best over here to not make a mess of myself on the very first day of my Senior year in this school." I replied in a whispered tone as I climbed out of the car. The huge building that was standing in front of me clearly conveyed the status of my new school. Leo had already told me that I was going to attend the most famous and outstanding high school in our city. However, I was not expecting to come across such a high profile school. The campus was covering quite more region than what I expected. Daniel just gave me a soft smile as he took my right hand in his own before heading towards the entrance of the main building. Within the next ten minutes, I found myself sitting in the office of the Headmistress of my new High School, a woman who looked too young to be a Headmistress. "Mr. Alessandro, what a nice surprise! I never expected to see any of you brothers here after Leo passed his Senior year last term. Who would have guessed that with a new term we will be seeing a new member of the Alessandro Family in this school?" The Headmistress said in such a chirpy tone that she immediately reminded me of the Harpy girl who accompanied Mark and me on the very day when I lost my control over myself and caused chaos in the mansion. As the headmistress looked at me from head to toe and back again, I just stood there silently as I waited for Daniel to quickly finish his business with the lady. "I just want you to make sure that Emily won''t have any problems in the school. Of course, that doesn''t mean that you should give her any special treatments. Just make sure that we won''t receive any complaints. In return, we promise that she will behave herself and won''t cause any problems." Daniel looked serious as he said these words out loud, staring straight at the Headmistress who first passed me a quick glance before nodding her head in affirmation. "Don''t worry. As long as she doesn''t come out as an exact copy of either Mark, Simon, or Crist, I don''t think the staff here would mind. As for the students, I''ll keep my eyes on her." She looked just as much serious as Daniel as she replied. I could do nothing except gawk at her in surprise. Did the Headmistress just say that she''s going to keep her eyes on me? Why? Daniel and the Headmistress talked a little more while I got my time table, ID card, and locker key from the assistant. By the time we left the Headmistress'' office, it was already ten past nine, and my first class of the day was about to start in the next ten minutes. "Jackson will be here in the afternoon to pick you up for your tuition classes. Remember to call me or any other of your brothers if you want anything. Enjoy your first day. Okay?" Daniel once again tried his very best to remind me about all the important things that I needed to keep in my mind. I knew that people around the long hallway were giving us curious glances. Daniel''s rich CEO personality and powerful aura immediately drew their attention towards him. Even though he looked completely unfazed by their curious and awed glances, however, I was not like him. Unlike Daniel, I was not used to having so much attention on me and soon enough, I started feeling more nervous and intimidated. I finally took in a long deep breath when my gaze landed on the classroom that appeared on my right as we made our way to the third floor of the Science Block. "Here. It''s time for me to leave. Don''t forget about what I have been reminding you since yesterday. You should call....." ".....anyone of you guys as soon as I think that something is wrong or if someone is bullying me, etc, etc. Of course, I won''t forget. You have reminded me so many times that by now it''s engraved in my mind. Even if I want to forget it, I don''t think that it will be possible." I hurriedly replied as I tightened my hold on my backpack while giving Daniel one of my cutest smiles. "You are really a little devil," Daniel whispered softly as he shook his head. All this time, a smile was visible on his lips while his eyes twinkled with warmth. With a quick hug, we finally departed. My brother made his way towards the staircase that would lead him downstairs and then out of the building while I made my way inside the waiting Chemistry classroom. *** "I can''t believe that you are back here." The Headmistress said with a little shake of her head as she looked at the boy sitting in front of her. "Me neither." Rylan was quick to reply as he continued staring out of the huge glass window that was looking out at the beautiful scenery of the horizon. The Headmistress let out a soft sigh before pushing a paper towards the boy as she spoke, "Here is your timetable for this term. I''m not expecting much from you except that you would finally control yourself and would stay away from problems." Rylan picked up the paper as his eyes quickly scanned the contents of the sheet. "Actually, I have decided to change a few of my courses." He finally said after the silence of a few moments. The headmistress raised her eyebrows as she asked, "Really? Then what new courses are you going to take this year?" She waited for the boy to answer her question and after a few seconds, he finally did answer her question. However, his answer only made the Headmistress clench her fists in anger and frustration. The reply that she got from Rylan was - "I haven''t decided yet. Give me a few days and I''ll let you know." Chapter 42 - Forty-One: Coincidences "Are you sure you have seen her?" Rylan asked as he pulled one of the two men, who were following him, into the empty hallway. "I''m a hundred percent sure that she was the same girl whom you are searching for. Moreover, our men have seen her riding with Daniel Alessandro and they also headed towards this school." The man hurriedly replied. Rylan was silent for a few seconds as he looked lost in his thoughts. His icy blue eyes and long silver hair that was once again pulled in a high bun made his beauty intensify in the dark grey uniform that he was wearing. "You all are really lucky to get a hold on Daniel Alessandro''s whereabouts. However, what a failure that it took your men more than a month to get a hold of that girl''s location." Rylan said as he stared at the white tiles that were decorating the floor of the hallway. "Second Master, what should we do now? Do you want us to check the campus or the area around the school to find out her exact location?" The man asked while waiting for his Master''s next order. They were aware that their constant failures in finding the little girl whom the Second Master was searching for, had left a bad impact on their image in the eyes of their Master. "Don''t! If you all kept tracking the Alessandros, there is a high possibility that they will get notified about it. Let me think about this matter a little more. Just make sure to keep an eye on this area without alerting anyone." Rylan ordered as a frown appeared on his face. The two men nodded their heads before one of them asked, "Second Master, do you think that the girl you are looking for has a close connection with the Alessandros?" Rylan slowly nodded his head as the frown that was visible on his handsome face deepened even more. "We have known Alessandros ever since they first emerged in the city. However, before that day at the parlor, I have never seen that girl in the city. She suddenly appeared out of nowhere and then once again disappeared for over a month." The two men looked deep in thoughts as Rylan stopped for a few seconds to gather his thoughts before continuing. "The first time I saw her she was with Mark and today you spotted her with Daniel. A little girl whom we can''t find for such a long time and who''s spotted two times and every time with one of the Alessandro Brothers, I have a strong feeling that she is not someone normal." Right that moment, the phone of one of the two men pinged with an incoming message. As the man took out his phone to check the message, a small scowl appeared on his face after seeing the message. "What''s wrong?" Rylan asked as he kept his eyes trained on his watch which was showing that the first class of his new term was about to start in ten minutes. "Master, take a look at this." The man said as he passed his phone to the boy. Rylan looked at the image that one of his men had forwarded. It was the picture of a red Porsche Cayenne that was standing outside the convenience store that was located at a distance of five minutes walk from the school. It did not take long for him to recognize the car and its owner. However, what picked Rylan''s attention was the silhouette of the young girl who was sitting on the passenger seat. Even though most of her face was hidden due to her long hair that she had left loose, he still recognized her at first glance. Similarly, the grey uniform that the girl was wearing answered one of his many questions. A small twitch appeared on his lips as Rylan said, "What a great coincidence! Who would have thought that in the end, she''s going to land right under my nose?" "Second Master, what should we do now?" One of the men asked the boy. "Since she''s right here in this school, I''ll take care of this matter on my own. You can pull away your men from their assigned tasks. I''ll let you know when I''ll have another job for you guys." Rylan replied as he forwarded the photo to his phone. The two men nodded their heads and after exchanging a few more words with their Second Young Master, they finally took their leave. "Well, well, well, looks like you are destined to be my prey. Let''s see how long you can hide your identity, dear Emilia." Rylan said softly as his icy blue eyes gleamed with interest and a promise. *** I purposely chose the seat at the very back of the room to stay under the radar for the time being. My time in orphanages and foster homes had taught me not to trust anyone so soon even though that person looked as perfect as a Saint. Since I was ten minutes early before the starting time of the class, there were barely a few other students in the class. As time passed, the classroom started filling with students who looked far from happy about starting their day with a Chemistry class. The buzzing only stopped when the teacher finally entered the class right at nine-twenty. A quick introduction from the teacher and the new students, including me, and then we were studying about the ''Effects of Potassium Bisulphate as a food preservative''. I purposely didn''t introduce myself with my full name as I was not eager about disclosing the information about me being the youngest sibling of the Alessandro brothers. It was quite surprising, but at the same time also a good thing, that the teacher didn''t pay any attention to my half-hearted introduction. Everything was going fine and somehow I actually was liking the chapter since I already had gone through half of the syllabus with Jackson, when the door of the classroom opened with a bang and someone entered the room. The classroom suddenly fell silent as everyone watched the silver-haired boy who was standing near the entrance with a bored look on his face. I found myself totally surprised as I instantly recognized him. How could such a coincidence happen? Chapter 43 - Forty-Two: Being Dragged I did not even realize that I was constantly staring at that boy until I heard the teacher calling out my name. "Huh?" I was completely lost for a few moments but then I realized that the teacher told the boy to take a seat behind me. I was sitting on the last-second bench of the fourth and also the very last row of the class, leaving the bench behind me empty. How could I have known that leaving the last seat empty would lead to such a situation? For some reason, I was feeling like a runaway criminal who needed to stay far away from that silver hair boy. I only came out of my devastating thoughts when I felt a presence beside me. My eyes collided with those icy blue ones that were looking down at me in pure shock. I did not even notice him moving and here he was - standing right in front of me while looking just as surprised to see me as I was to see him. However, soon enough the surprised expression on his face disappeared, and a huge smile made its way to his lips. Somehow, his dangerous smile and intimidating aura succeeded in making me divert my eyes first. I once again returned my attention to my notebook and completely ignored him. "Mr. Rylan, please take your seat so that we can continue with our class." The teacher said and I felt the boy moving towards the bench behind me. Though it was not before he gave the teacher an eye roll. Once again the class resumed as the teacher continued demonstrating a quick chemical reaction. It was barely after ten minutes or something when I felt something poking my back. I gave the teacher a quick glance to make sure that she was busy explaining before turning my face slightly towards the person sitting behind me. As soon as he saw me turning he stopped poking me and with a huge smile on his lips, he waved his hand to say hello. It took all my willpower to not roll my eyes at his stupid antics. I just simply returned my focus to the teacher and whatever she was explaining. Immediately I felt something again poking into my back. I really was not eager about making any kind of acquaintance with this silver hair boy. He did not scare me because of his bad-boy vibes, rather I was more scared about the fact that he was not on good terms with my brothers, or maybe only with Mark. Therefore, I just stayed silent and did not react to the constant poking that was getting harsher and harsher with every passing second, clear evidence that the boy behind me was getting frustrated. At first, he used the back of his pen to poke me. Then it changed into the front part and then I felt the tip of the pen poking deep into my back. By the time the class was only five minutes away from ending, I was pretty sure that there would be a huge and painful bruise on my back soon enough since the boy did not stop his harsh and painful poking throughout the entire period. It was like he was testing exactly for how long I could bear with the pain that the sharp tip of his pen was causing in my back. Little did he know that what he was doing to me was not even closer to one percent of the pain that I had gone through in my life. A little bruise that would heal within a week or so was nothing in front of the bruises that took months to heal or the broken ribs and bones that made me survive through the hell. As soon as I realized that there were barely two minutes left before the bell was going to ring, I hurriedly assembled all my things and packed them in my backpack. As soon as the bell rang, I found myself hurrying towards the door of the classroom, and within a few seconds, I was surrounded by the crowd of students that was filling the hallway. I did not stop for the teacher to leave the class first before leaving it on my own. Neither did I stop to be caught by the person whom I felt following me as I fled the classroom. There was a ten minutes break before my second class of the day was supposed to start. Luckily, I decided to search for my Maths Classroom that probably helped me in getting rid of the silver hair. It took me around five minutes out of ten, searching for my next classroom. I was happy thinking that I successfully succeeded in getting rid of that Rylan boy. Little did I knew that my act of running away from him only increased his decision of catching me as soon as possible. The second period soon started and I pushed the silver-haired boy and the pain on my back out of my mind as I concentrated on the Trigonometry chapter that the Teacher decided to teach. By the time the second and then the third period of the very first day of my new high school ended, the silver-haired boy was more or less out of my mind. That was probably the reason why I put my guards down as I walked towards the library during the lunch break to issue a few advanced books. Due to the tutoring sessions that I was having with Jackson for over a month by now, I found most of the topics easily understandable. I was totally focused on the Sculpture book that I found in the Arts section of the library and due to that, I did not notice the presence of another person near me until it was too late. Before I could react, a hand covered my mouth, muffling all my protests and screams. And I found someone dragging me towards the darkness. Chapter 44 - Forty-Three: In The Storeroom "Mmmhff....." Other than these muffled sounds that were escaping through the hand that was covering my mouth, I was not able to speak anything more. Since we were on the second floor of the library and it was time for the lunch break, there were already very few students in the library, and the worst part was that there was barely anyone on the second floor. I was pushed inside a small storeroom in the very back of the library. The darkness disappeared as a very faint light bulb was flickered on. The hand that was covering my mouth all this time finally left it for a few seconds, giving me enough time to shout for help. However, as soon as I opened my mouth to shout, I found not a single syllable leaving my lips. There was no sound, only dead silence as my attacker stared at me with raised eyebrows. Even though I had the perfect opportunity to call for help or at least to try running away from the attacker who dragged me inside that small storeroom filled with dusty chairs and tables, I was left totally speechless as words refused to leave my lips as my eyes registered the identity of the person who was standing in front of me. It was none other than that silver-haired boy, Rylan. He was the last person I was expecting to be my attacker, or maybe not. "Why? Not planning to call for help anymore?" He asked with a smirk playing on his lips while his icy eyes held me captive. My back was flushed against the wall but it was still unable to create much space between me and that boy. "What do you want?" It was a pure miracle that my voice came out steady and not full of quivers. Even though, in reality, I was shivering from inside. "A question in reply to my questions? Interesting!" Rylan said as he played with the pen that he was holding in his hands. It was the same pen that he used just a few hours ago to create a hole in my back and even though my mind was not focused on the pain that I was feeling on my back, I still could not help but flinch a little at the sight of that pen. Rylan probably registered the flinch and the change in my facial expression as he showed me the pen while speaking. "From your performance back in the chemistry period, you almost convinced me that you are immune to pain. However, your strategy of ignoring me has made me curious. Now, I want to know exactly how strong you are. Shall we try?" I could feel my heartbeat increasing as the boy started walking towards me. My eyes staring at the one that he was holding in his hand. I watched in horror as he raised the pen high before bringing it towards me with a huge force and speed. It was like he was planning to pierce the own right through my head and instinctively, I raised both of my hands to cover my face to protect it from the attack of the pen. My body was shaking, my breathing was coming out in short puffs and I could feel my eyes getting heavier as tears started forming. I waited and waited but the pain that I was supposed to feel, never came. The lack of pain and any other kind of sound in the room, made me open my eyes which landed directly on the silver-haired boy who was looking at me with his icy blue eyes. The only emotion that I could pick from his expressions was the curiosity that was shining from behind the facade of indifference that he had put on. It took all my willpower to not shed the tears that were filling my eyes. Once again I was filled with humiliation. "L-leave m-me alone!" I said in a whispered tone and it only made me feel worse. No matter how fearless and strong I tried to pretend, but in the end, I was even afraid of my own shadow. I looked up at the boy as he let out a deep sigh while shaking his head continuously. "Bullying you were supposed to be fun..." Rylan said as he walked closer to the girl that was looking at him with her beautiful green eyes that were shining with unshed tears. He could not help but feel a sudden pain piercing through his heart as he witnessed the state that she was in. Did he seriously scare her that much? Rylan thought as he stuffed the pen in his pocket, hiding it from her sight. A few minutes before she was looking like there was nothing in the world that could bother her and her calm attitude. However, her current condition was telling an entirely different story. Rylan could not understand the sudden but huge difference in her attitude and at the same time, he could not understand the reason that was making him worry for that girl. "A.....are you....alright?" Rylan finally asked the question out loud as he observed me with his keen eyes. I just shook my head in reply as I looked around the room to find an escape route. However, he was standing right in front of the door which was the only escape route in the room. "Fine! I won''t bully you anymore. Can you stop shaking like you just witnessed a murder or something? You are scaring me too." Rylan said with a huff as he folded his arms together and gave me a sharp look. Even though I wanted to do exactly what he wanted and to get out of the situation as soon as possible, it was like my body was beyond the point of cooperation. I could not help the shivers that were running through my body and neither the paleness and sweat beads that were covering my face. I did not get the chance to understand what was happening and I had no idea exactly what Rylan was thinking, but the next thing I knew I was pulled into a warm embrace that felt strange but so right at that moment. Chapter 45 - Forty-Four: Tied For Eternity I stood there with my hands hanging by my side. Completely shocked as I tried to wrap my mind around the fact that the person who was bullying me just a few minutes ago was now hugging me. His warm body and strong arms were plastered against my smaller frame, making me realize that I was too short in front of this silver-haired dude. "What the hell do you think you are doing? Let me go!" I whisper shrieked as I tried to wriggle out of his arms. "Don''t move! A warm embrace can cure half of your tension and pain. I''m trying to heal you. So, stay still." Rylan said as he pulled both of my hands in his own while hugging me even more tightly in his embrace. "..." I just could not find a proper retort and that''s how I ended up standing there in his arms for the next few minutes. Somehow, his trick actually worked. By the time I pulled away from his arms a few minutes later, I was back to my normal self. "Turn around and show me your back," Rylan said while he started searching for something in his backpack that was sitting on a chair behind him. Somehow that chair was the only furniture in that entire tiny storage that was not covered in dust. "Huh?" To say that I was completely clueless about what he was talking about, would be an understatement. In reality, all that my mind could process was that I needed to get out of that storage as soon as possible. As far as I know, this silver-haired dude was not good news. I had a feeling that him being around me could lead to infinite troubles for me and I was not fond of any kind of problems at the moment. Rylan stopped fumbling with his bag to spare an irritated look at me. It was clear by his expressions that I was testing his patience. "Are you deaf or something? I told you to turn around and show me your back. Now, do it. I don''t have the entire day to spare on you." Saying that he once again started searching for the thing that was probably buried deep inside his bag. "Why should I do that?" I asked as I folded my arms in front of my chest to look a little more confident than I was actually feeling at that time. Right as I finished my question, Rylan threw his bag back on the chair before marching towards me. I was able to make out the outline of a small porcelain jar in his right hand before he approached me and with a strong force, he made me face the wall. The protest that was about to leave my lips died inside as I felt him yanking my school shirt up from under my blazer. The warm air of the tiny room hit my bare lower back and it sent chills running all over my body. "W-what are you doing?" I asked out loud in pure shock as I tried to turn around and hide my back from the boy. "Goodness sake, woman! Can you just stay still and stop asking useless questions? I''m trying to help you here. If you can stay still for just a few seconds then we both will be done here." Rylan said as he clasped both of my hands in one of his and fumbled with the jar that he was holding in his other hand. "You....!" The protest died as his piercing gaze shot up and glared at me, making me gulp down the saliva to cure my suddenly dry throat. As soon as he made sure that I won''t be causing any more problems for him, his attention returned to the porcelain jar in his hand. I wanted to get as far away from him as I could. However, I was too afraid to make a single sound leave my lips. Something was telling me that getting on Rylan''s wrong side would bring me not only troubles but also insufferable pain. It was not like I''m either on his good list but at least I had done nothing to rile him up on purpose. I felt my uniform shirt rising and soon the bruise on my lower back that had probably started turning purple and blue was visible to his surprised eyes. "This...I-I....forget it! This ointment will help to heal this bruise quickly. Just bear with the pain for a little bit longer." With these words being said he took out a little bit of that light green gel from the porcelain jar and the very next second I felt cool fingers on my bareback, making me hiss as pain soared through the bruise. He did not stop. And soon I realized that the pain was vanishing little by little. I had never seen any medicine working this quickly and that made me curious about the gel that he was using on me. "Here! It''s done now. You can tha.........HEYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!" Rylan did not get the chance to finish whatever he was going to say as I did not spare him a single more second. As soon as he was done and I found the perfect chance to get away from him, I took it. It was a pure miracle that I succeeded in fleeing from the storage and it was probably because Rylan did not try to chase after me. He just shouted after me a few times and after that, I was already on the first floor. Way too far to hear his shouts and also far enough to be caught by him. By the time I reached the hallway where our lockers were located, the lunch break was about to end. Coincidentally, I did not come across Rylan for the rest of the day but that did not mean that I was enjoying my day. By the time my first day of Senior year in my new high school was over and I was walking towards the car that belonged to Jackson, I was looking as normal and calm as possible. At that time, I was completely oblivious to the fact that I could no longer run away from Rylan. Somehow, we both got tied to each other for the rest of our lives and it was just the beginning. Chapter 46 - Forty-Five: A Classmate The huge meeting room on the twelfth floor of the west wing of the Northern towers that were located in the central park of the business sector of the city was filled with pin-drop silence. The room was filled with the board directors but each one was looking as terrified as if they were about to lose their life at the very next second. "If you can''t find a solution by the end of this week then don''t even think about showing me your faces again!" The deep calm but powerful voice ranged throughout the silent room making every single person present in there gulp down their saliva in pure terror. Every single head turned towards the man in the brown suit who was standing right next to the CEO. Mr. Kim looked at the terrified expressions of the board members before he pulled on some confidence as he started. "Master Sullivan, this.....actually, it''s already Saturday and this week will end within thirty hours. H-how can....." The words died inside his throat the exact second Kaiden''s sharp eyes landed on him. It was like he was sliced into thousands of pieces by those sharp powerful gaze that was filled with a fire born from ice. "I.....I-I am trying to say that thirty hours is more than enough for our capable and skilled directors to prepare this report. You don''t have to worry about this matter. It will be done by tomorrow noon." Mr. Kim was more than aware of the death glares that he was receiving from the dozens of board members that were present inside the room. A small twitch appeared on the lascivious lips of the CEO before he passed a quick glance to the directors sitting around the room and after giving a light pat on Mr. Kim''s shoulder, he marched out of the meeting room. "Mr. KIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" All hell broke through the moment their cold-hearted CEO was out of the meeting room. The death glares turned into sharp knives that were ready to slaughter the secretary who was regretting his life decisions. "My dear gentlemen, please show some mercy towards this young man. Don''t waste your precious time here on me. Remember that now you don''t even have twenty-four hours left to complete this report. I''ll see you all tomorrow at the meeting. Good luck!" And just like that, his silhouette disappeared from the meeting room with great speed before anyone could catch him. The shouts and protests died inside the room as the door closed behind Secretary Kim who headed towards the CEO''s office on the top floor of the building. *** Kaiden was busy in checking the files that held important information about the new resort that they were building near the eastern end of the huge forest attached to the city. His attention was pulled out of the files when he heard the knocks. "Come in!" He controlled the sigh that was ready to leave his lips as his eyes registered the identity of the person who walked inside his office. However, the very next second his entire world stopped as a very powerful but sweet fragrance entered his senses. His heartbeat accelerated as his breathing started coming out in short huffs. The fragrance that was surrounding him started making him feel dizzy as it consumed his entire being. He remembered this feeling. He had gone through this same thing before. He had experienced this happiness before too. However, rather than being happy, his heart and mind were filled with confusion and a little bit of terror as he could not understand exactly what was going on. "Big bro, I''m here as I promised. And before you will bombard me with your never-ending questions, I''m telling you that I did not cause any troubles today. I know that it''s hard to believe but it''s actually the truth. You can confirm it from your men if you want." Rylan said the moment he stepped inside the office and after throwing his bag on the small coffee table he plopped down on the huge sofa that was sitting next to the floor-to-ceiling glass window. Kaiden was silent for a few moments which made Rylan look up from his phone and stare at his brother with raised eyebrows in confusion. "Are you alright? Is everything okay? If not then don''t expect any type of help from me because....." He was halfway through his rant when a glare from his brother shut him up. "Come here!" "Huh?" Rylan looked at his brother in complete shock even though he heard his words clearly. "I told you to come here. Now!" Kaiden''s voice was sharp and it was clear that he was not in the mood for playing around. Rylan was a little hesitant as he stood up and started dragging his feet towards the King of Hell who was sitting on his throne. Meanwhile, his mind was busy reciting if somehow he had done something that could cause his brother to punish him. However, no matter how hard he tried to remember but there was nothing that he could remember that was out of the line that Kaiden had drawn for him. "Brother..." He trailed off as he watched the finger of his brother that was signaling him to come even more closer. He bent his upper body to reach a little closer to his brother''s face but the very next second he pulled away with a loud ''Eww'' as he found his brother sniffing his neck. "What are you doing? Are you really okay? Do I need to call S...." "Whose scent are you carrying on your clothes?" Kaiden''s eyes pierced through his younger brother as he stared at him. His heart and brain were in conflict as one was trying to be happy while the other one was trying to be reasonable and there was his soul which was feeling angry. "It....I-It''s a classmate." Rylan hurriedly replied as he tried to understand exactly what was wrong with his brother. "A classmate?" Kaiden questioned as he raised his eyebrows while staring at his younger brother. "It''s really interesting to know that you have such a heavy scent on you of one of your classmates. Who''s this classmate?" Chapter 47 - Forty-Six: The Bruise Vanished Kaiden tapped his pen on the file as he looked lost in his thoughts. After Rylan hurriedly excused himself and fled from his office, he had been sitting there in silence while his mind was entirely filled with the fragrance that had succeeded in grasping his attention. He could not make that scent and the fire that it ignited inside him, leave his mind. His soul was still enjoying the warmth that the scent brought to it. Suddenly he stopped tapping his pen and pushed the red button that was installed on the golden reindeer statue that was sitting on the left corner of his desk. A silhouette in dark raven robes appeared inside the room out of nowhere and kneeled on the floor to greet the CEO. "Master!" Other than the dark black eyes that looked as cold and indifferent as that of a robot or an assassin, the rest of the body of that newcomer was covered in the dark long robes that he was wearing. "Find out the identity of the person who is the owner of this scent. I want results as soon as possible." Kaiden said as he opened the file that was placed on top of the pile that was sitting on his table. "Noted!" The person in the dark robes replied as he stood up to leave the office to finish the job that he had received from his master. However, even before he could leave the room, the deep and powerful voice of Master Kaiden stopped him in his tracks. "Make sure to not hurt her." A simple sentence but one that held immense power and hundreds of questions in it. Even though the person in the dark robes was surprised by the second command that he received from his master, but he did not dare to voice out any of his questions. He was supposed to carry out the tasks given by his master and that was exactly what he would be doing, without asking any question. He nodded his head once before his silhouette disappeared from the room within a second. *** "What''s wrong? Are you in that much love with your bathroom that you can''t make yourself separate from it even after an entire hour?" I came out of my thoughts as I heard Leo shouting from the other end of the bathroom door. I was not sure if I had been inside the bathroom for an hour in reality or if he was just playing with me. However, my eyes could not believe what they were seeing. I was standing naked in front of the floor-length mirror that was sitting on one corner of the huge bathroom. My back was towards the mirror while I was looking from over my shoulder towards the reflection of my bareback. The bruise that was supposed to be present on my lower back was nowhere in sight. As far as my eyes could see my back was as smooth as jade and there was no trace of any kind of bruise on it. But how could that be possible, right? My mind was filled with dozens of questions and I had no idea what I was supposed to do. There was no bruise and just like that there was no pain either. As I rubbed my fingers on the spot where the cruise was supposed to be located, I felt no pain, not even a little hint of it. "Em! Are you coming out or not? Or are you purposely trying to make Mark burst into sparks? He will slaughter both of us and will chop us into thousands of pieces before feeding them to the street dogs. Just come out, you little devil!" Leo kept shouting as he thumped on the doir with his boot. As soon as my ears registered the name of Mark Alessandro, it was like my mind finally came out of the shock that it received after not finding the bruise on my back. "A-Alright! I''ll be down in ten minutes. I promise!" I shouted out loudly as I hurriedly pulled on the clothes that I was supposed to wear. Domenic had ordered Mark to take both me and Leo for a little trip to the city so that I could get more familiar with the city and Leo could grasp a few things from the mall that he needed. Of course, I was not that happy about the fact that I was left in the company of my least favorite brother but it was not like I had a say in the matter. I could never ever imagine playing tricks with Mark even in my dreams but here I was, getting late and probably making his mood, even more, grumpier than it already was. But it was not my fault entirely. Who knew that the moment I stood before the mirror after taking a quick shower to look at the bruise, I would find nothing. The shock that I and my mind received was too much that I lost track of the time and somehow ended up wasting a lot of time. If not for Leo and his constant banging and nagging, I would probably have kept standing there for a little longer. "You better be quick. I''m not that eager about dying so soon." Leo said as he gave a final knock on the door before leaving my bedroom. The moment I heard the door of my bedroom closing behind him, I was out of the bathroom in my bathrobe and was rushing towards the walk-in closet. It barely took me seven minutes to put on black jeans with a white blouse and black sneakers. My hair was held in a loose bun while I put a last touch of lip lose before marching out of my bedroom and rushing downstairs. However, the moment I reached the living room and my eyes landed on the piercing gaze of Mark who was glaring right at me, I felt cold chills running down my spine. I was doomed! Chapter 48 - Forty-Seven: Star Xander Mall The silence in the car was making the situation even more awkward and uncomfortable for Emily. However, other than sitting in silence there was nothing that she could do to change her current situation. Every now and then she and Leo, who was sitting on the passenger seat, were exchanging quick glances with each other. Only Mark was the one who looked completely oblivious to the heaviness that was present inside the car, even though he was the main culprit behind this situation. They stayed in the same state until the moment the car stopped in front of a huge mall. It was not until Emily was standing right in front of the mall that she realized that the building in front of her was none other than one of the two most popular and biggest shopping malls of the city - Star Xander Mall. "You can express your amazement out loud if you want. After all, you are about to set your foot inside the grand Star Xander Mall." Leo said as he came forward to stand beside her. Emily gave a quick side glance to her youngest brother but did not say anything. It took five minutes before Mark was standing with them after parking his car. Emily only prepared herself for the marvelous sight that she was going to witness inside the huge building but little did she know that what surprised her the most was not the grandeur of the mall, rather, it was the way every single staff member reacted towards both of her brothers. "Master Mark, Master Leo!" "Good evening, Young Masters!" "Wow! Am I dreaming or something? I can''t believe that I''m seeing the two young masters of the Alessandro empire. Oh my!" "Ssssh! Don''t be so loud! Master Mark doesn''t like this kind of behavior from the staff." One after the other, Emily kept hearing whispers and greetings from the staff members of the Mall. Both Mark and Leo were walking like they were some kind of Princes of the country while she looked like a confused toddler who was as lost at that moment as possible. She wanted to ask her brothers exactly what was going on. Was it possible that her brothers were so popular that every single staff member of such a grand Mall knew them by their mere presence? Even though by now she was more or less aware of the superiority, power, and influence that her family, more like her brothers, held over the city, but what confused her was that only the staff members of the Mall recognized her brothers at first, the customers only started paying attention to them after they heard the commotion created by the staff. She came out of her thoughts when a man in a dark royal blue suit came towards Mark and bowed his head in greetings. He was almost in his late thirties but the way he greeted both Mark and Leo only increased her confusion. "I think you are well aware of the fact that the Alessanddros are not that fond of such type of unwanted attention. Is the staff that free?" Mark''s voice was loud enough to ring throughout the compound making the staff immediately disappear from the sight. The man in the dark royal blue suit looked as pale as if he had seen a ghost as he hurriedly apologized before he too disappeared from their sight. Just when Mark and Leo were about to start walking again, Emily found her hands grasping their arms to stop them. Her hand which was grabbing Mark''s black blazer immediately retracted as his deep piercing eyes glared at her. To save herself from his wrath she turned her focus towards her youngest and one of her tolerable brothers. She did not need to voice out her question because the moment Leo looked at the frown that was plastered on her face, he knew what was bothering her. A small twitch appeared on his lips as he pulled her along with him before replying to her unasked question. "Wanna know who''s the boss of the grand Star Xander Mall?" Emily has her own doubts about what would be the answer to Leo''s question. However, to confirm her doubt she hurriedly nodded her head. Leo stopped at the bottom of the accelerator that would take them to the second floor before he turned to face her. "It''s none other than your Guardian. Welcome to the tour to one of the reasons why the Alessandros are well known by the people of this city." Emily was starstruck for a few seconds as she absorbed this new information. It was just as she predicted. No doubt, her brothers were well known by the citizens. A sigh left her lips as she started following the two of her brothers. They were on the third floor when Mark led them inside a room that looked like a cozy waiting room which was beautifully decorated. He turned to look at Emily as he said, "I''ll be heading towards the top floor due to an important business while Leo needed to grab a few things. In the meanwhile, you can stay here and rest. Joy will accompany you. If you need anything, all you need to do is to ask Joy for it. Don''t venture out on your own. We will be back soon." Emily immediately nodded her head as she turned to look at the young man in a dark black suit who was standing by the door. Somehow, she did not realize that there was someone who has been following them all this while. As both Leo and Mark left the room, she settled down on the sofa that was placed in the center of the room. Her current situation reminded her of the very day when she encountered Rylan for the very first time. And following that memory, she remembered the bruise that magically disappeared from her back. She was completely unaware of the tsunami that was about to wrack her life in just a few moments. Chapter 49 - Forty-Eight: Being Unreasonable The door of the room opened suddenly and Emily almost felt like her past was once again repeating itself. However, unlike the last time, the person who entered the waiting room was not a young boy with silver hair. "Why are you back so quick?" Emily asked as she looked at both of her brothers. Mark did not answer her question. Rather, he signaled Leo to quickly finish his business and hurry. Her youngest brother just gave an eye roll to Mark before he approached the sofa where she was sitting. "Here! Take this card with you. You don''t need to sit in this room all alone. You can look around the Mall and buy whatever you want as long as Joy is accompanying you." Leo said as he handed a credit card in her hand. It was not the famous black card but a normal platinum credit card. However, the way Emily pulled her hand away from the card left both her brothers surprised for a few seconds. A soft sigh left Leo''s lips as he settled down beside Emily on the sofa. "I know that you are worried about wasting Domenic''s hard-earned money. But let me tell you something. As your legal guardian, Domenic has to provide you with money every month for your expenses. That''s your money and you don''t have to think twice before deciding where to spend it. Now stop overthinking and take a look around the Mall and see if you find something that you want to buy." Emily was silent for a few seconds as she kept staring at the credit card that Leo was holding in his hand. "Just give it to her. I don''t have the entire day to waste here." Mark''s sharp voice ranged into her ears making both her and Leo flinch a little. His gaze landed on her as he continued, "As for you. If you are really that much against using this money, then you are more than welcome to pay us back in the future once you start earning. For now, stop create g scenes in front of others." He did not waste a single more second as he marched out of the room after throwing such sharp words at her. "Mark!" Leo shouted in displeasure but his brother was already out of the room. He turned his focus back to his little sister who was staring at her fingers that were tightly clutching the hem of her blouse. He was expecting her to look sad or hurt because of Mark''s words but when he made her look up at him, he was surprised to see a soft smile and warmth present on her face. "Are you okay? You don''t have to mind his words. As you already know he really doesn''t have a high level of patience." Leo said as he patted her head softly. The smile on Emily''s lips expanded as she replied in a warm tone, "I know. Don''t worry, I''m alright, and thank you for the card." Leo smiled softly at his sweet little sister before he gave her a warm nod and left the room after giving a serious glance at Joy who was standing at the farthest corner of the room. *** "Can''t you try to be a little polite when it comes to her? Every time you open your mouth in front of her it feels like you are about to curse her or something. Even I''m tired of this unnecessary attitude towards her." The way Leo was glaring at his older brother, it was clear that he was serious about the situation. But on the other hand, Mark looked as indifferent as usual. He just silently listened to Leo''s complaints but did not reply even once. "Mark! I''m talking to you, damn it! Can you please explain your behavior towards our little sister?" Leo shouted out loud in anger as he glared at his brother. A deep sigh left Mark''s lips as he turned his focus towards his youngest brother before replying. "I don''t need to explain anything to you. And it''s not like I did something wrong. She was the one who was creating a scene there..." "If you will try even for once to give her your attention and learn the reasons behind her hesitations, you will probably see exactly what is wrong with your behavior," Leo said as he cut off Mark before the latter could complete his sentence. "Are you trying to say that I''m being unreasonable towards her on purpose?" Mark asked as he looked directly into the dark green eyes of his youngest brother. A scoff left Leo''s lips as he glared back at his brother before replying, "I''m not trying to say that. It''s the reality. You are actually being unreasonable towards her without any reason. It''s like you have already decided in your heart to not like her or try to understand her, no matter what." The two brothers were silent for the next few moments before Mark just gave the last piercing glare to Leo before disappearing from the room. The Youngest Alessandro Master was left alone in the silent room as he tried to calm down his anger that was ready to beat Mark into a pulp. Even though he was well aware that this dream of his was not possible at all. *** "Where are you going?" Shane asked as he followed behind Rylan towards the shining black car that was parked in front of the convenience store where they currently were. "Star Xander Mall." It was the only reply that he received from the Second Young Master. "Wait! Why the hell are you going there?" Shane asked or most likely shouted in alarm as he stopped his friend before he could reach the car. A sigh left Rylan''s lips as he brushed his fingers through his long silver hair that were left loose. A clear sign that he was feeling not only confused but also frustrated due to some reason. "I''m not sure. I have no idea why I suddenly want to enter the Southern province of the city. It''s just I have a feeling that I needed to be there as soon as possible. I''m having a bad feeling." Rylan replied as he looked up at the sky. "What kind of bad feeling?" Chapter 50 - Forty-Nine: Masked Man The silence that followed Shane''s question lasted for a few moments but it felt like hours had passed as Rylan was lost in his thoughts. "Like there''s someone in that Mall who needs my help. Someone special. Someone, whom I don''t want to lose or can''t afford to lose...." Rylan trailed off and silence once again surrounded the two friends. Shane had no idea how he was supposed to digest the information that he was receiving from his best friend. All he could understand was that the Second Young Master was about to do something crazy and he needed to stop him. "I don''t want to sound rude but are you okay? I mean are you sure you are not under any char....." Shane trailed off as Rylan turned his icy gaze towards him. "I know that what I''m saying is not making much sense. But we both know that in our world this is not an impossible thing to happen," Rylan said as he once again started walking towards his car. "I know this. But we are talking about entering into the Southern province of the city. It is more or less the turf of our enemy. You can''t be so casual about crossing the barrier that separates the two provinces from each other." Shane said in an urgent tone as he followed behind his best friend. "It''s not like I''m going there with a bad intention. I just want to take a look around the area. That''s all." Rylan replied as he settled down on the driver''s seat. The door of the passenger side seat opened and Shane entered the car. "What are you doing?" Rylan asked his friend with a frown visible on his handsome face. "Can''t let you go there alone. It''s not safe." Shane replied as he buckled his seat belt. "And here I was thinking that you are afraid of entering into the Southern province. Good to know that I was wrong." Rylan said with a light chuckle as he started the car. "I still am. But I can''t let my best friend suffer through the wrath of Master Sullivan all alone. Let me accompany you through this hell." Shane replied to his friend''s comment. It was like Shane''s words struck some sense inside Rylan because the very next second, the frown disappeared from his face and a look of horror appeared in its place. "Damn it! I totally forgot about Kaiden and the wrath that will fall on us after this." Rylan said as he facepalmed himself. "What? Gonna change your mind?" Shane asked as he looked at his friend with raised eyebrows. "Of course, not! There''s nothing that is gonna change my mind about this. Let''s go before my brother''s men catch up to us." Rylan looked totally confident about his decision. A few seconds later, a black shining car could be seen driving away from the convenience store. *** "Miss Alessandro, do you want me to set the bill for these dresses?" Joy asked the young girl who was sitting on the couch as she stared at the clothes that were placed on the coffee table in front of her. "Umm-hmm." Emily nodded her head and watched her temporary bodyguard picking up the five official outfits that she had chosen. There were trousers, blouses, blazers, cardigans, and three inches heels with a set of basic cosmetics. It took her more than an entire hour to decide exactly on what she wanted to spend the money bestowed upon her. It was not until Joy reminded her that as the youngest member of the Alessandro Empire, she was supposed to attend various business dinners and other festivities, that the idea of buying office outfits appeared in her mind. As she waited for Joy to return after settling the payment of her dresses, her attention was pulled towards the crowd that had started to gather in front of the showroom where she currently was. At first, she decided to ignore them but then her eyes landed on a figure that was looking straight at her from the opposite end of the hall. His hoody and face mask was covering his entire face, only leaving his dark black eyes visible. The feeling of being a target of something bad settled in the pit of her stomach as the man kept staring at her. It was not until the man started walking towards her that she found her feet moving on their own accord as they tried to put some distance between the two of them to keep her safe. A part of her mind was telling her to find Joy. But the other part, the bigger one, was focused on the part that she needed to stay away from that masked man. And as she found herself coming out of the showroom and running towards the lift, it was clear that the second part of her brain won. As she came out of the lift on the ground floor, she was busy fondling with her phone to find Mark''s number. However, before she could dial his number, someone bumped into her, and her phone slipped from her hands and landed on the hard floor. "S-sorry..." Emily stuttered out in a small voice as she bent down to pick up her phone. However, the loud sound of a glass shattering into thousands of tiny pieces made her look up at the scene in front of her. Once again her eyes landed on the figure of the same masked man who was following her just a few minutes ago, but this time he was the one who was running away in panic. Seeing his left arm which was covered in blood that was dripping on the white tiles of the floor, she realized that he was the one who bumped into the glass screen that was now lying on the floor in pieces and crumbs. Her legs had their own mind as they pulled her after the masked man and it was not until she was standing in the outside parking lot of the mall, trying to spot the masked man, that the sound of dozens of glasses shattering into pieces filled the air. A loud shriek was about to leave Emily''s lips before she found herself buried under a heavy weight that made darkness appear in front of her eyes. Chapter 51 - Fifty: The Real Threat "Are you alive or dead?" The question made Emily curse in her mind as she struggled to breathe through the pain that was surging through her entire body, especially her lungs. Whoever was the person laying above her fragile body, he sure was someone with a very healthy and well-built body as his weight was crushing her bones into crumbs. The darkness that had appeared in front of her vision only started getting heavier as her constant tries at breathing failed. "Hey! Can you please answer my question? Otherwise, I''ll consider you dead and my effort of saving you a great failure." The person again muttered in her ears. Even though her brain was no longer in its right phase but it still succeeded in realizing that the voice whispering in her ears was familiar. "You need to get up from her otherwise you will kill her under your weight!" Another voice, which was completely unfamiliar to her ears, making her immediately agree with his words in her mind. "Oh! Right! Right!" So after, Emily found the heavyweight lifting from her body, and immediately she took in a deep breath, fillings her lungs with the much-needed oxygen. Someone helped her to stand up on her shaky legs and after few minutes when she was finally able to calm down her breathing and racing heart, a very familiar voice entered her ears, followed by more familiar voices. "Miss Alessandro!" "Youngest Miss!" "Miss Alessandro!" Emily''s eyes turned to look at the figure of Joy and some other familiar bodyguards whom she had seen at the mansion before. She was hidden from the eyes of those bodyguards as a wall stopped the men from noticing her immediately. "Miss.....ALESSANDRO?" The surprised and confused voices made her turn her head to look at the two boys who were standing behind her, also hidden from the eyes of the bodyguards. One of the two boys was none other than the silver-haired boy who was staring at her with his eyes filled with pure surprise. And the second boy, who looked just as cute as Sam, with dark black short hair, pouty lips, and dark obsidian eyes paired with thick eyelashes and a sharp jawline, was looking at her with surprise but also terror. His expressions confused her. Feeling shocked after knowing her identity was normal but why he looked like she was going to kill him the very next second? "Y-you are....." Rylan trailed off as the voices of the bodyguards started coming closer towards their direction. "Rylan, we need to get out of this place before those men found us. Let''s go!" Shane whispered shouted in alarm as his eyes looked towards the men in dark suits. "I know. However, even if we succeeded in getting away from this place and those men, what about this girl?" Rylan''s question made both Shane and Emily look at him in confusion as both could not understand the meaning behind his words. "What are trying to say?" Shane asked as he looked at one of the most beautiful girls that he had ever seen in his life. She looked so innocent and completely lost as she stood in front of them, staring at them with questions-filled eyes. "Isn''t it simple to understand? She''s one of the Alessandros. Moreover, the young miss of their empire. Those men are not the real problem but the actual threat is standing right in front of us. She''s the one who we need to take care of." Rylan''s words made a feeling of dread fill her stomach as she looked at him in horror. His words sounded like as if he was planning of getting rid of her. "A-Are.....w-what...Aaaah!" She almost squealed out loudly as her eyes registered the shining blade of the dagger that suddenly appeared in Rylan''s hands. Even though Shane was looking just as surprised and terrified as her but he did not try to interfere as he had no idea what to do at that moment. She peeked her head out to look at the bodyguards who were still at some distance from the three of them before she returned her attention back to the two boys. However, her breath caught in her throat as she found the silver-haired handsome standing right in front of her. There was just a few centimeters distance between the two of them and she felt something sharp touching her stomach through her blouse. It did not take her a long time to understand that the thing poking into her belly was nothing else but the sharp dagger that she previously saw in Rylan''s hand. "What are you going to do?" She asked softly as she stared directly into the eyes of the boy who was glaring at her with his cold eyes. "You are one of them. There''s no doubt that the moment your brothers will find you, you will tell them everything. Every single fucking thing! And I can''t let you do that. You are not allowed to create problems for me or anyone else from my pack. And to make sure that you won''t create any problems for us, I need to take care of you for now and forever." His voice was just as cold as his icy gaze that made the dreadful feeling inside Emily''s stomach get heavier and heavier. "You all are completely useless!" Mark''s angry voice ranged throughout the parking lot, making Emily jump in fright. Now she was no longer sure exactly who was more terrifying out of the two - Mark or Rylan. "Rylan! Let''s leave right now!" Shane whispered shouted in alarm as he watched one of the Alessandro Young Masters looking as deadly as Hades himself. Rylan moved closer to her and at that exact moment, she felt the sharp point of the blade piercing her blouse and then the soft skin of her belly. A tear rolled down her left cheek before she finally lost her consciousness and a dark world welcomed her. Chapter 52 - Fifty-One: A Promise *** The shadows chased after Emily as she ran through the dangerous forest in the middle of the night. The darkness that was covering the forest made it impossible for her to see anything. However, having no option of stopping, she kept running while slipping here and there, and getting injured. Her bare feet were covered with dirt that had stuck on her skin. Under those thick layers of dirt that were cemented on her feet and ankles, there were several cuts, some deep while the others were shallow. The wet ground of the forest was a little slippery after the heavy rain that showered throughout the entire day and only stopped near the evening. Her breaths were coming in short gasps as she tried to rub her hands on her bare arms to make her body feel a little warmer. She was tired beyond words, was starving since she had not eaten anything in the last thirty-five hours, and most importantly...she was afraid. Her body had no more energy left but if she stopped running, there was no doubt that she would end up in the hands of those monsters who had made her life a living curse. The blood, that had been seeping out of the cut on the left side of her forehead, had ruined her white dress which was no longer white after her marathon through the forest. The darkness that was threatening to take over her consciousness was still lurking at the surface, waiting for the perfect moment so that it could strike. Suddenly, Emily felt as if her legs were becoming heavier. Her head started throbbing in pain and her entire body cried out in discomfort. She was rooted to the wet ground, no longer able to run to save her life. Those who were chasing her were coming closer and she could almost imagine the scene when they would catch her. A chill erupted in her body as she tried her very best to make her legs move and start running again, but all in vain. Something was not right with her and that realization made her panic intensify. She started flinging her arms here and there to find a way to get away from the heavy grip that was keeping her tied to the darkness. But no matter how much she tried to get away from it, the grip on her was far much powerful. She opened her mouth to shout out for help but here too she failed when she found that no sound was coming out of her mouth, no matter how hard she tried. She felt the wetness on her cheeks that at first made her think that the rain had returned to increase her problems. However, as a few seconds passed, Emily realized that rather than the rain, it was her tears that were rolling down her cheeks as they cried for her helplessness. She was about to meet her end... *** Emily''s bedroom was filled with silence as all the six Alessandro Young Masters stood there in silence while observing Sam taking care of their little sister. None of them made a single sound as they watched their doctor friend bandaging the cuts and scraps that were covering the previously smooth skin of their baby sis. It was not until Sam, Domenic, Daniel, and Mark left the bedroom to discuss about her condition, that the rest of the three siblings noticed the change in her breathing. Rather than the previously calm and steady breathing, she was now struggling to breathe. Before the brothers could call out for help, they noticed the tears that had started rolling down her cheeks, and soon all three of them were panicking as they watched Emily thrashing her arms and legs in the air as if she was trying to break out of something. "Em! Em!" Leo immediately shouted in panic as he ran towards the bed where his baby sis was struggling to break through the chains of some bad dreams. He started shaking her lightly as he tried to bring her out of her terrible dream. But n matter how hard he tried, he could not succeed. Leo''s futile attempt and the whimpering sounds of pain that had started escaping Emily''s lips made the three brothers panic even more. "Go and call the others!" Simon ordered Crist and the first immediately ran towards the door after giving a quick worried glance towards his sister. On the other hand, Simon immediately settled down on the bed beside Emily as he took her small chilled hands in his own. He started rubbing her as he signaled Leo to rub her feet. Leo immediately complied and started rubbing the feet of his little sister which were also freezing. "Emy! Baby, wake up! Emy!" Simon called out to his little sister in a warm and soft voice as he moved closer to her left ear. The small hands in his larger ones gripped his fingers and seeing her react to his voice, he started calling her out in his soft voice. It was not until the fourth try that Emily''s eyes finally flew open, but seeing the panic and terror in her little eyes made both Simon and Leo look at each other in worry. "Simon....." Emily''s weak voice pulled Simon''s attention back on the little girl who was staring at him as if she could not make herself believe that it was indeed Simon in front of her eyes. "Yes, Emy! It''s me. You are safe. You are here in your bedroom with me and the rest of your brothers. Don''t worry. I won''t let anyone harm you. I promise." It was like Simon''s warm words broke something inside his little sister because the very next second she was wrapped in his embrace as she sobbed. "It''s alright, I''m here," Simon whispered in her ear as he rubbed soothing circles on her back. His eyes landed on Leo who was looking as if he''s about to cry and behind him were the rest of his brothers who were looking at him and Emily with worried eyes. Chapter 53 - Fifty-Two: The Mark "Is she alright now?" Leo was the first one who asked the question out loud the moment Simon exited Emily''s room. Since he shouted the question, he received multiple glares from his brothers which made him cringe. However, he immediately returned his focus to Simon as he waited for his older brother to answer his question. A soft sigh slipped through the only black-haired Alessandro Young Master as he settled down on the sofa beside Mark. The living room was filled with silence for the next several minutes as the others waited for Simon to answer the question that was drilling holes in each one of them. "She doesn''t want to be left alone and neither does she want to sleep. Sam is with her." Simon finally replied. His words only ended up increasing the worry of the brothers for their baby sister. "It''s already past seven o''clock and the chef is on vacation. Mark, Crist, and Leo, all three of you come and help me in preparing the dinner. Sorellina must be feeling hungry." Daniel ordered as he stood up from his seat. The protests that were about to ring throughout the living room instantly died the moment Daniel mentioned Emily. Even Leo eagerly moved towards the kitchen in order to help Daniel in preparing the dinner for his little sister. And just like that, the heaviness that had taken over the entire Alessandro Mansion slowly started slipping away. Domenic and Simon disappeared inside the office that was located on the third and almost forbidden floor of the mansion. *** "Are you alright?" Shane asked as he looked at his best friend with worry. He still remembered the moment when he watched the sharp dagger disappearing through the cotton blouse that Emily was wearing and then the sudden burst of redness that painted the blouse. He almost thought that Rylan was going to kill her but miraculously, the very next second he pulled out the dagger and healed the wound. But in the meanwhile, two things went wrong. The first bad thing was that due to the pain and panic, Emily lost her consciousness, and the second bad thing that happened was that the bodyguards of the Alessandro Family were already moving towards them. This only left them one option and that was to disappear from that place as soon as possible so that the bodyguards could not catch them. He also remembered the unwillingness that he saw on Rylan''s face they were running away, leaving an unconscious girl behind. Currently, both of them were sitting in the living room of the small wooden cabin that was built near the stream that flowed through the forest where the Sullivan Mansion was located. They were the only occupants of the cabin and the silence that was present not only in the cabin but also in their surroundings, made Shane even more worried. It was like every single creature living around the cabin was aware of the bad mood of the Second Young Master and they were smartly escaping from his wrath. "I''m alright. I want to stay here for a few more hours. Leave me alone." Rylan replied as he settled down in his seat and let his body relax a little. Even then the tension was clearly visible in his tight muscles and even though Shane wanted to talk to him about all that happened at the Star Xander Mall, he could not find the courage to do so. In the end, he chose to be smart, and after giving a quick nod to his friend, he stood up from the sofa and left the room. As Rylan sat there in silence he slowly rolled up the sleeve of his right hand. A portion of his right wrist was looking red and a little blue while a kind of newly carved tattoo was visible on that irritated skin. It was a unique design or probably a symbol with a circle inside a triangle that had wings on it and in the very center of the circle was the letter E. His breathing and heartbeat increased as the realization dawned on him. The meaning behind the newly formed mark on his wrist registered in his mind. It was like destiny and fate were playing a game with him. The one person who was supposed to be his new prey and the person who could become the solution to many of their problems had now become the person whom he could no longer stand to hurt. The mere thought of hurting her sent chills and immense pain throughout his body. Hurting her was the last thing that he wanted to do. Rather, the need to keep her safe and protected all the time started taking a deep root inside him. The mark on his wrist was the proof that he was now bound to another person by their fates and just like his mark, that other person too would have received a similar mark. These marks were the symbol of a new beginning for both of them. A beginning that would bring many happy and beautiful moments. However, no matter how pure and powerful this mark and its future was, the darkness was already ready to destroy everything. *** As Emily stared at the weird tattoo that was visible on the front part of her left shoulder, she once again pinched herself to make sure that she was no longer dreaming. It was not like she was encountering such unbelieving situations for the first time in her life. In her short life of seventeen years, she had already witnessed a lot of things that could not be considered possible or normal by society and the entire world. But still, seeing the impossible things happening to her for the past few days was making her question herself and her sanity. First, her bruise healed miraculously in just a short period. Second, even though she was pretty sure that she felt the dagger piercing her belly, there was no wound or any blood visible on her belly. The only thing that made her believe in herself was the cut in her blouse that indicated that something sharp had cut through it. And right now, she was starting at the third miracle - the tattoo. Chapter 54 - Fifty-Three: In The Shadows "What the hell is this thing?" Emily muttered under her breath in complete shock as she scratched her skin around the tattoo. The skin around the tattoo had turned bright red and purple and Emily had a great urge to scratch that area and relieve herself from the irritation. And it was then that her shocked mind finally registered the design of the tattoo. A circle inside a triangle with wings and a large cursive R was written in the very center of the circle. The moment her eyes landed on that letter R, the first person who popped up in her mind was none other than that weird silver-haired boy. She felt another chill running down her spine as a dreadful feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. She had no idea what that tattoo was or how did it end up on her shoulder. But there was one thing that she was aware of and it was that Rylan was definitely bad news for her. The first time she met that boy, she knew that he was one of the dangerous kind, but somehow he still succeeded in hiding his bad and negative vibes from her. She never felt scared or terrified around him. Though he easily succeeded in making her angry, disgusted, confused, and disturbed with his behavior and presence. Even though she clearly remembered the dagger that was piercing through her belly just a few hours ago and the owner of the dagger, a part of her mind believed that Rylan would never have hurt her. It was a completely stupid thought especially after she actually saw him stabbing her. The fact that she still was trying to make herself believe that Rylan did not mean to hurt her, was utterly stupid on her part. All these thoughts only made Emily more frustrated as she glared at the reflection of the tattoo. She needed to talk to Rylan and get these things sorted out as soon as possible. She did not even want to imagine the scenario that would unfold in front of her eyes when her brothers would come to know about Rylan and his presence in her life. Even though she was not well aware of the grudge that Rylan held against her brothers or the other way around, but she was aware of one thing and it was that Mark was not the only one who had Rylan in his bad book. As much as she understood from Rylan''s words, it looked like all her brothers were not on good terms with Rylan or probably with his family too. She had no plans for coming in the middle of these two parties and their grudges. However, looking at the tattoo that was sitting on top of her shoulder, she had a feeling that somehow her plan of staying away from Rylan was no longer a possible thing. The knock on the door of the bathroom brought her out of her thoughts and she heard Crist calling her. "Em! It''s time for dinner. Hurry up! You have been inside for more than half an hour." A soft sigh escaped Emily''s lips as she gave a last look to her shoulder where the tattoo was carved before she buttoned up her cotton pajama top. "Coming!" She announced before she quickly adjusted her appearance and walked out of the bathroom into her bedroom. *** "Don''t move! I will go and fetch some water for us." Leo said as he stopped his little sister who was about to slip out of her bed. However, Emily was tired because of sitting in the bed all by herself for more than the past five hours and don''t even mention the fact that she slept throughout the afternoon. Her brothers even send her dinner to her room so that she would not need to climb down the stairs and back. She was not even that much injured. Other than small cuts and a few scraps there was nothing serious about the wounds that she received. After all, the biggest and deepest wound had already disappeared from her body on its own, and the ones that were left barely made any difference for her. "Can you let me do this on my own? I want to give a quick exercise to my muscles. Pretty please!" She pleaded with her cute eyes as she looked at Leo with a little pout. Her trick probably would not have worked on the rest of her brothers but for Leo, being cute and soft was enough to melt him into a puddle. "Aww, look at you. Fine, fine! You can go but make sure to call out for help as soon as you feel any pain or discomfort, okay?" Leo looked at her with serious eyes as he waited for her reply. Being a good girl, Emily immediately nodded her head as she said, "I sure will. Just don''t follow me. Otherwise, I''ll kick you out of my bedroom." "Y-you! How can you say something like this? I was not going to do anything like that." Leo huffed in annoyance as he glared cutely at his little sister. Emily giggled softly at his cuteness before she left the room and headed downstairs towards the kitchen. It was not until she was almost at the bottom of the stairs when she heard the whispering voices coming from the living room. The pillar and huge plant pots in addition to the darkness gave her small body a perfect cover. She was not sure why she stopped there and hid in the shadows immediately but it was like her feet refused to move forward. As far as she could tell from the soft voices coming from the living room, it was only her brothers discussing something. There was no need for her to act like a thief or intruder in her own house and in the mid of her own family, right? And just when she was about to groan out in annoyance, her ears registered the sentence that made her body went still in shock. Chapter 55 - Fifty-Four: The Hidden Story "Master, I have personally collected all the information. Each and every word written in this file is the truth. I can guarantee it with my life." A man in dark leather robes said as he bowed his head while he stood in front of the desk of the CEO. The man, with long silver hair and clad in a dark cerulean suit that matched the color of his mesmerizing eyes, who was sitting on the chair of the CEO of the Silver Enterprise, did not even spare a single glance towards the man in leather robes. Rather, he was busy staring at the closed file that was sitting in front of his eyes as a frown covered his handsome and breathtaking features. It was not until several minutes passed in complete silence that he finally decided to speak. His voice coming out calm and rich with a powerful aura that usually surrounded him and made him look ethereal. "I know. The only reason I chose you for this task is that I trust you and your skills completely. I''m not worried about the contents of this file being wrong." Instantly, the man in the leather robes relaxed as he got the approval of his master. "Boss, are you worried about Second Young Master then?" This time it was none other than the man in the White suit who had been standing beside the CEO all this time, who spoke up. Everyone in the Silver Enterprise and even in the entire Sullivan Empire knew that Secretary Kim was one of those few people around the CEO who was not only respected for his work but also for his dedication towards the company and loyalty to the CEO. Not only that but the fact that he was barely a young man in his mid-twenties only added more stars into his already high reputation. Kaiden was silent for another few seconds before he dismissed the man in leather robes with just a single click of his fingers before he turned his attention towards his secretary. Even though Kaiden was only twenty-one years old but the aura and powerful presence that he carried around him never let anyone underestimate him. It was a rumor in the city that Kaiden Sullivan took over the reins of the Silver Enterprise when he was barely fifteen years old. Back at that time, he was not only a young teenager but he was also someone whose world got smashed into pieces within a single night. With just a few trusted people around him and hundreds of enemies lurking in the shadows to finish their unfinished job, he took over the command of not only the Silver Enterprise but also the Silver Dawn Pack. And not forget that he had a little innocent brother to protect too in the middle of all the responsibilities that fell over him. At that time, no one predicted that in just a few years that young boy would not only become the most powerful presence in the entire Northern Province of the city but was also one of the most powerful people in the entire country. He was not only young and handsome but also powerful enough to ruin the Southern Province of the city that fell under the commands of the Alessandro Empire and the Evans. Of course, going against the Southern Province and its rulers was neither an easy job nor a good idea. If Sullivans were chilly ice and storm then Alessandros and Evans were hot fire and thunder. When these two parties would clash together, there''s no idea which would come out as the winner. Not only this but if someday, the Southern and Northern Province of City A decided to start a war, then the beautiful and calm city would turn into a place full of dead bodies and blood. The citizens had seen several bloodbaths and lost many loved ones, that''s why they respected these three families with their entire heart - Alessandros, Evans, and Sullivans. Because the Young Masters of these three families were the ones who decided to stop the bloodbath that had been going on for decades and signed a peace treaty and dividing the city into two provisions. Alessandro and Evans were close friends and that''s why they decided to settle together in one of the provinces and the Sullivans took the second province. Even though the rulers of these two provinces were not the best friends but they also did not hold any animosity towards each other. Although, it''s still a mist for all the three families to follow the rules written in the peace treaty. "He told me that she''s only his classmate. Then why did he broke the rule and went to the Star Xander Mall?" Kaiden asked as he looked at Mr. Kim with raised eyebrows. "Hehe.....! Boss, how can I possibly know the answer to this question of yours? Maybe there was some emergency that led the Second Master to neglect the rules and..." Secretary Kim trailed off as he realized that the CEO was staring at him with his icy gaze. "If you want, I can arrange for someone to find out exactly how Second Young Master is related with Miss Alessandro." Secretary Kim hurriedly suggested. "No need. I''ll handle this situation personally. This matter does not seem simple anymore." Kaiden said as he gave a last look to the file that held information about Emily before locking it in the top drawer of his desk. "You can continue with your work. I''ll see you in the meeting room within an hour." He simply dismissed Secretary Kim who immediately took the hint and with a quick nod, left the office. As Kaiden sat there in the quiet office, he thought about the information that he received about the Alessandro girl from the file. It''s a well known fact that the Alessandro brothers had a younger sister who got separated from them sixteen years ago when her mother took her away. The file held information about her mother''s death and then the years that she spent in the orphanage before Domenic finally found her and took her custody under him. However, Kaiden had a feeling that the file was missing a great part of Emily''s story and suddenly he had an urge to learn about that hidden part of her life. At that time, he had no idea that Emily''s hidden past was hiding answers of so many unanswered questions of his life. Chapter 56 - Fifty-Five: Not Ready To Be Caught "Are you sure that it was Rylan Sullivan and not someone else?" Emily almost felt her heart freezing as her ears registered Daniel''s question. Fear of getting caught surfaced inside her and she felt her body losing its warmth as a chill descended over her. "The information is totally verified. Rylan Sullivan was indeed seen in the Star Xander Mall at the same time when the incident happened." The person who replied with a tone filled with confidence was unfamiliar to Emily as she could not seem to recognize his voice. "This is not a piece of small news. If the Second Young Master Sullivan actually dared to set his foot inside the Star Xander Mall, then there''s definitely something that we are not aware of. Assign a team immediately to search more about this." This time, it was Domenic''s sharp and powerful voice that made its way into her ears. "I''ll instantly allocate a team to gather more information about this." The strange man replied and then the sound of footsteps leaving the living room could be heard. "What''s exactly going on? Was it really Rylan? No matter what but I just can''t believe that he actually appeared at the mall. Moreover, the incident of Sorellina and his visit to the mall at the very same time is just too much to be a mere coincidence. Something is not right here, Dom." Daniel''s voice was filled with worry but it was nowhere near the level of worry that was eating up Emily from inside. She was rooted to her hiding position behind the pillar and her forehead was covered in sweat as she tried to control her harsh breathing. Somehow she knew that Rylan had nothing to do with the masked man but she had no idea about the reason that brought him to the mall. Even though she trusted Rylan to not be the culprit behind the mall incident, it did not mean that her brothers would share the same thought with her. Who knew what would happen if her brothers found out about Rylan and his interest in her just because she was the sister of the Alessandro brothers. She was not ready to be caught, not yet! She almost got a heart attack when a hand clamped over her mouth and stopped the shriek from making its way out through her lips. Her already intense breathing and accelerated heartbeat only increased as she turned her face and found a very familiar face looking down at her with cold eyes. The hand that was clamped over her mouth slipped away and she was finally free to shriek or scream as much as she wanted or as loud as she needed. However, not a single sound came out of her mouth as she looked at the person who caught her red-handed as she was spying on her brothers. No words got exchanged between the two of them before Emily found herself being dragged upstairs. She made sure to not make any noise that would end up attracting Domenic''s and Daniel''s attention towards her and her companion. It was not until she looked up to see where she was being dragged that her eyes landed on the familiar hallway where the magnificent library was located. In the next few minutes, she was standing inside the first section of the library where sofas and bean bags were arranged neatly around a coffee table and plant pots were placed all around the room, increasing the comfy look of the section. She did not dare to look at the man who was definitely staring right at her meek and cowering form. "Can you explain why you were eavesdropping on Domenic and Daniel''s conversation?" Mark''s low but demanding voice made Emily shrunk even more as she kept staring at her bunny slippers. She was shivering, not due to cold but because of the fear of the punishment that she soon would be receiving. A part of her mind tried to reason with her that in the past few months that she spent with her brothers, none of them punished her harshly even when she broke many rules which simply meant that they would never hurt her. However, the bigger part of her mind was surrounded by fear and could no longer concentrate on the fact that the person standing in front of her was her brother and not one of those monsters of her dark past. "I''m asking you something!" Mark''s voice came out sharper as he looked completely frustrated after seeing her reacting like he was about to kill her. "I........I-I d-did not....mean t-to....listen to w-what....." Emily could not help but stutter due to the fear that was making it impossible for her to reply. However, the darkness that had started surrounding her mind suddenly retracted as Mark pulled her closer to him as he cupped both of her cheeks with his large hands to make her look into his dark green eyes. Though she could not find any warmth or love in his eyes but there was also no trace of anger and hostility for her. "I''m just asking you why were you eavesdropping just now. Take a deep breath and calm down before answering." Mark said as he looked directly into her eyes. His voice wasn''t exactly filled with warmth and tenderness, but it still succeeded in bringing Emily''s mind out of the darkness of her past that was ready to pull her into the deep abyss. It was not until she was almost back to her calm self that she opened her mouth to answer his question. "I....I-I went downstairs to get a water bottle but...b-but heard t-them talking with someone. I f-first stopped because I did not want to disturb but then I-I heard them talking about today''s incident at the m-mall." She didn''t say anything more. Her eyes, filled with sincerity, that were staring into the very similar eyes of her brother till now immediately dropped to her sneakers once again. Her performance was so good that Mark immediately believed her. Moreover, there was barely any lie in her answer. Who knew that she was about to present a brilliant performance for the next half an hour just to get away from the deadly clutches of her brothers? Chapter 57 - Fifty-Six: No More Escape Routes "Em, did you met Rylan in school?" Mark''s sudden question about Rylan made warning bells start ringing in Emily''s brain. For a moment she wanted to lie but then a new idea popped up in her crafty little mind as she put on a frowning expression while lightly nodding her head in reply. Her affirmative gesture made Mark stiffen as he hurriedly asked, "When? Did he say anything to you?" "Umm...it was in the Chemistry period. He just gave me a surprised look but did not say anything else. Other than that, I did not see him for the rest of the day." The fake sincerity that she pushed into her words and the little frown that was plastered on her face, succeeded in covering her lie from Mark''s sharp gaze. The reason Emily did not hide about Rylan sharing the Chemistry class with her was the number of witnesses that were present in the class. If her brothers tried to find the truth on their own, she would have ended up in big trouble for lying. However, the reason she did not tell Mark about the episode of the library was because she had a feeling that even if her brothers tried to investigate on their own, they won''t be able to find about that part. Mark stared at Emily who was looking at his tattoos with a little frown on her face before he lightly hummed in acknowledgment. Even if he wanted to be suspicious of her, the innocence that was surrounding her made him hesitate. As Mark kept silent for the next few moments, Emily started feeling a little uncomfortable. She could feel his piercing gaze on her as if he was looking right into her soul. "Mark" "Huh?" Emily took in a deep breath before she turned her eyes towards her brother who was actually looking way softer than his usual grumpy and angry self. "I heard Domenic saying that Rylan was present in the mall when everything happened and looking at the way he was speaking with Daniel it''s like Rylan isn''t allowed to enter into the mall. Is he or maybe his family a business rival of Domenic?" Only God knew how much courage it took on Emily''s part to ask that question out loud. Mark looked at her in silence for a few seconds before he responded. "I''ll answer your question if you will answer mine first." For some reason, it never occurred to Emily that the question Mark was going to ask her could be very hard for her to answer. This was the only reason why she immediately nodded her head in acceptance of his demand. "Then tell me, Em, when I clearly told you to stay with Joy all the time then why did you run away from him and ended up creating such a ruckus?" The calmness that was present in Mark''s eyes suddenly started changing into coldness as he glared at her. Emily gulped down her saliva as the fear returned. The way Mark was staring down into her eyes made her voice crack as she tried to answer. "T.....T-t.....That I-I....Y-you...Youarescaringme!" It was like her racing heart almost burst out of her chest as those sincere words escaped through her lips and made Mark frown. Before Mark could have replied, the library door burst opened and Emily registered familiar footsteps that belonged to the rest of her brothers. She did not need to turn back towards the door to know that all the rest five brothers of hers were now present in the library. Their presence did not bring any comfort to her. Rather, another fear took over her as she realized that any moment Mark could tell Domenic about how he found her eavesdropping downstairs just a few minutes ago. "And I was wondering what''s taking her so long to grab a water bottle from the kitchen. Looks like it''s none other than our dear brother who has begged for her company. Tsk tsk, I''m feeling left out now." Leo''s dramatic voice filtered through the silence of the cozy section of the library where Mark and Emily were sitting. Of course, he received a deadly glare in return from Mark, but when did he ever care about his grumpy brother and his angry tantrums? He was there for his baby sister even though she was barely a year and a few months younger than him, but for him, she was still his baby sister. The only person on whom he could dote on as much as he wanted. "We decided to give her time to rest before bringing up this question. But looks like someone is just too impatient." Crist''s voice came out harsh as he glared at Mark. "Moreover, you should pay attention to your tone, Mark. Remember that it''s our Princess you are talking to." This time it was Daniel who clearly reprimanded Mark for the harsh tone that he used with Emily. "Oh! Come on, all of you. Stop acting like she''s some kind of saint or innocent kid. I''m just trying to ask her why did she run away from the bodyguard that was assigned to protect her." Mark was clearly frustrated. "Maybe you should have questioned that so-called bodyguard of yours exactly why and how did he fail in the one job that he was assigned to do, rather than showing your bratty attitude in front of our sister." Domenic''s sharp and angry words immediately made Mark shut his mouth as he receded to one of the corners of the room. Even though Emily was grateful for the support that the rest of her brothers showed towards her, but it did not mean that she was not feeling bad for Mark. There''s no doubt that he was her least favorite brother and she could not see his position changing anytime soon. She watched as the rest of her brothers piled up on the sofas and bean bags that were sitting around the small coffee table. She almost felt her soul shuddering in fear as Domenic settled down beside her while facing directly towards her. There were no more escape routes left for her to take. It was finally time for her to give them some answers. Chapter 58 - Fifty-Seven: Young CEOs Plan Mark stared at the girl who was bundled up in the farthest corner of the huge sofa, leaving more than ninety-five percent of the space available for Domenic. The scene almost succeeded in bringing a small smile on his lips but he succeeded in getting a grip on himself before that could happen. Emily was not the only be who was terrified about her secrets being revealed in front of her brothers. Mark too was worried about Emily disclosing the secret that Rylan stumbled across her on the very day when he (Mark) took her to the Blue Stone Club House. He had kept that information hidden from his brothers and if it was revealed at such a point where Rylan was considered as the prime suspect behind the mall incident, there was no way Domenic would let him go easily. He never would have guessed that his decision of bringing Emily to the Club House would end up bringing her on the radar of Rylan Sullivan. The reason she picked Rylan''s attention was her familiar features and the fact that he found her in the waiting room that was personally booked under the name of the Alessandro family. Even though the charm that kept the rest of the world from realizing the similarities in her facial features with the Alessandro brothers was working in full force since day one, but looking at the fact that Rylan was the Second Young Master of the Silver Dawn Pack, it won''t be shocking if he was able to look past the spell that hid Emily''s identity. If that day Mark had been a little patient and less impulsive, it was possible to save Emily from Rylan''s curious grasps. However, at that moment all that Mark could understand was that his little sister was targeted by their rivals. He just wanted to keep her safe and hidden from the eyes of Sullivans and the Silver Dawn Pack. Little did he know that his interference would lead the Second Young Master of the Sullivan Family to become curious about Emily and her relation with the Alessandro''s. A soft sigh, that was barely audible, left his lips as Mark remembered one of his stupidest mistakes ever. On the other hand, his brothers had been quiet for a long time by now, even though it was barely a few minutes in reality. Emily looked into the familiar dark green orbs that belonged to her eldest brother. His hand that had been holding her chin to prevent her from looking down at her favorite bunny slippers finally slid down to grasp her small hands. "Emilia, we are not questioning you about afternoon''s incident because we are angry at you. Rather, we are asking this question because we worry about you and your safety." Emily nodded her head lightly at Domenic''s words. She too was well aware that her brothers were worried about her safety. However, that did not exempt her from her fear. "I know." She softly whispered back in reply. "Good. So, do you think you can tell us exactly what happened in the mall?" Daniel asked her as he took a seat on the small wooden coffee table to be a little closer to her. Emily was silent for a few seconds before she found herself nodding her head, her eyes still looking into Domenic''s deep gaze that almost challenged her to spat any nonsense at the moment except for the truth. "I-I..." She stopped for a second or two to inhale a deep breath and collect her thoughts. A warm hand landed on her right knee and squeezed it lightly in assurance. Her eyes traveled towards the owner of that hand and landed on her most favorite brother for the time being. Daniel gave her a quick nod of encouragement with his usual warm smile as he looked at his baby sister with pure love. Emily''s eyes traveled to look at the rest of her brothers. They all were looking at her with warm eyes, Leo was even beaming at her as he put his white pearl-like teeth on display. The only person whose mood matched with hers was the brother who was staring at her from the farthest corner of the room. Another small sigh made its way out of her lips as she returned her focus to Domenic before she started reciting what exactly happened in the mall. *** "What is your plan?" The elder man in the dark grey suit, who looked in his mid-fifties, asked the young CEO who was toying with the pen drive that he held in his hands. "Even though you have taken down most of the evidence but if I''m not wrong then Domenic and his brothers already know about Rylan breaking the rules of the agreement. As long as they are aware of this, there''s no meaning in trying to erase the evidence of what happened." The young man replied as he tossed the pen drive in the middle drawer of his office desk. "T-then....what are we going to do now? Breaking any of the rules of the peace agreement is a punishable crime. Moreover, Rylan has broken one of the five most important rules of the treaty!" The panic was clearly heard in the voice of the old man as he asked the question out loud. Completely opposite to him, the young CEO looked as calm and normal as his usual self. At the elder''s question, a small twitch appeared on his lips as he replied, "Since they have Rylan in their grasps for breaking the rules of the peace treaty, we can use the same method to save him." The old man looked totally confused as he tried to understand exactly what the CEO was trying to imply. "What are you planning, My Lord?" The elder once again repeated the same question that he had been asking ever since he stepped inside the office of his lord. "Don''t worry too much about these things. I''ll handle this situation on my own. I won''t let anything happen to Rylan, promise!" The words that came out of the young CEO''s mouth were filled with power and assurance. The old man nodded his head as he too was very well aware of the power that his Master''s promise held. Though he seemed harsh and cold most of the time but there was no way that he would let anything happen to his younger brother. Chapter 59 - Fifty-Eight: Darkness Or Night? "Then it means, you and Rylan only met during your Chemistry period?" Leo voiced out his question as he waited for Emily to confirm his doubt. "You are right. However, only if we are talking about the same Rylan." Emily replied as she lightly shrugged her shoulders. "There''s only one Rylan Sullivan living in this city. So, we are absolutely on the same page. However, I''m surprised that he has actually appeared in the class. Looks like he will be staying in the City to complete his final year of High School." As Crist''s words registered in everyone''s mind, they all thought about the rumors that they came across a few months ago. The school campus was buzzing with the news that Rylan would be leaving for the country to complete the rest of his studies overseas. And it was Leo who informed the rest of his brothers about this news. Even though none of them actually believed the rumor but there were still chances for this rumor to turn into reality. But now looking at the current situation, it was clear that Rylan would be staying in the City and probably would complete his final year of school too. The Alessandro brothers previously did not care about whether he stayed in the City or not. However, the situation had changed. Now, it was their little sister who had ended up in the middle of a crisis that involved Rylan. Even if they wanted, the Alessandro brothers could no longer keep a blind eye towards Rylan Sullivan. "Do you think that the cha...well, never mind?" Leo stopped in the middle of his sentence as his eyes landed on his sister who was looking at him in return. Even though he did not complete his sentence but all his brothers understood exactly what he was trying to say. "He''s a Sullivan. There''s the possibility that it did not work on him." Daniel replied with a frown. "If it''s like that then it''s obviously Em''s similar facial features to us that ticked his curiosity off. But is it possible that he broke such an important rule just because he was curious about Em''s identity?" Crist voiced out his question as he looked at the rest of his brothers. "We will probably get these answers in the Elders meeting." Domenic''s words silenced everyone present in the room. "Elders meeting?" Leo asked with shock. "I''ll look after the preparation. But you will first need to send the summon to the Sullivans." Daniel told Domenic. All this while Emily was left totally clueless about what was going on. "What are you guys talking about? What''s going on?" She could not help but ask the questions that were brewing inside her buzzing mind. She had only told them about the masked man and how she felt someone dragging her to the ground at the time of the blast before she lost her consciousness. In short, except for the part where Rylan was involved, she had recited the entire incident without missing anything. What surprised her was that all the CCTV footage of the mall disappeared before her brother''s men could retrieve them. This only gave her more confidence to continue with the lie that she had told her brothers about not coming across Rylan at the mall. "Let''s just say that our family is not on friendly terms with the Sullivans. They are prohibited from entering the Southern part of the city, just like we are forbidden from entering the Northern part. That''s why Rylan''s presence at the mall is not only suspicious but also a big matter." Daniel told Emily in a serious but also warm tone. Even though Emily only grasped the point that Rylan was actually on bad terms with her brothers and the fact that the city was divided into two zones made more questions arose in her mind, she still nodded her head slightly in reply. There were tons of questions that she wanted to ask but seeing that Daniel did not try to elaborate his short information on the rivalry between their family and the Sullivans, she thought better of voicing out her questions. "Alright. I will try my best to stay away from him in school." She replied with a soft smile as she looked at her brothers. Domenic and Daniel both nodded their heads as Daniel engulfed her in a side hug and planted a feathery kiss on her temple. "Don''t worry, Em! We will investigate about the mall''s incident and will find out exactly what is going on. No matter who''s after all this, we won''t let them escape. Trust us on this." Crist promised her as he came closer to crouch down in front of her and held her small hands in his large ones. "I know," Emily replied as she lightly squeezed his hands in return. "Alright! It''s already late and I''m sure Emilia is exhausted. Let''s end this topic here for now. We will talk about this more tomorrow when we probably will have some more solid information about that masked man''s identity and Rylan''s motive for appearing at the mall." Domenic''s smooth but commanding tone immediately made everyone start moving as they all stood up from their sitting positions. "Alright, let''s head towards our bedrooms. Good night Sorellina." Daniel said as he again planted a soft kiss on Emily''s forehead. After wishing good night to all her brothers, she left the room along with Leo as the both of them started walking towards her bedroom. The rest of her brothers were still inside the library and she had a feeling that they were not going to sleep anytime soon. She felt warmth around her right arm and the next second Leo squeezed her arm lightly as he gave her a reassuring smile. Even though she returned the smile and appreciated his sweet gesture, but the light itching that had started in her brand new tattoo was developing a completely new type of fear in her. The darkness that had taken over the outside world in the name of the night, was going to bring something terrifying for her. And Emily sure was not prepared for what was coming next for her! Chapter 60 - Fifty-Nine: The Full Moon "We need to take action right now! The Sullivans have already sent someone to initiate their plan. All we need to do is to make sure that we stick to our plan." A burly man with grey hair and long mustaches said as he looked at the group of young men surrounding him. "Yes, Sir!" The chorus erupted inside the small room as the group replied in unison. "Good. As long as you don''t cause any problems for the Sullivans, everything is perfect in our plan. After all, if we succeeded in our mission then they will also benefit from it without even doing anything." The same burly man said as he smirked at his own words. "But Boss, why did the Sullivans in so much hurry? They did not even wait to let the full moon pass before taking action. It''s as if they are a little desperate this time." A young man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties asked with his eyes filled with curiosity. The burly man watched him for a few moments in silence before he finally nodded his head slowly as he replied. "If my guess is not wrong then Domenic Alessandro would already be thinking about summoning the Elders for a meeting. Everyone in our world knows that once the summon is sent, there''s no way Kaiden can save Rylan completely. In the end, the Sullivans will need to suffer at least a little bit." He stopped for a second or two to scratch the tip of his nose a little before continuing. "And Domenic is no idiot either. He''s also aware that Kaiden will try his best to save his younger brother. That''s why he will send the summon as soon as the new day will begin. That means the Sullivans only have tonight to do something or....anything, to save their Second Young Master." The instant realization that dawned over every single person present inside the room was clearly visible. The burly man''s words made perfect sense since they were reasonable and so far the only explanation why all the parties seemed in so much hurry to carry out their own tasks. The Alessandros were too busy in taking care of their little sister that by the time they got the information about Rylan breaking the rule of the peace treaty, it was already evening. And it was a well-known fact that no one was allowed to send a summon for the Elders of the Council after sunset and before sunrise. Even though Alessandros, Sullivans, and Evans ruled the Council, however, even they needed to follow these rules unless the matter is too urgent to be put away for even a few hours. "It''s time. Let''s head to work and remember, there''s no chance for failure." The burly man said as he stared at the group of men who immediately nodded their heads. The night was about to change so many things. *** No matter how much Emily tried but the thoughts that were filling up every single inch of her brain just did not let her sleep. She had been turning and tossing for the last three hours, making sure not to wake up Leo who was sleeping on the other side of the bed. The fact that she could not even have the freedom to toss and turn in her bed only increased her frustration. She was sleepy, however, the moment she tried to close her eyes and succumb to that sleep, all her thoughts started jumping in front of her eyes making it impossible for her to sleep. Finally, she sat up in her bed and let out a long frustrated sigh. The moonlight that was filtering into her room through the open window, provided enough brightness. Moreover, since she was not sleeping all this time, her eyes were already used to the darkness that was filling the corners of her room. Slowly, she got up from her bed, and after hesitating for a minute or two, finally made her way towards the door. The house was quiet, too quiet for her to not feel creepy, and a little bit afraid as she very slowly opened the door and peeked outside. The hallway was filled with very low brightness, making her instantly fill with relief when she did not find it covered in darkness. After closing the door behind her, she made her way towards the beautiful French doors that opened into the huge balcony overlooking the backyard of the mansion. Even though she had been living in the mansion for almost two months by now, but she had barely explored about sixty percent of the mansion and the area around it. As she stood in the balcony lost deep in her thoughts, the light and cool night breeze started making the stiffness present inside her limbs disappear little by little. Soon enough, she was feeling light and relaxed as she took in a deep breath. The full moon that was shining in the sky above made a small smile appear on her lips as she gazed at it. That sight was beyond beautiful. As she basked on the beautiful silvery moonlight and the cool breeze, her eyes suddenly landed on a figure down below in the backyard. Since the mansion was built on a height, the backyard was also constructed in such a way that there were floors of lawns one after the other. There were a total of five lawns that were built in the entire area that was covering the backyard of the mansion. Even though the silhouette was too far away for her to clearly see it but there was no way that she could not recognize those familiar silver hairs. The calmness that had taken over her chaotic mind suddenly disappeared as the panic and fear returned in its place. If her brothers got their hands on Rylan then there''s no way she would not be facing some serious consequences. Even before Emily could realize what she''s thinking, she found herself running down the balcony stairs that led her directly towards the top floor of the backyard lawns. She completely forgot that she was forbidden from stepping out of the mansion all alone, especially during nighttime. Chapter 61 - Sixty: Who Are You? By the time Emily reached near the high fence that surrounded the Mansion, she was totally out of breath. After calming down her rapidly beating heart, she hurriedly looked around to see if someone had seen her. Fortunately, there was no one present as far as her eyes could search. She needed to return to the mansion before Leo woke up. It was easy to explain her whereabouts as long as she was present inside the mansion. But there was no way her brothers would believe in her lies about her being wandering near the high fence in the middle of the night. Once she made sure that no one was coming their way, she turned her attention towards the silver-haired boy who was sitting on the top of the fence with his back towards her. If she could, then she would have pushed him down the fence so that the jerk could experience at least half of the misery that he was making her suffer through. It was like how much effort she was putting in keeping his unwanted interest in her a secret from her brothers, he was putting exactly the same level of effort into exposing her lies. "What the heck do you think you are doing here? What if the security or my brothers would have seen you?" She whispered shouted at the boy who was either completely oblivious about her presence behind him or was probably ignoring her. She watched in silence as the boy turned his face a little sideways to show that he had heard her. However, looking at the side profile of his face which was mostly hidden behind the curtain of his long silver hair, Emily suddenly had a very bad feeling. Even though she had seen Rylan only a couple of times but it was impossible for her to not recognize him from this close. "W-who...who a-are you...?" The question escaped through her lips as she started taking her steps back. The only reply that she got was a present of the very familiar dark abyss. *** "It''s almost two in the morning. Exactly why are you drilling holes in that beautiful carpet rather than sleeping?" Shane inquired as he tried his best to hide his fifty-seventh yawn in the last hour. Rylan completely ignored his best friend and his questions as he kept shuffling around the empty space between the sofa and the huge tv that was covering about seventy percent of the wall. He suddenly stopped in his tracks before he turned his focus towards Shane as he said, "I''m having that exact bad feeling right now that I experienced yesterday afternoon. As if something bad is about to happen." "Of course, you are having that feeling. If you have forgotten then let me remind you buddy. You are about to face the wrath of the Council for breaking one of the most important rules set by them." Shane immediately replied with a scoff. However, a frown appeared on his face as he watched his friend shaking his head with a desperate look in his eyes. "No. Not me. The bad feeling that I experienced yesterday was not for me, just like right now. Maybe.....she''s in some sort of problem again?" Rylan looked at his friend as he waited for a reply. It was as if he was waiting for Shane to tell him that the girl was perfectly fine. "Rye, I understand that your new connection with her is making you over-conscious about her wellbeing. But look at the time. It''s past two in the morning. She''s probably fast asleep in her lavish bedroom inside that huge Alessandro mansion. She''s with her brothers, the Alessandros, and there is always the security that guards the mansion. You should start worrying about yourself rather than the Alessandro Princess." Shane tried to comfort his best friend as he made him sit on the sofa. He would really hate to see that beautiful carpet being destroyed just because Rylan Sullivan wanted to exercise his legs a little bit. "You are probably right. I just can''t relax with this weird feeling that''s not leaving me." Rylan replied as he let out a huge sigh. "Let Sire deal with the Council meeting first. Once this problem is sorted out, you should talk to him about your mark." Shane told his friend in a serious tone. Seeing how Rylan was totally in control of the mark from the moment it appeared on his body, was not great signs. Moreover, he was not the only one who''s going to suffer due to the mark. The Alessandro Princess would be facing similar problems. The only way to keep them both away from the way of harm was to make sure that they both were fully aware of the meaning of the mark and how it worked. "Are you fucking insane! She''s an Alessandro. Even though we are not enemies but we can''t be together.....EVER!" Rylan quickly responded as he looked at his friend who dared to suggest such a stupid idea. "Rye, even you are aware that if there''s anyone in this entire world who can understand your condition then it''s Sire. Moreover, telling him about the mark isn''t an option....it''s a necessity." Shane''s words made Rylan quiet down as he furrowed his brows while looking deep in thoughts. It was right. He needed to tell his brother about the mark. There''s no other option available in that case. After a long silence, he finally turned his attention towards his friend before he nodded his head. The way Shane''s shoulders relaxed at his nod made Rylan realized that exactly how lucky he was to have such a great best friend. "By the way, are you still experiencing that bad feeling?" Shane asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence. Rylan slowly nodded his head in confirmation of his question. "Just bear with it for a little bit longer. If everything went okay, then you will see her in school just in a few more hours. I''m sure the mark will calm down after that." Shane assured him as he patted his shoulder. Both the boys were completely oblivious that the mark was giving the right signals. The Alessandro Princess was no longer safe! Chapter 62 - Sixty-One: Kidnapped It was exactly twelve minutes past three o''clock in the early morning when the door of Kaiden''s study burst open and the head of the Castle''s Security Team burst inside. Even though he was not a mortal and perfectly capable of looking normal after running miles after miles, his current situation appeared just like a mortal who had been running through the long hallways of the castle to reach the personal study of his master which was located on the seventh floor. Kaiden dropped the pen that he was holding and hooked the fingers of both of his hands together as he relaxed in his chair. The dark, cold and powerful aura that surrounded him only made him look more formidable. "Sire, this servant will take his punishment for his outrageous act. However, the situation is too dire to be ignored." The man hurriedly spoke as he bowed his head. His legs were trembling, his brows were covered in sweat, and his heart was racing. His current appearance could make him wrongly mistook as a mortal, even when he was anything but. Kaiden remained silent as he gazed at the full moon through the open window. His gaze lingering on the beautiful sight before he returned his focus on the security head. When the man did not hear any kind of response from his master and realized that he had not been kicked out of the study, yet, some of his anxiety disappeared. He again bowed his head before looking up at his master as he started reporting the news that he just received. By the time he finished, Kaiden''s aura had turned even colder and darker than before. His icy gaze glared at the pen that was lying on the table. "Which one?" He asked in a low voice. "It seemed to be a young gi....." Even before the security head could complete his words, his master was out of the study as he headed towards on God knew where. With a sigh and long deep inhale, the man headed towards the dungeons located in the Southeast part of the castle. It was time for him to receive his punishment. *** When Emily opened her eyes, she could no longer recognize her surroundings. She was sitting against the entrance wall of a small cave. Her eyes could barely see anything inside the cave. "What a pity! I was supposed to lure one of your brothers out. However, I ended up enticing the interest of a little Princess." The harsh voice of her kidnapper entered Emily''s ears. Her eyes immediately turned to look at her right and she found the same silver-haired man sitting there as he played with the dagger that he was holding in his hands. "Who are you?" She once again found herself asking and amazingly, this time without stuttering. The man smirked as he focused his dark black eyes directly on her which made her immediately recoil back into the wall behind her. "W-what do you want from me?" She could not help but ask even when she was terrified. The man chuckled at her question. However, this time he decided to answer her questions. "My identity is none of your business and as for what I want from you....." As the man suddenly went silent, Emily raised her head to look what was wrong. Her eyes landed on the dark pair of orbs of the man that were staring right at her. "....even though you are one of the Alessandros, but you still don''t have the power to fulfill my wishes. Don''t worry though. Once your brother Domenic will realize that you are missing, I''m sure my demands will be fulfilled immediately. Till then...be a good girl, okay!" Emily was trembling in fear as she heard his plan. Once again because of her stupidity, she was about to cause trouble for her brothers. "Now, get up!" The man suddenly said as he stood up and looked at her. She could barely make her limbs follow her command and the lack of her response finally made the man lose his calm. A scream left Emily''s mouth as she was harshly pulled to stand, her knee knocking on the hard wall of the cave that ended up scraping her soft skin which was left bare in her pajama shorts. She whimpered in pain as she tried to get out of the man''s right hold on her arm. However, her physical strength was nothing compared to him. With a forced tug he pulled her to follow him as he started walking towards a dirt road. "Let me go!" Emily shouted in alarm as she tried to pull her arm away from the man''s hold. They kept walking for a long time. It was more like the man was walking while Emily was being dragged by him. She did not stop her futile attempts of getting herself free and before she could realize what was happening, she was pushed down on the hard ground, and the next second that man pinched her face harshly as he warned her. "Stop testing my patience! One more time and you will regret not listening to my advice." With that being said he stood up but not before giving her face a hard shove that almost made her face plant in the dirt-covered ground. "Why it''s a girl?" An unfamiliar voice spoke out from a little distance which made Emily raise her tear-filled eyes to look at the newcomer. And that was when she realized that her kidnapper was not alone. About six or seven men walked out of the forest as they all circled her kidnapper and continued asking him questions. "She looks like a little doll that needs to be taught a lesson, doesn''t she?" A man with short black hair and clad in a dark brown hoodie said with a leering smile on his face. His eyes that traveled over the exposed skin of her legs before resting on her eyes, made her crawl back against the thick tree that did absolutely nothing to provide any kind of comfort to her. His words made his companions turn their attention at her and seeing the sudden change in their eyes made a painful memory of her past resurface. No! She could not let the past repeat itself. Not again! Chapter 63 - Sixty-Two: Running The twigs snapped beneath her feet as she ran at full speed. The bunny slippers that she was wearing were torn and could barely perform their job anymore. However, that did not slow her down even for a second. She knew that except for running, there was no other choice left for her. Her kidnappers had become too much interested in her for her to stay calm and think of an escape plan. That''s why rather than becoming their prey, she decided to take her chance, and she sprinted right towards the forest. The forest was dark as its dense canopy was limiting the moonlight that was seeping through the small gaps and holes. The darkness was not only working against her but also in support of her since she was not the only one who was unable to see in the darkness that was covering the forest. Her kidnappers were also unable to pinpoint her location, or at least that''s what she thought. Emily was completely oblivious about the fact that the people chasing after her were no humans and the darkness was not their enemy but their friend. It was too late for her to realize this since a loud ear-piercing scream echoed through the silence of the forest as a huge force sent her flying straight towards a huge tree. She hit the thick hard trunk before landing harshly on the ground. Blood slipped through the corner of her lips as she struggled to bear with the pain that was threatening to consume her. Her lungs ached in desperate need of oxygen while the immense pain almost made her lose her consciousness. "Do you want to play a game, baby?" The man who was approaching her with slow steps asked in a husky tone as his eyes followed her desperate movements to get herself out of his reach. Her fruitless effort made a chuckle escape his lips as he crouched down in front of her and gripped her hairs tightly as he spoke in a sweet voice. "Thinking about running away? That''s not how it works, right!" Emily whimpered in pain as she balled her fist over the dirty ground that was covered in moss and decayed leaves. The sound of footsteps approaching them entered her ears and she knew that within a minute, the rest of her kidnappers would also be there, and then she could no longer get a chance to save herself. The panic that rose inside her made her body cooperate with her as her hand threw the collected dirt directly at her attacker''s eyes before she bolted up and started running with all her might. The angry shouts of her attacker and the hurried footsteps of the rest of his teammates made Emily increase her speed even though the pain that was surging through her body had already reached the point where she could no longer bear it. She just wanted to stop running and curl down in a ball to cry her heart out and let the darkness consume her pain. She wanted to let the dark world take away her pain and free her. However, stopping meant surrendering and that was the last thing she wanted to do. A part of her brain was aware that she could not run away from her kidnappers even if she tried with all her might, but she did not want to just give up so easily. The loud snap of a branch made her stumble as she increased her pace to run in the opposite direction of the sound. They were close, too close for her to escape from their clutches. The tears that she had succeeded in keeping locked in their dam suddenly blurred her vision as the reality of her situation dawned over her. She was going to lose! And just like that, she was yanked harshly from behind as her kidnapper got his hand on her. *** "She''s not upstairs! We have checked every single room." Crist informed his brothers who were crowding the living room which was filled with a tense and panicked environment. "I have also checked the grounds with the Security team, but nothing..." Simon added as he too entered the room with a guard who was holding a laptop and a pen drive. "What''s that?" Daniel asked as he pointed at the laptop. "Just like yesterday at the mall, the CCTV footage of the Mansion is also gone. Nothing, not a single footage of the last seven hours is left untouched." Simon answered with a sigh. The worry that was eating him up from inside was clearly visible in his dark green eyes that had been searching for Emily for more than an hour by now. The silent and tense environment of the room broke as a loud shattering sound echoed through the room. It was Domenic who had thrown a huge expensive vase at the Security head of the mansion. While Domenic appeared as if he was ready to kill, the poor old man, on the other hand, appeared as pale as a ghost as he quivered in the corner of the room. The shattered vase lying beside his feet. "Before I''ll kill all of you with my own hands, you all should disappear from here." His voice came out harsh and full of dark promises as he glared at the old man. The only reason why Domenic hadn''t already killed him for such a huge mistake was that the sixty-three-year-old man had been working in the Alessandro Mansion for the past forty years and he was one of the most loyal people of their family. The old man and the other security guard hurriedly bowed their heads and left the room, not taking any more chances with their Master. "Dom, there''s something wrong with the Control room," Simon said after a few minutes of silence. He succeeded in picking everyone''s attention because soon enough the rest of his brothers were looking at him, waiting for him to elaborate on the meaning behind his words. "When I went to check the footage, I found traces of orange magma beside the door." Simon finally revealed. And Immediately the temperature of the living room dropped even more as Domenic ordered, "Immediately call Sam and Jackson..." Chapter 64 - Sixty-Three: Blue Eyes Emily didn''t get the chance to scream as a hand immediately covered her mouth, stopping all her protests and painful screams from escaping her mouth. However, she felt her body relaxing immediately as the scent of pines mixed with something sweet and sour, entered her system. It was such a unique and special scent that she could not help but inhale more of it, completely forgetting about her situation. If it was not for the voices that were lewdly calling out for her, she would probably have ended up losing herself in that intoxicating smell that belonged to the man who was standing behind her. As the reality returned and her mind started working once again, she did not waste to turn around to face towards the man who was holding her as she tried to pull herself out of his hold. However, the moment she turned around to look at him, her eyes collided with his piercing blue eyes that were staring right back at her. A small gasp escaped her lips as she registered the beautiful dark cerulean outline that was highlighting his irises. Those eyes looked so enchanting and abnormal as if they did not belong to a mortal. But at the same time, they looked as normal as they could. Other than those mesmerizing eyes, she was unable to see the rest of his face as a beautiful silver mask was hiding his identity behind its cover. The man was tall, possibly 6''3" or 6''4", and was covered in dark black leather clothes that were partially hidden beneath the huge cloak that was draped over his profile. His intimidating height and appearance made Emily looked like a mere child in front of him. However, rather than getting scared of this newcomer, she was feeling much more relaxed and safe even though it was completely stupid on her part to be thinking like that. "W-wh....." "Ssssh....!" Emily didn''t get the chance to complete her sentence as a long slender finger ended up sealing her lips as the man softly hushed her into silence. And it was then that she realized that her kidnapper and his men had caught up to them. "What a bad luck you have, sweetheart! You escaped from us only to end up in the hands of even a more lethal person. Haha...." Emily shuddered at the words of the man with silver hair, the same one who abducted her, and the echoes of laughter that followed his words made her recoil even more. Instinctively she took a step back to put some distance between herself and the blue-eyed man, however, she got stopped by the tight hold on her arms that immediately pulled her back towards the masked man. "Which one of them hurt you?" The sudden question shocked her as Emily tried to process that the soft spring-like voice that her ears registered just now actually belonged to the owner of those ethereal eyes. "Huh?" She obviously sounded stupid and clueless. On the other hand, the blue-eyed man could barely control his inner powers as they struggled to burst out and destroy those who dared to hurt the girl in his arms. The only thing that was helping him stay sane was the sweet and addicting scent that was enveloping Emily. Her presence calmed him and made his out-of-control powers realize that his priority was to protect her. He could not scare her with his ruthless behavior. She looked so small and innocent as she looked up at him with confused eyes. Even in the darkness that was covering the forest, he could clearly see the blood that was covering the right corner of her lips. His hands tightened on her shoulder but unconsciously, he still made sure not to hurt her even a little bit. "Hey! I know you are one of the members of SA. You don''t need to interfere in this situation. SA has always stayed out of the matters of the city and the creatures that venture here. You can just hand over the girl and we all will be fine." The man with silver hair said as he pointed at the girl. The blue-eyed man immediately felt the changes in the girl that appeared because of the nonsense words that her attacker just vomited. Neither did he nor his inner self liked the fear that suddenly took over the girl as she stared at him with her huge crystal-like eyes. He could no longer deny the truth that was clearly visible in front of his eyes. The truth that his soul had known for some time by now, was finally standing in front of his very eyes, announcing its arrival. He had no idea what kind of game fate was playing with him or what else it had in store for him, all that he knew and cared about was that he was not about to let his cruel fate destroy his life once again. His eyes shifted towards the group of men who were standing just at a little distance away from him and his girl. Of course, none of those pathetic men dared to come anymore closer to him. They all were pretty aware that their life would be in danger if they ended up on the wrong side of SA. Unfortunately, the moment they touched Emily, they lost any kind of forgiveness from the SA. "You can have chosen anyone in this entire world to carry out this filthy revenge of yours. But you dared to lay your finger on her. You all sure hate yourself too much, right!" His eyes shone with dark promises as his cold sharp tone filtered through the ire silence of the forest. Emily stared at the masked man with wide eyes as his words registered in her mind. Surely, her kidnappers were n different. Just like her, they had no idea what the masked man was actually trying to say. Was he one of her brother''s men? The question immediately popped into her mind. However, no one could answer her question, except the person in question himself. Neither did she nor her attackers got the chance of voicing out their questions, as the very next second their surrounding filled with a bright firey light and ear-piercing screams filled the huge forest. Chapter 65 - Sixty-Four: A Return Favor The ear-piercing screams that suddenly took over the silent dark forest made Emily shudder as she tried her very best to not turn to look at exactly what was going on behind her. However, the curiosity of finding out exactly what was making her attackers scream in such agony was too powerful for her to ignore just like that. That''s how she found herself turning to look at the scene that was unfolding behind her. But before she could manage to see anything more than the bright orange and yellow lights that had suddenly taken over their previously dark surroundings, her face was pulled to rest against the firm chest of the man holding her. "Don''t move! Just wait till it all ends." The masked man ordered as he tightened his arms around her to stop her from turning and seeing the chaos that was happening behind her. The huge red and yellow flames had taken over the task of punishing the group of men who dared to lay their hands on his girl. If it was a normal situation, he would have made her watch the entire scene. But it was not a normal situation. The girl was already suffering too much at that moment and he didn''t want to see her even more afraid than how much she already was. That''s why when he felt her nodding her head lightly before resting it against his chest, he felt relief surging through his body. One of his hands pulled his cloak to cover her as he felt her relaxing little by little as his scent performed its magic. Emily waited and waited, and it was not until an eternity had passed when the screams and cries behind her finally started to cool down. When she finally did not hear any kind of sound for a few moments, she asked in a barely audible voice, "Is it over?" The man stayed silent for a few seconds before he finally replied in a soft voice, "Not yet." What else could Emily do other than waiting for a few more minutes? She just closed her eyes and tried to be as calm as possible, even when she was feeling anything but calm at that moment. She did the stupidest thing by assuming that every silver-haired men were Rylan and this stupidity led to her being kidnapped. She almost got killed but then suddenly a masked man appeared out of nowhere who protected her from her kidnapper and his team. But exactly what price she would be paying for the help that she had received from a total stranger, a person who was so foreign for her but felt too familiar to be possible. However, her current state was nothing but a meek and scared girl who wanted to return to her brothers as soon as possible. Even when she would be paying a price for this sudden and totally unexpected help, she only cared about returning to her brothers'' side as soon as possible. The thought of her brothers almost made the tears scroll down her cheek and it took all her strength to not start bawling her eyes out right then and there in the middle of a forest and in front of a total stranger. She hated this part of herself, the week and crying girl that was only capable of causing troubles but could do nothing to save herself. She had always hated this side of her and as time went by, this pathetic side of her character consumed her entire being. The person that she had become was nothing more than a meek girl who consciously or unconsciously ended up in big troubles and could do nothing much than crying and hiding behind others. It had been a long time since she wanted to change this reality, a very long time since she decided to be not a burden anymore. However, looked like nothing had changed in all these years. "It''s alright now." The soft voice that belonged to her savior brought her out of her thoughts and as she pulled away from the warmth of his embrace, she realized that their surroundings were once again filled with darkness and silence. She immediately turned to look at the place where her attackers were supposed to be, but other than darkness nothing much greeted her sight. "Where did they go?" She asked softly as she returned her attention to the only other person present there except her. A gasp almost escaped her lips as her eyes registered the moonlight that was filtering into the forest and landing directly on the masked man, making him appear even more ethereal and heavenly. She raised one of her hands and watched as the silvery light made her skin glow. She was amazed to see that suddenly a huge gap had appeared in the top of the canopy through which the moonlight was able to travel inside the dark forest. "The place where they deserved to be." "Huh?" Since Emily was too emerged in enjoying the moonlight, she completely forgot about her question. That''s why when the masked man suddenly replied out of nowhere, it took her a few seconds to realize what he was talking about. "Oh!.....B-but what exactly happened to them?" She could not help but ask even when she was a little scared of making the masked man angry. The masked man stroked her hair softly as he answered, "Trust me, you won''t like the answer." This was enough to shut her up completely. But as the silence dawned over them and the realization of her current situation once again struck her, Emily could not help the tears that blurred her sight for a few seconds before she regained her control over them. Though she succeeded in keeping her tears from spilling, but the question was what she''s supposed to do now? "I can take you back to your brothers." Emily''s head immediately jerked up to look at the masked man as she asked, "R-really?" In response, the man lightly nodded his head. However, before Emily could thank him, his next words almost made her happiness sink to the bottom of her stomach. "But I have a condition. I need a favor from you." Chapter 66 - Sixty-Five: Walking Towards Her Doom "It will hurt." "Huh?" Emily stared at the masked man in total confusion as she could not understand exactly what was going to hurt. "Hurt?" She asked as her eyes turned to look at the stream that was flowing at a little distance from her. That stream was probably the most beautiful sight of the entire forest and as the silvery moonlight fell on the running water, a spectacular sight was created that could lure anyone into its depths. "The moment you will step away from me, the pain will return. And it''s going to hurt too much." Emily kept staring at the masked man as his explanation to her confusion made a realization dawned on her. She had no idea exactly how and when it happened but somehow, all the pain that she was feeling because of the injuries that she had received thanks to her attackers, had disappeared at some point. Her body was still covered in blood and scratches, but there was no pain. She rubbed her index finger on the huge cut on her left wrist and immediately a sharp pain made her hiss. She looked back at the masked man whose icy blue eyes were looking at her with a lot of warmth and worry. "W-why...I m-mean how...." Emily could not find the right words to express her questions or confusions. How did the pain disappear like that when she still was injured? Nothing was making sense. "Don''t be too worried about how it''s happening. We don''t have much time left." The masked man said as he nodded towards the stream. "Are you sure this is exactly what you want in return? I mean...what will you g....." "I''m sure." Emily quieted down as soon as she heard the confirmation from the masked man. When he first talked about wanting a return favor from her, she was worried about what his condition was going to be. However, when she finally got to know his condition all that she could think was exactly how confusing and stupid it was. "Alright! I''ll do it. But then you have to help..." She once again did not get the chance to complete her sentence as a long slender finger appeared on her lips and she was hushed down into quietness. "I''ll make sure that you find your brothers. I promise." And due to a completely stupid and unknown reason, she believed him. After giving a last look to those beautiful blue eyes, she turned towards the stream to complete her side of the promise. But before she could take more than two steps, she found herself embraced in a tight hug that left her breathless. It was like a feeling mixed with warmth, care, worry, affection, and tenderness, that enveloped her in a cocoon. All that she could do was to stan there with her hands hanging beside her ss she let the man hug her, not knowing what was wrong with either him or her. She just let her body and soul enjoy that weird feeling which was filling her with calmness and an unrecognizable warmth. The masked man finally let her go after a few minutes but then he took hold of her small hands in his large ones which were covered in leather gloves. He looked right into her eyes as he said in his soft spring-like voice, "It''s okay to be scared." Emily felt her hands starting to shake as she realized that after a very long time, her facade had failed in hiding her true emotions. The realization made her pull her hand out of the grasp of the masked man but his hands only tightened around hers to keep her from fleeing. "Trust me. It''s really okay. It''s okay to be scared, to be sad. Because being scared means that you are about to do something really really brave." His words were probably meant to soothe her and make her realize that her reactions were normal, but it only made her scoff as she laughed at her situation. "It''s okay to be scared for once or twice and even for a short period, but it''s definitely not okay to make that fear a habit of yours. Because once it becomes a habit, no matter how much you try to get rid of it, it''s gonna stick to you and make you realize exactly how pathetic you have become." Emily finished and looked directly at those blue shining eyes and if her words surprised him, he did not show it even for a second on his face. He just turned to look at the stream, giving her the time to pull herself together before completing her side of the bargain. She remembered his words about the pain returning to her and that was exactly what happened as soon as she set her first step on the flat rock that was sitting at the edge of the stream. At least it did not return in full force, rather it started with her feet, and as she continued to walk further, it kept rising. By the time she crossed a little more than half of the stream and was only a few rocks away from the opposite end of the stream, her entire body was engulfed in pain. Her feet, her legs, her stomach, her arms, and chest, and even her head, there was barely any part left of her body that was not under the attack of the unbearable pain that made darkness appear in front of her eyes. She could barely keep her eyes open and it was like the world around her had started spinning. But she did not have the choice of quitting. She needed to complete her promise. That was the only way she would be able to find her brothers. Even though she did not hear a single sound from behind her all this time, she knew that the masked man was still there. She could feel his eyes on herself and it was probably the fear of failing her promise that made her strive to reach the other part of the stream. Only if she knew that she was walking towards her doom! Chapter 67 - Sixty-Six: Lost Emily burst out into giggles as she mocked her stupidity. She finally received the lesson for putting her trust in a stranger. Who would have known that by the moment she reached the opposite end of the stream and turned to look back at the masked man, all that greeted her eyes was the darkness of the forest? No one was standing there, waiting for her to complete the condition that he put forward in return for his help. Just how much worse her decisions could turn out? A sigh left her lips as she slowly slumped down on the ground. The pain that had erupted in her body had started to make breathing difficult for her. The pain in her chest was the worse out of all her injuries. It was like someone was continuously hitting her chest with a huge force. Her hands traveled into the cold running water of the stream and another sigh left through her lips. Since she has no one else to rely on, it was time that she should start fighting on her own. Slowly, she washed away all the dirt and blood that was covering her body and face. Most of her injuries had stopped bleeding and all that was visible were red angry cuts and scraps. She waited for a couple of minutes to give her tired and exhausted body a little rest. Since her destination was the Alessandro mansion, she had no idea in which direction she was supposed to go. She was completely lost in the wilderness. All that she could make sense of was that she would need to once again cross the stream to return to the opposite side of it. She stood up on her wobbly feet and immediately her world started spinning. Her hands went to clutch her head as she tried her very best to not lose her balance and end up on the ground. She needed to get a grip on herself. She had to find her way back to the mansion. She could not make her brothers worry for her. With a deep sigh, Emily started walking towards the rocks that would lead her to the other end of the stream. "EMILIA ALESSANDRO!" The angry shout made her not only stop in her tracks but it also succeeded in making her headache get even worse. She looked at the opposite end of the stream and the sight in front of her almost made her pass out in relief. "Br..." Even before she could say a single word, Mark''s angry shout made her falter. "What the heck do you think you are doing? How dare you step your foot on that side of the stream? Come back here, right now!" To say that he was beyond angry would be a complete understatement. He was on the verge of blowing up and no doubt that his target was none other than Emily. "I.....I-I''m..." Emily was not really sure what she wanted to say. If she wanted to cry for all that she suffered through or if she wanted to apologize to her brothers for all her lies and stupidity? "EMILIA..." This time it was Domenic''s sharp tone that made her look up at her brothers. Her lower lip trembled as she tried to bear the pain and not let her tears broke out through the barriers of her eyes. Slowly she stepped towards the flat rocks that were half-submerged into the shallow stream. The pain was making it hard for her to keep the darkness from consuming her. It barely took a few seconds before she was covered in a cold sweat and her vision started blurring out. Once or twice she also missed the rocks and almost ended up in the cold water. By the time she reached the other end of the stream where her brothers were standing, she could barely stand the pain and exhaustion that were trying to kill her. Crist was already waiting for her there. As soon as her feet left the last rock and touched the ground, he pulled her away from the stream. "Oh God, Em! Are you alright? You scared all of us. And what are you doing here? How did....." Crist barely got to finish his rambling before he was pulled away from his little sister. "Oh, For Heaven''s sake! Don''t behave like she''s some child who has no idea exactly what she has done. Rather than fawning over her, you should better pay attention to the fact that she has already crossed the stream." Mark shouted at his brother in anger. "Stop it, Mark! She''s not aware of the consequences. She knows nothing about this." Crist scoffed at his brother as he turned his focus back to his sister. "You..." "Stop it, both of you! Mark, I know that you are worried about her, but can you just stop creating unnecessary scenes." Daniel said as he pulled Mark away from Crist. "Who''s worrying about her? I''m just afraid that she''s gonna lend all of us in deep troubles because that''s the only thing she knows to do." Mark mumbled as he scratched his neck and avoided his brothers'' sharp gazes. "Miss Alessandro, are you alright?" Suddenly everyone''s attention was pulled towards Emily as they all watched Sam hurrying over to her. Since the forest was covered in darkness and the only source of light were the flashlights that the guards were holding, none of the brothers noticed the state of their sister. However, both Sam and Jackson quickly realized that something was wrong with Emily. Not only she was looking as pale as a ghost but they could also smell the scent of blood in the air. "Miss Aless...." "EMILY!!!!!!!" Both Sam and Jackson were beside Emily as soon as they saw her swaying. Not only that but she also vomited blood. Before her body could land on the hard ground, she was saved from the fall by the two men. "Em!" Leo cried out in worry as he approached his little sister who had lost her consciousness. "Sam, what''s wrong with her?" He asked as he inspected the cuts and scraps that were covering her hands. "Let''s hurry back. She urgently needs medical attention." As soon as Sam finished his sentence, Domenic picked up his sister and tucked her securely against his chest before heading home. Chapter 68 - Sixty-Seven: Guilt "Boss!" Mr. Kim whispered shouted as he finally found his master standing at the same spot where he had left him ten minutes ago. Kaiden did not say anything as he just took off his mask and cloak before handing them to his secretary. "According to the source, they will safely reach their mansion within next ten minutes." Mr. Kim notified his boss as they both started walking towards the clearing where their ride was waiting. They were currently in the area of the forest which was a neutral ground between the Northern and Southern Territory. The Granite Caves were the ending point of the Alessandro and Evans'' territory, while the stream was the starting point of the Sullivan''s territory. "Well, we finally don''t need to worry for the Second Young Master. There''s no way the Alessandros would dare to summon the council since their sister is also involved in breaking the rules." Mr. Kim said as he followed behind his master. Even though a group of rogues interfered with their initial plan of luring one of the younger Alessandro Masters into the Blood Moon Club, the end result was still in their favor. Mr. Kim definitely did not like the fact that a little innocent girl got involved in all this, but his loyalty towards his Masters made him keep his thoughts locked inside his heart. Moreover, since his master saved the girl, in one way or other, they had already made up for their faults. They finally reached the small clearing where a black car was waiting for them. Mr. Kim hurried to open the door for his boss who suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to look at him. "B-Boss...Is something wrong?" Mr. Kim asked with a little hesitation because he could suddenly tell that his Master''s mood no longer appeared to be good. "Make sure to inform your Second Young Master, if the Alessandros dared to punish that girl, I''ll make sure to break both of his legs and feed them to his dog." And with an icy glare, the handsome and lethal lord disappeared inside the car. Mr. Kim wiped his forehead as he tried to calm his racing heart down. Even though his Master''s dark evil words were meant for the Second Young Master, the young secretary could not help but felt chills running down his spine. Exactly what kind of girl was this Miss Alessandro? First, the Second Young Master ended up entangled with her, and now the cold and aloof Prince of the Silver Dawn Pack was ready to cripple his own brother for her? Mr. Kim once again made sure that he did not look like a scared kitten before he too entered the car. Soon, the black car started towards the dirt road that eventually led them towards the main highway of the Sullivan territory. *** "Sam, what''s exactly wrong with her?" Daniel asked as he placed the bowl of hot liquid medicine on the bedside table. The young doctor let out a soft sigh as he placed the wet towel on Emily''s forehead before turning towards the Alessandro brothers who had refused to leave the room at any cost. "She''s very badly injured." He replied as his eyes took in the reactions of the brothers. The worry that had been clearly visible on their faces only increased at his words. "Exactly how bad is her situation?" Simon asked softly as he looked at the sleeping girl who looked so small and innocent at that moment. The room was filled with silence for the next few moments as Sam stayed silent. His eyes landed on Jackson who gave him a soft nod and only then did he replied to Simon''s question. "From head to toe, she is covered in bruises, scratches, and cuts. Of course, they are not bad enough to bring her life in danger. However, she has two broken ribs and she''s over-exhausted. Let''s not talk about the fact that she has lost a lot of blood and she''s mentally exhausted and terrified too ." All eyes turned towards Leo who suddenly broke into tears as he snuggled closer to his little sister. "Whoever was behind this, they are gonna pay for laying their hands on Sorellina," Daniel whispered in anger as he clutched his hands into tight fists. "It''s too late. You all should go and take some rest. The coming morning is going to bring a lot of work and you will need your energy. She''s probably not gonna wake up before morning." Domenic said as he stood up from his seat on the sofas and moved towards the bed. "But Dom..." Crist was about to protest but he did not get the chance as his eldest brother''s piercing gaze landed on him. "I''m neither telling nor suggesting. It''s an order. All of you, OUT!" Domenic''s voice held power and control as he gave a last quick look to all of his brothers. They sure were not happy with his decision but no one dared to oppose him. At last, only Sam, Jackson, and Daniel were left in the room. "Made sure to feed her that medicine as soon as she wakes up. I''ll be back first thing in the morning to check on her. Take care." Sam said as he patted Domenic''s shoulder and after giving a soft nod to Daniel, he walked out of the room along with Jackson. "Dom....." Daniel walked in front of his brother and suddenly engulfed him in a tight hug. "Daniel, you should stay here with her. I''m going to...." "No! You are going to stay here with her and I''ll take care of the other things. Not because I don''t want to be with Sorellina, rather because you need to stay with her more than me." Daniel immediately cut off his brother before he could finish his sentence. "Stop blaming yourself. You are not the only one who failed today. As her brothers, we all failed to protect her. You don''t need to shoulder this all alone bro. Right now, she needs our love and care more than our guilt." Chapter 69 - Sixty-Eight: Sorry "Domenic...." Emily''s barely audible voice brought Domenic out of his thoughts as his attention turned towards his little sister who was sitting upright on her bed. He did not waste even a single second before he stood up from his seat beside the floor-to-ceiling length glass window and hurried towards his baby sister. It was half-past five in the early morning and the house was filled with silence, even though he was sure that almost all of his brothers were awake in their bedrooms. And if his guess was right then Leo, Crist, and Simon were all present in Leo''s bedroom that was the closest room to Emily''s bedroom. "What''s wrong?" He gently asked as he took a seat beside her on the edge of the bed. Emily looked at her eldest brother in silence as he watched her with his warm and tender eyes, and that was probably how she finally lost her control. Even before she could realize what she was doing, she found herself snuggled into Domenic''s arms as she started bawling like a child. "Emilia? Sweetheart, what''s wrong? Are you in pain? Do you want me to call Sam?" Domenic hurriedly asked as panic started rising in his heart after seeing her current condition. In reply, her hands only tightened around his waist as she snuggled closer into his embrace. Still crying her heart out. Domenic could do nothing but to pull his little sister into his lap as he cradled her tightly into his embrace, rubbing her head as he rocked her lightly. "It''s okay, Emmy. I''m here, honey. Your brother is here. Don''t cry." Domenic whispered softly to his baby sister as he kept rubbing soothing circles on her back. He had no idea how long they sat there like this and how long it took before Emily finally stopped crying, only soft and small hiccups could be heard escaping her lips. Domenic picked up the glass of water from the bedside table and brought it closer to Emily''s lips. The little girl didn''t hesitate before she took the glass in her hands and finished its entire content in one go. Domenic placed the empty glass back on the table as he opened a packet of tissue paper and softly started drying the tears that were still visible on Emily''s face. It was not until his gentle actions once again brought tears into her eyes, that he stopped. He observed the puffy red eyes and similarly appearing red nose and cheeks of his baby sister, who was clutching his hand tightly in her smaller ones while she stared at the bowl of cold medicine that was sitting on the bedside table. "I almost forgot. You need to finish it and there are no excuses for it being bitter. I''ll give you....." "I''m sorry, Nick." Emily blurted out before Domenic could finish his line. Only God knew exactly how much guilty she was feeling at that moment. She just wanted to disappear and never create any more problems for anyone else, especially for her brothers. "We will talk about this later. You need to rest and give your body and mind a break." Domenic softly said as he reached to pick up the bowl of medicine. However, his hand stopped in its track as his ears registered Emily''s next words. "I heard everything." Her voice was so soft that it almost felt like that he was imagining those words. "What are you talking about, Emilia? What did you hear?" Domenic asked as a frown appeared on his handsome face. Emily turned to look right into her brother''s familiar green eyes which were patiently waiting for her explanation. Her hands tightly closed around his large hand as she answered, "In the car. On our way back here. I heard everything that Mark said." The room was suddenly covered with a thick blanket of silence as both brother and sister sat there, lost in their own thoughts. ## [Flashback.....] It was a coincidence that Emily regained her consciousness in the car and found herself sleeping in Simon''s arms. Since her face was snuggled against his oversize coat and the inside of the car was mostly filled with darkness, no one realized that she was awake. She would have ended up falling asleep immediately again if her ears had not picked up on Mark''s words. ".....I don''t know why you guys are being so lenient with her. If we did not make her understand that what she did today was utterly stupid and dangerous, she''s gonna create even more troubles in the future." The anger and frustration were clear in his voice and it felt like he was doing his very best to not shout. "Mark! Just enough! We know that what she did is going to create troubles between us and Sullivans, but you keep forgetting that she''s not aware of the pact between the three families." It was Crist who replied and he too did not sound happy about arguing with his brother. He sounded tired, they all did, to be honest, and it only increased her sadness as she realized that she was probably the reason behind their tired states. "So what? Just because she''s not aware of the problems between the Sullivans and us, are we going to let her do as she wishes?" Mark asked as he looked at his brothers with shocked eyes. Emily could tell that both Leo and Domenic were not in the car, as well as Sam and Jackson and it probably was a good thing for Mark. "It''s not that, bro. She''s clearly aware of the problems between the two families and we are not trying to cover that part up of her faults. What Crist is trying to say is that she was not aware about the casualties of crossing that damn stream!" Emily shut her eyes tightly as she felt Simon barking out loudly at Mark in order to put some sense in his stupid brother''s over-stupid brain. "Why did she even crossed that stream?" It was Daniel''s voice that traveled through the momentary silence that had descended after Simon''s outburst. Emily realized that he was sitting in the passenger seat, however, she could not see him at all. She was afraid to move and alert her brothers. She wanted to hear and find out exactly how big of a trouble she had created. "Now, there''s nothing else we could do but to forget about summoning the council," Simon said with a sigh as his hands tightened around her a little. "Of course, we have to do that. First, Rylan broke the rule by entering into our part of the city, and then Emily did the same thing by crossing that stream and entering into their territory. If we summon the council now, it only means that both Emily and Rylan will be punished for breaking such an important rule of the treaty. Moreover, who''s gonna believe that these two stupid teenagers broke the same rule within the span of a few hours without them being linked to each other in some sort of way. God knows what kind of punishment we will receive for not keeping an underage in check. Domenic will face a hell of a time in there." Mark''s sharp and sarcastic words filled the car with silence, a silence that was threatening to submerge Emily''s world into a deep abyss. She bit down on her lower lip to stop the whimper that nearly made its way out of her mouth. How could she have known that by crossing that stream she would cause such a huge problem for her brothers? She still could not understand the actual problem between her brothers and the Sullivans. She had no idea exactly what her brothers meant when they talked about the city being divided into two different territories. She had next to no idea exactly who were the people who kidnapped her wanted from her. Who was the guy who saved her and then disappeared? What was the council and whom her brothers'' were summoning? She was confused about Rylan and the incidents that followed their meetings. There were so many things that raised hundreds of unanswered questions in her mind. However, at that moment, the only thing that mattered to her was that she had landed not only herself but her brothers too in a big problem. A single tear made its way down her cheek, but she did not dare to move even a little bit. She was totally submerged in the sea of guilt as she tried to not let more tears slid down her cheeks. She wanted to curl around Simon and cry her heart out, to tell them all exactly how sorry she was. But she did nothing like that. She just sat there in silence with her eyes closed and her hands lying on her lap as she waited for the darkness to once again pull her back into its world. She felt one of Simon''s hands curling around her shoulders and the other one drifting into her hair as he started patting her head softly. For a moment, she thought that he was aware that she was awake but then she shook away the thought mentally. There was no way he knew, right? She was totally unaware that her brother was aware of her state. He had felt the coldness of her tear on his chest as it had dropped on his shirt and he knew that she was about to break anytime soon. Chapter 70 - Sixty-Nine: Mark Hates Me Domenic placed the empty bowl on the bedside table and turned to look at his sister who had become too silent for his comfort. The fact that she silently drank the medicine without even complaining even once about how bitter it tasted, only made him feel worse. "Emily, look at me." He softly said as he took hold of her hands which were clutching and unclutching the hem of her nightshirt continuously. Even though she did not dare to face her brother after all that she had done, but she also did not want to ignore him. Therefore, with a deep breath, she turned her attention towards her eldest brother and slowly brought her eyes up to look at him. "You don''t need to worry about the Sullivans and the Council. I will handle everything. You should just relax and get better as soon as possible." Domenic said as he patted her hand lightly. Emily was silent for a few minutes as she toyed with the black jade ring that Domenic always wore on the index finger of his left hand. Moreover, her brother let her play. She knew that the soft side of Domenic that she was seeing currently was a luxury that definitely wasn''t easy to afford. There were chances that she would not receive such soft attention from him anytime soon in the future. In the past few months that she had spent in the Alessandro Mansion, the times when she got to see this warm and caring side of her guardian were even less than the times when Simon lazily accepted her presence in the same room as him. "Nick....." "Hmm." "Don''t you hate me?" Emily''s question left Domenic shocked and for a few seconds, he could do nothing but stare at the girl in surprise. "Why would I hate you, Emmy?" He asked as his hands tightened around her soft ones. He was not an expert in reading minds, but he could tell that his sister was suffering through guilt which was just as strong as the one piercing his heart. "Do you even need to ask? I have been acting stupid and ignorant all this time. Even though I knew that the Sullivans are not on good terms with you, I dared to lie to you. I caused so many problems. How can you all not hate me even now?" Emily said with a chuckle that definitely did not sound like it was carrying happiness. "I''m aware that you have met Rylan at the club when Mark took you there and that you saw him at the Mall too," Domenic told her as he changed his position on the bed and settled down with his back against the headboard. All that Emily could do was stare at her brother with wide eyes. She felt like someone had blocked her lungs from functioning as the oxygen level started decreasing in her body, making cold sweat appear on her forehead. "Emily, breathe," Domenic said in a deep voice as he rubbed his hands over the back of her hands which had gone cold. His words performed a miracle as Emily immediately took in a deep breath and let her body and mind calm down. They were silent for a few moments before she finally dared to ask, "How did you? I mean.....did Mark tell you? But he only knew about the first time, not the one at the mall...." Emily trailed off as her eyes discovered the small smile that had appeared on her brother''s lips. "Of course, Mark did not tell me anything. But if I can''t even keep track of what''s going on with or around you, can I still be worthy of being your guardian?" Domenic asked as he looked at the horizon visible through the glass window. It was already past six o''clock and the horizon appeared a little yellowish with a touch of orange in it, announcing the arrival of the sun. "I''m sorry. I should not have lied." Emily apologized as she followed her brother''s gaze and watched the beautiful sight. "Why did you lie?" Domenic asked as he turned his attention back to her. At first, Emily did not dare to tell him the truth but then she decided against her stupid mind and replied, "Mark did not want me to tell you and I did not want to make him angrier and grumpy than he already is." "If I had told you about Rylan''s presence at the Mall, there''s no doubt sooner or later you would have found out the reason behind his sudden interest in me and that would have made Mark angry. Moreover, he was not the one who attacked me at the Mall, rather he saved me. That''s the second reason." Emily then went completely silent as the image of Rylan piercing a dagger into her stomach, appeared in front of her eyes. However, she immediately shook it off. That was probably something she misunderstood, right? Otherwise, how could she found not a single scratch on her body when she gained her consciousness? "All the pain just because of Mark?" Domenic asked with one of his eyebrows raised high. Emily made a little pout as she replied, "He already hates me to the core. There''s no way I''m going to challenge him and invite my doom." She actually believed what she just said. She was afraid of Domenic because he was the eldest of the family and also her guardian. However, Mark terrified her. From the very first moment, she stumbled across him, her instincts told her to never end up against him. Her words and the terrified look in her eyes almost made Domenic laugh out loud. He just rubbed her hair softly as he said, "Mark doesn''t hate you." It was not a question, nor an opinion. It was a statement, based on his understanding and trust that he had in his brother. When Emily did not even care to react to his words, Domenic knew that she did not believe him even a single bit. "It''s true, Emmy. He does not hate you. He''s actually worried about you most of the time. The only problem is that he has no idea how to show his care and affection for you." Domenic said as he made the girl look at him. Though Emily saw only sincerity in those dark green eyes, but she still could not make herself believe him. If it was Simon they were talking about, she would still dare to believe Nick''s words. But not in the case of Mark. "Why do you think that he hates you?" "He never made me feel otherwise." Emily''s reply was soft and her eyes even carried a look of sadness in them as she said those words. It did not take long for Domenic to pull the little girl in his arms and hug her tightly. "Just give him a little bit more time. I''m sure he will slowly learn to open himself around you. And maybe it will make you feel better to know that he is the same with the rest of us. Always angry and grumpy." A chuckle escaped through Emily''s lips at Domenic''s words. "Did you not sleep the entire night?" She asked as she pulled back to look at his tired appearance. "I''m totally fine. Don''t worry about me. It''s you who should be resting after having such a rough night." Domenic immediately turned the focus on her. A frown appeared on her face as Emily checked her hands and legs to see the cuts and scraps. Most of them were bandaged while only a few minor ones were left uncovered. However, what surprised her the most was the disappearance of the pain that she had felt in her chest. She almost felt as good as possible, minus those small cuts that were also not causing her any pain. It was like the pain that she experienced in the forest did not even belong to her. "What''s wrong?" Domenic asked when he saw her frowning. "Nothing. It''s just.....I''m feeling totally fine. There''s no pain." She replied in an uncertain voice. For a moment Domenic was silent but then he replied, "It''s a good thing then. Looks like Sam really has improved in his skills." Emily did not know what to think anymore about her injuries, so she just nodded her head lightly. "Nick," Emily called softly. Domenic looked at her, waiting for her to say whatever she had stored in her mind. "You should sleep." She blurted out and then even managed to not look like a scared kitten. Domenic raised one of his eyebrows as he looked at her in silence. He was totally aware that this habit of his only made him appear more intimidating. "Please...! You look so tired. Can you stay here with me and sleep for a little bit?" Even though she knew that there was a total of a hundred percent chance that she would not receive a positive response from him, she could not help but still ask. First, she did not want to be left alone at the moment. Ever since she returned to the mansion, her brain was trying its very best to bring her back to the previous night''s incident. But she kept focussing her attention on other things. Even when she cried her heart out in Domenic''s arms was not because she almost got attacked but because of her guilt. Right now, she was not ready to face the reality of the previous night. The second reason was that she really wanted Domenic to rest a little bit. She knew her brother at least to such a level where she could predict that the moment he would leave her room, he''s gonna head to his office to take care of work. "Emily..." Domenic barely opened his mouth before he was hushed down into silence by the little girl. "Please? I know that you are going to change into the cold and aloof Alessandro Master the moment you will leave this room. So can you please complete this little request of mine before leaving?" Emily kept looking at him with puppy eyes as her hands clutched around his arm tightly. Domenic was well aware that the little devil was taking advantage of his soft heart. He had far too much experience with the puppy eyes and pleadings because of his brothers, but it was the first time he was facing such a situation with his sister. Would she have begged for her favorite toys and candies like this too when she was a child? The thought suddenly appeared in his mind and the mere imagination of a baby Emily pleading for her favorite toy, made his already soft heart turn into a puddle. The next thing he knew, he was tucked inside the blanket by his sister who laid beside him, clinging to his arm as she gave in to her sleep. Chapter 71 - Seventy: Guardian Spirit The Silence that had taken over the study room was too much for the poor Mr. Kim to handle. He just regretted for staying in the room when the boss summoned the Second Young Master early in the morning. He should have known that him staying behind would only lead to such a situation where his master appeared to be in the mood of killing someone. Of course, he would not kill his younger brother which meant that Mr. Kim was the only person left in the study to become the victim. He gulped down his saliva as he watched his boss suddenly standing up from his chair as he glared at Master Rylan. "What are you talking about? What kind of mark, Rylan?" Kaiden asked his brother as he closed his hands into tight fists. His heart was about to pop out of his chest in fear of hearing Rylan''s reply. He had called his brother so early in the morning to tell him not to worry about the council meeting anymore. He even had a punishment prepared for him. Even though he saved him from the punishment of the council, but since he actually dared to break such an important rule, it was necessary to punish him. However, he never guessed that in return for his happy news, Rylan would dump a bucket of icy cold water on him. Kaiden was lost so deep in his thoughts that he did not hear Rylan calling out his name. "Bro, are you even paying attention to me?" Rylan growled at his brother as he marched closer to his study desk. Kaiden shook his head once to get a grip on himself before he adjusted his focus on his brother. "Go on. What were you saying?" He asked as he found his eyes lingering on Rylan''s hands to see if he could find any kind of mark. Rylan just shook his head as he folded up his right sleeve and showed his wrist to his brother. The moment Kaiden''s eyes landed on the design of the mark, he felt his mind and soul relaxing. It was not a soul mark. The girl still belonged to him. He did not misinterpret his feelings towards her. Kaiden convinced his soul to calm down as he looked at the mark on Rylan''s wrist. It was a guardian mark. Since his soul was no longer trying to kill him in panic, Kaiden was once again back to his usual cold attitude. "Are you sure it''s her?" He asked as he stopped his fingers from tracing the E pattern that was covering almost all of the mark. "Of course! I''m damn sure that it''s her. It was because of this mark and its constant pestering that I went to the Star Xander Mall yesterday. As if it was telling me that she''s going to be in danger. It was even aching the previous night." Rylan immediately replied. Kaiden was silent as he kept staring at the mark. In reality, he too was taken aback by these revelations. At first, he thought that he was the only one who had ended up entangled with the Alessandro Princess but now, even Rylan was involved in the mess. "Why her?" Rylan asked out in frustration as he pulled his sleeve down and covered his mark. "What do you mean?" Kaiden asked his brother with one of his eyebrows raised high. "I mean, why her? She''s a mortal!" Rylan said with an exasperated tone as he shook his head lightly. "You mean, she''s an Alessandro." Kaiden corrected his brother''s statement. "Yeah, that! She''s an Alessandro. Even though our families are no longer blood enemies but that does not mean that we can ever be on one side. Then why do I have to become her guardian spirit?" Rylan asked as he took a seat on one of the chairs sitting in front of the study table. It was like the Moon Goddess was playing a game with them, a game where they could barely do anything out of the order. Otherwise, how could both of them end up in a tangled mess with the girl who belonged to their competitor''s family? While one of them had become her guardian spirit, the other one knew that his entanglement with the girl was too deep to be defined in words. He was her mate! **** "So..." Leo passed a glance towards all of his brothers before returning his attention to his little sister. He was not sure whether he wanted to laugh at his sister''s stupidity or if he should cry for her. "So in short, all this happened because you thought that the man with silver hair was Rylan?" Crist asked her with uncertainty coating his voice. When Emily slowly nodded her head in affirmation, she definitely was not expecting her brothers to suddenly burst out into a laughing fit. A frown appeared on her face as she stared at them, waiting for someone to tell her exactly what made them laugh like that. "Oh, my....." Leo could not control his laughing and he was almost on the verge of crying because of laughing so hard. "You are really something, sis," Crist told her as he patted her shoulder lightly while trying his best to not laugh anymore. However, one look at his baby sister''s face and he again lost it. Almost falling from his seat as he buried his face behind Daniel into the cushions. Emily was no longer staring at them. Now her stare had changed into fiery glares. She turned her face to look at her eldest brother who was busy on his laptop. He had been in the living room the entire time as she told them everything that happened the previous night. Not once did he showed any signs that he was listening to her story. If not for the fact that his fingers stopped typing the moment she mentioned the part where one of the attackers planted her against the tree, she would have assumed that he really was not paying attention to her. But the reality was that he just needed something to distract himself as she told them about everything that happened the previous night. Daniel noticed the unhappiness that was clearly visible on his sister''s face and he immediately asked his brothers to calm down. Even though he was not as strict and cold as Domenic but his brothers still not dared to take his word lightly and slowly, they all regained control over their laughing. Chapter 72 - Seventy-One: Cookies Emily was sitting in her room as she stared at the wallpaper of her phone. It was a photo of her with her brothers that Crist had captured on her birthday. It was almost six o''clock in the evening and she was feeling bored. When she first woke up in the morning around nine o''clock, she did not found Domenic anywhere in her room. She even doubted that he did not sleep at all, rather, he just waited for her to fall asleep before he flew from her room. After freshening up and having a thorough checkup by Doctor Sam before brunch, she finally ended up telling her brothers about everything that happened the previous night. And for the first time, she did not hide a single piece of information from them. She was expecting her brothers to burst out in anger after realizing exactly how stupid she was. What she did not expect was them laughing at her dumbness and reacting almost positively about everything. And that''s why she was now filled with questions and uncertainties since her mind had space and time to think about all the things that were wrong with the way they reacted. Why none of them got angry at her? Of course, Mark was an exception. But if his angry words of the previous night were to be neglected then even he stayed silent the entire time as she confessed. The only indication that he was not as chill like the rest of her brothers about her foolishness was the scowl that was covering his face all the time. She could not help but think that something was very wrong with her brothers. Were they finally done with her? Were they planning to send her back to the orphanage? "No, we are not!" The sharp voice that suddenly entered her ears made Emily jump in surprise. "Nick?" It came out as a question though it was not supposed to, even though she was surprised to see her brother standing at the entrance of the room. Then it suddenly hit her. "Was I talking my thoughts out loud?" She asked in a small voice. "You were and that''s probably a good thing. Otherwise, we would never have realized that your brain is filled with such stupid thoughts." Daniel said as he entered her room with a plate full of cookies. He took a seat beside her on her bed as he placed the plate of cookies in front of her. "You know that I don''t like....." Emily was in mid of rejecting those yummy-looking cookies when Domenic picked one and put it in her half-opened mouth. She was so shocked that she could barely process what just happened. On the other hand, Domenic settled down on her other side as he took another cookie from the plate and started eating it in silence. It took all of Daniel''s self-control to not start laughing at his brother''s actions. He turned his attention at the wide-eyed Emily as he said, "At least try it. For the first time in years, Domenic has helped me in the kitchen in baking them especially for you." "You....!" Domenic glared at his brother for revealing the secret even though he had promised not to tell her about it. But it was too late. The cat was already out of the bucket. One moment, Emily was ready to throw up, and as soon as she heard that it was Daniel and Domenic who personally baked the cookies for her, she could not make herself reject them. She took in a deep breath and finally tasted the sweetness that was filling the cookie. "It''s good, to be honest." She said after finishing the cookie. Her hand immediately creeping to pick another one from the plate. Her words and actions brought smiles to her brothers'' faces as they watched her eating the cookies in silence. It was after a few minutes when Domenic decided to break the silence, "Emmy." Emily looked up at her brother and noticed that he was looking at her with serious eyes, making her realize that whatever he was about to say something serious. "Always remember that you are a part of the Alessandro family. Without you, this family can never be called a family. I did not bring you back so that one day I can send you away. You came here so that you can spend the rest of your life here with us. And nothing is going to change it." "No matter how many mistakes you will make or problems you will create in the future, the fact that you are our sister and that you have an equal right to stay in this mansion, will never going to change." His eyes were filled with sincerity and as Emily turned her face to look at Daniel, she only found the same sincerity in them too. With a soft smile blooming on her face, she gave a nod to her brothers. Assuring them that she believed them and promising herself to believe them. Her heart and mind relaxed as they were no longer suffering from the panic of being thrown out of the house. "Sorellina, we know that there are so many questions that you have about all that has happened in the past few days. You don''t have to worry, we have decided to tell you about everything. We will talk about this after dinner. Alright?" Daniel looked into her eyes as if he was searching for something in them. Emily immediately nodded her head as she too was eager to find the answers to her questions. Daniel patted her head softly before he stood up and after giving Domenic a quick nod, he left the room. The two of them were silent for the next few minutes but then Domenic too stood up and after giving her a soft pat on her shoulder, he too headed towards the door. He was about to leave the room when Emily found herself calling his name. "Nick...." Domenic stopped in his tracks as he turned to look at her. "I have something else to tell you. More like to show you..." Chapter 73 - Seventy-Two: Trust Emily stood up on her wobbly feet and signaled her brother to come back into the room. Domenic was not sure about what Emily wanted to show him, but her expressions were telling him that it was definitely something important. He walked closer to his sister and watched as she lowered the neckline of her floral top from her left shoulder to show him the tattoo. And there it was! Covering most of the top of her shoulder. At first glance, it appeared like a unique and beautiful tattoo. However, Domenic was well aware that it was not a tattoo. "Emily, where did you get that from?" He asked as walked closer to his little sister who was looking at him with her soft doe-like eyes. "I don''t know Nick. When I woke up yesterday evening, it was already there. I-I was too shocked and terrified to tell you guys anything. It just appeared out of nowhere. I swear I did not go to see any tattoo artist. I will never do anything like that without your permission. I-" "Ssssh! It''s okay. I got it. I''m here, okay. Don''t panic." Domenic tried to calm her down as he could see her trembling a little. Emily took in a deep breath as she tried to get a hold of herself. Her emotions were running astray and she could feel the panic rising inside her as all the unusual events started appearing in front of her eyes. "Nick, what kind of medicine did Doctor Sam gave me? How did all my injuries disappear within a span of a few hours? It was exactly similar to the medicine that Rylan gave me." Her voice came out demanding but also full of panic. Her eyes bored into the familiar eyes of her brother as she waited for him to answer her questions, to tell her everything was going to be right. "Emmy..." "Nick, am I losing my mind? Am I going insane?" Tears rolled down her cheeks as she gripped her brother''s arms tightly into her small palms. Her fingers curling around the soft material of his black velvet shirt. "Emmy! Honey, no! You are okay. There''s nothing wrong with you. Do you hear me? You are perfectly fine." Domenic told her as he made her look into his eyes. Emily just could not stop her tears that were constantly rolling out of her eyes. It was like her heart and mind could no longer handle the burden of surprises that her life was throwing at her. "Emilia, look at me!" The commanding tone of Domenic entered her ears and even though she knew that it was an order that she was supposed to follow, she could hear the worry hidden behind his words. Very slowly, she raised her eyes to look at her brother. His eyes were soft and there was a pain in them. Pain for failing in his duty as a brother. The pain of being unable to keep her happy. And it made Emily''s heart hurt even more. It was not his fault that she was weak. It was not his fault that her life hated her and it was definitely not his fault that she was nothing more than a broken piece. "Do you trust me, Emmy?" Domenic asked her softly. Emily did not waste a single second before she nodded her head in reply. She trusted him more than she had trusted anyone in her life. "Good. Because trust me, I won''t let anything happen to you. No one can hurt my baby sister. No one!" It was a promise. Emily burst out into more tears as she hugged her brother tightly. She had never felt this much loved ever before in her life. No one ever promised to keep her safe and protected before Nick. Domenic tightened his hold around his little sister as he closed his eyes to control the anger that was ready to kill every single person who was behind the current state of his sister. The two of them were so emerged in their own thoughts that none of them noticed the silhouette of three other Alessandro brothers who were standing at the entrance of the room for quite some time by now. Leo did not waste a single more second as he burst into the room and hugged both his brother and sister. Mark and Simon followed behind him, though both of them kept their distances from the trio. It took a lot of Domenic''s energy to calm down Leo who was sobbing even more furiously than Emily. They had no idea how it happened, but somehow Domenic''s irritated look and Leo''s constant hiccups triggered Emily and she burst out into a laughing fit. The surprised reaction that the four of her brothers gave her only increased her laughing. One moment she was crying her heart out and the next moment she could barely control her laughter. "Has she finally lost her mind?" Mark asked no one in particular as he stared wide-eyed at the girl. Of course, he was awarded with three pairs of glares and unimpressed expressions. "Em, are you okay?" Leo asked as he tried to pry her hands away from her face. Emily just shook her head but did not lower her hands. She knew that as soon as she would see Leo''s face, she''s gonna lose it again. The room was silent for the next few minutes as everyone just decided to give the girl a little bit of time to calm down and it worked. By the time Emily lowered her hands and peered at her brothers, she finally had herself under control. "Are you okay?" Leo asked her as he slowly rubbed her back. Emily nodded her head slowly before looking at the rest of her brothers. Domenic gave her a soft nod and then he turned towards his other three brothers as he asked, "Have you guys seen it too?" The three of them nodded their heads. Emily''s left shoulder was still visible and so was the mark carved on it. "Whose is it?" Simon asked as his eyes kept glaring at the tattoo. "What is it?" Emily found herself asking. "That''s a Guardian Mark." It was Mark who answered her question. He too looked a little unsettled as he tried to not pay any more attention to her mark. "A WHAT?" The question came from not only one but three people. Five heads turned towards the entrance of the room where Daniel and Sam were standing with their jaws hanging on the ground. "What did you just say?" Daniel asked as he hurriedly walked closer to their group. He stopped in front of Emily and his eyes landed on the mark that was clearly visible on her left shoulder. Sam was right behind her and Emily even imagined herself hearing the latter cursing under his breath. "How did you....." Daniel trailed off as he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "What''s a guardian mark? Is it a bad thing?" Emily asked in an uncertain voice as she looked at all the people present in her room. Daniel took a seat beside her on the bed as he fixed her top, hiding the mark beneath the soft material. "It''s not a bad thing. A Guardian mark actually represents good luck. Because as long as one has the guardian mark, it means there''s someone out there always protecting him/her." Daniel answered her question. "Really?" Emily asked with uncertain eyes. "What are you doing?" Mark asked as he looked at his brother. In response, Daniel just shrugged his shoulders. Even he did not know what he was doing. "Are we going to tell her?" Leo asked as he looked at his brothers. "It would be too much for her to take in all that information in such a short time." It was Sam who spoke this time. "Do we even have any other choice?" Simon asked as he stared at the doctor. Emily started getting frustrated as she watched all of them talking like she was not even present there. But before she could speak her thoughts out, they were disturbed by the sound of the ringing of Domenic''s cell phone. Domenic took a look at the caller id and immediately his expressions changed. Without even saying a single word he walked out of the room, leaving six pairs of eyes to follow him. "What''s going on?" Emily asked no one in particular as she looked at the empty doorway of her room. "No idea," Leo replied in a whispered tone. *** "What?" Domenic''s voice came out sharp and totally uninterested. "Good evening to you too Mr. Alessandro." Kaiden''s sweet honey-like voice traveled through the phone and made Domenic drew the phone away from his phone. "Mr. Sullivan, I don''t have too much free time. Please get to the point." He did not even pretend to sound polite. "Let''s meet at the Club," Kaiden replied with a curt tone. "Just like I said, I''m currently a little bit busy. So I don''t think....." Domenic was about to decline when he was cut off in the mid of his sentence. "It''s about your little princess. Rylan is her Guardian spirit." Chapter 74 - Seventy-Three: Stick To Me Just Like A Koala "What are you wearing?" Mark asked the moment his eyes landed on Emily as she entered the living room. He was so used to seeing her in full sleeves blouses and tops with her hair always tied that suddenly seeing her bare arms and open hair which were falling around her, he was taken off guard. Rather than answering him, Emily pulled all her hair in a ponytail with the help of her hands to show the answer to her brother. She was wearing an off-shoulder fluffy dark blue satin top with black trousers. "Why the hell are you wearing that? I-I mean you all are heading to the club and that''s definitely not something you should be wearing there. You can wear it some other normal day, but you need to change it now." Mark said in a flustered tone. He just could not imagine her walking into that building in that clothes, especially when she would be meeting the Sullivans there. "There''s no need." Domenic''s deep voice entered the living room as the man himself walked over to where Emily was standing. "But Dom, you are taking her to the club. She should...." Mark trailed off when Crist gave him a sharp pinch on his arm. He glared at his brother but then quieted down, knowing very well that there was no need for him to continue his rant since no one was listening. Emily was taken aback when she felt someone''s hand pulling her hair back. Just when she was about to turn around, she heard Simon''s voice near her ear. "Stay still." It was not sharp, neither loud. Just a soft voice telling her not to move. Emily did exactly what she was told to do and then she felt Simon fixing her hair in a loose bun. She even felt him inserting a hair stick in her bun. Simon stepped back when he was satisfied with his work. The beautiful pearl hair stick with three little pearls hanging from the end of the pearl flower made his sister look so elegant and cute. As soon as Emily felt Simon stepping back, Domenic was there, standing exactly in front of her. He was carrying a black oversize coat in his hands which he immediately draped over her shoulders, hiding the mark beneath it as he buttoned it in the front. Emily tried to move her arms beneath the coat but she could merely snake her palms out from under the coat. This made Leo and Crist burst out into giggles, even Daniel tried to suppress the twitch that was threatening to appear on his lips. "Don''t worry. You will be safe. Just don''t leave Simon''s side no matter what happens, okay?" Domenic looked into her eyes as he waited for her reply. Emily immediately nodded her head with a soft smile. There''s no way she was going to cause another problem. She''s gonna do as she was told - stick to Simon. Domenic gave her a soft nod as he turned towards the rest of his brothers. "You all, have your dinner and then head to your beds." He told his brothers and after giving Daniel a nod, he started walking towards the entrance of the mansion. Emily felt a hand holding her left hand and when she turned to look, she found Simon entangling their fingers together in a tight and protective grip. "Let''s go." He softly said and Emily happily followed him. She was too happy to see such a sweet side of Simon to complain about anything. The drive to the Club took some time and Emily sat in the middle of two of her brothers, Domenic and Simon, in the back of the huge black car. Sam also accompanied them for some reason. Sometimes Emily felt like Sam was more than just a family doctor. He was probably a close friend of her brothers or something. The interior of the car was silent throughout the drive. It was not until they were in the underground parking lot of the Club when Simon once again took hold of her hand and finally broke the silence. "Have you ever seen a Koala hugging something very tightly?" His question was so weird and out of the blue that for a few moments Emily just stared at him with a confused look on her face. Only when he raised his eyebrows slightly as he waited for her answer, did she came out of her shocked phase. "I.....ahhh.....y-yeah. I-I mean yes." She somehow stuttered out as she tried to get a hold of her still shocked mind. "Good. Because all you need to do is to stick to me just like a Koala. Got it?" Somehow, Simon succeeded in staying serious as he spoke those words. "Huh?" For a moment Emily appeared completely clueless but then she hurriedly nodded her head as a huge smile emerged on her lips. She tightened her fingers around his while her other hand snake around his arm as she replied, "Don''t worry. I''m not letting go of you until you say so." A small twitch that appeared on her brother''s lips was the only indication that told Emily that he was actually smiling at her. Domenic and Sam took the lead as they started towards the private lift that would directly take them to the seventh and the topmost floor of the building. She and Simon followed behind them with a group of five bodyguards who followed closely. It barely took them five minutes before they were crossing the long hallway on the seventh floor which would ultimately lead them to the meeting area. The seventh floor was totally different from the lower floors of the building that Emily had seen the last time she came to the Club. The lower floors actually reminded her of Clubs that she had seen in movies and tv shows. However, the seventh floor looked more like a lobby of some official building so far. They finally appeared in front of a huge oak door and her fingers tightened on Simon''s arm unconsciously as a guard opened the door. Emily stepped into the room along with her brothers and Sam while the bodyguards stopped outside the room. The sound of the wooden door closing behind her almost made her jump in surprise. She let her eyes roam over the room and its possessions. The room was huge with neat and clean furnishing. There were sitting arrangements on both left and right side of the room while the center of the room was occupied by a small but beautiful aquarium. Her eyes landed on the three people who were currently sitting on the left side of the room. She immediately recognized Rylan who was also looking at her and as their eyes met, the idiot even dared to pass a small smile at her. Hah? The man seriously got some guts! Even though Emily was not sure if she had imagined the part where he stabbed her or if happened in reality, she still was not ready to forego the fact that half of her problems were related to him. Almost as if Rylan Sullivan was a bad luck star for her. She did not respond to his fake smile and let her eyes land on the second person. He was a young man probably in his mid-twenties. His Asian looks with those round glasses and black wavy hair made him appear so cute and innocent. He was doing something on the tablet that he was holding, making it hard for her to observe his features properly. A sudden sound of a throat clearing pulled her attention away from the cute man and towards the third and final man present there. As her eyes landed on the silhouette of the most handsome man that she had ever seen in her entire life, Emily felt like her heart had stopped beating at all. He had similar long silver hair that was pulled into a high bun with a jade hair stick parking from it. Even though he was sitting, she could tell that he was tall. Almost as tall as Domenic if not more. The royal blue-colored suit he was wearing fit on his lean but well-built body like a second skin. A luxurious rose golden-colored custom-made watch peeked from under the sleeve of his suit coat. Her eyes finally traveled towards his face. Sharp jawline, luscious rosy tint lips, straight nose, thick eyelashes, and the most mesmerizing blue eyes that could ever exist. Emily could not help but stare at the man who looked only a few years older than her and Rylan, probably in his early twenties. She did not even realize that she was constantly staring at him as his eyes bored into hers in return. It was not until she felt Simon''s hands tightening around hers a little that she was pulled out of her trance. As soon as she was back to her senses, she felt embarrassment taking over her entire being as she realized that she had been outright staring at a man for so long. It was a good thing that both Domenic and Sam had their backs towards her while the cute dude was still busy with his tablet, meaning that both Rylan and Simon saw her staring at the handsome man. But the worst part was that the man himself had seen her staring at him. Chapter 75 - Seventy-Four: A Fun Game Between Emily And Sam Just when Emily was ready to die in embarrassment from the intense gaze that had been staring at her ever since she dared to ogle its owner, Sam decided to help her as he stepped out to stand right in front of her. The pressure of that intense gaze disappeared as Sam hid her behind his well built almost six-foot body. However, it also made her realize that almost everyone in the room was aware of what just transpired between her and the hot man with silver hair and blue eyes. "Since you took your time in accessing the Sullivans, you can tell that their looks, though perfect and good, are nothing in front of your brothers'' ethereal appearances. Right?" The question that Simon whispered into her ear made her look up at her brother with slightly raised eyebrows. Did he seriously want her to lie? But again, did she even have a choice? "En!" She hurriedly nodded her head as a smile made its way to her lips. There was no way that she was going to upset her brother for some strange hot freak with blue eyes and fiery gaze. She heard a soft chuckle escaping Sam''s lips while someone else scoffed as if he was disgusted by something. On the other hand, her eyes mistakenly once again landed on the guy with those alluring eyes since Sam had moved away a little from the front of her. She found him once again staring at her and this time his gaze was even more intense if it was even possible. But this time Emily did not give him the satisfaction of embarrassing her in front of her own brothers as she soon averted her eyes and focused them on her eldest brother. She almost got a heart attack when she found Domenic''s eyes looking right back at her. She just mustered a small smile at him before she tightly clutched Simon''s arms and buried her face in his leather jacket. How much she wanted her hair to be loose at that moment. They could have performed the best job of providing a veil for her embarrassed and also a little scared self. Simon took pity on his little sister as giving a smug look to the Sullivans he started walking towards the right side of the room. He took a seat on the huge sofa and pulled Emily beside him. "Em, behave! You are representing the Alessandro Empire in front of our biggest competitor." Simon whispered into her ear as she continued to avoid looking at the human creatures that were present in the room along with her. Simon barely finished his words before he watched in surprise as Emily immediately straightened her pose and looked straight in front, at the area where Sullivans were sitting. Her eyes once again landed on the cute dude who was still busy working on his tablet. She closely examined his posture which looked elegant enough even though he was too busy in his work. "Why you keep looking at Mr. Kim?" Sam asked her in a barely audible tone as he took a seat on her other side. Emily registered the name in her mind as she replied, "Why you guys did not give me a tablet or something? It could have been easier for me to survive this." She was not expecting the sudden chuckle that escaped Rylan''s lips, drawing her attention towards the boy. Though he was not looking at her but this only made her question his sanity as he had no particular reason to laugh. Her eyes unconsciously made their way towards the man with alluring eyes and she was left completely dumbfounded to see a small twitch on his lips that indicated that he too was amused by something. The only sensible guy on the opposite side, Mr. Kim, also appeared to look as observed into his tablet as before but Emily could tell that he was trying to not smile or laugh or whatever. She suddenly had a feeling that the Sullivans were making fun of her. Probably because they heard her. But how could that be possible, right? Her attention was pulled back at Sam when one of their bodyguards appeared beside him and handed him a tablet. She was too emerged in her thoughts that she did not even notice the man entering into the room. Sam opened the tablet and started moving his fingers over the screen. Emily could not see what he was doing and for the sake of keeping the image of the Alessandro Princess high and mighty, she restrained herself from peeking. But soon enough Sam passed the tablet to her with a small smile visible on his lips. Emily took the tablet and after giving Sam a quick questioning look she moved her attention towards the tablet. A message appeared on the screen in bold letters, probably one typed by none other than the one and only Doctor Sam. [I think I got the answer to the question of why were you observing Mr. Kim. But what about staring at the other man non-stop?] The question took Emily by surprise for a few seconds but then a small smile broke out on her lips as she started typing the reply. When she was finished, she passed the tablet to Sam who eagerly took it from her. [Can''t help when I''ve such an ethereal looking deity sitting right in front of me!] Sam looked at her with raised eyebrows as his smile only broadened at her reply. He once again started typing and once again passed the tablet to her. [But you just confessed that your brothers are more handsome?] Emily noticed the question mark at the end of the sentence which was especially highlighted by him. This time when Sam read her reply it took all of his self-control to not burst into a fit of laughter. [Can''t hurt my brother''s self-confidence! Now, can I?] These two were so emerged in their own world of messaging that none of them noticed that the rest of the people in the room were observing them. A certain person was definitely not pleased to know that he could no longer hear what she was speaking, since she was not speaking in the first place. He once again passed a quick death glare in Secretary Kim''s direction. Who would have known that the moment his little girl would step inside the room, she would pay half of her attention to his secretary? Mr. Kim felt like King Yama had started a search party for him as the third time in the past ten minutes, he felt his boss'' icy gaze landing on him. The cold sweat that was sliding down his spine and the chills that were running all over his body made him clench his hands around the tablet. Why his luck was running out constantly these days, Ah? Meanwhile, at the other end of the room, Simon was finally done with the secret messaging between his sister and Sam. It looked like they were having fun in whatever they were doing, then why he was not invited? It was unlike him to feel grumpy over something like that but he just could not help but become angry for being left out. He was about to snatch the tablet out of Sam''s hands when Domenic''s sharp voice stopped him. "Enough! We are here for a serious matter. If you two want to play around you can do it at home." His words were obviously directed at Sam and Emily. He actually looked a little angry, probably because he was not too happy about exposing his little sister in front of both the Sullivan masters. Emily immediately pulled away from Sam and his tablet, moving closer to Simon as she once again linked her hands around his arm while making sure to look decent. Simon immediately found his grumpiness disappearing as he felt his little kiddo making herself comfortable in his protection. If she was expecting him to protect her from the Sullivans or some other threats, he would be always there to do exactly that. However, if she wanted him to save her from Domenic then he was probably not the best choice. The only person present in the room who had the power to go against Domenic Alessandro was unfortunately someone from the opposite team. But it was not like Emily would ever need protection when it comes to Domenic. No matter how much each of the rest of the five brothers loved their little sister, even though some behaved totally opposite, the one who loved her the most was none other than Domenic. He had always been a father figure for Mark, Simon, Crist and, Leo. While Daniel made sure to take care of their daily needs like making food for them, making sure that they always had fresh clothes prepared for them, dropping and picking them from school, and helping them with their homework, Domenic was the one who made sure that all of them never lacked anything and were always well protected. And just like the rest of his brothers, Emily was also a child to him. Even more than the others since she was not only the youngest of all of them but he was also her legal guardian. He loved her just like his own child. The day when he first saw his newborn baby sister and picked her up in his slightly trembling hands with the help of his father was still fresh in Simon''s memories. Chapter 76 - Seventy-Five: The Girl In The Red Dress Emily glared at the tattoo on Rylan''s wrist. The huge E letter was glaring right back at her. "How....?" She did not need to complete her question for the others to understand exactly what she wanted to ask. Her eyes finally left the tattoo or the guardian mark to be precise as she turned her attention on the six men who were looking at her. She could tell that almost all of them appeared troubled to some extent, especially Simon, Sam, and Rylan. The cute guy, or Secretary Kim as she was told, was still trying to convince everyone that he was busy with his work as he continued to work on his tablet. On the other hand, both Domenic and Kaiden appeared just as indifferent and unbothered by the current situation as they could. She knew that Domenic was hiding his true emotions behind that cold face of his. After all, he could not risk showing too much emotion in front of his competitor. Probably the same could be said about Kaiden Sullivan. However, since she was not familiar with him, she could not make any guesses. "What about your mark?" Rylan suddenly asked as he looked at her with questioning eyes. "What about it?" Emily immediately asked as her hands gripped the inside of the blazer. "Are you not going to show it to us....or...at least to me?" Rylan sounded unsure about his question as five pairs of glaring eyes turned towards him. He could understand why the two Alessandro brothers and Sam were glaring at him. He was not surprised by the bone-chilling glare that he received from the girl. However, what took him completely off guard was the death glare that he received from no one else but his own brother. But why was Kaiden glaring at him like he just committed some kind of crime? Or did he actually ended up doing something stupid? Before anyone else could speak Emily decided to take action as she unbuttoned the blazer and let it slip from over her left shoulder. Immediately, all the eyes in the room looked at the mark which was clearly visible on her shoulder. "It sure chose a great place to carve itself." As soon as those words were out of Mr. Kim''s mouth, he started regretting his entire existence. He needed to make amends before it would be too late for him to regret. "Look....it was not what I meant to say. For real! What I was trying to say is that a tattoo.....No! No! No! I mean the mark, the guardian mark...yes, this mark should not appear on other parts of the body. I mean it looks much pretty and great on the hands. Like on the wrist just like Master Rylan has. Right? That''s exactly what I was trying to imply. I did not mean anything else. Truly!" It took everything in Emily not to burst out into giggles at the horrified expression on Mr. Kim''s face. The guy was looking so terrified that his face had even turned a little pale. It was like he was afraid that somebody would kill him anytime. Little did she knew that Mr. Kim was actually afraid of getting killed by his boss. Somehow, his boss had turned even colder and ruthless in the past few days, and almost all the times when he was in that ruthless form it was due to something related to Miss Alessandro. "Let''s move on to the main point. You called us here for a private meeting. What do you have in your mind?" Domenic diverted everyone''s attention as he directed his question at Kaiden. The seven of them had moved to the center of the room so that everyone could see the mark on Rylan''s wrist. Slowly, both the groups returned to their side of the meeting room, Sullivans occupying the left side while Alessandros taking over the right side. "In the last twenty-four hours, many things transpired in the city that has brought some changes and new situations." Kaiden started in his velvety voice as he took the tablet from Mr. Kim and pressed on something on the screen. The next moment a screen appeared in the middle of the room and soon a CCTV footage started to play. Emily was so shocked after seeing a screen appearing in thin air out of nowhere that she just stared at it with her mouth hanging open. She sure was not displaying the elegant and confident aura of the Alessandro Princess anymore! As everyone focused on the footage they soon realized that it was the footage of the Star Xander Mall of the previous day that was stolen from the mall. After working for a few seconds on the tablet, Kaiden finally hit another icon, and one particular footage took over the entire screen. Emily recognized herself as she chose the dresses and then asked Joy to settle the bill. Soon she was watching the entire footage of the incident. The masked man, the shattering of glasses, the appearance of Rylan out of the blue, and then finally the moment when he stabbed her and after doing something strange to her belly, he disappeared. "What the fuck!" "You actually did stab me!" While Sam and Emily shouted out their shock while they both stood up from their seats, Simon was already on the other side of the room. Emily felt her breathing stop as she watched in horror while Simon grabbed Rylan from the front of his shirt and hauled him up. She felt her heartbeat accelerating as her lungs started contracting in pain as her eyes followed the punch that was about to hit Rylan right on his face. And just like that, her surroundings changed. She was no longer in the meeting room with her brothers and Sam. No! She was back at those cold dark dungeons. The smell of blood took over her senses as the cries for help started entering into her ears. The sound of metal rattling followed by the laughter of those sick monsters who were probably having another torture episode with some other innocent soul. Her eyes tried to look around her, to see if she was still in the same cell as she was the previous day. However, it appeared as if they had once again moved her to a new cell as soon as she fell unconscious the previous night after the extreme torture through which she went through. It should have become normal for her by now. It had been ages since she was first brought to this place, ages since she was being tortured every other night. She was sure that the marks of torture that were covering her entire body would have turned her previously beautiful form into a hideous sight. Since they had their fun with her the previous night, she would probably get three to four days before they would again look for her. The thought made her relax a little. But soon that familiar musical voice entered into her ears. She turned her head towards the source and sure enough, there she was. The beauty in her elegant red dress. She was about four to five years older than Emily but the maturity that she had in her eyes made her look like someone who had lived for a long time and had experienced the cruelty of the world and life. "Why are you here again? Can''t you just stop following me? I''m tired of looking at you every time I open my eyes." Emily could not help but complain as she turned her face away from the beauty. "He''s going to cherish you. He will never fail you. I''m sure you will finally be able to bring his soul to peace and fill his life with love and happiness." Emily wanted to groan out loud as once again those similar words entered into her ears. The girl was about to drive her crazy very soon. "I told you not to speak that nonsense in front of me. I''m not a fan of such cheesy poetry. Can you please find someone else to kill?" The frustration was clear in Emily''s tone. She was always bratty and her offensive mode was always on. Even though she was beaten hundreds of times, forget it.....probably thousands of times, for this bratty attitude of hers, she just could not help but still stick to that same attitude which brings most of her problem dragging towards her. The pretty girl chuckled at Emily''s words as she slowly shook her head. "I''ll get you out of here real soon. Just hang on for a little bit more and I promise....." Before she could complete her sentence, Emily decided to cut her off in the middle. "Listen! When I said that I''m tired of you, I meant that I''m tired of your face, your voice, your stupid poetry, and most importantly your fake promises. You have been making that promise ever since you first found me here a couple of months ago and I''m still here. Moreover, you are one of them and I don''t trust you. So just get lost." Saying that Emily decided to close her eyes and take a quick rest before the food arrived. If she failed to collect the bun and glass of water at the time of its arrival, she would need to wait for the next serving of the food. And they only received food two times a day. Once in the morning and another in the evening. No way was she going to stay hungry for such long hours because of a stupid teenage girl! Chapter 77 - Seventy-Six: Supernaturals Emily felt like her head was about to burst into tiny little particles as soon as she woke up. Her eyes were still closed as she wanted to give her brain and body a little time to settle down. "Inform them that we will be there soon." She heard a familiar voice whispering somewhere around her but due to all the pain in her head, she could not pinpoint exactly who that person was. She felt a presence on her left and soon a pair of hands were helping her to sit up. Her first reaction was to push away that person but before her body could react to the command that it received, she recognized the scent that Doctor Sam used to carry on him. It was a mixture of the fragrance of medicinal herbs and lavender. Sam was probably the only doctor in the world who did not carry the same scent as the other doctors, rather his scent was both unique and somehow comforting too. She felt something touching her lips and the smell of herbs entered her nose. It was probably another liquid medicine of Sam as far as she could tell. Her doubts were confirmed when she heard his soft voice speaking calmly to her. "Emily, drink the medicine." She slowly fluttered her eyes open and tried to adjust them in the dim light of the room. As soon as her eyesight started working, the first thing that she saw was the bowl filled with a golden-green-colored liquid that made her scrunch her nose in disgust. It did not smell that bad, to be honest, but just by looking at the liquid, she wanted to throw it away. "Come on! Don''t make that face." Sam said as he brought the spoon next to her mouth and waited for her to drink the medicine. "I''m not going to let you torture me by feeding me with the spoon....." Emily said in a whispering voice as she grabbed the bowl of medicine from his hands. ".....I''ll finish it in one go. Just look!" And with that being said, she brought the bowl to her mouth and emptied its content in one go. A chuckle left Sam''s lips as he took the empty bowl from her hands and placed it on the coffee table. "Just wait for a few minutes and soon you will be back to your energetic self." He told her with a warm smile. "Why your medicines are so weird? Though I have to say that they work like miracles. What is so different about them though?" Emily just could not help herself. Her past and present were bringing so many questions in front of her and this time she was desperate for answers. A soft smile appeared on Sam''s thin lips as he observed Emily in silence for a few seconds before he finally decided to answer her question. "I know what you are trying to do. But you don''t have to worry anymore. Your brothers and Sullivans have already decided to tell you about everything. I''ll take you to them in a few minutes." Even though his answer was not what she wanted to hear but it still gave her mind comfort and made her relax a little. It was not until Sam was totally sure that she was not in any kind of pain anymore and that she was completely fine, did he took her to the room at the end of the hall where her brothers were supposed to be. As soon as Emily entered the room and her eyes landed on the huge dining table where her brothers were currently sitting with no food in sight, she realized exactly how hungry she was. Her eyes keenly observed all of them, especially Rylan and Simon, to see if any of them were injured. But fortunately, it looked like that her passing out diverted their attention and stopped the fight that Simon was ready to start. She took her seat beside Domenic while Sam sat on her other side. As soon as she was settled down on her seat, the door of the room opened, and three waiters appeared with trolleys filled with food and drinks. It was a surprise that her stomach did not rumble and embarrassed her the moment her nose registered the mouth-watering smell coming from the variety of dishes that were piling up on the table. Domenic personally served her plate while making sure that she wanted to eat the certain dish or exactly how much she wanted to eat. Soon, all of them were busy filling their tummies with food, and the environment was filled with a comfortable silence. Though no one questioned her about what happened back in the meeting room, she knew that they soon would want to know. But she was not ready to tell, at least not about revealing all those dark secrets that she had been keeping engraved deep in herself. She knew that she was being a hypocrite. While on one hand, she wanted answers to all of her questions, on the other hand, she herself was not ready to answer the questions of her brothers. But that''s because she was not ready to dive into the depths of the darkness that she was storing within herself. She was not ready to show the world, especially her brothers, exactly how broken she was. She was not ready to be called stupid and psycho for making up things that did not exist in the eyes of normal people. And most importantly, she was not ready to lose the chance at a better life than she had received because of her brothers. The dinner was soon over and just like Emily predicted, Simon was the first one who asked the question. "Emy, what happened back there? Why did you suddenly faint?" Emily could feel that all the eyes in the room were trained on her, waiting to listen to her answer. A soft sigh left her lips before she looked up at her brother and asked in a soft and tiny voice, "Can we please talk about this at home?" The indication was clear, she did not want to answer the question in front of the Sullivans and that definitely didn''t sit right with Kaiden. However, the older Sullivan stayed completely normal even though his soul was anything but. Simon looked over at Domenic and the elder brother gave a soft nod to their sister, watching as her body instantly relaxed a little. "Well, let''s move on to the main point. Shall we?" For the nth time that evening, he brought everyone''s attention to the important matter at hand. Emily suddenly was filled with curiosity as she aimed all her attention at her brother but for the next few moments, no one spoke. It was not her brother but Kaiden Sullivan who broke the silence and as her name slipped out of his mouth, Emily felt like her heart almost stopped beating for a second. "Miss Emilia, have you ever heard of supernatural beings that are supposed to exist in our world within their secret societies according to various books and tv shows?" As he completed his question, Emily realized that her body and mind were not reacting towards the gorgeous man sitting just a few feet away from her, rather it reacted to the word ''Supernaturals''. She found herself slowly nodding her head as she kept her eyes trained on her orange juice glass that was still half-filled. She would need to complete it before leaving. After being starved for countless nights, she perfectly understood the importance of not wasting food. "Do you think there''s even a one percent chance that these stories about the supernatural beings existing in our world are more than just a myth? Is there a possibility that they are real?" Kaiden did not even realize that he had stopped breathing the moment he asked the question as he waited for her answer. Even though they decided to tell her everything, what chances were there that she would actually believe them and their story? Though they could just outrightly show her the proof and disperse her doubts and unbelieves, but somewhere deep down Kaiden had a strong feeling that it would be their greatest mistake. Nearly every single person present in the room was expecting for Emily to either burst out into a laughing fit or glare at Kaiden for wasting the time by talking nonsense. What no one expected was to see her slowly nod her head once again. No one knew how to react to that. They were not expecting her to say yes or was she just fooling around with them? Emily finally raised her eyes and looked at the shocked appearance of those sitting around her. Even Kaiden and Domenic failed to keep their unbothered and calm facade in place as both of them looked at her with frowns covering their faces. A small smile appeared on her lips but it was unlike any other smile that they had seen on her. It was not a smile of happiness, but sadness loomed behind it. "Who knew that while all of us were trying to hide the truth from the other, we were worried about the same thing - Whether the other party would believe us or not!" A small chuckle escaped her lips as she slightly straightened in her seat before continuing. "I once stumbled across something that was supposed to only exist in myths a couple of years ago. Even though I escaped and they were not able to find me, the questions that they left behind never allowed me to live with peace." "I could not tell anyone about what I saw because no one would have believed me even though I was actually speaking the truth. Moreover, I was not really desperate to visit a psychiatrist." The room was filled with pin-drop silence as everyone tried to take in the information that the young girl suddenly decided to drop on them. "What did you actually saw, Emily?" This time there were no honorifics as Kaiden softly asked her the question while directly calling her by her name. Even though both Domenic and Simon realized the sudden change, but neither of them wanted to disturb Emily and lost the only chance of learning a little bit about her past, the past that she had safely kept hidden from them. Chapter 78 - Seventy-Seven: Just Wait! "It was a man and the next second, he turned into a.....wolf!" Emily heard the sharp intakes of breath from those who were sitting around the dining table, closely listening to her. "A....w-werewolf?" It was Rylan who asked the question and when she turned her eyes towards him she recognized the uncertainty hidden in his eyes. She slowly nodded her head as she replied, "Yeah! A werewolf. There was even a panther, and then there were....Vampires!" As soon as the last word rolled out of her tongue, it was Sam who cursed out loud this time. "Emily, how did you end up stumbling on these people? And when did it happen?" Sam asked her while the others also waited to hear the answer. She was silent for a few seconds, contemplating how much to share or to be precise, how much she could share without triggering her memories. After thinking for a few more seconds she finally replied, "It was a couple of years ago. As for how I end up there - I did not like those new foster parents that had adopted me and they never let me talk to the orphanage authorities, so I decided to run away and ended up stumbling on a truck that actually belonged to those monsters." She was aware that her revelations were affecting everyone in more ways than she predicted. She still remembered that dark night very clearly when she ended up making one of the worst decisions of her life. Either her timing was poor or her luck had run out that night because who would have thought that when she ran away from one monster, she ended up in the hands of another. "Emmy, look at me, sweetheart. Now tell me exactly what happened. Why I''m having a feeling that it''s not as simple as you are trying to portray." Simon had left his seat as he kneeled in front of her, making her turn to face him while he waited to hear her reply. Emily found Simon''s hands that were resting on her knees as she grasped them tightly. Her eyes turned to look at Domenic who had been observing her silently all this time. Though he did not react or said anything, she somehow knew that he was just as desperate as Simon to hear her answer. Then her gaze slowly traveled towards the three men who were not a part of the Alessandro family. But before her eyes could linger on any one of them, she returned her attention to Simon as she replied, "I promise to give you the answers but can you please give me some time? I think I''m not ready yet." Her voice was so small and vulnerable that Simon could not help but pull the little girl in his arms as he stroked her head before planting a soft kiss on her temple. "You can take as much time as you want. We will always be ready to hear you, Em." He told her softly as his eyes found his brother who gave him a soft nod. Of course, neither of the Sullivan brothers was happy to see that they lost the chance of hearing more about her story. But neither of them wanted to pressure the girl. Rylan could not make himself hurt her as he was supposed to keep her safe from pain and sadness while Kaiden knew that the past she was keeping hidden was too much for her to reveal so easily. If he needed to wait for her to reveal everything in her own comfort time then he was more than ready to wait, just like her brothers. "Why did you stab me?" The sudden question made Rylan bite on his tongue as his misery returned. He was tired of answering that question. Of course, he needed to sort the misunderstanding out with her since she was the victim but that did not make him feel any better. Even though, except Emily, everyone now knew that he did not do anything on purpose, but the glares that he received along with her innocent question made him realize that he still was considered a culprit in their eyes. The worst part was that his own brother was not bothering to save him from the wrath of the Alessandro brothers. Kaiden literally told them that as long as they did not kill him or cripple him, it was totally fine with him if they wanted to take their anger out on Rylan. It was a blessing that Domenic was far more sensible than his cold-blooded brother and stopped Simon from punching him. Even Emily helped him in some way when she fainted because Sam told everyone that she could not handle violence and that helped in cooling down Simon a little. Rylan took in a deep breath as he turned his attention towards the girl before answering her question or probably the accusation. "Look, Emily, I swear I was not going to stab you. It all happened so suddenly that I was left totally confused. I mean why would have I saved you and healed your wound if I wanted to hurt you in the first place? I seriously have no idea what happened back there but it was like something forced my mind and body to do it and by the time I realized it was too late. So I just did what I thought would save you." The silence that followed Rylan''s answer made Emily turn her attention towards the rest of the people present in the room. Did they believe him? She was not sure whether he was telling the truth or not, but the fact that he still was in one piece and her brothers had not beaten the crap out of him meant that they believed his story to some extent. "Such a nice backup story." She could not help but scoff even though it was clear that she no longer held the incident against him. However, she''s not letting her guard down around him. She would pretend like she was fine and when he would finally reveal his true colors, she would expose him in front of everyone. Just wait! Chapter 79 - Seventy-Eight: She Knew "So what you are trying to tell me is that there are people, or more like magical people, living in this city?" As soon as she settled her case with Rylan, her brothers decided that it was time that they should pay attention to the matter for which they were there. This resulted in the revelation of the fact that according to the Sullivans, and probably her brothers too, magical beings were living around them. Emily knew that she was asking the obvious. Did she believe in supernaturals? Of course! She had seen them with her own eyes. How could she still not believe in them? Was she afraid of them? Well, she was tortured by them and she was still suffering from the nightmares that they gave her. But the thought of living between people who were not real humans but were magical creatures in reality, both frightened and excited her. She turned her attention towards Rylan as she asked, "Are you a supernatural too?" As she waited for his reply she could feel her fast beating heart that was about to pop out of her chest. Rylan very slowly nodded his head, his eyes watching her closely as if he was afraid that she would be attacking him at any moment. "Oh! What kind of supernatural?" She asked as she kept her eyes solely focused on him. Rylan took in a deep breath as he spoke, "Emily, you are scaring me with your questions. It''s like you are interrogating me and the moment this interrogation will be over you will end my life." Emily could not hold in the scoff that left her lips at his stupid words. "I''m just a human and you still dare to pretend that you are the helpless one here." She muttered as she moved her eyes towards the elder Sullivan. "What kind of supernatural are you?" She repeated her question as she curiously waited for him to reply. While Domenic, Simon, and Sam were confused by Emily''s behavior, Kaiden was filled with happiness as he found his girl focusing her entire attention solely on him. For a moment he found himself slipping as the answer to her question almost rolled out of his mouth, however, he caught himself at the last moment. A small twitch appeared on his lips as he bent a little forward on the table while asking, "Why it looks like that you are far too curious about the supernaturals? You were supposed to be afraid, right?" Emily folded her hands across her chest as if she was switching on her defensive mode as she replied, "Of course, I am curious. It''s not like you every day got to know that magical beings are living around you. As for me not being afraid, then why should I be afraid when I''ve two of my brothers here with me?" A huge smile made its way to Simon''s lips as he heard Emily''s reply. "Your brothers are only humans. Why are you so confident that they can save you from something that''s much more powerful than them?" Rylan asked her with curiosity visible in his eyes. A smirk appeared on Emily''s lips as she replied to his question, "The fact that a human family is your biggest competitor in this entire city, I don''t think you should be asking such a stupid question." This time both Simon and Sam burst out into laughter as they clapped for Emily, making the girl feel a little proud in her heart. It was the first time she was being so bold in front of someone and to be honest, she was liking this new feeling of confidence. Of course, she was wary of the Sullivans and their identity but it was also true that she trusted her brothers. She surely did not want to cause any troubles for her brothers, especially if it was related to the Sullivans, but she also did not want them to think of her as a weak girl. Though she could not match the level of confidence, power, and control that her brothers carried, she still wanted to try her best to be at least not a disgrace for them. "Oh God, Emily. When did you become so savage?" Sam asked her as he patted her shoulder in encouragement. "Jackson and Leo have been teaching me for quite some time. I just never tried to use their lessons and tips before this." Emily replied with a shrug. Her eyes wandered towards Domenic as she wanted to know if he was okay with her being so chatty, but when she saw the small smile playing on his lips it was like a huge weight was lifted from her heart. "I think you earned the answer to your question since you succeeded in defeating Rylan," Kaiden said as he took out a pen from his suit pocket. "Wait, what?" Rylan asked in shock and confusion as he looked at his brother as if he expected him to answer. However, Kaiden totally ignored his brother as he passed the pen to Emily. "This pen holds the answer to your question. If you can solve the puzzle and find out exactly what kind of supernaturals we are, I''ll allow you one chance to ask for anything from me. As long as your request won''t cause any harm to my people or anyone else, I''ll complete it at all costs." Kaiden''s words filled the room with silence as everyone stared at him in total shock. Even Emily was aware of some of the weightage that his words held and the horrified expression on Rylan and Mr. Kim''s faces told her that she was not even grasping half of the seriousness of his promise. For the first time she did not look at her brothers to find out what they wanted her to do. Rather, she stretched her left hand and took the pen that Kaiden was holding. The sweet tingles that suddenly erupted over her hand for a few seconds left her shocked and surprised for a moment. Her eyes immediately looking up at those cerulean eyes that appeared to be too familiar at that moment and suddenly she knew! Chapter 80 - Seventy-Nine: SA? Emily looked away immediately, not wanting to lose herself in those familiar eyes. She should have known. He had the same aura as him, the same voice as him, and the same eyes as him. She had no idea why it took her so long to recognize him. She once again looked up at those icy eyes that were looking right back at her and suddenly it appeared like he too was aware that she had recognized him. It was Simon''s hand on her elbow that broke her train of thoughts as she finally left diverted her attention from those beautiful eyes and she turned her attention towards her brother. "Are you alright, Emmy?" He asked as he looked at the pen that she was holding in her hands. Emily slowly nodded her head as she retracted her hands inside the blazer that was still draped over her shoulders. "That''s good then." He said as he pulled his hand away. "What you just did, I hope you will be the one to take care of that in the future. Since you have made such a promise, I hope you will be prepared to fulfill it." Domenic told Kaiden as he let his intense gaze fell on the young man. Kaiden''s behavior was starting to confuse him, especially his behavior towards Emily. It was true that since Rylan had become Emily''s guardian spirit then the Sullivans would never hurt her. Even though one day the Alessandros and Sullivans would be on the verge of war, the guardian angel mark would never let Rylan or anyone from his family hurt Emily. But protecting her was a different matter and the way Kaiden had been observing his little sister throughout the meeting was a completely different matter. It was like he was missing something important that was clearly laid in open for him to recognize. However, even after two long hours of observation, he failed in putting his finger on what was the young CEO of Silver Enterprise was hiding from them. "Don''t worry. I''m well aware and prepared for it. Let''s reveal the final decision that we came upon. Just like you said, If Emily agrees then we can end this meeting here today." Kaiden replied as he watched the curious look that took over the girl''s mesmerizing eyes. Emily stayed completely silent this time even when she was bubbling up with questions. The only reason for her patience was the fact that even though they already came to a decision they cared enough about her to find out if she was okay with their decision or not. It made her feel cared for and also respected. She wanted to give her brothers a tight hug but seeing the situation she just decided to keep it for later. "Emily, you remember about the guy who saved you last night and who was supposed to belong to some SA?" Sam asked her in a serious voice. It took all her self-control to not look at Kaiden when Sam mentioned her savior. She slowly nodded her head as her curiosity was picked even more. Were they going to reveal that Kaiden was her savior and that SA was another name of the Sullivans? The thought made a small twitch appeared on her lips. "Well, as you know that the City is divided into two parts. One belongs to the Sullivans and the other belongs to your family and one of your close family friends. The people from both parts are restricted from entering into the other part of the city. But have you ever thought why both you and Rylan can go to the same high school without breaking any rule?" The question made Emily stare at Sam in bewilderment. The thought never occurred to her. Well, it was not like she was aware of this ''parts of the city, rules and all'' thing before a day ago. And even when she became aware of it, she did not have that much time to ponder on such things. Her mind was too occupied with the questions that were already filling her brain to the brim. There was barely any space left for new questions. "Is the high school located in some kind of neutral ground of something?" She asked with an unsure tone. Sam nodded his head as replied, "You are right. Between the Northern and Southern parts of the city, there''s neutral ground. The area of the forest where we found you yesterday night, the high school, this club, the Kitten cafe, the Cloud Nine Restaurant, the Almora Hospital, and the building of SA, are the ones located in the neutral zone. Meaning that the people from both parts of the city can come here and that neither of the three families rules here." This was a piece of huge news for Emily. She was actually proud of the person who came up with the idea of creating this neutral ground between the two parts of the city. Then her brain caught the mention of that word again and she hurriedly asked, "What exactly is that SA?" "It''s the Supernatural Academy." It was Rylan who replied to her question. "A Supernatural Academy?" She asked as more questions started popping up in her brain. "Right. What we learn in schools and universities is not really that useful for supernatural beings. Of course, the knowledge that we gain from human schools is important at their own level but as a supernatural, we need to learn about many other things too. The Supernatural Academy was founded with the hope that it can provide people with the right knowledge about supernaturals and their world." Of course, Emily did not miss the ''we'' that Sam used here. But for some reason, she was not afraid of the young doctor, probably because other than saving her life ever since they first met, Sam had never done anything that would make her dislike him. "But why built the Supernatural Academy on the neutral grounds? I mean, won''t it be better if it was built in their part of the city?" She found herself asking. "The reason for building the supernatural academy on the neutral grounds was the fact that supernaturals are not the only one who attend the Academy. Human goes there too." Chapter 81 - Eighty: Not Ready For The Family Secrets "Huh?" To say that Emily was left totally confused would be an understatement. She just stared at Sam like he had spouted some kind of nonsense to confuse her. "Wait! You are trying to say that humans like me also attend that Supernatural Academy? Did they even know that it''s not some normal institution but a place filled with mythical creatures?" She asked and this time she pointed her question at everyone present in the room. "Most of the people living in this city are aware of the Supernaturals living along with them. The Supernaturals are living around the world under the guidance of Supernatural societies. A city can either be under the power of a Supernatural council or the human government. It depends on which kind is dominating the population of that city. For example, our city is ruled by the Supernatural council because almost sixty-five percent of the population of this city is supernaturals." Emily was so shocked by the revelation that she could not find any words to explain her surprise. Her eyes traveled to Domenic and her brother nodded his head in return to her unasked question, agreeing with the information that Kaiden just provided. "If it''s like that then why I never got to know about this?" She finally asked the question that was currently sitting on the top of her list of questions. How come she never heard about supernaturals when they were literally present everywhere? "Just like I said, the number of supernaturals living in different cities or states varies and most of the times, if their number is lower than thirty percent of the total population of that area, the supernaturals preferred to keep their existence a secret. It also depends on the factor of whether the human population of that particular area is ready to accept them as a part of their society or not. If the humans appeared to be hostile towards anything mythological or paranormal, the Supernatural society tends to stay in dark." There was silence for a few seconds before Simon continued from where Kaiden left. "As far as we know, the population of supernaturals in City B, where you lived with your mother, is barely close to seven percent of the total population of the entire city. It''s clear why you never came across anything related to the paranormal during your stay there." Emily slowly nodded her head as she started understanding exactly how everything worked. "After you were transferred to City N, the supernatural presence of that city was still too low for you to stumble across it. However, City X, where you have been living before shifting to the orphanage of City B again last year, has a very high percentage of supernaturals living there. But that area is actually not considered safe for humans as the supernaturals living there are not exactly human-friendly. It''s a good thing that you only stayed there for less than a year before returning to City B. Who knew what would have happened....." As Simon suddenly trailed off in the middle of his sentence, he was not the only one who felt his heart suddenly was not able to beat anymore as a horrifying realization dawned over him. He could see the way Emily was clutching the hem of the blazer tightly in her palms as she focused all her attention on the half-filled glass of orange juice. However, even before the question that was sitting on the tip of his tongue could leave his mouth, he felt Domenic''s hand on his elbow. The little headshake that his eldest brother gave him made him even more uncomfortable but he knew that Domenic was right. "Well...., at least now you get the answers to both your questions. The reason why humans of our city join the Supernatural Academy is to learn more about us so that our kinds can live in understanding and peace together." Rylan tried to disperse the tense air that was looming over them. Emily was silent for the next few moments and Simon feared that he had probably pushed her too far into her past memories, but he soon was relieved when his little sister turned her focus towards the two Sullivan brothers to ask her next question. "Don''t you think it''s kind of dangerous to let humans find out about the secrets of your kind? What if one day they decided to use that knowledge against you?" The slightest twitch on Kaiden''s lips was the only indication that he was either impressed by her sharp mind or utter stupidity. But either way, she should have succeeded in impressing him, right? "We are just doing exactly what the human government is doing." His reply made a frown appear on her face as she waited for him to elaborate. However, when he showed no indication of driving her confusion away, she finally turned her attention towards her brothers. It was Domenic who took pity on her as he explained, "The human government allows the supernaturals to study in human schools and universities to gain the same knowledge that us humans are gaining. It''s a sign of the trust that the human government is putting in the supernaturals. Moreover, the government knows how to keep the deepest secrets of the human world safe from supernaturals. On the other hand, the supernaturals are doing the exact same thing in return." "Oh!" That''s how Emily replied to the explanation that her brother provided to her. Now she had more or less a grasp on how the Supernaturals lived or worked in their society and exactly how much power did they held in their hands. "Are you also going to tell me exactly why these two are considered our competitors? I bet it''s not because they are supernaturals since your best friend and my lovely doctor here is also one of them, right?" Simon chuckled at Emily''s question while Sam tried to not sigh as he realized that the little girl was far too observant and intelligent than he first expected. "Nope! You are still not ready to learn about the family secrets. But I promise to tell you everything as you will get accustomed to the way everything works here." Domenic promised her in his serious and powerful tone that left no space for objections. Emily slowly nodded her head before she turned her attention towards the Doctor as she asked curiously, "So, what kind of Supernatural are you?" Sam passed a quick glance to everyone present in the room before looking back at the girl as he replied, "Actually, it''s related to your family secret. So, you will need to wait to know the answer." The scoff that left Emily''s lips instantly, made Simon and Rylan burst into chuckles while the rest of the other three men tried not to show their emotions. It was time for a new beginning for our little Emily! Chapter 82 - Eighty-One: First Day In SA "I can''t believe this." Emily muttered under her breath as Leo and Crist finally succeeded in dragging her out of the car. "Stop being so dramatic. You are going to step inside the famous SA building. Make sure to show everyone exactly who you are. Now, have a good evening exploring and getting acquainted with this place. I''ll pick both of you around five o''clock." Crist said as he brushed her hair with his fingers to smoothen them. "Can''t you stay with us?" Emily asked even though she knew what his answer was going to be. "Em, you know that Domenic needs me at the company like in..." He stopped to take a look at his watch and at that very exact moment a horrified look took over his expressions. "Damn it! Only ten minutes are left. I''m leaving. Take care of yourself and this dumbass." He hurriedly shouted as he placed a quick kiss on her forehead before getting into the car and running away. "Did he just call you a dumbass?" Leo asked her as he stared at the gate of the Academy grounds, watching the white car disappearing in the distance. "Nope! He asked me to take care of you." She replied as she pulled her little bag out of his hands and started walking towards the stairs that led towards the entrance of the seven-story building known as the SA, or Supernatural Academy. "Impossible! I mean he can call me a dumbass but there''s no way he would tell you to look after me. Nope!" Leo muttered with a shake of his head as he followed her. Emily stopped in her tracks as she turned to face her youngest brother. "Alright, tell me what is more impossible. Crist telling me to look after you or him calling me a dumbass?" Her question made Leo hesitate as he pondered on the possibility of Crist calling his baby sister a dumbass. "Alright. It''s definitely the latter, but that doesn''t mean that you are right. To put it simply, he was just so much in a hurry that he did not pay attention to what he was saying or to whom he was saying that. That''s it!" Emily just shook her head with a sigh as she once again started walking towards the building. When Domenic and Kaiden offered her the opportunity to join the Supernatural Academy to learn more about supernaturals, she did not miss a single beat before agreeing. That''s how her brother ended up arranging for her to visit the SA building four times a week after her school. However, as she stood outside the building that looked nothing like the old and haunted castle that she imagined, she was kind of starting to get nervous. Because for the first time she was aware that the people whom she was going to meet inside that building were not all normal human beings. She knew that not all supernaturals were bad and she had seen many examples of very kind and warm-hearted supernaturals, but this knowledge did nothing to calm her fears. She felt Leo''s hand on her arm which almost caused her to flinch. "Emy, it''s alright sis. I''m here with you and I promise that I''ll not leave your side for even a second. Moreover, there are many people here whom you are already familiar with." Leo''s words made her calm down a little as gave him a quick nod before asking, "Who are these familiar people you are talking about?" "For starters, you will find Jackson here," Leo answered as they entered the building. The cold gust of air that met them inside finally relieved them from the high temperature that had taken over the day. "Jackson? Why is he here?" Emily asked as they made their way towards the front desk. Leo showed their IDs to the woman who was sitting at the front desk before he pulled her towards the elevators. "Jackson is a teacher here. By now you should have realized that he''s a good teacher, right?" Her brother asked as he pushed the button to the fifth floor. "He''s actually a great teacher. By the way, he''s a supernatural too." Her last statement was not exactly a question, therefore Leo just stayed silent. "There are also chances to spot Sam here. And there''s also...." Before Leo could complete his sentence, the door of the elevator opened and they both noticed the guy clad in a similar school uniform as hers. Emily watched in surprise as Rylan entered the lift and settled down against one of the side walls. "You are here too." She found herself stating as she eyed him from head to toe. She still agreed that he carried that bad boy vibe on him, just add the vibes of something fishy and mythical too in the context. "Hello there." Rylan waved his hand towards her to which she just scoffed in her mind. She knew that she needed to keep a calm and collected appearance in front of her enemy. She was about to ask Leo to continue with whatever he was saying when she noticed her brother glaring at the silver-haired dude. Oops! Looked like even Leo disliked that liar. Good, because now she would have someone in her team against that devil prince. The elevator door opened as they reached the fifth floor, breaking the glaring contest between the two boys. Emily took hold of Leo''s arm as she dragged him out of the elevator. Rylan did not follow them. He went towards the north side of the floor while she and Leo headed towards the south. "Where are we going?" She asked him as she tried to take in all the information about the long hallways. "Someone is waiting for us in the physical training hall. We need to report there for your first class." Leo answered as he continued to walk past various wooden doors that were standing on either side of the hallway. "Oh!" Emily hurriedly nodded her head as a small smile appeared on her lips. Physical training was one of those classes that she was looking forward to. She had always wanted to become physically strong but she never got the chance before this. But since she was finally bestowed with such a big chance to learn at least one of the things that she craved to learn, she was set to not give up till the very end. They finally stopped outside a huge door at the very end of the hall. As Leo knocked once on the door before opening it and entering, she also hurriedly followed behind him. She was surprised to find a huge room with various pieces of equipment lining against the walls. At the very back of the room was a huge glass door which probably opened into a massive gym as far as she could tell. The room was surprisingly empty which actually made her filled with relief. However, this relief was short-lived as the very next second a very familiar voice entered her ears. "Since today is your first day here, I''ve decided to keep this class personal. However, from next time onwards you will be taking this class with the other students." Emily turned around to face the man who was wearing dark trousers and a matching tank top that left his arms bared. For the first time in months, she finally got to see the tattoos that were covering Mark''s arms from the very top till his wrists. His green eyes were trained on her as he watched her with a poker face. She hurriedly turned her face towards the area where Leo was supposed to be standing, only to find that the boy had already abandoned her. Talk about his promise of not leaving her side for even a second. Liar! "Why are you here?" She was both amazed and happy to find that her voice did not waver as she found the courage to ask the question. However, the fact that she was nervous as hell did not slip the keen observing skills of her grumpy brother. "I''m the physical training instructor here and I''ll be teaching you self defence." The reply that she received from Mark made her curse her luck in her mind. Why did she even expect something to go right in her life? It was clear that these training lessons were about to become torture lessons for her. "Go and get changed. We don''t have much time." Mark said as he placed a package in her hands. "Change?" Emily asked stupidly. "Right. I''ve picked this on my way here. There''s the locker room. Make it quick. We will be starting in five minutes." Saying that Mark started walking towards the wall where bats were sitting on a rack. For a moment Emily wanted to tell him that she was no longer interested in learning self-defense, but she was afraid that it would only lead her to more troubles. So just to save her life from the wrath of Mark, she ran towards the locker room to change her clothes. Chapter 83 - Eighty-Two: The Watermelon "Mark, are you sure he''s not staring at me?" Even Emily had lost count of exactly how many times she had already asked that question in the last twenty minutes. She clearly heard the sigh that escaped her brother''s lips as he replied from somewhere behind her. "No, Em. He''s not staring at you. He can neither see us nor can hear us. He''s just concentrating on the digital screen of computer that''s not visible to you." Even though he sounded so calm and collected, she just knew that he was about to blow up. And for the first time, she was ready to agree that she had actually irritated Mark to the verge of insanity. Not her fault though. She still was determined that the boy sitting on the floor of the gym had been staring at her and he was probably enjoying seeing her failing to do even normal exercises. But the only thing that went against her prediction was the fact that even after seeing her constantly landing on her ass countless times in the last twenty minutes, the dude did not even crack a single smile. "By the way, can I put this cucumber down now?" She asked as she felt the numbness taking over her feet too. "That''s a watermelon!" Mark immediately corrected her. "Yeah, right. The watermelon. Can I put it down?" She corrected herself and again repeated her question. Her hands were the only part of her body that had not gone numb yet. Nope! She could clearly feel the pain and exhaustion of her arms. "No, you can''t. You are supposed to hold it for at least half an hour, and you have been holding it for only ten minutes or so." Mark replied. "Wait, I''ve been trying to hold this for more than twenty minutes. How can you say that it has been only ten minutes?" She complained as she was definitely not happy with the data that her brother had in store. "Because just like you said - you were trying and must I add - constantly failing too. Only for eleven minutes, you have held the watermelon without dropping it or yourself on the floor." "I think there''s something wrong with your logic." Emily could not help but mutter under her breath. However, as expected from her bad luck, Mark heard her very clearly. "I''m still surprised to see this talkative side of yours. I think I prefer the quiet and peaceful Emily more." He stated as he moved to stand beside her. Emily turned her face towards her brother as she asked, "Why? So that you can bully her easily?" She did not even realize what she was saying and by the time she realized, it was too late. Mark was silent for a few seconds as he observed her and then he finally broke the silence. "I was about to change my mind and allow you to rest for a while, but I have changed my mind again. Keep holding it and if you failed, the timer will start from the very beginning." And saying those evil words he moved away towards the punching bag that was hanging on her left side. Emily would have strangled herself at that moment if she could. Unfortunately, she had a melon in her hands. Her arms were screaming in pain as time started passing. It took all her energy to not lower her arms or even move them. She was covered in sweat even though the air conditioning system was working perfectly and the darkness that had started appearing in front of her eyes due to the exhaustion made her almost lose her footing. She shook her head to get rid of the exhaustion that was taking over her. She was not ready to give up so easily. She did not want to become a laughing stock in front of others and she especially was not looking forward to facing Mark''s disappointed look. "Emily!" Mark''s sudden angry shout startled her drowsy state and she was taken completely by surprise which caused her hands to lose their balance over the watermelon. The melon landed directly on her right foot making her jump as pain shot through her foot. "A...." Mark was about to say something but then he stopped himself. His expressions changed into a cold and angry one as he glared at the girl. "Barely twenty minutes. You are the first human that I''ve seen in this Academy who failed to hold the melon for even twenty minutes without failing. If you can''t even perform such simple exercises, how do you think you are going to become the....." Mark stopped the moment he noticed the tear that rolled down her left cheek. She was once again looking down at her feet, something that she''s used to doing whenever she felt like she had done something wrong, or when she''s not confident enough to look at her opponent. She did not start crying or sobbing. She did not even move to wipe that single tear that rolled down her cheek. She just stood there in silence. For a moment he almost regretted his sharp words but he soon got a hold on himself. "What? Have you changed into your older self again? Listen, Emily. If you can''t even perform such simple exercises, there''s no need for you to report to my classes. I hope if you dared to join your next self-defense class, you will at least pass this test." With that being said, he walked out of the room. Emily slipped down on the floor and took off her right shoe to take a look at her foot which had started to turn red around the area under her fingers. She was about to push her foot back into the shoe when a hand on her foot stopped her. She looked up to find Jackson crouching in front of her. She immediately felt humiliation taking over her as she realized that he probably saw what just happened. She did not even notice when he entered the room. "This must be hurting, right?" Jackson asked as he settled down on the floor and pulled her foot in his lap. For a moment she wanted to pull her foot away and leave, but she knew that it would be the stupidest thing to do. So she just let her supernatural tutor and friend take care of her throbbing foot. Jackson took out a small white porcelain jar from inside his jacket pocket and opened it to reveal a golden-colored cream in it. "What''s that?" She asked as she watched him taking a little scoop of the cream and gently applying it to the injured area on her foot. "One of Sam''s special medicines. By the way, I still can''t believe that you succeeded in dropping an entire melon on your foot. You sure have some unique skills!" Jackson said with a chuckle as he gently massaged her foot. "To be honest, I made sure to pick the smallest one even though I was not aware of what I will need to do with it. I think it was a good decision. If a bigger one would have landed on my foot, I would have probably gone cripple." Emily told him with her eyes directed at the basket of melons sitting against the wall. A small smile appeared on Jackson''s face as he observed the young girl in front of him and even though she just tried to joke about the incident, he could clearly see the dimness in her eyes. "Emily...." "Huh?" Emily turned her attention back to Jackson who was still giving her foot a gentle massage. "Don''t take his word to your heart. I know that Mark could be bitter with his words, but he''s not a bad person. He cares about you just like the rest of us. The only problem is that he''s not skillful when it comes to showing it." He went silent for a few seconds before once again continuing. "I know that it''s getting harder for you to believe in our words seeing that his behavior is only getting rougher towards you with time and that''s because the more he is realizing that he cares about you, the more he''s trying to keep it hidden. He''s just not prepared to believe that there is someone in his life who matters to him more than his own selfish ass." Jackson''s choice of words made a little smile appear on Emily''s lips as she slowly nodded her head. "I know. I''m actually sad about not being able to pass my first ever test in this class. It looks like there''s still much that I need to learn. After all, I''m starting from scratch." She admitted her thoughts to her only friend. The pain had almost disappeared and Jackson finally helped her to put on her shoe. Once she was again standing on her feet, Jackson went inside the locker room to grab her bag and took her out of the practice room. They still had an hour left before Crist would be there to pick her up, therefore, Jackson decided to take her to the library which was located on the sixth floor. As they were inside the elevator, Jackson decided to speak. "It''s alright. As long as you are ready to work hard for your goal, nothing can ever stop you from reaching it. Not even grumpy Mark. And I''m sure one day he''s going to change his attitude towards you." Emily just nodded her head in silence as she looked a little lost in her thoughts. The elevator door opened in the hallway of the sixth floor. The moment Emily stepped out of the lift, her eyes landed on a person that immediately made her stop in her tracks. Chapter 84 - Eighty-Three: Rylans Proposal "Hey, baby! You are finally here. And is this Miss Alessandro?" The woman, who looked exactly like some supermodel with her shoulder-length auburn hair and raven eyes, asked Jackson as she came closer to plant a sweet kiss at the corner of his mouth. Emily immediately looked away to give the couple some privacy, not like they needed it. "Emily, meet my fiance, Bianca Jennet. And Bee, this is our one and only Princess Emily." Jackson introduced them with a sweet smile on his face. "Don''t embarrass me!" Emily muttered to Jackson before shaking Bianca''s hand. "It''s nice to meet you, Miss Jennet." She said with a soft smile on her face. "Oh, come on, darling! There''s no need to be so formal with me. Just call me Bianca or Bee like my closed ones. By the way, I''m really happy to finally meet you. You are so pretty and cute." Emily felt her cheeks flaming at her words. Not knowing how to handle the situation, she just fixed her eyes at her feet to hide her embarrassment. But looked like she failed poorly because the very next second she heard Miss Jennet making a squealing sound. "See, babes! She''s so cute. Can we make some bargain with Domenic and adopt her?" Emily immediately looked up in shock at the woman who was literally beaming at her with stars in her eyes. It was like she was really very happy to see Emily as her happiness could be seen shining in her eyes. "Enough, Bee. Stop scaring little Emily. Look at the poor child, she is about to throw a punch at you." Jackson immediately stated as he reprimanded his fiance. But who told him that questioning his soon-to-be wife''s decisions was a good idea? Just in a matter of seconds, Emily watched as Miss Jennet launched into a lecture that probably needed a few hours to conclude. Seeing that she had a good chance of escaping, she did not miss the chance and slowly fled the scene, making sure that neither Jackson nor Miss Jennet noticed her absence. There was only one room on the sixth floor. Of course, it was the library and it was huge. She stumbled across a few students who looked almost normal like her, but she had no idea if they were really normal or not. The good thing was that no one paid any attention to her. She slowly made her way towards the history department and almost lost her thinking capacity when she realized that there were hundreds of books lined on the shelves on the history of each of the supernatural species. After struggling for a few minutes, she finally took out an old and thin book that appeared to be about the history of supernaturals as a whole rather than of any specific kind. She was in the search of a silent and hidden area in the library where she could read the book when she stumbled across the Second Sullivan Master who was sitting alone at a table hidden in the most remote area of the library. Unfortunately, before she could fly from there, Rylan noticed her. "Hey!" "Bye" She immediately replied and turned around to run away from him when she felt a grip on her arm which pulled her towards an empty seat on the left side of his chair. "I have something important to discuss with you," Rylan said as he pulled her bag and the history book out of her hands and put them on the table. "Sorry, but I''m busy." Emily immediately replied as she tried to stand up and grab her things, but of course, she did not succeed. "Look, it''s really important. It''s kind of a deal and you are definitely gonna like it." Rylan immediately said as he pulled her back on her seat. Emily knew that she could not outrun the boy, so she decided to listen to whatever he wanted to say. When Rylan was sure that she was no longer going to run away, he finally retracted his hand from around her arm and settled down in his seat. "Can you please make it quick?" The glare that she aimed at the Sup made him chuckle as he shook his head before saying, "Goodness! I almost mistook you for a timid and weak human initially and now I''m realizing that you are just as feisty and strong-headed as your brothers." Her glare only hardened as she moved to stand up but was immediately stopped by Rylan who moved his hands in a surrender position. "Fine! Let''s move to the main topic." Emily settled down in her seat as she turned to face the boy. She did not trust him at all and it would be much better if she could keep her entire focus on him. After all, she was not going to give him a second chance to stab her. Even though he succeeded in fooling her brothers, she won''t be fooled by him. "I have a proposal for you. If we worked together on this proposal, we both will be benefited from it." Rylan stated in a serious tone. However, Emily just scoffed in reply as she said, "Can you just get to the point?" "Alright! So here''s the deal. I want to pass this final year of high school and you want to learn about the supernaturals and their community. I have seen your records, you are good at human studies and I have all the knowledge that you are looking for. I want you to help me in my studies so that I can pass the final exams and in return, I''ll teach you everything that you want to know about us." Emily was silent for a few minutes as she observed Rylan. Even though she did not trust him completely but somehow, she knew that he was serious about his deal. "It''s not a bad deal. But I want a demo before finalizing this deal." She finally answered. "A demo?" Rylan asked in confusion. "Yep!" Emily nodded her head as she pulled the history book that she founded and moved it towards Rylan. "Why don''t you explain the first chapter of this book to me? If I find you authentic enough, I''ll help you tomorrow in school. If everything went well, we will keep doing it for a week, and if after an entire week we both will be satisfied with each other''s teaching skills, we will finalize the deal." Emily explained her idea. Rylan was dumbstruck as he stared at the girl in surprise. "No doubt that you are an Alessandro. You even know how to do business at such a young age. Tsk tsk!" Even though he shook his head with a sigh leaving his lips, he picked up the book and opened the first chapter. That''s how Emily found herself sitting in the most remote area of the library while Rylan explained to her the contents of not only the first, second, or third, but all the ten chapters that were present in the old book. "Wow, I''m currently feeling like my brain just has gulped down an entire encyclopedia. There''s so much to learn." Emily muttered while she checked her watch after Rylan finished explaining the entire book. There were still ten minutes left before she needed to be at the parking lot. "So.....?" Rylan''s questioning tone pulled her attention towards him. "I''ll see you tomorrow in Chemistry class. Make sure to bring your book and an extra notebook." Emily said before she stood up and picked her bag. She did not even spare another look at the boy before she walked away from there. She was heading towards the elevator to head downstairs when she felt very familiar soft tingles erupting over her body for a second. But it disappeared just as quickly as it came, leaving Emily completely confused and surprised. She moved her eyes around the hallway to see if someone was there but found no one. After shaking her head a little to get rid of her disturbing feelings, she moved towards the elevator and pressed the button. As the door opened, her eyes landed on a very familiar figure. "Mr. Kim?" She called out in surprise which made the man to finally look up from the folder that he was holding open in his hands. "Oh! Miss Alessandro. What a nice surprise to see you here. I hope you enjoyed your time here." Mr. Kim said as he walked out of the elevator. "Yeah, this place is actually nice. Thank you for asking." Emily politely replied as she walked into the elevator. It was not until she was already inside the lift that her eyes landed on another familiar figure. "Boss, are you not....." "You go ahead. I have left my phone in the car. I''ll go and retrieve it." Kaiden told his Secretary as he cut him off in the middle of his question. Emily suddenly wanted to escape the elevator but it was like Kaiden read her thoughts because before she could make her move, he already pushed the button and the door closed as the lift started descending. The last thing that she saw before the elevator door closed was the baffled look on Mr. Kim''s face as the man stared at his boss. Chapter 85 - Eighty-Four: Stuck Together A soft sigh left her lips as Emily decided to not think too much about Mr. Kim''s reaction. She just wanted to find Leo, punch him for leaving her alone, and meet Crist in the parking lot. "Good evening, Miss Alessandro." The sudden soft voice that entered her ears took her by surprise. Emily immediately turned to face the young CEO as she bowed her head respectfully. "Good evening, Mr. Sullivan. Please forgive me for my disrespectful behavior. I did not mean to....." She trailed off when she saw the man smiling softly at her. His smile both bewitched and irked her. He looked even more handsome when he smiled, even though it was a very small smile. But if he was smiling to make fun of her, then she sure did not consider him handsome anymore. Mr. Sullivan probably read her expressions because he immediately said, "You don''t need to apologize. I was not trying to make you feel bad. But it''s good to see that you are such a soft and kind-hearted person." "Huh? Oh, I mean thank you." Emily hurriedly thanked him even though she was totally confused by his words. What did she even do to appear as kind-hearted? She thought as she again softly bowed her head before turning around to face the elevator door. They were already on the second floor when suddenly the lift stopped abruptly, making Emily lose her balance. A squeal left her lips as she prepared for the pain that she sure was going to receive after face planting into the back wall of the lift. However, rather than the cold metal wall, she found herself plastered against the warm chest of Mr. Sullivan. His arms were securely wrapped around her as protective walls while he made sure to maintain their balance. The light flickered and then went off, filling the inside of the elevator in darkness. "Miss Alessandro, are you alright?" Kaiden asked the girl as he tightened his arms around her. "I-I think so. What happened?" Emily asked as she tried to calm down her racing heart. She could barely see anything due to the darkness and it only made her tightened her hold on Kaiden''s arms. "No idea. This is the first time something like this has happened. These lifts not only work on technology but various spells are also used to make sure that situations like these does not appear." Kaiden went silent as one of his hands left her waist as he fumbled with his pockets. "Don''t worry. I''ll get you out of here safely." He whispered the promise into her ear as he pulled out his phone and started dialing a number. "I thought you forgot your phone in your car." Emily could not help herself from pointing it out. "Nope! It''s a file, not my phone." Kaiden immediately answered with a serious face as he continued to wait for the person to pick the call. "Sure!" She replied with a shrug as she rested her head on his chest. For some stupid reason, she was not feeling as much afraid as she should be. It was probably because he saved her the last time in the forest, but somehow, she felt protected and safe in Kaiden''s presence. As for her being so close to him physically, well she''s very afraid of the dark, especially when it''s such a small area with barely any light. She would rather be glued to a man than left alone in the darkness. And it''s not like they were doing something wrong, it was just a comfortable hug. Ain''t it? Looked like the person finally picked up the call as Kaiden put his phone on speaker. "Where the hell were...." Emily was not ready for the sudden angry tone that Kaiden used to shout at the man at the other end of the call which made her slightly flinch. She heard him taking a deep breath as he changed his tone into a calm one before continuing. "Where are you right now?" He asked. "Boss, the guards noticed a group of men in black running out of the Academy building. I have sent a team to chase after them while I''m heading to retrieve the CCTV footage before someone can get rid of them." The man answered immediately. "Good. Get the footage as soon as possible. Also, send a team to get us out of the elevator. We are trapped on the second floor. Hurry!" Kaiden ordered as he looked at the girl in his arms. "Yes, boss!" The man replied immediately before Kaiden ended the call. "You can get out of here on your own, right?" Emily asked him after a few seconds of silence. Kaiden had left the flashlight on of his phone so that they no longer needed to stay in darkness. His fingers tightened a little around her shoulder as he hummed a yes in reply. "Are you worried about exposing your supernatural form to me? Is that why you are not using your powers?" Emily asked as she stared at the buttons of his blazer. When she did not get any reply, she looked up towards his face and was taken by surprise when she found him looking right back at her. Her eyebrows immediately raised high in a questioning look as she tilted her head a little, not even realizing that she appeared like a cute bunny to Kaiden. A small smile appeared on his lips as he turned his attention up ahead as he replied, "I''m just worried that you would fall in love with my supernatural form. I can''t take such a high risk." The scoff that left Emily''s lips was not even enough to describe her current state of amusement. The young man seriously thought so highly of himself! "Don''t be so full of yourself. Not everyone likes you as much as you think." She could not help but comment. "Are you jealous of my self-confident, darling?" Kaiden asked as his smile only increased. "Whom are you calling darling? Moreover, it''s not self-confident, rather, it''s called overconfident." Emily immediately retorted. "Whatever makes you sleep like a pig tonight," Kaiden said in a carefree tone. "You...!" Emily tried to push the man as she felt him purposely trying to irritate her, but when she realized that she couldn''t push him, she decided to pull herself away from his arms. However, even before she succeeded in putting a gap of few inches between their bodies, the hand that was still resting on her waist pulled her back towards the man, and the very next second she was once again wrapped safely in his arms. "What are you doing?" Emily asked as she raised her head to stare at him. "Keeping you safe. If something happened to you and your brothers decided to blame it on my head, how would I prove my innocence to your irrational brothers? It''s better to be safe than sorry." Kaiden replied with a little shake of his head. "You are the irrational one! How dare you slander my brothers?" Emily was almost on the verge of losing her cool. "Such a fierce little cat. Stop being blinded by your brothers'' good image. You have no idea how irrational they behave when it comes to my....." Kaiden immediately quieted down as Emily''s index finger ended up on his lips, silencing him instantly. "Not a single more word. I won''t let you go if you slander my brothers'' image like this. What kind of person are you? Talking such rubbish about such nice people!" Emily muttered as she pulled her finger away. She was actually surprised to see that Kaiden really stopped talking. A small smile was still playing on his lips as he gazed down at her. His mesmerizing eyes looking at her as if she was the only person who existed in his world. It took all of Emily''s energy to pull herself out of those stupid thoughts. "What?" She asked him with raised eyebrows, something that she had learned from her brothers. Kaiden shook his head lightly as he replied, "It''s good to see that you are no longer looking as pale and scared as you were a few minutes ago. You look much better like this, a little fiery kitten!" Emily was taken aback by his words and it took her a few seconds to realize exactly what happened. He was trying to distract her! "Thank you!" She thanked him as she felt herself calming down. "There''s no need for a thank you. To be honest, I was serious when I said that I''m protecting you to save myself from the blames that your brothers would be pointing at me as soon as they would find you trapped in here. They can really be irrational when it comes to their family." Kaiden told her as he let his fingers pull the loose strands of her hair away from her face. "Mr. Sullivan, I''m not really aware of the problems that our families have with each other, but the thing that I know for sure is that my brothers are not bad people. They probably just don''t trust you." Chapter 86 - Eighty-Five: Cant Trust The Sullivans "Are you alright, Em?" "You are not hurt, right? Let me take a look." "I knew that we can''t trust Sullivans when it comes to you!" "..." The Alessandro brothers were standing around their little sister as they kept checking whether she was really alright or not. When Leo and Mark headed to the library to pick their sister, none of the brothers were prepared to stumble across a panicked Jackson. As soon as they realized that a group of men in black had been seen running out of the Academy grounds, their first instinct was to find their sister. However, no matter how hard they tried, they just could not find Emily anywhere on the entire sixth floor. It was not until Mr. Kim found them during their search, that the three of them came to know about Emily''s whereabouts. When Crist reached the Academy to pick his siblings, he was not expecting to find his brothers looking as pale as ghosts while they waited for Sullivan''s men to open the elevator door as soon as possible. The brothers were relieved to know that Emily was not stuck inside the elevator all alone. However, none of them were happy to know that the person who got stuck with her was the Young CEO of the Sullivan Empire. But at that moment, the brothers could do nothing other than wait for their sister to come out of the lift. And as soon as Emily was out, they bombarded her with questions as they checked whether she was hurt anywhere. Even though the people standing around them were touched by the love and care that the brothers showed to their little sister, however, a particular group of people was feeling offended by Mark''s accusing words, and one person decided to voice out his dissatisfaction. "What the hell do you mean that you can''t trust us when it comes to her security? Do you think we purposely tried to harm her?" Rylan asked as he glared at Mark. "That''s exactly what I mean! I don''t trust you guys even a little bit. Who knows if you planned all this to scare the little child!" Mark scoffed as he replied to Rylan''s questions. "You....!" Rylan felt like he wanted to punch at least of the Alessandro brothers to relieve himself from the anger that was trying to burst his head. How dare they blame his family like that? They were openly slandering his brother''s name in front of everyone! Just when everyone thought that the Second Young Master of the Sullivan family was going to lose his calm, he shocked everyone when he suddenly folded his arms in front of his chest and appeared as calm and cool as if he was not looking to murder someone just a moment ago. "Alright! Since you guys can''t trust us with the safety of your sister, then we also don''t trust you guys. Who knows if, in reality, it was your sister who tried to take advantage of my brother? After all, it''s not possible for just anyone to not fall for...AAAHHH....What the heck!" Rylan was not prepared for the punch that he received all of a sudden. Since the one who punched him was none other than Emily, his beautiful face was not harmed at all. However, the punch came out of nowhere, and all of a sudden, that the poor boy was left shaken to his core. What if it was one of her brothers'' who had punched him instead of her? Even though he would have recovered easily, but the humiliation that he would have suffered was beyond explainable. Even Emily was aware that her punch was not going to cause much damage to that idiot, at least not yet. "Rylan Sullivan, just wait for the day when I''ll be as physically strong as Mark or Simon. I''m gonna crack your head open with my bare hands that day to pay for all your bullying!" Emily spatted as she gritted her teeth and glared at the boy. "Brother.....did you hear? She''s confessing that she''s going to kill your only little brother in the future!" Rylan cried out dramatically as he looked at Kaiden for help. "Mr. Kim, please drag this idiot out of here," Kaiden ordered his secretary as he totally ignored his younger brother''s aggrieved expressions. His eyes landed on the girl who was staring at Rylan with a murderous look in her eyes as his men literally dragged the boy away from there. A nearly discreet twitch appeared on his lips as he gazed at her side profile for a few seconds before he finally turned his attention towards Crist. "I seriously apologized for today''s incident. I will look into it and will soon provide you guys with an answer." His eyes briefly glanced at the girl once again at the end of his sentence before he again returned his attention to her brothers. Crist gave him a swift nod before he pulled Emily beside him, his hand securely wrapping around his little sister''s shoulders. "It''s getting late. We will be taking our leave now." Mark said as he gave a quick nod to Kaiden before following his siblings out of the room. Kaiden watched as the silhouette of the Alessandro siblings disappeared from the front hall of the building along with Jackson and his mate. "Sire, here''s the CCTV footage." One of his men passed him the pen drive as soon as the Alessandros left the building. Kaiden stared at the pen drive for a few seconds before he turned his attention to Secretary Kim who finally returned after locking Rylan inside one of their cars. "What did you find out?" Kaiden asked as he too started walking towards the underground parking lot, followed by his men. "Unfortunately, our men lost the track of the group of men in black. But one of them succeeded in getting his hands on one of their weapons. We sure will find some clues from it." Mr. Kim starting reporting as he followed his boss. "As for the elevator incident! It looked like someone intentionally disturbed the spells guarding the elevator, resulting in today''s incident. It''s like whoever did it was not trying to harm Miss Alessandro." As Secretary Kim spoke the last sentence, he too got lost in his thoughts. If he was getting the clues correct, then the men in black were after the Alessandro Princess! Chapter 87 - Eighty-Six: Keep Your Distance "Are you doubting my sincerity, Mr. Alessandro?" Kaiden''s question filled the room with a heavy silence for a few moments before Domenic finally decided to answer. "I''m not doubting your promise of never hurting Emilia. But that does not mean you and your family are not on the top of the list of our suspicion." A smile made its way to Kaiden''s lips as he swirled the wine in his glass as he asked, "So you are suspecting that I''m trying to use your sister to get a hold over you?" Domenic was again silent for a few seconds as he sipped his wine, taking in the rich taste of years-old treasure. "I have known you for quite some time. I know you better than most of your friends and enemies. Even though I believe that you will never stoop to a level of using Emily as a chess piece in your game, the recent incidents are putting you under the spotlight." Domenic told him as he continued to enjoy his wine. "I know what you are trying to say. Even though we know the reason behind Rylan''s presence at the Star Xander Mall, there''s still no information about the masked man." Kaiden started counting down each incident. "Even though I planned to make one of your brothers break a rule of the peace treaty, somehow all of that ended up in your sister''s kidnapping. Even though I protected her that night and only made her cross the stream to save Rylan, we did not get to find out about the identity of the people who kidnapped her in the first place." "As for today''s incident. We once again lost the track of those men. I can see why you are not trusting me completely." Domenic turned his attention to the young man who was around the same age as Mark and Crist. "You are right. The first time that masked man disappeared the very exact moment Rylan stepped into the scene. The second time we were unable to find any clues because you killed all those men and today it was your men who lost the track of those men." "In less than a week, Emily has been targeted three times and every time, someone from your side was present." Domenic stated the facts as he refilled his glass with wine. "You should increase the security around her. It''s not safe for her to be left alone for even a second." Kaiden advised as he emptied the content of his glass before refilling it. "I just don''t want her to feel caged because of all these incidents. She has already lost most of her teenage years in sadness. I don''t want to keep her from enjoying her life even now. She should have been living a carefree and happy life after returning." Domenic Alessandro was known to be cold-hearted and indifferent, no matter what was the situation. However, as Kaiden watched the man sulking his anger and guilt along with the wine, he realized exactly how much Emily meant to him. "I will find those who are after all this. I promise." Kaiden whispered the promise as he refilled Domenic''s glass which was again empty. A small twitch appeared on the older man''s lips as he turned his attention towards the young CEO. "How come she ended up entangling with the two of you?" He asked curiously. Kaiden just replied with a shrug. In reality, even he had no idea exactly why she was pushed into the messy life of his family. He was silent for a few seconds before he replied with a soft smile, "I''m just happy that she did." Domenic shook his head as he watched the sparkle that took over Kaiden''s eyes as he talked about Emily. "You should remember to keep your dirty claws away from her. She''s still my baby sister. If you dared to do something inappropriate, I''ll personally give you a tour through the eight levels of hell." Domenic told the young man. This time Kaiden turned his entire attention towards the eldest Alessandro brother as he commented, "You almost sounds like her father. I''m definitely not looking forward to pleasing her six overprotective brothers." His words made both him and Domenic to burst into chuckles as they pictured Kaiden''s future. They were silent for a few minutes before Kaiden dared to ask, "Are you happy with the fact that she''s tied to us?" Domenic was silent for a few minutes before a sigh left his lips. He took a deep breath as if he was contemplating about how to answer the question. "I know that you are one of the most honest, sincere, hardworking, and successful people that I''ve come across in my life. You know how to keep your family and friends safe. You are devoted to those who are dear to you. In short, you have all the capabilities that my father would have looked for into his son-in-law." "I can tell that one day Rylan will also become one of her closest friends." Domenic went silent for a few seconds and Kaiden could tell that a ''but'' was about to appear and he was right. "But.....I can''t decide who is best for my sister on my own. She is the only one who can decide if she''s happy with someone or not. In my eyes, you will be the best brother-in-law, but whether you can become the best husband or.....mate....is up to you." Kaiden listened in silence as he realized that he just got praised by the mighty CEO of the Alessandro Empire. "I promise that I''ll never fail her." He muttered softly as he gazed at his almost empty wine glass. "By the way, how did you know that...I mean she''s not even eighteen yet." Kaiden asked as he looked at Domenic curiously. "You gave yourself away the very moment I saw you ogling my sister. At first, I wanted to pull your eyes out but then I realized that those eyes belonged to a mate and not to some creep." Domenic answered with a shake of his head. "By the way, keep in mind that you are still not allowed to be too friendly with her. She''s only seventeen and I want you to keep your distance from her." Chapter 88 - Eighty-Seven: Time To Complain Once again the night was filled with darkness as the Moon and its companions hid behind the dark clouds, refusing to come out and shower the world with their beautiful silvery light. Evil had always been connected to the darkness as if they were sworn brothers and destined to accompany each other till eternity. In the shade of the darkness, the evil spread its wings as it readied itself for a long flight. "Master, the elite team of the SA is still searching the city. They have also closed all the exits of the city." A man entered the dimly lit room and informed his boss about the outside situation. The said master clenched his hands into tight fists before punching into the wooden table that was resting in front of him, easily breaking it into many parts as a result. "Who knew that this girl would end up in the protection of not only the Alessandro family but also the Sullivan family? It''s like the more we are trying to catch her, the more protection she is receiving!" The man was clearly furious with the current situation. The order that he received before coming to City A, was still clearly fresh in his mind. He knew that other than catching the girl and handing her over to his boss, he had no other choice left. If he failed in his mission, he and his entire team would be swiped out within a blink. "Call back all our men. We will need to stay lowkey these few days. We will recuperate in the time being and plan our next move. It''s going to be even harder to catch her after these incidents." The boss ordered his man who immediately left to carry out the order. Another person emerged from the shadows as he moved to sit on the empty chair beside the boss. "Do you think that the three grand families of City A are working together?" The man asked as he moved his hand over the broken pieces of the table, one by one gluing them together with his power. "It''s not impossible. Even though the three families are not actual enemies but it still looks impossible for them to suddenly start working as one." The boss replied with a shake of his head. "You have a point. But then what can be the explanation of Sullivan''s involvement in the last three incidents?" The man questioned as he finished fixing the table which was looking as new as it possibly could. "I can only think of one explanation." The boss whispered as his fingers grazed the smooth surface of the table. The man did not voice out his question as he waited for the boss to continue. "The three families are probably aware of the secret of the girl and just like us, they want to keep her under their power." *** "Morning!" The chirpy sound that definitely did not belong to any human being pulled Emily out of her thoughts. She was reading her notes and analyzing the assignment that she was supposed to submit when Rylan poked her arm with his pen and wished her a good morning. "Morning." She replied before she once again returned her focus on her assignment. There were still around fifteen minutes left before the class would officially start, meaning that she and Rylan were the only ones present in the classroom. "Hey! Can you please not ignore me like that? To be honest, it hurts my ego." Rylan complained as he frowned at the girl. "What do you want?" Emily asked as she did not even raise her face to look at the man. Rylan stood up from his seat and settled down on the one in front of her, facing towards her so that she could easily look at him. "You remember about our deal, right?" He asked as he watched her flipping through the pages of her notebook. Emily just nodded her head in reply. She was about to continue ignoring him when she suddenly changed her mind and asked, "Have you completed your assignment?" "Assignment?" The questioning tone and his raised eyebrows made Emily sigh as she just buried her face back into her notes. "Hey! What assignment?" Rylan pulled her notebook out of her hands to make her focus on him. Emily glared at him before she snatched her notebook back as she asked, "Do you even pay any attention to the class and the teacher? How come you have no clue that we are supposed to submit our assignments by tomorrow?" "Really? When did that old freak give us an assignment? Shane did not tell me anything about it!" Rylan muttered as he scratched his chin in a daze. Emily just shook her head before she again started revising her notes. On the other hand, Rylan quickly sent a message to Shane. It did not take long before his best buddy appeared at the door of the classroom. Along with him were a few more students, who were commonly known as nerds since they paid extra attention to their studies, homework, and marks in comparison to the others. "Hey, dude! What''s the matter?" Shane asked as he pulled a chair close to their seats and settled down beside them. Emily looked up from her book and found a familiar-looking person sitting beside her. "You....? I have seen you with him at the mall." She said as she tried to read his body language. To be honest, even though he was a friend of Rylan, he looked as normal and harmless as one could. However, the fact that he was Rylan''s friend made it impossible for him to be any sort of normal. "Hey, I''m Shane. Rylan''s best friend." The boy introduced himself with a little wave of his hand. "Emily." She introduced herself in return as she replied to his hello with a little wave of her own. "Since the two of you are well acquainted with each other now, can we pay attention to the main point?" Rylan commented as he glared at the two of them. "Oh, right? Why did you call me here so early? There are still nearly eight minutes left before that old freak will appear here to ruin our mornings." Shane scoffed as he checked the time. "Did she give us some sort of assignment in the last few days?" Rylan asked as he watched Emily once again ignoring them. "Yeah, she did. We are supposed to submit the assignments by tomorrow." Shane replied with a casual tone. "What? Why did you not tell me anything about it?" Rylan almost shouted in panic as he stared at his friend in pure shock. Shane looked at his best friend with a confused expression as he replied, "Dude, I barely attend this class. I got to know about the assignment thing thanks to Megg. Moreover, what''s the point in telling you about it, not like you would have cared. You don''t need to worry, I already told Megg to do our assignments." A sigh of relief left Rylan''s lips as he relaxed into his seat. "That''s good. I seriously don''t want that old freak to complain about me to my brother. But as long as Megg will complete the assignment on time, everything is good." He said while patting his friend on his shoulder. "You never need to worry about that old freak. I have got your back." Shane added as he gave a huge smile to his friend. "She has a name, you know!" Emily just could not hold it in anymore as she commented before once again dragging her attention to her notes. She was barely paying any attention to what she was reading as almost all of her attention was grabbed by the nonsense of the two boys sitting around her. "She has?" The question made Emily turn her attention towards the boy who was looking at her with genuine surprise. She felt her mouth opening but no word came out. Was he joking? In the end, she just shook her head and returned her attention back to her notes, even though she was no longer interested in reading them anymore. "Are you disappointed in me?" Rylan asked curiously. Emily closed her notebook before she looked at the silver-haired boy sitting in front of her. "Nope. I''m actually surprised that I even considered helping you in your studies. Because from what I''m seeing right now, you are totally hopeless." "Ouch! Such harsh words." Shane said as he pitied his friend who was glaring at Emily. "You are taking over your brothers'' bad personality. It''s not good for you." Rylan muttered in a tone that almost sounded like he was pitying the young girl. Before Emily could realize what was happening, the notebook in her hand had already smacked Rylan across his face. The sound echoing through the entire classroom which suddenly became dead silent. Just when everyone was prepared to see Rylan''s angry state, they were left surprised to see him just glaring at the new girl childishly. He was silent for a few minutes before he finally muttered, "I''m gonna complain about you to my brother. Just wait!" Chapter 89 - Eighty-Eight: The Sleeping Siblings Emily quietly peeked from behind the door and watched the young man who was resting on the sofa with his eyes closed. It was quite hard to tell whether he was awake or sleeping. Just as she had predicted, he was really in his room. But now that she was already at his door, she could no longer find the courage to enter the room. A soft sigh left her lips as she ended up deciding to return to her room. "What are you doing here?" The sudden question made her stop in her tracks. She slowly turned to once again peek through the slightly open door and looked at the young handsome man sitting inside. He still had his eyes closed and he barely showed any reaction when she pulled the door completely open and entered the room. She walked closer to him and stood in front of him in silence. "What are you doing here, Emily?" The man repeated his question when he got no reply from the girl. His voice was neither cold nor soft. "I''m bored." Emily answered in a barely audible voice as she found herself staring at her sneakers with a sad feeling that was coating her heart in its many layers. Simon finally decided to open his eyes as he looked at the girl and the sadness that was clearly visible on her face. "And?" He questioned as he observed her. Emily slowly pulled her eyes away from her sneakers to look at her brother. His eyes were still as aloof and indifferent as they were when she met him for the first time. But there was something else too, hidden behind that aloofness, and it was nothing else than the love and care that he carried for her. A very small smile appeared on her lips as she felt the coldness sinking away from her heart as she noticed the care that was hidden in his eyes. Without wasting a single more second, she dropped beside her brother on the sofa as she wrapped herself around his left arm just like a koala. "Em....." Simon was about to say something when he was cut off by his baby sis. "I don''t want to stay in my room all alone. For some reason, I no more like the feeling of being left alone. The emptiness of that room creeps me out." She slowly raised her face to look at her brother as she asked in a soft voice, "Can I stay here with you? Please!" Simon found his heart melting at the request. He could see in her eyes that she was not lying. In the past few months that he had spent with his sister, he had come to realize that she was not a good liar. She barely lied to them about anything and on the few occasions when she tried, he knew that just like him the rest of his brothers could also tell that she was not telling the truth. The purity and innocence that she held in her eyes were unable to hide the truth from those who knew her. He pulled his arm out of her tight grasp, immediately noticing the sadness and embarrassment that took over her cute little face. But a huge smile bloomed on her face when he snuggled his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to his side. "Wanna watch a movie?" He asked softly as he picked up the remote and switched on the huge tv that was sitting on the wall in front of the sofa. "En!" Emily hurriedly nodded her head before she snuggled closer to the warmth that was covering her brother. They decided to watch a comedy adventure. They were almost near the end of the movie when Simon''s attention was pulled towards the girl who was sleeping soundly in his arms. He could not fight the smile that appeared on his face as he observed her fingers that were tightly curled around his shirt. It was barely eleven o''clock in the morning and she was already asleep. The thought made him smile even more as he lightly shook his head before relaxing. He was definitely not prepared to fall asleep too as the warmth of his baby sister pulled him into a deep slumber. *** Northern Clouds City... The Night Valley~ - Just like its name, even during the brightness of the day, the Night Valley was still covered in the darkness. No human dared to step closer to this bizarre area that was located in the Northern Clouds City. No matter what time of the year, seasons, or day it was, the Night Valley always remained covered in never-ending darkness. It was not a secret that the residents of the Night Valley were not humans, but exactly what kind of supernatural creatures roamed through this part of the city was still unknown. The Night Valley was as mysterious as it was deathly. According to one of the hundreds of rumors surrounding the mysterious valley, the darkness that surrounded the valley was due to a curse of a very powerful witch. On the other hand, some believed that it was a protection ward that was protecting the supernaturals living in there. The mortals were completely unaware of the dangers and reality of the famous Night Valley. A huge sky scrapper that was located in the very center of the Night Valley, was the home of the most powerful supernatural. Currently, a banquet was going on in the huge ballroom of the sky scrapper. However, most of the people who attended the banquet were not looking that happy. The reason behind their unhappiness was the absence of the Supreme Sire. They all were eager to join the banquet to get the chance of meeting the most powerful supernatural, their Supreme Sire. However, they did not even get to see a single glimpse of him throughout the three hours long banquet. Obviously, the ladies who joined the banquet were the most unhappy. They lost a golden chance of meeting the most handsome, powerful, wealthiest, and the ethereal man living on the planet. Chapter 90 - Eighty-Nine: The Supreme Sire "Supreme Sire, we have found the location of the flower girl." A guard entered the room and informed the man who was sitting behind his huge mahogany table. His white branded suit was no longer white as the crimson color of the blood, that belonged to the beauty who was cradling his lap, created a mess on its purity. The guard did not dare to look up at the powerful being who was centuries old but appeared as young and handsome as a youth in his early twenties. The room was filled with silence as the guard waited for his Master''s next command. The man sitting on his throne did not spare even a single glance at the guard who was kneeling in front of his desk. His entire attention was on the girl in his lap. A small twitch was covering his lips as he watched the life draining out of her. His waist-length silky black hair was tied in a loose braid while a few strands were left falling around his face. His red plump lips, amber eyes, long eyelashes were creating beautiful shadows on his cheeks, sharp jawline, and milky white skin, nothing about this man was normal. However, he appeared as natural as possible, as if he was a part of nature itself. It was not until the woman, whose blood was flowing out of the huge gash that was covering her neck, was on the edge of losing her life that the man decided to acknowledge the presence of the guard. "Take this woman to your quarters. She''s a present for your hard work." His velvety soft voice echoed through the silence of the huge room. The guard did not waste even a single second before he bowed his head in acceptance and moved to follow the order. The woman was actually pretty. Unfortunately, she tried to take a chance with her precious life when she boldly appeared in the study room of the Supreme Sire. She wanted to seduce him but ended up becoming the pleasure toy of one of his guards. The Supreme Sire was not even lured by her blood even when he was completely covered in it. Just like the rumors said, he was past the point where he could be lured by blood, beauty, wealth, or power. As the guard left the study with the woman in his arms, another person entered the room. "My Lord, why are you looking so happy?" The woman dared to ask as she took a seat on one of the chairs sitting at the opposite end of the huge table. The man stood up from his chair as he slowly made his way towards the floor-to-ceiling glass windows that were covering the entire left side of the room. The red liquid that was covering his white elegant clothes disappeared within a few seconds as he picked up his wine glass that was sitting on the table near the windows. "She''s in City A." That one short sentence was spoken by the Supreme Sire suddenly made the beautiful smile that was present on the woman''s lips disappear. "Oh! So.....what''s your next plan?" She asked as she looked at the Immortal in front of her. The man was silent for a few seconds as he gazed down at the bustling streets of the Night Valley. "It''s time that she returns to her real home. Make the arrangements. I''ll be leaving tomorrow morning." He ordered before taking a short gulp of the wine. "Yes, Sire!" The woman gave a curt nod before she stood up and walked out of the study. The man did not spare her even a single glance as he continued to enjoy the wine. It had been ages since he actually had felt any kind of happiness. Ever since he first started his search for the ''Destined One'', he barely had the time to enjoy his life. The search that he started seventeen years ago, was finally coming to an end. He could no longer wait to meet the girl, the Destined One. *** "Is it hurting?" Rylan received a light punch on his arm as soon as he asked the question. However, the one who punched him was not Emily, rather it was his best friend Shane. "What?" He questioned with raised eyebrows as he glared at his friend. Shane just rolled his eyes at Rylan''s glare as he replied to his question, "Dude, can''t you see the bruises that are covering her arms? And you still have the face to ask her if she is hurting or not!" Emily ignored the two idiots who kept following her as she entered the cafe which was located near the Supernatural Academy. There were nearly six or seven cafes located in the neutral zone of City A and her favorite one was the Sunshine Cafe near the SA building. "I still can''t believe that Mark is being so cruel to you. To be honest, I thought that all your brothers love you more than their own lives. Who knew that there''s one who hates you to this extent?" Shane commented as a pitiful sigh escaped his lips. The three of them quickly ordered their drinks before Rylan replied to his friend''s comment, "You are actually wrong? Mark doesn''t hate her." Emily immediately turned her attention towards him as she looked at him with a frown covering her beautiful face. "What do you mean? Can''t you see clearly exactly how harshly he has been training Emily? It''s been almost a month since she joined the defense classes and we have always seen her in bruises." Shane immediately retorted his friend''s statement. "He''s just acting like a fair coach. He''s not showing any mercy to her during the classes because he is a coach and can''t pick favorites. But the fact that he always gives her the pain-relieving gel after the classes, shows that he cares about her." Rylan tried to make his friend understand the point. "To be fair..., you are actually making sense!" Shane said after a few minutes of deep thinking. Chapter 91 - Ninety: The Twins At The Cafe "It''s good that you understood." Rylan joked before he turned his attention towards the girl who had been silently drinking her coffee. "Let me help you in applying the medicine on your bruises." He offered as he took out the little porcelain bottle from his bag and took hold of one of her hands. "No need." Emily said with a little bit of coldness present in her tone as she pulled her hand away from his grasp. Rylan looked at the girl who was still staring at her coffee as she tried to hide her expressions. He could not stop his hand as it ended up softly ruffling her hair, immediately making her look up to glare at him. "What? Stop being angry. Your bruises need to get taken care of. After all, you have another defense class tomorrow." He told her with a small smile playing on his lips. A groan left her lips as Emily too realized that she still had one more day of defense classes before she could get a break from all the punches that she had been receiving lately. "Are you regretting continuing your defense classes with Mark?" Shane asked when he saw her depressed expressions. "I''ll be lying if I reply with a No," Emily muttered as she took a big gulp of her hot coffee. Both Rylan and Shane burst out into chuckles at her reply. Right at that moment, Rylan''s phone buzzed, alerting him of the new message that he received. Since she was looking at him as he read the message, Emily clearly saw the change that appeared in his expressions and so did Shane. Rylan looked up from his phone as his eyes landed on the girl who was keenly looking back at him. "Something urgent needs my attention. I''ll be leaving now but don''t worry, I''ll leave a group of my men along with yours to keep you company before Daniel picks you up." He informed her as he placed the porcelain bottle in her hand. "Remember to not end up in any kind of trouble. Alright?" Shane added as he too stood up. "I know, I know. I won''t leave Joy''s sight even for a single second." Emily promised as she looked at the two boys who were definitely not comfortable with the idea of leaving her alone, even when she had dozens of guards protecting her. It only meant that whatever the sudden emergency that Rylan was talking about, it was really important. After giving quick instructions to Joy and bidding their goodbyes, the boys left the cafe. Emily took out her phone to check the time and realized that it was almost the exact time for the start of the Miller twins'' working hours at the cafe. It barely took ten minutes before the two cute siblings who were also around her age entered the cafe and made their way towards her table which was located in one of the farthest corners. "Oh my! Did you get punched today too?" Grace asked as she observed the bruises that were covering Emily''s bare skin. Emily just replied with a soft shrug as she smiled at the siblings who had become her close friends in the past month. "Guys, your shift will be starting within the next ten minutes. Don''t be late." Manager Pam, an old lady in her mid-fifties, came towards their table to remind the siblings. "Don''t worry, Miss Pam. We will be at the counter even before our shift will start." Joe immediately replied with her beautiful smile. Manager Pam just smiled at the three girls before she returned to finish her work. Joe did not waste any more time as she hurriedly opened her phone and handed it over to Emily to take a look at the files that she had arranged. To say that Emily was impressed by the skills of the twins would an understatement. "What do you think about it?" Grace asked as soon as Emily quickly went through the summaries of the documents. "It''s perfect!" Emily immediately replied with a huge smile on her face as she followed the girls towards the counter. "Here. I''ve forwarded all eight files to your phone. You can take another look at it and maybe it can really help you with whatever you are planning to do with this information." Joe said as she took off her outer shirt. Both the girls were wearing the orange-colored t-shirts that all the staff members of the Sunshine Cafe were required to wear during their work hours, under their outer shirts. They hurriedly put on the aprons along with the caps before both of them were ready to serve the customers. "By the way, have you decided about joining us the next weekend to surf the new northern zone that has finished its construction?" Grace questioned her as she watched her sister clearing the mess that was decorating most of the counter. "I searched about that area and to be honest, I really want to take a look. Since it is located in the neutral zone, I think I''ll be able to join you guys. I''ll ask my brothers tonight and let you guys know." Emily replied as she too made her way to help Joe. "You are such a sweet and obedient sister, Em! Moreover, you are really hard working. How do you even keep up with such a busy schedule?" Joe asked while she praised her friend. "Stop overpraising me! I''m just trying my best to not cause trouble for my brothers." Emily said as she gave the twin sisters one of her rare genuine smiles. Her smile was contagious because immediately the Miller sisters were too smiling as they nodded their heads in acknowledgment of her defense. The three continued to chat about their boring school day while they also made sure to take care of their duties. Emily loved to help them every now and then, even though they barely let her do any work. The fact was that the Miller sisters were too sweet, polite, and warm towards Emily that it was almost impossible to not doubt their motives. However, she had a strong feeling in her heart that the twins were not a threat to her. Just when Emily was submerged in her thoughts, the door of the cafe opened, and a very familiar scent entered her nose, awakening each of her body cells on its way before it consumed her completely. He had arrived! Chapter 92 - Ninety-One: The Familiar Presence "Young Miss! Are you alright?" Joy''s worried voice pulled Emily out of the trance. "Huh?" She looked at the man, the head of the guards who were assigned to keep her safe and protected at all costs, in confusion. The fog of confusion that was covering her beautiful eyes only made Joy worry more about her. She was totally fine one moment ago and even before he could blink, she looked like something unnatural had pulled her attention towards it. To avoid the curious eyes of the few customers that were present in the cafe, Joy took hold of her arm and started leafing her back towards her table in the back of the room. "Miss Alessandro, are you feeling alright? Do you want me to call one of your brothers?" Joy asked as he helped her to settle down on her chair before offering her a glass of cold water. Emily was already back to normal and she hurriedly nodded her head as she accepted the water. "Don''t worry. I''m totally alright." She softly murmured as she passed a small smile to her bodyguard. She knew how diligent Joy was in his job. He had almost become like a second shadow of her. "Are you sure?" He again asked as he tried to read her expressions, to see if she was hiding something. Emily nodded her head in reply before she finished the cold water which helped her relax even more. In reality, she had no idea exactly what happened a few minutes ago. It was like someone suddenly appeared in the cafe, someone whom she knew very well but at the same time could not remember at all. She did not try to look around the cafe to see who that person was because, for some reason, she knew that the person never entered the cafe. The feelings were weird and the reaction that she was having towards these feelings was even weirder. "How long before Daniel will be here?" Emily asked as she thanked Joe for the coffee that the girl brought for her. However, even before she could take a single sip of the hot coffee, Joy stopped her. The man pulled the cup out of her hands and passed it to one of the guards who were standing against the wall behind their table. "Master Daniel would be here within next half an hour. If you want, I can call him and ask him to come earlier. And you are not allowed to drink any more coffee for today." Joy made sure to keep his tone suggestive, instead of commanding. Emily pouted at his last sentence but did not try to argue since she knew that he was only caring for her. "It''s alright. No need to disturb Danny." She told him in her soft tone. Joy nodded his head before he stood up from his seat and took his position behind her. Emily was busy reading through the contents of the files that Joe had transferred to her when once again the opening of the cafe door pulled her attention towards the new visitor. And this time, she recognized both the electric tingles that erupted inside her and the person who was the cause of the sensation. "Mr. Sullivan!" Joy along with the rest of her guards bowed their heads politely as the young CEO walked closer to the table where their Young Miss was currently sitting. Kaiden just gave a slight nod before he turned his attention towards the girl who was looking at him in a daze. The curious gazes and whispers of all the excited customers present inside the cafe finally succeeded in pulling Emily out of her shock. "Mr. Sullivan?" She whispered as she stood up to greet the man. Kaiden nodded towards her with a small smile on his face before he passed an envelope to Joy. Emily watched as her head guard and his team left the cafe after Joy whispered something to the other guards. She was also surprised to see that the cafe had also become empty at some point when she was focused on her guards and also curious about the content of the envelope. "Miss Alessandro..." Kaiden''s soft voice pulled her attention back at the handsome man in front of her. He signaled her to take a seat and waited for her to settle down in her chair before he too settled on the chair beside her. "You...what brought you here?" Emily asked as she noticed Mr. Kim moving towards the counter where Joe and Grace were standing. She was not prepared for the hand that took hold of her chin and pulled her face to look at the young CEO. Her surprised eyes stared at the supernatural prince sitting in front of her. His thumb and index finger which were holding her chin did not move away even when he had all her attention. Emily was even scared of blinking as she constantly stared at the man in front of her. However, the fear that was stopping her from looking away was not the normal fear. Rather, it was a kind of fear that made her heart flutter with a weird kind of softness and eagerness. "Is Secretary Kim that handsome?" The question was just as weird as it was random, but Emily still could not help but reply instantly. "I think he''s cute. Don''t you think so?" The poor girl was just too innocent and pure to get a grip on the situation. She just tried to be polite and truthful. Kaiden stared at the girl for a few silent seconds before he slowly let his hand slip from her chin as he replied with a nod, "I also think so." Emily smiled softly as she nodded her head. She had no idea about what CEO Sullivan was doing at such a small cafe and she was not sure if she was supposed to ask or not. "Let me help you with your bruises." Kaiden did not give her the chance to reject his offer as he took her right hand in his own and opened the porcelain bottle which had been sitting on the table. Chapter 93 - Ninety-Two: Depth Of Jealousy "Does it hurt?" Kaiden asked as he softly massaged her wrist after applying the gel on her bruises. Emily immediately shook her head in denial. She watched as his shoulders relaxed a little after her answer as if all this time he was worried about hurting her. Her sleeves were already rolled up to her elbows and Kaiden could still see an angry bruise just above her left elbow. "Let me call a female guard. She will help you to take care of the rest of your bruises." He said as he took out his cell phone to make the call. But immediately a soft and delicate hand stopped him as it wrapped its fingers around his hand which was holding the phone. "There''s no need, Mr. Sullivan. I''ll take care of it on my own." Emily said as she looked at the man whose eyes held the power of consuming her entirely. For a moment, Kaiden was ready to ignore her words as his mind was filled with the images of her being in pain because of all the bruises, but then one look at her deep green forest-like eyes, and he changed his mind. He needed to respect her wishes and decisions. He softly nodded his head in reply as he put his phone on the table. Mr. Kim soon appeared next to their table with a tray in his hands. The two cups of herbal tea and a plate of cookies sitting on the tray caught Emily''s attention. "Boss, I''ll wait outside for Master Daniel." Secretary Kim told the young CEO after giving a soft polite nod in Emily''s direction. After their meeting at the club nearly a month ago, Secretary Kim''s instincts were telling him that if he valued his life then he needed to stay as far away from the young Miss Alessandro as possible. Kaiden just gave a quick nod to his Secretary before he once again turned his entire attention towards the girl. He found his fingers curling into tight fists when he noticed that his little girl was once again busy staring at his Secretary. What was so attractive about the back of Secretary Kim when compared to his ethereal beauty? Should not her eyes be fixed on him and not on other unimportant people roaming around them? The thoughts that were filling the usually sensible brain of the young CEO Sullivan, could make anyone figure out the depth of jealousy that he was experiencing. "Are you alright, Mr. Sullivan?" Emily''s soft voice pulled him out of his dark and depressing thoughts. As soon as he saw the worry that was present in the depths of her green eyes that were observing him keenly, he immediately felt his mood changing once again. "I''m alright. No need to worry." He answered with a soft smile as he watched her looking at him in confusion. "Oh! Well.....that''s good." Emily replied with a forced smile as she tried to understand exactly what just happened. One moment, it felt like dark and angry clouds had taken over the sky but the next moment, it appeared like everything was back to the sunny and beautiful weather. "I heard that you are helping Rylan and Shane with their studies. I don''t know why you decided to take on such an impossible task, but I still want to thank you for that. I''m really worried about their grades but I heard that they are actually improving." It''s not like he was not aware of the deal between his brother and Emily, but he did not want to appear a creep in front of her. "I agree with you," Emily stated with a nod as she took a sip of the aromatic herbal tea which was helping her relax. The tea tasted just as good and unreal as it smelled. As she settled her cup back on the table, she noticed that the young handsome man was looking at her with raised eyebrows. She could feel the dominating and powerful aura that was surrounding him, but miraculously, she did not feel scared for even a single second. Since she knew what he wanted to listen from her, she decided to not make him wait as she immediately said, "What I mean is that it''s really not an easy job to make the two of them focus on the studies. Sometimes, I even get scared thinking that to make the two of them focus on their studies, I''ll end up losing my own focus." She stopped to take a quick sip of the fragrant tea before she continued. "But after the constant struggles of the past month, even I''ve seen the little bit improvements that the two of them are showing. We still have a lot of time before our final exams and I''m pretty sure that by that time, these two will be far much better than their current ranks." "If you are sure about that....then I''ll trust you," Kaiden said as he looked directly into the deep green eyes that too were looking at him. "Thank you." Emily found herself whispering as she let herself be drawn towards the ocean blue eyes that were really to bury her in their darkest and deepest corners. She could feel the tingles that had been softly running over her body all this time, becoming more powerful. It was like something was awakening inside her, something that not only belonged to her but also him. "Am I that good-looking?" The soft celebrity voice that belonged to the Supernatural sitting in front of her, succeeded in pulling her out of her trance. As her senses returned to reality, Emily realized exactly how close she had moved to his face. There were only a few inches between their faces and there was no doubt that she was the one who closed the distance between the two. The realization made her jerk back as she pulled her face as far away from the handsome devil sitting in front of her, as she possibly could. "You did not answer!" Chapter 94 - Ninety-Three: The Offered Friendship "Huh?" Emily looked at him in confusion as her mind still was busy processing the awkward and embarrassing situation in which she succeeded in landing herself. She had no idea what kind of answer he was waiting for which resulted in her current confused state. As soon as she saw the light that was shining in his eyes as he looked at her with a small smile visible on his lips, she immediately looked away. "I asked you if I''m good-looking enough for you to gaze at me with such emotions in your eyes." Kaiden not only repeated his question but also took the chance to elaborate on it. "What? I mean....h-how was I looking?" Emily found herself asking but soon regretted it as she realized that her question was not going to help her current embarrassing situation. "Well...it was like....like - I''m the only person who existed in your world at that moment. The way your eyes were taking me in, sure made me experience something new today." Kaiden''s words only added to her embarrassment. She just wanted to immediately vanish from the sight of that man. "This...I...I-this...." Since her brain was barely in a state where it could function properly, she had no idea what she wanted to say or what she should say. Realizing that she would only increase her embarrassment by opening her mouth, she decided to keep her mouth tightly shut. However, Kaiden was still not ready to let go of the situation. "Since you are not answering my question, I will just consider your silence as an agreement." Emily almost dropped the nearly empty teacup as she stared at the silver-haired man with a horrified look on her face. "B-but...I never agreed!" She hurriedly defended herself. "Ah? So.....does that mean you don''t consider me good-looking? Am I that ugly?" If Secretary Kim would have been present there, he sure would have watched the level of shamelessness and wickedness of his boss. Unfortunately, no one was there to witness it, except Emily. "No! Wait....I m-mean that you are handsome. No, not handsome...Wait! That''s not right....what I''m trying to say is that y...you are.....y-you are good looking but I....butiwasnotstaringatyou!" All the confidence that she had been carrying around for the past month melted away as she felt completely embarrassed. She did not even dare to look at the man who was probably confused about her weird behavior. For a moment, Emily felt her eyes getting blurred as her emotions reached the peak of the roller coaster ride on which they had hopped on. And it took all her energy and self-control to not let those tears slip from the barrier of her eyes. She felt the chair beside her moving and she knew that it was the Young CEO, but she was not in the state where she dared to look at exactly what he was doing. She just kept her eyes fixed on her hands which were resting on her lap. It was not until two large hands covered her little ones in their warmth, did she realize that the Supernatural Prince was kneeling in front of her. Her eyes moved up a little but still did not dare to look up any further than his collar. His hair was left loose and the silver silky strands were draped over his shoulders, making her eyes stick to them as her hands itched to run through those silky soft strands. "Did I cross my line?" Kaiden asked her in a soft tender voice as he looked at her bent head. All that he wanted to do at that moment was to pull the girl in his arms and shower her with the care and affection that she deserved. However, he was aware that he could not just do what he wanted. All that he could do was to ask for her forgiveness and make her beautiful smile return to her face. Therefore, he patiently waited for the girl to answer his question. Emily did not dare to speak. She just shook her head softly and was rewarded with a soft sigh from the man. "I know that you are already aware of this, but I''m still gonna say. I was teasing you and I''m aware that I should not have done that. As compensation for my rudeness, I''m ready to offer you my lifelong friendship. What do you think?" The ending lines finally made Emily move her head up to look at the man. Her eyes looked directly into his as she gave him a bewildered look. "I know my offer sounds a little weird but I think it''s a good one. As the only sister of the Alessandro Brothers, there''s barely anything in the world that your brothers won''t be able to get for you. Seeing that, I''m sure my offer makes good sense. But if you have some other requests, feel free to present them. I promise to fulfill them as long as I can. Just that....I''m pretty sure that your brothers won''t appreciate me gifting you things behind their back." As he looked into her eyes, all that he saw was the wicked image that he succeeded in creating for himself in front of her. "And you think that my brothers will appreciate you offering your friendship to me behind their backs?" Emily asked as she observed the man closely. "Of course, they won''t. But at least, my friendship is far more valuable than the other material luxuries of this world. And...I don''t want to lose the chance of having you as my friend." The last line was whispered in a soft tone as he gazed at her with warmth-filled eyes. Emily could barely understand exactly what was going on between the two of them. It did not felt wrong but at the same time, it felt weird because she was not aware of the sensations that the man succeeded in bringing out of her every single time they met. "You are still not allowed to tease me like this in the future." Emily finally spoke after the silence of a few precious minutes. Kaiden pulled one of her hands up to the level of his eyes before tightening his hold on her hand a little as he replied, "As you wish, Princess." Chapter 95 - Ninety-Four: Coffee For Mr. Kim "Thanks for keeping her company." "It''s the least I can do at the moment. By the way, take this with you. I''m sure it will come in handy seeing that Mark is being Mark at the moment." Emily watched as Kaiden passed a porcelain jar to Daniel, but she had no idea exactly what was in that jar. One thing that she had noticed was that the Supernaturals mostly used porcelain instead of plastics. And according to what she got to know from Leo, the porcelain was usually of good quality and was not cheap at all. She let out a deep sigh as she relaxed in her seat. She had been sitting inside the car for the past five minutes while Daniel was talking to Kaiden near the entrance of the cafe. The sudden tapping on the car window pulled her attention away from her brother as she turned to look at Joy who was signaling her to lower the glass. "What is it?" She asked as she lowered the glass to talk to her bodyguard. "Miss Alessandro, your friends from the cafe has asked to give this to you." Joy said as he passed a paper bag to her. Emily looked inside the bag and found two cups of hot coffee sitting inside it. A smile bloomed on her face as she turned her head towards the glass window of the cafe. Just like she predicted, the Miller sisters were looking at her with smiling faces as they hurriedly waved their hands. Emily waved back at them before she turned her attention back to her bodyguard. She pulled the two cups out of the bag as she asked, "You still have to tell me exactly how you confirm that my food is not poisoned without tasting it. So, can you tell me how did you test this coffee?" She actually was curious to know the answer. She had known for a long time that everything she ate outside the Alessandro Mansion was first tested by her team of bodyguards. Leo even told her that the guards had a special technique for testing the food without eating it. But no matter how hard she tried to find out about that special technique, no one answered her questions. She had no idea why they kept it hidden from her, probably because they liked to torture her. "Miss Alessandro, I''ll be taking my leave." Joy hurriedly told her before he disappeared from her sight. Emily almost rolled her eyes but succeeded in stopping herself at the very last moment. She opened the car door and after picking up the two coffee cups, she marched towards her brother. "Here." She shoved the first cup into Kaiden''s hands and held the second one towards Mr. Kim. The poor Secretary almost felt like thunder was about to strike him any moment as he became the target of his boss'' icy cold glares. "Ah....! Miss Alessandro...., thank you but I don''t..." Mr. Kim chose to be smart and decided to save his life by rejecting to accept the coffee cup. However, the poor man still had to find out that Emily had become his nemesis, and no matter how much he would try to save himself, he''s never gonna succeed. "Mr. Kim, this is the first time I''m giving you something. Don''t you think it''s impolite to reject me like this?" Emily cut off before the man could complete his sentence. She looked both cute and soft as she looked at the young man with round glasses while holding the coffee cup in front of his face. "This..." Secretary Kim was almost on the verge of a breakdown as he could no longer decide what to do. He could not upset the girl by brazenly rejecting her kindness again, but if he dared to accept the coffee, he was sure that he would not live to see the next morning. Just when the man was about to pass out because of the pressure and fear, Kaiden decided to speak. "Why don''t you give the second cup to me? I will finish it for you." He was being polite and helpful by offering his help, right? But who told him that Emily needed his politeness. "Why are you being so greedy? Don''t you already have one? Stop eyeing the things that are not yours." Emily snapped at him as she passed him a quick glare before turning her attention back at the Secretary. Mr. Kim stared at the girl with wide eyes as he praised her for her bravery in his heart. He took a glance at his boss and almost got shocked to see him pouting with sad eyes as he retracted his empty hand. Instead of looking dominating, powerful, and cold like usual, Young Master Sullivan appeared like a little kid whose candy got stolen. "Mr. Kim...." Emily called the Secretary when she realized that the man was no longer giving her attention. "Why not give the second cup to your brother?" Kaiden hurriedly suggested. A sigh left Emily''s lips as she turned to deal with the young handsome man with silver hair. "Because I want to give it to Mr. Kim. So, can you now stop interfering?" Even though her tone was soft and polite, her eyes held fire in them as she tried her very best to not snap at the overreacting man. She was still not bold enough to test the boundaries of her confidence and sassiness when it came to someone like Kaiden or Domenic. When Kaiden did not say anything in reply and just decided to stay quiet, she returned her attention to the handsome secretary. Before she could open her mouth to once again ask him to accept the coffee, the man surprised her as he hurriedly took the cup from her hands and bowed his head politely in thanks. Emily smiled at the man before she took a quick look at Kaiden. The man was busy staring at the cup of coffee in Mr. Kim''s hands. If she had paid close attention to Secretary Kim''s hands, she surely would have noticed the way they were shaking. "Alright! Let''s head back." She said as she linked her hands around Daniel''s arm and gave her brother one of her biggest and sweetest smiles. Chapter 96 - Ninety-Five: Meeting A Weirdo *** It was past six o''clock in the evening and still, no one was there to pick her up. Emily could not understand exactly what was wrong with her brothers. Nothing like this had ever happened to her before. They had always made sure to keep her fully protected and none of them were ever late to pick her up. However, this time, Mark was supposed to pick her up at five o''clock. It was already one hour past the decided time and there was not even a single car in sight. Not only that but her team of bodyguards was also not with her. She did not even notice when they disappeared from around her. One moment, there were six of them following behind her when she checked out from the City Library, and the next second, she was the only person walking on the sidewalk. She never would have imagined finding herself without Joy. The man had almost become her shadow. No matter what time of the day it was, he would always be present around her, hiding in the shadows. She already started to doubt if he too was a supernatural, especially a vampire since she had never seen him eating or taking a break like ever. The word vampire almost creeped her out but whenever the thought of Joy appeared in her mind, it only reminded her of the impression of safety that he provided her. But look at her current state. It''s like she had been left alone once again. The feeling of being unwanted and replaceable returned, making her shiver at the horrid thought. "You are looking so worried." The sudden velvety voice that interrupted her thoughts made her turn towards the direction from where the voice came. A tall man in a black suit was slowly walking towards where she was sitting on the bench at the bus stop. The way he was walking appeared like he was actually taking a walk in the park. He had waist-length black hair with a few blonde strands in them. As it was left open, the soft flowing breeze made those silky strands flutter. His dark eyes were looking directly at her and his red luscious lips attracted attention due to their contrast with his milky white skin. He was beyond handsome and if possible, even beautiful. As her eyes registered the slightest twitch that was present on his lips, she realized that what she just heard was a statement and not a question. She immediately stood up when the man finally reached the bench where she was sitting. Her eyes were keenly observing the man, trying their best to work along with her mind to find whether the man was a good person or bad. The man opened the button of his black custom-made blazer before he took a seat on the bench. It''s not until he was relaxed on the bench like he was actually sitting on a throne, did he turn his attention towards her. The way he raised only one of his eyebrows while slightly tilting his head as he looked at her, made Emily, even more, self-conscious. It finally struck her that what he just said was a statement rather than a question. For a few silent moments, she just stood there staring at the man before finally deciding to take a seat beside him on the bench. Since it was nearly the end of October month and the wind had turned a little chilly, Emily was wearing a long black overcoat along with a white cotton blouse and blue ripped jeans. However, suddenly the temperature started rising, or at least that was what she was experiencing. She took off her overcoat and placed it on the bench between herself and the man along with her little backpack. "You are a human, but not a normal one." The man once again spoke and she clearly heard the interest that was coating his velvety voice. She took off her cap to brush the loose strands of her hair that were covering her face before she spoke. "And you are not a supernatural!" She had no idea why she said that, but she knew that what she just said was actually true. Somehow, she knew that the man sitting beside her was not a supernatural even though he did not look like any normal human either. The man let out a light chuckle before he turned his attention towards her. The twinkle that was present in his obsidian eyes made her stare back at him with hostility. "You are cute....." He suddenly said with a small smile which was still playing on his lips as he looked at her with his beautiful twinkling eyes. But then his eyes suddenly started turning dark. It was not a bad kind of darkness, rather it was an intense kind of darkness that held the power to consume her completely. It almost threatened her but not in a bad way. She was unable to understand the emotions that the man was making her experience. They were not bad kinds of feelings but also very strange at the same time, making it quite hard to pinpoint whether he had good or bad intentions towards her. Emily was not prepared for his sudden statement even though she agreed that she was cute. After all, she had gotten used to being called cute countless times a day by everyone around her. Before she could find a way to respond to his unexpected comment, she was once again taken by surprise when the man suddenly inched his face closer to her. She was surprised to such a level that she did not even try to move away, resulting in their close proximity. Their faces were only inches apart and she even saw a silvery reddish glow in his eyes as he intensely stared directly back into her green eyes. "You are just as beautiful and pure as before. Probably even purer and innocent than before..." He softly whispered as his eyes held a little bit of warmth in them as his fingers grazed her cheek before they settled a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. Emily''s mind was barely working, which made her stare at the man in bewilderment while she tried to possess everything that the man was saying. With a last soft and sincere smile at her, the weird but handsome man once again returned to his original sitting position. The cold and distant aura that took over him, cleared off all the warmth and softness that he held just a few seconds ago. "You are weird." Emily could not help but comment as she hurriedly pulled herself to the farthest corner of the bench along with her backpack and coat. As she took a side glance at the man she found the same little smile on his lips as he looked at her with those same twinkling eyes. His smile and dark eyes which were filled with fun, made her realize that he was actually finding her comments funny. "What?" She asked when the man continued to look at her and even forgot to blink. The twitch on his lips only increased at her sharp tone. But this time, he decided to speak. "You are right." "Huh?" Emily looked at him with confusion as she had no idea what he was talking about. "Your second statement is right, I''m weird. However, the same can''t be said about your first statement which is making me curious to know why and how you concluded that I''m not a supernatural. Wanna share?" His eyes still held the twinkles as he asked the question. Emily was quiet for the next few moments as she too tried to understand the reason which made her say something like that. "That....it''s just a feeling....like....like.....you are not a supernatural? But you are not a human either, right?" The way she ended up changing her answer into a question, made her cringe inwards. However, since she was a pro in keeping her true emotions hidden behind her usual calm and collected expressions, she barely showed any reaction on her face. The man slowly nodded his head as he played with the ruby ring that he was wearing. He turned his attention towards her as he answered. "There''s nothing mundane about me. But it''s also true that I''m a part of this supernatural society. Your guess is neither completely wrong nor totally right." "Oh!" Emily nodded her head as she tried to understand exactly what he meant by his statement. "Wait! Can you explain it more clearly? I''m not that knowledgeable about the supernatural society and its hundreds of races." She ended up meekly asking the question before she hurriedly told him the reason behind her lack of understanding. "It''s not the right time. I just wanted to meet you once since I''m here. But don''t worry, you will slowly start getting answers to all your questions." His last statement made Emily close her mouth as she was about to complain. "It''s time for you to return to your world. Sleep." He once again spoke as he moved closer to her and before Emily knew what was happening, she found him placing a soft feathery kiss on her forehead. And then the world turned into the familiar black abyss! Chapter 97 - Ninety-Six: Summoned By The Master "What''s wrong with you?" Leo asked as he followed her inside the huge library on the sixth floor of the Academy building. Emily just shook her head as she made her way towards her favorite spot in the entire library. It was the same secluded spot where she had found Rylan on her very first visit. As they settled down in their chairs next to each other, Leo noticed the tiredness that was clearly visible on his little sister''s face. "Still thinking about the dream." It was not a question, meaning that he already knew that she was still thinking about the weird dream that she saw the previous night. According to what she shared with him and Crist in the morning, she was no longer able to recall most of the dream. A sigh left her lips as Emily slowly nodded her head in response. Not only her head was hurting because of constantly thinking about the dream, but her body too was in pain because of the constant punches and kicks that she received during the defense class. A painful hiss left her lips when Leo tried to pull her left hand in his own. "Damn! Mark is really something!" Leo whispered shouted when he finally noticed the huge red bruise on her left wrist that soon would be turning angry purple if not taken care of. "He was not the one punching or kicking me. Then why get angry at him?" Emily asked as she rubbed her temples to find some relief from the headache that was ready to kill her. "Even though he was not the one who hit you, but he was still the one who ordered your opponent not to show any kind of leniency on you. He''s not behaving like a brother at all." Leo was definitely not happy with Mark''s attitude towards their little sister. "You are right. He''s not acting like a brother, but he''s being the perfect coach. Can''t you see that I''ve actually improved in the past one month? Of course, I''m always covered in bruises after the classes but I''m actually happy because I know that I''ve improved. He''s strict but at least it''s not for nothing." The genuine happiness in her eyes told Leo that she really was not upset with Mark for the harsh treatment that he was giving her during the defense classes. "How strange! You are actually speaking in his favor. I didn''t saw this coming." Leo chuckled as he commented. "To make you feel better, he''s still my least favorite brother." Emily softly whispered into his ear and they both burst into chuckles. The two siblings enjoyed the next few minutes in silence as Leo lightly massaged her forehead to give her some relief from her headache. "Young Master and Young Miss, Master has summoned you in his office." One of the workers of the SA interrupted them, making the two stare at each other in confusion. Not wasting much time, the two of them followed the woman to the topmost floor of the Academy building. As they stepped inside the huge office room, the first thing that greeted her was the familiar scent of Kaiden. Her eyes eagerly took in the massive room and the way it was decorated not only beautifully but also elegantly. Everything was properly placed and the room gave the perfect impression of the personality of its owner. "I thought the Headmaster summoned us here," Emily muttered softly knowing very well that the other part could clearly hear her mumbled words. "Rylan, will you please accompany Leonardo to the cafeteria." Kaiden barely finished his sentence before he noticed his younger brother dragging himself towards the youngest Alessandro Master with a scowl on his face. "Let''s go." Rylan muttered as he reached closer to Emily and Leo. At first, Emily did not even notice that Rylan was also present in the room. It was not until Kaiden called out his name, did she saw him sprawled on the sofa near the fireplace. "Stay the fuck away from me!" The way Leo growled out those words while he glared at Rylan, made Emily stare at her brother in surprise. She had always felt that there were some personal problems between Leo and Rylan, however, she always ended up considering it as her overthinking. But seeing the two young men glaring at each other with fire in their eyes, she no longer doubted her thoughts. There was definitely something wrong going on between the two of them! "Out! NOW!" Kaiden''s voice was not loud but it was laced with sovereignty and control. Those two words which were laced with the aura of power made Emily glue her eyes on the handsome silver-haired man in front of her. She did not even notice as Rylan and Leo hurriedly escaped from the room, leaving her alone with Kaiden. She did not notice as the door closed shut behind her. She did not notice as the owner of those mesmerizing blue eyes started coming closer to her. And she definitely did not notice that she too had started to walk towards the man who had grasped all her attention. Her mind had become numb as it could no longer function as a normal brain. All that she could see, think, or focus on, was the person in front of her. When she finally stopped, they were standing so close to each other that there was barely an inch left between their bodies. A growl escaped Kaiden''s lips as he watched his girl staring at him with those beautiful eyes. The way she was constantly looking at him, made him want to pull her into his embrace and never let go at any cost. And it took all his self-control to not give in to his want and craving. "Sweetheart, please close your eyes." His voice was soft and barely audible, but as he watched Emily slowly shutting her eyes close, it was clear that she heard him perfectly well. He let one of his hands close around her right arm before it slowly traveled down to her palm and entangled her fingers with his own. And it was that very moment when he noticed something that he failed to notice before. "How?" Emily''s eyes flew open in surprise when she felt him pulling away from her with a sudden force. The one-word question that he probably muttered out in his shock made her even more confused. "What''s wrong?" Her voice was soft and full of uncertainty as her innocent eyes stared at the man in order to find some answers. Kaiden was pulled out of his surprised state when her soft and alluring voice entered his ears. He looked directly into her beautiful green eyes and all that he found there was pure innocence. A soft smile made its way to his lips as he once again stretched one of his hands out towards her. "Come here." His voice was gentle and so were his eyes that were looking at her with warmth. Even though she was still confused about what happened a few moments ago, she did not hesitate to come closer to the man. She let her fingers slide across his palm before he gripped her hand tightly in his warm one and pulled her closer to his body. Since she was no longer in a trance, she was fairly aware of the closeness of their bodies and the warm breath that was fanning her left cheek. "I...." She stopped when she realized that Kaiden''s face was inching closer towards her nape. Her heartbeat increased while she tried to control her breathing which too threatened to accelerate. Her fingers tightened their hold around his palm while she almost ended up closing her eyes. A gasp escaped her lips when she felt something warm slightly brushing against her nape before Kaiden pulled his face away from her nape. Her breathing was no longer under her control as she felt like she was ready to pass out. Her body was on fire and she felt like her legs were on the verge of becoming gelly anytime soon. "Are you alright?" Kaiden softly asked as he raised her face with his fingers under her chin, making her look directly into his deep ocean-like eyes. "Yeah. I think so." Emily whispered back as she finally succeeded in getting her breathing under control, at least a little bit. "Good. Relax, everything is alright. I was just taken by surprise because of something. That''s all." He told her as he rubbed her shoulder in order to calm her. "What was it?" Emily asked curiously as she finally got herself under control, her body was no longer reacting like it was about to burst because of adrenaline. Kaiden was silent for a few seconds as he observed her before finally deciding to speak. "There''s something new on you. I was just not prepared to find it on you out of all people in this world. But looks like there''s still so much about you that I have to learn." Chapter 98 - Ninety-Seven: Somethings Wrong With Kaiden "Relax and drink the tea. It will help to heal your bruises and soothe your pain." Kaiden advised her as he pulled her towards the sitting area around the fireplace. Emily soon found herself sitting with a cup of hot herbal tea in her hands. A small smile appeared on her lips as she closed her eyes and inhaled the fragrance of her favorite tea. "I never got the chance to thank you for the tea that you gave Daniel last time in order to help me heal quickly from all these bruises. Really...his, thank you." Her smile was sincere and so was the innocence in her sparkling eyes. Kaiden nodded his head slightly in return with a soft smile playing on his lips before he took a seat on the sofa at her left side. They were still sitting close enough that Kaiden could easily touch her if he stretched out his hands towards her. "Miss Alessandro, did something strange happen in these last few days?" He finally asked after a few moments of silence. Emily noticed how he once again started using formal language but decided to stay silent about it. She pondered about his question for a few seconds before she slowly shook her head in denial. "Nothing. Why? Is something wrong?" She asked as she looked at him with curious eyes. She watched as a frown appeared on his face, making him appear even more lethal than usual. "Not really. I probably overthought it. Don''t pay much attention to it." Kaiden finally replied to her questions as he gave her a warm smile. Something was telling her that he was not speaking the truth but once again she decided to stay quiet about her doubts. She was curious about what made him initially pull away from her in shock but when she had asked, he only ignored her question. For some reason, she knew that he still was thinking about whatever that mystery was. Emily kept silent as she focused on drinking her tea and healing her angry bruises. Kaiden watched her as she slowly enjoyed the hot liquid as if it was her favorite drink. It made a soft genuine smile appear on his lips as he gazed at her with warmth. The need of getting close to her and wrapping her in his arms grew stronger as he watched the bruises on her hands that were slowly fading away. "There''s still a long time before you will finally turn eighteen," Kaiden mumbled softly with a sigh. It was supposed to be a whisper but somehow she ended up hearing him. "Umm, yeah." Emily slowly nodded her head even though she was aware that he was actually not asking her. A twitch appeared on his beautiful lips as he gazed at her with his intense eyes as he spoke, "Looks like I''ve to wait for quite some time." "Huh?" Emily was totally clueless about what he was talking about. Moreover, it looked like he was talking to himself rather than her. Kaiden shook his head her confused look before he stood up from his seat, making the girl follow his suit. This time he did not try to stop himself as he walked closer to her, closing the distance between the two of them. Just in a few blinks, he was standing right in front of her. His tall body towering over her as she craned her neck to look up at him. He did not even realize what he was doing as one of his hands moved to grip her neck from behind. The other one moving at the same time to cup her soft cheek which had turned slightly pink, creating a natural blush on her milky skin. "I have never hated the boundaries that separate the two provinces of this city ever before in my life. But currently, all I want to do is to get rid of those stupid rules that forbid me from stepping into your territory." His voice was raw with emotions as he let his guards down around her for the very first time. Letting her see exactly how much he wanted to disperse the problems that were keeping him away from her. "Are you okay, Mr. Sullivan?" Emily asked softly as she saw the sadness that suddenly was so easy to detect in his icy blue eyes. Kaiden did not reply as he kept gazing at her without even blinking. It was like he wanted to capture her in his memory. Very slowly, he let his forehead fall against hers as he found her got breath fanning his cheeks. "I''m sorry for overstepping my boundaries today. It''s just........I''m just taken by surprise after finding his scent on you. I promise to not...FUCK THIS!" Emily was listening to his apology as he tried to tell her something. His breathing was fast and so were his heartbeats. His warm breath caressing the skin of her jaw, making her shiver in return. But she definitely was not prepared to suddenly hear him curse out so loud. Just when she was about to pull away from him to see what was wrong, she found him pulling her face to a standstill as he planted a warm and powerful kiss on her forehead. She was so shocked by the sudden kiss that she was left spellbound by him. Her breath got caught in her throat while her heartbeat accelerated to such a point where she almost became deaf because of its harsh pounding sounds. As those warm and soft lips left her forehead, she immediately found herself pulled against his chest. His strong arms circling around her as he pulled her tighter in his embrace. Emily could barely find her voice due to the surprise that she had received from the actions of the Young CEO. She was still caught in her thoughts when she heard the door of the official opening and she immediately recognized the familiar sounds of footsteps. Her heart almost dropped to the pit of her stomach in fear as she heard the sharp and angry voice of her brother. Chapter 99 - Ninety-Eight: Feeling Used "What the hell do you think you are doing, Sullivan?" Domenic''s sharp and angry voice boomed through the silence of the room, clearly stating that he was not liking the scene that he was seeing. Emily tried to hurriedly pull herself away from Kaiden''s embrace but as soon as she started wiggling, his arms tightened around her. Since her back was facing her guardian, she could not see him or his angry expressions. Thinking about the harsh lecture that she would be facing after returning to the mansion, she once again tried to get herself free from Kaiden''s embrace. However, no matter how hard she tried, she still was not able to pull away or make the supernatural budge even a little bit. "Mr. Sullivan, can you please let me go!" She finally called out the man in a hurried whispered tone, making sure to put all her frustration into her voice. Of course, Domenic could clearly see her efforts and hear her frustration which made him calm down a little. At least, his baby sister was still innocent and not tangled in the love trap of Kaiden Sullivan, at least not yet! His gaze once again returned to glare at the man who dared to hold his baby sister in such an intimate position. But then he finally saw it, the desperation that was clearly visible in the cerulean eyes of the young man. And along with that desperation, Domenic also found something else - fear. It was such a huge blow for the eldest Alessandro to find Kaiden Sullivan in such a hopeless state. He found the man moving his lips and it took him only a few seconds to realize exactly what he was saying - PLEASE! Kaiden was begging him to not separate Emily and him for the time being. The realization only made Domenic''s frown deepen. The fact that he had found Kaiden Sullivan in such a state only meant one thing - something was wrong. Very Very wrong! And he did not need to be genius to realize that whatever it was, it''s definitely related to Emily. He found his own heart starting to race as the realization dawned over him but he made sure to not let it showcase on his face. He gave a quick nod along with a sharp glare before he left the office, closing the door behind him. The nod was his acceptance of Kaiden''s request to have a little more alone time with Emily, while the sharp glare was to remind him not to cross his limits. Even though Domenic was already aware of the special bond that his baby sister shared with the powerful supernatural, she was still his baby sister. Moreover, she was barely seventeen years old. There was no way he would let the man take advantage of his little kid. But deep down in his heart, Domenic knew that Kaiden would never cross his line. At least not for the time being. "Why it feels like he''s just experienced a threat? A threat to his bond with Emilia?" Domenic asked the moment Sam appeared beside him. "I think I know the answer. I''ll show you." Dr. Sam replied as he gave a quick look at the closed office door before turning around and walking away. Domenic kept standing there for a few silent seconds before he followed behind his best friend. *** "Have you gone deaf? Or are you really fed up with your immortal life? If you want Nick to kill you then just find some other ideas to piss him off. Don''t use me for Heaven''s sake!" Emily finally realized what was wrong with the silver-haired hot dude. He was definitely looking for a fight with her guardian and as soon as his supernatural senses found out that Domenic was about to appear in the office, he decided to do something that would immediately make him angry. But why did he have to pull her along into the rabbit hole in which he decided to jump? She almost wanted to punch some common sense into the supernatural but seeing the fact that she could barely move her hands, it was impossible for the time being. A chuckle escaped his lips as Kaiden heard her frustration and accusing tone that promised a lifelong animosity if he did not let go of her immediately. He finally found his soul relaxing and his mood lifting. Rather than following her demand and letting go of her, he decided to pull her even tighter in his embrace. Emily let out an exasperated sigh as she felt her body heating up at their close proximity. Her front was flushed against his hard solid body and the way her breasts were pushed against his abdomen, was making her blush like a tomato. The hand which had been resting on her neck all this while finally decided to give her some room as it trailed down to rest on her spine. Emily did not waste any time as she hurriedly turned her head to find her brother, but to her surprise, there was no one in the office. Did she imagine his voice then? "He left." Kaiden decided to help her as his mood got better and better with each passing minute. However, he still was reluctant to let go of his girl. She felt so good and right in his arms. It was like his arms were specially built for her. "Why?" He found her asking with confused eyes that were outrightly glaring at him as if he was the culprit. Well, he was in a way. "Maybe he just decided to give us some space." He replied with a soft shrug and immediately got rewarded with a fierce look from his girl. "Mr. Sullivan, I really appreciate your help and kindness. But please don''t use me to irritate my brothers from now on." Emily gritted out through her clenched teeth as she finally pulled herself out of his arms. A twitch appeared on Kaiden''s lips as he looked at the girl while tilting his head a little. His voice was filled with mischief as he replied, "I''ll try, Princess." Chapter 100 - Ninety-Nine: Another Mark "Are you trying to say that someone has marked her?" Daniel could feel his heart filling with panic as he voiced out the question. His eyes transfixed on the supernatural Prince sitting on the other side of the room. Kaiden shook his head lightly as he pursed his lips while thinking about how to explain exactly what he wanted to tell them. After staying silent for the next several minutes, which was definitely not appreciated by the three Young Masters of the Alessandro Empire, he finally decided to speak. "No, not really as you are suspecting. What I mean is that it''s not a claiming mark nor some other bad kind of mark. It''s like.....like protection mark? But still powerful enough to convey his interest in her." Domenic, Daniel, and Mark stayed silent as they tried to understand the depth of the words spoken by Kaiden. When Sam first informed Domenic about the supernatural essence that suddenly appeared around Emily, he was not prepared for such kind of revelation. Seeing that Kaiden was the future mate of his baby sister and also because of what he saw in the latter''s office, it was clear that he was the one who could provide some much-needed answers. However, he was not prepared to find out that some stupid crazy supernatural had gotten his hands over Emily and had marked her. "Is it permanent?" "How do you know that it''s a he?" Domenic and Mark both ended up voicing their questions at the same time. Kaiden first turned his attention towards the eldest Alessandro as he answered Domenic''s question, "It''s definitely not permanent but seeing that it belonged to a very powerful and ancient supernatural, it''s definitely not leaving her anytime soon." The few curses that ranged throughout the room told Kaiden that he was not the only one who was not happy with this new invasion in Emily''s life. The sound of a throat clearing pulled his attention towards Mark who was staring back at him with impatient eyes. Oh! Right, he too asked a question. "The scent. I know that it''s a man because of the scent. And before you ask, I''m a hundred percent sure that it''s really a man." Mark closed his half-opened mouth at Kaiden''s last sentence. He was really about to argue with his logic but seeing that the man was so sure about it, he decided to just stay silent. "Did you find anything else?" Domenic asked next after a few seconds of silence. In reply to his question, Kaiden only shook his head in denial. "Nothing. He''s too smart to leave any traces. The only evidence that we have in our hands is that he''s hundreds of years old, or maybe thousands. And there are very few alive Supernaturals who are that old and powerful." Domenic nodded his head as he looked at Sam who had been sitting in silence as they discussed the matter. The doctor noticed the deep gaze that was watching him. He turned his attention towards his best friend as he finally decided to speak. "The only good thing about this issue is that whoever this man is, he''s probably not trying to hurt Emily. But we still can''t take any risks." The others nodded their heads in agreement. None of them had any idea about the reason for which people were aiming at Emily again and again. Sure, before this, many tried to find a way to weaken the Alessandro siblings and their friendship with the Evans, but it was never like the current situations where one after other, new problems keep coming without a break. "Do you this person met her in her dreams?" It was again Sam who voiced the question. Of course, it was directed at Kaiden. "Probably. According to what you guys told me about her dream from last night, it''s definitely him who invaded her dream." Kaiden replied with his eyes brimming with seriousness. They had more questions than answers and unfortunately, no one could provide them with the answers that they were looking for. Who was this new person? And why was he interested in Emily? *** "Em! I won''t be responsible if you succeeded in pissing off Simon. Just hurry up!" Leo shouted from outside the closed bedroom door. "Just a minute, bro!" Emily shouted back from inside as she continued to do whatever she was doing behind that closed door. "That''s exactly what you said ten minutes ago," Leo said with a sigh as he heard heavy footsteps climbing up the stairs. "Goodness! He''s here. I''m not staying to enjoy the show. See you downstairs!" Leo hurriedly shouted before he turned around and fled from the scene, running towards the stairs where he met a very annoyed Simon. However, he did not wait to hear his brother curse at him as he ran past him and descended the stairs, disappearing into the dining room. Simon watched the disappearing silhouette of his youngest brother and his mood only worsened. An exasperated sigh left his lips as he continued to climb the stairs and made his way towards Emily''s bedroom. The door of her room was closed but since there was no lock on it, he just knocked on the door and after waiting for twenty seconds, he decided to enter. "I told you to wait a minute. Why are you acting so impatient? Can''t you see that I''m busy?" Emily muttered in a little irritated tone as she continued to work on her laptop. When she heard no reply from her brother, something inside her suggested her to turn and take a look. "Simon....!" Emily trailed off as she watched the darkness that was clearly evident on the man''s handsome face. Simon raised one of his eyebrows at the girl who suddenly became speechless while looking as innocent as one could. "Want to share exactly what''s making you ignore your dinner?" He asked as pulled himself away from the wall near the entrance where he had been standing. He walked closer towards where she was sitting on the chair next to her study table. He noticed her small flinch that his words caused. Emily dropped her head as she fixed her eyes on the floor, her senses filling with guilt for not listening to her brothers. One of the few major rules that she, or almost everyone, needed to follow was to never miss their meals unless it''s a dire situation. Though she was actually working on an important matter, but it still was not important enough to miss her meal, especially when Leo came three times to call her for the dinner. "I''m sorry. I....... I was just too excited to realize my mistake." She somehow succeeded in muttering through her guilt. Simon stopped next to her chair and after looking at her guilty expression, he turned his attention towards her laptop. What he saw on the screen appeared like some sort of document that she was either reading, writing, or probably editing. "What''s this?" He asked after reading the first few lines of the third page of the said document. To be honest, the words written in it were far too complicated for someone like his baby sis. Emily slowly pulled her head up to look at her brother. A small pout was covering her lips as she stared at her second third most favorite brother at the moment. One of her hands found its way around his arm which was resting on the armrest of her chair. Her fingers curled around the soft fabric of his blue shirt as she created an even innocent and pitiful expression. "I''ll tell you, but please stop being mad at me. I know my mistake and I promise to not repeat it again. Please be a good brother and stop being mad." Her voice resembled that of a little and cute kid who was trying to apologize, though it actually appeared sincere. However, Simon was taken by surprise as he looked at the girl with shocked eyes. "You......Why........why are you acting like I''m the bad one here?" He could not help but ask as he stared at the girl with disbelief filled in his green eyes. He looked at her hands which were now gripping his hand tightly as she hugged his arm while looking up at him with sadness pooling into her eyes. A sigh left his lips as he tried to get a grip on the situation and his shocked mind. The baby sister of his was turning into a little devil who had learned how to manipulate others using her acting skills. "You are really becoming bolder. Do you really think this will work on me?" He asked as he tried to pull his arm out of her tight clutches. However, he was not strong enough to get his hand out of her firm grip. She was literally hanging on his arm. "At this rate, you will end up pulling it off." He told her as he signaled towards his hand which was trapped in her grasp. "Are you still mad?" Emily asked as she decided to ignore the rest of his words, resulting in a mumbled curse from Simon. How much he wanted to escape from the room and from the little devil at that moment? Ah! Chapter 101 - Hundred: The Jobless Brother "You are no longer mad, right?" Emily asked as she tightened her arms around her brother''s waist. A sigh escaped Simon''s lips before he hurriedly nodded his head in reply, immediately agreeing with her. "Of course! I''m not mad anymore, I swear!" In the current situation where he was being held captive by his little sister, he was ready to do anything to just get a few seconds of relief. At first, she was only hanging on his arm but when he refused to fall for her cute and pitiful act, she decided to level up her game and snaked her arms around his waist. If it had been someone else, it would barely have taken him a few seconds to push that person away. However, it was not someone else. Rather, this was his little sister. There''s no way he would use his physical force on her, hence resulting in his current situation. "You are the best!" Emily shouted with happiness filling her beautiful eyes as she hurriedly let go of him. One moment she was clinging to him like a koala and the next moment she reacted like he was just an extra person crowding her room. Simon just shook his head but decided to not comment on the topic. Rather, he decided to focus on the important matter at hand. "So, what are you doing?" He asked as he took a seat on the bean bag which was resting near her study table. His question made Emily''s eyes sparkle as she turned towards him with excitement. "Take a look!" She offered as she pointed towards her laptop screen. "I already did. It looks like a legal document to be honest. That''s why I''m a little confused." Simon confessed. Emily chuckled softly as she replied, "Well, it''s indeed a legal document. It''s a contract." Her words made Simon jump off the bean bag in surprise as he stared at his sister in shock. "What contract?" He could feel his heart starting to beat faster as more than one bad scenario started appearing in his mind. Was someone trying to play dirty with his little sister? Was someone taking advantage of innocence? It was like Emily read his thoughts from the horrified expression that he had pulled on his face because she too stood up from her chair. "Goodness, Simon! You are acting like I''m being conned or something." Emily said with a chuckle as she pulled her brother towards her queen size bed. "Are you not?" Simon asked with genuine confusion which made her burst out into giggles. "Even though I''m still seventeen, but that doesn''t mean I can be fooled so easily. First, relax and let me explain everything in detail." She offered and to her amazement, Simon immediately agreed. Emily took in a deep breath to calm down her excitement a little bit for the time being before she launched into explaining about exactly what was going on. "I don''t know if Leo has already told you guys about this or not, but I''ve been working on a webcomic for nearly a year by now. I''ve like a hundred or so chapters prepared and I think I''ll be able to end it in the next few chapters." She stopped for a moment to take a look at Simon and almost burst out into giggles when she saw his shocked and confused face. "Well, a few weeks ago I found out about an online site which is conducting a contest for webcomics and I just decided to upload a few chapters. I was totally not expecting it to garner such a huge web traffic. Moreover, I got a contract offer from that site around a week ago" Emily finished explaining as she pointed towards her laptop screen where the third page of the contract was currently visible. Simon was more than just shocked or surprised. He first looked at his little sister and then at the laptop. Without wasting any more time, he walked towards her desk and picked up her laptop. For the next twenty minutes, Emily''s bedroom was filled with pin-drop silence as Simon read through the entire twenty pages long contract. He then even spent some time searching about the online site and finding as much information about it as possible. As Emily watched him setting the laptop aside, she decided to speak, "I have already searched about the site. I read a lot of reviews about it. As far as I know, this is not the first time they are conducting this contest. They did something similar the previous year too. Moreover, they are in partnership with a reputed Entertainment Company of our country." "And I already informed Domenic that I want to discuss something important with him. I was going to fill in the information required, then I was going to let Nick take a look at it. Once I had his permission, I was going to submit the contract." Simon listened silently as he tried to not smile at the destination that his baby sister had actually matured in such a short time. "What''s wrong?" Emily asked in confusion as she noticed the slight twitch on Simon''s lips that he was probably trying to hide. "I''m just amazed that you actually possess a brain with working ability. Never knew that you can be smart enough to handle this situation so maturely. I''m really impressed." Simon told her and noticed the pout that she immediately made at his words. "In complementing you, Little bird," Simon informed her as he ruffled her perfectly combed hair. "Simon....!" Emily almost slapped his hand away but succeeded in controlling herself at the right moment. "What? I''m just styling your hair." Simon replied as he continued to ruffle her hair but then stopped after a few seconds. "Yeah, right. I''ll love to have you as my personal stylist. However, don''t expect me to give you a single penny for it." Emily said as she tried to settle her hair. "Wait! Why are you being such a miser? As far as I know, you get pretty high pocket money every month and you are not even spending it. Also, you are going to earn money through your book. As far as I can see, you are wealthy enough to provide me with a good salary." Simon immediately countered as he pointed out all the facts. Not like he really wanted her to waste her money on him, but teasing her gave him the satisfaction of another level. "Are you seriously eyeing my money? Wait! Are you jobless?" Emily stared at her brother with shocked eyes as she tried to process the fact that Simon was actually jobless. It took some time before Simon realized that she was not making fun of him. Rather, she actually believed that he was jobless. "You seriously dare to call me jobless. Aish! Who''s feeding you with such rubbish?" He funnily reprimanded her. Emily let out a sigh of relief when she realized that he was not jobless. "Oh, God! I almost thought that I will be giving half of my money to you every month from now on. So good to know that it was just a bad thought." She muttered as she fanned herself to cool down a little. "You...! You are such a little devil." Simon shouted as he pushed her on the bed and started tickling her. He was amazed to find that she was ticklish. As soon as he merely touched her clothes she started laughing so hard. The two of them launched into a fun game of sibling fighting, that none of them realized the passage of time. By the time they stopped, none of them had the energy to even laugh anymore. Simon took in a deep breath before he turned his face to look at his little sister who was also trying to catch her breath. A small smile appeared on his face as he realized that for the first time in a very long period, he was feeling really happy. And all the credit goes to his little sister! - After that night, Emily''s life started sailing smoothly. She submitted the contract with Simon''s help after Domenic gave her permission with the promise that she won''t let it affect her studies. Her webcomic became a hit within two months, garnering millions of readers who appreciated her art and story. Her friendship with Rylan, Shane, Grace, and Joe continued to become stronger as time passed by. She never came across any more weird dreams and since her life was going on smoothly, her past too did not try to invade her present. She barely met Kaiden during the last quarter of the year as he was busy taking care of his business empire while she was focusing on her midterm exams. Her relations with her brothers also became stronger, even when she barely saw the soft side of Domenic again and Mark kept acting as......... Mark! Her exams passed smoothly and everyone was happy with her performance. Shane and Rylan too did pretty well. It was time for Christmas and New Year break, and Emily was more than happy to spend her time with her FAMILY. However, why it appeared like this was the end of her smooth sailing life? Probably because a tsunami was coming for her! Chapter 102 - The Bickering Siblings "I think we have bought everything." Emily commented as she checked the list on her phone that she had prepared the previous night. "Finally!" Crist could not help but comment as he let out a grateful sigh. His body was beyond exhausted and his stomach was cramping because of hunger. The young girl turned her attention towards her brother as she looked at him with raised eyebrows. Crist straightened up immediately as he noticed the two pairs of judging eyes that were trained on him. "I''m just a little bit hungry. Since you have completed your shopping, can we stop by a restaurant on our way and have our lunch there?" He asked the girl sweetly as he gave her one of his best smiles. Emily was silent for a few seconds before she slowly nodded her head while she pushed the bags, that she had been holding, towards him. "Can we, Danny?" She asked Daniel with a sweet smile covering her face. "Of course, Sorellina. Whatever you want!" Daniel immediately agreed as he started moving towards the elevator. Emily did not waste any more time as she followed behind him while ushering Crist, "What are you waiting for? Hurry up!" The way her eyes landed on Joy and the other two bodyguards who had been following them, he knew that she was signaling them to follow her. Somehow, she had become the life of every single person living in the Alessandro mansion or even related to that name. Whether it was the servants of the mansion, the security team, or the drivers, everyone had started to adore her. They all would listen to her as long as her wishes won''t appear as a risk for her safety. As a result, he noticed the four guards immediately following his little sister towards the elevator, leaving him alone with the shopping bags that suddenly seemed to increase in number while he was not paying attention. He could do nothing but stare at his little sister who ran after Daniel. The two siblings and the guards left him alone with all the shopping bags. "Now I know why Domenic and Simon call her a little devil." He murmured under his breath as he followed behind them with a little shake of his head. The glare that he gave to the guards in the elevator did nothing to change their loyalty towards his little sister. "Stop glaring at them. Is holding a few bags that hard of a job for you?" Emily''s sharp voice pulled his attention towards his little sister who was looking so adorable in her purple floral shirt and black jeans. "Yes, your highness. My hands are about to fall under the weight of these bags. Can you please show some mercy to this pitiful man?" Crist fluttered his eyes cutely to emphasize his acting. Emily slowly shook her head as she spoke, "Your acting skills sucks!" Daniel burst out into chuckles as he gave his younger brother a pitiful look. On the other hand, Joy did not waste any more time as he hurriedly took away the shopping bags that Crist was holding. As soon as his hands were empty, Crist pulled his little sister in a tight back hug as if he was trying to crush her. "You are the best." He shouted into her ear, making her squeal as she tried to push his face away. In the past months, Leo and Crist had taken over the role of the annoying brothers. The two of them loved talking or irritating her the most. "Danny!" Emily shouted for help from her older brother when Crist continued to blow hot air into her ear. The man was beyond disgusting and stupid! "Behave!" Daniel reprimanded his brother as he pulled her out of Crist''s clutches. "We will settle this later, dear sister," Crist whispered to her even though everyone could clearly listen to whatever nonsense he was spouting. Emily just huffed before she snuggled against Daniel''s arm to stay away from her devil brother. Their banter continued as they made their way towards the underground parking lot and then as they headed towards one of the most luxurious restaurants of their city. "What do you wanna eat?" Daniel asked her as he passed her the menu. They were currently sitting in one of the VVIP private rooms. The huge floor-to-ceiling glass windows looked down at the bustling streets of City A. "Can I have chicken wings and some French fries?" Emily asked with hopeful eyes which made both Daniel and Crist chuckle. "Of course, whatever my little highness wants to eat," Crist said as he stretched his hand to ruffle her perfectly combed hair. However, Emily had become an expert in escaping such moves since most of her brothers loved to unsettle her hair in the name of showing affection. That''s how before Crist''s hand could touch her hair, she used a trick that Rylan taught her in her defense class and pushed his hand away from her. Everyone was left in a daze as they stared at the girl who very effortlessly dodged Crist''s hand. "Wow! Looks like you are actually learning something useful in your defense classes." Crist praised as he rubbed his hands while looking at his sister with pride. "I''ll let you go this time since you are giving me a compliment for a change," Emily said as she took a sip of water. "You are making me sound like a bad brother, Em!" Crist complained as he placed his order on the tablet before placing it back in the center of the table. "Oh! My bad for speaking the truth." Emily commented back as she tried not to laugh. The bickering of these two continued throughout the lunch as at one point, Crist even tried to snatch away her French fries. Daniel kept acting like a mother who had two playful children to keep in check on a day out. "I''ll go help Joy to settle the pizza boxes," Emily told her brothers as she hurriedly ran towards the outside parking lot of the restaurant. "Em! Slow down!" Daniel shouted as he too quickened his steps along with Crist to catch up with their over-energetic sister. "Do you need help? Should I..." Emily trailed off as the world around her suddenly came to a still. She felt the hum of the dark energy which was present in the parking lot before she saw everything unfolding in front of her. There were shouts around her, shouts of panic and fear. People were calling her name. A part of her stunned brain recognized Daniel and Crist''s agonizing voice as they called her name. However, she was too shocked to pay any attention to them. Her eyes kept glued on the scene in front of her. One moment there was a smiling face of Joy and his companions in front of her eyes and the next moment, all that she could see was blood. Blood was seeping out of their bodies as they lay dead on the ground around their car. And somehow she knew that something even worse was about to take place. That''s when she felt right arms around her body as someone pulled her back towards the entrance of the restaurant. She recognized the scent and voice that belonged to Crist. She could hear the panic that was coating his voice as he tried to make sure that she was okay. He was not afraid for himself. Rather, his fear was for her. Emily wanted to reply and assure him that she was not hurt, but the bad feeling that was slowly taking over her instincts made it hard for her to pay attention to Crist. All her focus was to find out exactly what was about to happen. Her eyes roamed over her surroundings and once again settled on the black car which belonged to Daniel. DANIEL! She saw him walking towards the car where the dead guards were sprawled on the ground with bullets jammed in their bodies. And immediately she knew...! "Daniel!" She tried to shout but her voice barely came out as a hoarse whisper. "Em! Don''t. It''s me, sis." Crist was calling her as he tried to stop her. However, Emily started trying even harder to get away from Crist''s tight grips. Somehow she succeeded and as soon as she was free, she ran towards her brother who was cautiously moving towards the black car, completely oblivious to the danger that was waiting for him. "Emily!" Crist shouted at the top of his lungs as he too ran after his sister. His panicked hour made Daniel stop in his tracks as he immediately turned to look at the girl who was running towards him. He was already standing next to one of the guards'' dead bodies. A tear rolled down her cheek as she realized that she was going to be late. She wanted to shout and inform Daniel but her voice decided to leave her crushed and helpless. A pair of strong arms pulled her against a warm chest the exact moment when the car erupted into flames with a huge blast, destroying everything around it. EVERYTHING! Chapter 103 - The Agony "Daniel!" The ear-piercing shriek ranged into Emily''s ears as she found herself engulfed in Crist''s embrace. It was not her shout, rather it belonged to Crist. Her brother had pulled her inside the restaurant at the time of the blast to save her from any kind of casualties. However, at the current moment, she did not care about herself. All that she wanted was Daniel. "Let me go." Her voice came out in a hoarse whisper and when Crist did not let go of her even after a few moments, she knew that he had not heard her at all. "LET ME GO!" This time her voice came out loud and clear. But even that did nothing to free her from the confinement of Crist''s arms that were securely wrapped around her. The area around them was filled with silence as everyone had fled from the scene as soon as the first gunshot was heard. Only a few customers and staff of the restaurant were present at the time of the blast and currently, there was no one present there in the lobby except for Christ and her. She could still hear the sound of the burning car and the foul smell that was taking over the air. "Em!" Crist''s voice was filled with despair as he tried his very best to stop his little sister from going out of the restaurant. Of course, he was worried about Daniel but he could not take any risks with Emily. "Crist, let me go! Danny is still outside...!" Emily cried out as her heart shattered into millions of pieces. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she struggled to push out of the tight muscular arms that were confining her. "CRIST!" Emily shouted in agony and frustration as her brother refused to listen to her. "Em, listen! You need to control your emotions. A team is on its way here. I''ll send you to the mansion with them and then I''ll look for Daniel. Alright?" Crist tried to make his sister understand but his words only made her struggle more. "No! I''m not leaving you and Danny here. He''s still out there, Crist. Let''s....let''s not w-waste our time....we should l-look for him..." She tried to make her brother understand as she hurriedly wiped away her tears. "I''m sorry, Em. But I can''t take any risks with your safety. You are going back to the mansion." Crist immediately replied as he felt his eyes filling with unshed tears. If not for his little sisters, he would not have wasted even a single second before looking for Daniel. However, currently, his biggest responsibility was Emily and he needed to make sure that she was in safe hands before he would be able to look for Daniel. "Have you gone mad? Can''t you see that he needs our help? What if he is injured or something? We can''t just leave him out there and waste our time waiting for your so-called team. Let''s find him, Crist." She was already pleading for him to understand the situation and let her go, but he still refused to budge. "Crist! Don''t do this, pleaseee!" Emily begged as he wrapped her fingers around his collar to shake him a little. "I''m sorry, Em! I''m so sorry." Crist whispered the apology as he tightened his hold around the girl who was breaking down in his arms. He felt his heart shattering into pieces as he watched her years rolling down. Her eyes begging him while one of her hands started hitting him on his shoulder. "Let me go, Aahhhh!" Emily''s cries were not heard at all and she could do nothing but beg him to hear her plea. It had been barely a few minutes since the blast but every passing second felt like an eternity. The tightness that was gripping her heart only increased as the image of Daniel''s face, just before the blast, appeared in front of her eyes. It was all her fault. Everything happened because of her. She was the one who wanted to visit the Mall for shopping. If not for her, Joy and the others would not have died. If not for her, Daniel would not be in danger. Emily did not even realize but at some point, she had started blaming herself for everything. Moreover, she did not do it in her heart or mind. Rather, she was shouting out the blames at herself as she tried to slap herself. "Em!" She heard someone calling her but she could no longer pay any attention to that person. Her entire focus was on the realization that she had destroyed so many lives because of her stupidity. She continued to pull her hair to cause herself the pain that she deserved. She needed to be in pain because she deserved the pain. She felt fingers wrapping around her hands as someone tried to stop her from pulling her hair. "LET ME GO!" She again cried as she fruitlessly tried to pull herself away from the person who was holding her. What she did not expect was to suddenly found herself without those tight holds that were stopping her from finding her brother. As soon as her mind registered this, she was ready to run out of the restaurant but before she could pull herself out of the darkness that was pulling her in its depth, she once again found herself secured in a pair of muscular arms. She struggled to pull away, to win back the freedom which would let her find her brother but the person only pulled her closer in their arms. Her head landed against a well-built chest and a very familiar scent took over her senses. However, her entire focus was on finding Daniel. She did not pay any attention to the person who was holding her and calling her name. "Please.....!" Emily hiccupped her request as she tried to pull away but barely succeeded. "Sorellina, it''s me. Sweetheart, open your eyes, please." The familiar voice whispered into her ear, making her still for a few seconds. She knew that voice and she was aware of the familiar scent that belonged to the person who was holding her. But the darkness that was still surrounding her mind did not let her recognize the person who was speaking to her with so much love, warmth, and worry. "Let me try...!" She heard another voice speaking somewhere near them. That one sounded familiar too but she could not recognize him either. She felt movements around her and the arms holding her loosened a little as another person shifted to stand in front of her. She could more or less feel the movements around her, but the darkness was not letting her think at all. Her eyes were glued shut and she could not find the energy in herself to open them and take a look at the familiar people who were surrounding her. She felt a cold hand cupping the left side of her face and she immediately felt shivers running down her spine. A very unique scent of cinnamon and pine entered her nose, and she even succeeded in pinpointing the very faint fragrance of wine that was hidden beneath the strong scent of cinnamon and pine. "Miss Alessandro, it''s time for you to return to reality. Don''t let the darkness win over your light." The familiar and not-so-familiar voice whispered into her ear as she felt his unique scent raking over her senses. Something electrical passed through his cold fingers into her body and she felt the darkness, that was surrounding her mind, quiver in response. At a point, it even felt like it was bowing down in defeat. Very quickly, the darkness started losing its grip on her mind, letting her return to reality just like the man told her to do. Her eyes struggled for a few seconds but then she finally succeeded in opening them and the first thing that she saw was the mesmerizing amber eyes that held so much in their depths than it was possible. "Sorellina!" Her attention was pulled away from the man who immediately stepped back to give his place to Daniel. "Danny..." Her voice came out hoarse as her hands trembled on their way towards her brother''s cheeks. "Y-you...you are alright. Oh God, Danny! You scared the hell out of me!" Emily cried as she wrapped her arms tightly around her brother. Daniel did not waste any time before he closed his arms around his little sister who was once again crying her heart out. "I''m alright, Sorellina. I''m completely fine." He assured her as he rubbed her shoulder with his hand in order to calm her down. His eyes landed on Crist who finally was unable to hold his own tears. A single look in his brother''s eyes and he came running towards them to wrap himself around them. Emily immediately snaked one of her hands around Crist''s waist to pull him into their hug. And a few feet away, another man was watching the trio. A twitch appeared on his lips as he praised himself for his success. He had very skillfully entered the life of his little prey. Chapter 104 - A New Bodyguard "How long are they going to take?" Emily asked Leo in a soft voice as she craned her neck to look upstairs at the hallway leading to the third floor. "I have no idea, to be honest. Sometimes their meetings last for hours." Leo replied as he continued to play his favorite mobile game. Even though it appeared like his attention was on the game, Emily knew that he had been observing her all this while. It had been more than three hours since they returned after the incident at the restaurant. The man, known as Shadow, who saved Daniel''s life, also accompanied them to the mansion and was currently accompanying her brothers in their meeting. All that she knew about that man was that he belonged to the Supernatural race and he was just as good-looking as the other supernaturals whom she had met so far. "Young Miss, here is your favorite tea. It will help you to calm your nerves." Mrs. Harris said as the old woman placed the cup on the table. "Mrs. Harris, when are you going to stop calling me this formally. I''ll really appreciate it if you will call me by my name." Emily once again tried to point out an ''already discussed several times'' issue, knowing fully well that the woman was not going to listen to her. "You should eat more, Young Miss. Look at you. I''ve never seen such a fragile young girl in my life ever before. I''m going to add more nutritious food to your diet." Mrs. Harris reprimanded the girl with a voice filled with warmth and care before she disappeared into the kitchen. "I''m surprised that you are still trying," Leo commented with a shake of his head as he looked in the direction of the kitchen. "One can hope!" Emily replied with a little shrug as she picked up the teacup and took a small sip of the fragrant herbal tea. The honey-sweet chamomile taste engulfed her tastebuds into a warm hug as she sipped more of the fragrant liquid. It did not take long before the tea started showing its magic and her tensed body started relaxing. Her muscles loosened up and she let out a sigh of relief as she finished the tea and placed the empty cup back on the table. "You really like this tea, don''t you?" Leo asked after a few seconds as he put away his phone and focused his attention on his sister. The two of them were sitting opposite to each other. The little wooden table which was placed in the center separated the two of them. Emily shrugged a little as she replied, "At the very beginning I started drinking this tea to heal my bruises but then I slowly get to realize that it also helped me in calming down and relieving me from those headaches that I get every time I started overthinking the things. Now I''m more or less used to it. Just like you are used to your hot chocolate." "That makes sense. But the problem is that other than the normal herbs, there''s also a unique and rare magical herb mixed in this tea. Unfortunately, this herb can only be found in the forest under Sullivan''s territory." Leo told her with bitterness coating his voice as he mentioned the name of the Sullivans. Emily observed her brother for a few silent moments before she decided to ask the question that had been lurking in her mind for quite some time by now. "What''s the bad blood between you and Rylan?" Her voice came out full of curiosity as she stared at her brother with twinkling eyes. Leo immediately looked up to stare at his sister with shocked eyes as he asked, "W-what made you think like that? I mean...is-isn''t it simple that I''m not fond of him considering our families are rivals?" The way he became flustered made a smile appear on Emily''s lips. "I''m not that dumb, brother. I know that the grudge that the two of you are holding against each other is more than just because of the rivalry between our families. I just know that there''s a story and that too an interesting one." Leo looked at the smiling girl as he shook his head before muttering, "You know nothing." Emily nodded her head in agreement with his statement as she replied, "Of course! But that''s because you are not telling ne anything. Not did Rylan and Shane. Every time I brought up this topic they played it down by diverting the conversation. So, please tell me." Leo was about to open his mouth, obviously not to answer her question, when they heard voices coming from the stairs. Soon enough, the rest of the Alessandro brothers appeared in the living room followed by Sam, Domenic''s secretary, the head of the Security of the Alessandro mansion, and Shade. "Are you alright?" Daniel asked as he took a seat beside her on the sofa. Everyone''s attention was on the girl as they waited to listen to her reply. "I''m much better. Leo has been a great company." Emily immediately replied with a sweet smile as she let the fingers of one of her hands curl around Daniel''s arm. Crist chuckled as he patted Leo on his shoulder before taking a seat beside his youngest brother. The others too settled down on the sofas. The head of the security disappeared from the living room along with Domenic''s secretary. The only person remained there, who was not a part of their family, was the Shadow guy. Rather than sitting, he kept standing behind Domenic in a carefree attitude. However, she could see the sharpness and alertness in his beautiful amber eyes. "Emilia." Her attention was pulled towards Domenic who was looking directly at her. His green eyes did not hold any warmth in them but they were not cold either. "There are some things that we need to clear." He spoke that single sentence which made her gulp down her saliva in nervousness. One of the things that she hated the most was letting down Domenic by doing something stupid. And somehow, she knew that he was not really impressed by her behavior. Or at least, that''s what she thought. Daniel noticed the stiffness in her body and immediately snaked his arm around her shoulders, instantly making her relax as she felt his support beside her. "From today onwards, Shadow is going to be your new personal guard. He will become your shadow and protect you at all costs." Domenic laid down the first change that had hit her life. Her eyes traveled to look at the man who was standing behind her guardian. His eyes staring right back at her. "Can I trust him?" She could not help but ask, her eyes returning to look at Domenic once again. "Even though I''ve already looked into his background and made sure that he can be trusted, I''ll let you decide for yourself," Domenic answered with a look of assurance in his eyes. However, Emily was left confused. She was about to ask what he exactly meant by his statement when Shadow decided to speak. "There will be a team of hidden guards around us all the time. This team is personally trained by the Third Young Master. You won''t find yourself alone with me until the day you can trust me with your eyes closed." Emily was left shocked as she first stared at Shadow and then at her eldest brother who nodded his head in agreement. What else she could say? Therefore, she just nodded her head in acceptance. "Moving on, I know that what happened today was something that you were not prepared for and I''m fully aware that you were worried about Daniel''s safety. But you need to remember, in the future never make this mistake again. You should escape from that place immediately and that''s an order, Emilia Alessandro." Domenic''s voice came out cold and commanding as he stared directly into her eyes. Emily could feel tears threatening to spill but she did not want to cry in front of a stranger. However, when she looked up at the spot where Shadow had been standing, she found it empty. The man had left the living room at some point and as soon as she realized it, she was no longer able to control her tears. She was expecting to hear Domenic''s angry voice or Mark''s taunt. Rather, everyone stayed silent as she cried silently. Daniel''s hand tightened around her shoulder as his fingers started drawing circles on her upper arm, a tactic that he often used to calm her. She felt someone crouching down in front of her and when she saw familiar hands covering her own small ones, she moved her face up to look at Domenic. "Sorellina, I know that you don''t want to agree with what I''m telling you to do, but you have to keep in mind that you are the life of the Alessandro family. You are the one who''s most important to all of us. That you are our strength. All we want from you is that you never forget this. You need to stay safe, sweetheart. If you are safe and happy, we can fight and win all our wars. Will you do that for me? Will you keep yourself safe for your brothers, for your family?" Chapter 105 - The Power Of Alessandro Empire Emily clutched Domenic''s hands tightly in her small ones as she looked at him with her tear-filled eyes. She did not respond to his question verbally, rather, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Her eyes landed on Crist and Leo who were sitting opposite her. They gave her soft encouraging smiles as their eyes held immense love for her. "I''m going to take this as a yes, Emilia. I hope you will remember this promise of yours in the future." Domenic whispered into her ear as he rubbed her back softly. The two finally pulled away after a few minutes and Domenic took a seat on the single sofa next to her. On the other hand, Simon decided to take a seat beside her. It made her sandwiched between Daniel and him. "Do you know who did this?" Emily asked after everyone was settled once again. The brothers passed each other quick glances before Daniel decided to answer her question. "Our team is investigating the matter. So far we haven''t found much about it. But if we have to make a guess then we think that this was done by those same people who tried to kidnap you a few months ago." Emily felt a cold shiver running down her spine as she thought about that eventful night. Simon noticed her discomfort and pulled her against him to wrap the little girl in his large overcoat. The inside of the mansion was protected by various spells that kept the house warm during the winter season. That''s why most of them were wearing normal clothes rather than warm coats. "Do you think someone is purposely targeting me?" Emily found herself asking as she weaved her fingers with Daniel''s large ones. "Our family has succeeded in creating many competitors throughout our climb to the top. It''s quite normal that there are some enemies out there too who wish for our failure day and night. If they want to get even with us, you would be their first target, Em." Crist answered her question with full honesty. He did not want to keep her in fake security and assurance, none of the brothers wanted that. "Why is our family so powerful? Why are we strong enough to challenge the Sullivans and other Supernaturals?" Emily knew that she was challenging her luck by asking this question but she really wanted to know the answer. If worse came to worst, her question would be ignored. But it was still worth a try. All her brothers turned to look at Domenic who had been silently observing them for the last few minutes. He looked directly at her as he asked, "You really want to know?" Emily did not waste any time before she hurriedly nodded her head in reply. Her guardian brother took a deep breath before he relaxed into his seat. He was silent for a few seconds before he finally launched into the story. "Our ancestors moved to this city nearly three hundred years ago. At that time, this city was under the rule of the Evans family." As soon as he ended that sentence, Emily found herself staring at her brother in total surprise. "Sam?" She asked or more like shouted as she waited for his brother''s reply. "Right! Sam is the current heir of the Evans Empire. But three hundred years ago, it was his dad and uncle who ruled the city." Domenic answered her question with a slight nod of his head. "Somehow, our ancestors ended up working for Sam''s uncle. That was the first time when Alessandro and Evans''s family started a business deal." "Our ancestors were as good in business as one could. With the help of Evans, they soon established a business within this city. Do you what kind of supernatural is Sam?" Domenic suddenly asked her, making everyone turn their attention towards her. Emily hesitated for a while before she decided to reply, "He...he''s a...a....VA-vampire, right?" The smile that bloomed on Leo''s lips answers her question before Domenic could. "That''s right. He''s a vampire and a good one. Then tell me what you know about vampires." Emily was silent for a while as she tried to remember all that she had learned about the Vampire race so far. "Well, they are undead who needs blood to survive. However, it''s forbidden for them to drink from humans and they can only drink from blood bags. That''s why many blood banks work for Vampire clans all over the world." When she saw Domenic nodding at her with pride filling his beautiful eyes, she got back a little bit of her confidence as she continued. "There are many who don''t agree with this law but if anyone tries to oppose it then they are considered as a criminal by the vampire council. Also, most of the vampires, which means almost ninety percent of their total population, can''t stand heavy sunlight. Only those who are born as vampires can easily handle sunlight." She finished and immediately got a shoulder pat from Daniel who gave her a big smile, telling her that he too was proud of her. Their reactions made a smile appear on her face as she turned her attention towards her eldest brother. "You are on the right track. Since the vampires could not handle the sunlight, they needed someone who can be trustworthy enough to handle their matters during the daylight. Since our ancestors were in debt of the Evans'' family, they started working for them." "Time passed and the bond between our families grew stronger with it. Strong enough that after hundreds of years we are still working together." The room was silent for a few minutes before Emily decided to speak, "So, the reason behind our family''s power is the Evans'' family?" When she saw Domenic immediately shaking his head in disagreement, she was left confused. "We help Evans with their business while they provide their aid in the form of a higher level of security and a little bit of their supernatural powers that we use very rarely. You will be surprised to know that our family is currently far more powerful than the Evans." Domenic tried to explain. However, Emily was only getting more confused. "I''m not getting it." She said with a frown on her face. "When our families first came together, it was the time when supernaturals first decided to reveal themselves to the human population. At that time, we have very little knowledge about them. But in the past few hundred years, our family had gathered as much information about the supernaturals as possible. Back then, we have no safety measures against them. However, now we even know the secrets that can swipe them from the face of the Earth. In short, the time has changed and we no longer need them." Emily could feel the coldness in Domenic''s words and she knew that he really held the power of killing those Vampires or maybe the supernaturals too. Their business empire was no longer limited to City A, not it was limited within the boundaries of their country. From what she had learned about her family power in the past half a year, the Alessandro Empire was spread all over the globe. Hundreds of companies, hotels, resorts, casinos, restaurants, hospitals, schools, universities and research labs were working under the name of Alessandro Empire. She even knew that Domenic had connections with Governments of various countries and even the Supernatural Councils located in different parts of the globe. In short, her brother and the empire that he ruled were indeed powerful enough to shake anyone to their core. "Why haven''t you done that yet?" She could not help but ask as she looked at him to listen to his answer. A smile broke on his lips at her questions as he shook his head a little before he replied, "We don''t have anything bad against the Evans. Our families have been friends for centuries and this friendship is built on trust and understanding. What our ancestors did was to make sure that we have a weapon against them to protect ourselves, if a situation like that happened to appear in the future. Having the means of killing them does not mean that we actually want to kill them. Do you really want me to kill Sam?" Emily immediately shook her head in reply. The doctor was too good to die so young. He was such a sweet person that he could easily be mistaken as an angel. "So, we are powerful because we have resources to stand against the supernaturals if a situation like that arises. The friendship between Evans and our family is one of the reasons why our family has reached such a high position and both our families respect this friendship." Emily summarised everything and then looked at her eldest brother who gave her a nod. "Then..., what''s the reason behind the animosity between the Evans and the Sullivans?" Chapter 106 - Mrs. Alessandro "What you guys say about having a movie night tonight? We never had one with our little sister." Crist suggested excitedly and it did not take the others even a minute to agree with his out of the blue proposal. Leo, Crist, and even Daniel started selecting the movies. Domenic, Mark, and Simon were not included in the discussion because according to Leo - "Their tastes in movies are just as weird as their taste in life." As for why she was not included - well! No idea. She turned her face to look at Simon with a pout on her face. He raised his eyebrows at her as if he could not understand why she was not happy with the current situation. "This is such a rude way to tell me that I''m not going to get any more answers today." She muttered out with a small scoff. Simon''s lips twitched at her words but he succeeded in holding his smile before he spoke. "Don''t you think it''s unfair that you got to know something about the past of our family and you still want to know more while you are not telling us anything about your own past?" Emily went silent as she had no answer to his question. She slowly raised her head to look at her brothers and found that they all had become silent just like her. "You all know that I''m not a big fan of the woman who''s known as our mother, right?" Her brothers were not expecting her to suddenly ask such a question and to be honest, she did not know where she was going with this question. She just wanted to show her brothers that she did not only want to be trusted but she also trusted them. "We have come to realize it in the past few months but we still don''t know the main reason. While it''s obvious that she wasn''t the best mother in this world, we still can''t find anything that has made you dislike her so much." It was Daniel who answered her question and she could tell that while her brothers were really curious to know the answer, they were also afraid at the same time. Were they not prepared to find out the real character of the woman who was their mother? The thought did not succeed in making her back down. She was finally ready to reveal a part of her dark past. "When I look back at the time when I was just a little child and my mom was as pure and full of love as a mother should be, I can clearly picture those days as the most beautiful moments of my life." A small smile was visible on her lips as she spoke. While her eyes appeared like she was lost in some faraway world of memories. The brothers stayed quiet as they listened to their sister telling them about her childhood. "At that time, she was a hardworking woman and a great mother too. She used to wake up early in the morning, make breakfast for us, get me ready for school, and then she even dropped me at my school. I used to wait for the school day to end so that I can find her waiting outside the school gates. She used to help me with my homework and assignments. And she cuddled me during the nights. Everything was so sweet and warm during those days." Emily found her eyes becoming heavy as the weight of her memories settled in her heart. She took in a deep breath before she continued. "It was just a few days before my eighth birthday when she returned home very late at night. She was wobbling on her feet and was covered in a very sour smell. Her face was flushed while she could barely open her eyes. That night, she cried. She hugged me so tightly and cried her heart out. To this day I''ve no idea what happened to her that day but whatever it was, it made her broke down in front of her little child. That was the first time I saw her crying and in such a bad state." "A few months after that, she brought a man to our house on her birthday. He was a colleague of hers and according to her words, they were good friends. I was actually happy for her because after her breakdown I finally saw her smiling again. That man was also polite to me. He was not really warm or loving but he wasn''t cold either." "Was she dating him?" It was Leo who asked the question and Emily nodded her head in reply. "They were together for two years but then they broke up when she found out that he had been cheating on her for a while. That day, I got to once again see the broken side of her. She drank a lot that night after their fight and she cried too, but you know what? I was too scared that day to go any closer to her. I just stood in the shadows as I cried along with her." Emily stopped to take a deep breath while she fought to keep her tears at bay. The arm that tightened around her shoulders provided her the support of her brother. "She got depressed after that. It was not really that bad in the starting but it caused many problems at her work since she was not able to put her attention on her job. It took barely five months before she lost her job and that was probably her breaking point." "She started drinking. I found her drunk every once or twice a week. She was searching for jobs but nothing was working out. I needed to take care of her and the house as she started losing herself in the world of alcohol and misery." She felt Daniel''s hands circling around her small ones and that''s when she realized that she was trembling a little. "Em, you don''t have to push yourself." Her second eldest brother whispered into her ear, telling her that they understood. But she shook her head as she replied with a small smile that did not reach her eyes, "I''m okay. This is still the good part of the story." She did not realize that her words were like punches through her brothers'' hearts. Exactly how bad everything turned out after that? "Soon after she started bringing men to our house. First, it was on those days when she went to bars to get drunk but then I got to see them almost every other day. I was barely nine years old at that time but the voices that I got to hear during those days succeeded in running my innocence very early." "At first, she was aware that she had a very young daughter in her house but as time passed, she probably started forgetting about my existence. I always closed myself inside my room to make sure that I won''t stumble across her and her new boyfriend making out around the house half-naked. Maybe if I was not so selfish at that time and only thought about myself, I should have realized that she had started taking drugs too." "But even if I knew, what could have I done to stop her? I was even more helpless than her. Those men who used to visit our house every other day made me so scared that I did not dare to unlock my bedroom door until I was sure that they had left." She felt large hands on her knees which pulled her out of her memories. Her eyes landed on the familiar orbs that belonged to Crist as he crouched in front of her, looking at her with so many emotions filling his own eyes. "Sweetheart, tell me truthfully. Did any of those men try to harm you in any way? You just need to tell us and I swear we will make that person pay." The promise was clear in his voice and she knew that he would do exactly what he was telling her. She tried to smile softly at her brother as she shook her head, "Maybe I was kind of lucky. But other than a few unfortunate incidents during the early days when I was beaten up by two of her boyfriends, nothing much happened after that. I learned to keep myself hidden from them after those first few encounters. Either I hid myself in my room and locked the door or I would run away to the nearby park to wait for them to leave." She felt the darkness that immediately took over Crist''s eyes as he heard her reply. His fingers around her tightened a little as he tried to calm his emotions. She knew that the rest of her brothers were feeling no different. But she also knew that at this point in her life, there''s nothing that they could do about her past. "Is that how you learned to run away at every chance you get?" Mark''s sudden question made her turn to look at the man who was glaring at her with eyes full of disgust and anger. Chapter 107 - Im Not The Perfect Sister "Mark!" Domenic''s sharp voice ranged through the room as he glared at his stupid brother. "Are you disgusted at me?" Emily''s soft voice pulled everyone''s attention towards her. Her green eyes were filled with unshed tears as she looked at Mark while waiting for a reply. "W-what?" Mark felt a punch landing directly on his heart as his mind registered her question. "Do you think I was wrong when I tried to save my life by running away from them? Do you think I was too selfish to not think about her? Is that why you are disgusted at me?" Emily''s questions and her hoarse voice which was filled with pain made all her brothers stop breathing for a second. They knew that telling them about her past with her mother had brought many of her bad memories to the surface. They could see it in her eyes and the way she looked so lost in that moment. No matter how much Mark wanted to speak at that moment, he just could not find his voice. He kept opening and closing his mouth but nothing came out. "Why do you hate me so much?" Emily could not hold the question inside her anymore. It slipped through her lips even before she realized it. A single tear finally rolled down her left cheek and landed on her wrist as she looked at Mark, waiting for him to answer her question. "Em, let''s not talk about this anymore. Don''t pay any attention to him. Alright, sweetheart?" Daniel hurriedly pulled her face to look at him as he tried to make her focus on him. They were afraid that she was going to give in to the darkness of her past and would end up having another episode. A small chuckle escaped her lips but there was no hint of happiness behind it. "Actually, you don''t need to answer that question. It''s not like I''m not aware of the answer. It''s much better for me to speak it out for you than hearing it from your mouth." She pulled herself out of Daniel and Simon''s embrace as she stood up from her seat. She looked at all of her brothers who appeared to be anxious as they watched her closely. It only made her feel sick of herself. She was destroying them, and their happiness. "You know, when I first came here, I was too happy. I thought that maybe finally I''ll get a chance to start over. A chance to leave my past behind and find a family who won''t see me as a burden. But I was too naive." She shook her head as if to get rid of some of her thoughts as she looked at the six males who were sitting in front of her. "I tried to pretend that I can start over. I tried to make myself believe that I can leave my past behind. But I was too naive, Danny. Nothing like that happened. No matter how hard I''m trying, that darkness....it''s not leaving me." Daniel felt his heart becoming heavy as he heard the defeat in her voice. He just wanted to pull his little baby in his arms and tell her that everything was okay. However, he also knew that one wrong move from him and that could trigger her and bring her to the depth of the ocean of darkness through which she was currently struggling to survive. "While all of you always filled me with positivity and warmth, I still was not able to pull myself out of my past. It''s just.....I''m too broken to be mended at this point." Emily could feel her stomach churning as she thought about all those moments when she created scenes in the Alessandro Mansion. "Emilia, it''s alright. Just calm down." Domenic tried to softly pull her attention towards him but she was beyond the listening point. "You all wanna know why Mark hates me so much?" She asked with a soft face as she looked at her brothers to see if they were curious to know the answer. "Em! He does not hate you. Sis, I swear that he doesn''t hate you. It''s just.....Can''t you freaking speak, dude? What are waiting for?" Simon lost his cool as he whispered shouted at his twin brother who appeared as if he had received some kind of immense shock. "I...I-I..." Mark struggled to get words out of his mouth and it only infuriated his brothers who barely succeeded in keeping their anger in check and not lash out at him. "You are actually right. Hate is such a strong word. He probably dislikes me and....you know what? I can understand his reason for disliking me. Not everyone is supposed to like me, right?" Emily asked the question as she looked deep into her thoughts, not knowing that her words were scaring her brothers. Domenic did not waste any more time as he quickly dialed Sam''s number to call his friend immediately. "His life was perfect. But then out of nowhere, a little girl was pushed into his life as his little sister. Of course, it would be hard for him to accept something like that. Maybe he wasn''t as eager for a little sister as the rest of you. After all, he doesn''t appear like someone who loves children." Emily chuckled softly at the thought of seeing a dissatisfied Mark with a bunch of children around him. "He got a sister who''s too weak, who''s broken from inside out. He needed to babysit her, accompany her when he should be enjoying his life. Drop and pick her from school. Look after her when she''s alone. Ain''t I ruining his life?" It was like she was asking the question from herself. And that was when the brothers realized that she was not saying these things out to tell them. Rather, she was speaking them loudly to make herself believe in them, and the realization hit them all hard. "You all know that I used to run away from my foster homes most of the time. It''s normal that he''s worried if I''ll run away from here too. I have done so many stupid things during my time here. I have caused so many problems. I''m not lovable, and I''m definitely not the perfect sister." Emily felt her breathing quickening as she tried to take in deep breaths to not lose her control. "Emy, take in a deep breath, sweetheart." "Sorellina, listen to your brothers. You need to calm down, little one." She could hear her brothers speaking but her eyes were trained at Mark as she realized how much she had destroyed his perfect life in the past few months. It''s like she carried a curse on herself. A curse of destroying everything. A curse that had tainted her and tried to taint anything that came into her contact. "Mark! For heaven''s sake, if you can''t clear up this situation then fucking leave! Can''t you see that your presence is affecting her?" This time Crist did not hold himself down as he shouted at his elder brother. He was tired of Mark''s stupid reaction as he kept looking at Emily which sad eyes. If the man really was sorry then all he needed to do was to speak! "Mark, leave!" This time, it was Domenic who spoke. Though his voice came out calm and low, there was no doubt that he just gave an order with no negotiations. "Don''t!" None of them were expecting Emily to speak. Especially as she contradicted Domenic''s order. "You don''t have to always push him away because of me. Why are you destroying your family for me? He''s a part of your family. And I? I''m just someone you picked up from an orphanage. We are not meant to be a family, Nick." This time Emily did not hold the tears that slipped from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. "Emilia, stop talking nonsense. It''s enough!" Domenic had no idea what to do anymore. He just can''t see his little sister in such a broken state anymore. "I''m not speaking nonsense. Can''t you see? Can''t you see that in destroying your bonds? Can''t you tell that I''m not suitable to be a part of this f-family?" Her voice broke as the reality of her life settle inside her mind and heart. "You are wrong! WE ARE A FAMILY - THE SEVEN OF US! Just because Mark is too naive to accept this truth, it''s his fault. You don''t need to look down on yourself to make him feel proud of his stupid behavior towards you." Leo shouted in anger as he looked at his sister with tears filling his eyes. Emily shook her head as she opened her mouth to respond. However, suddenly someone grabbed her shoulders and pulled her. She felt arms tightening around her neck as if they were trying to choke her life out of her. She felt her breathing stopping as an ear-piercing scream built inside her, but it never left her mouth. Chapter 108 - Shadow Shadow entered the twenty-eight storey building that was the home of thousands of shapeshifters and humans who worked under the Sullivan Corporation. As soon as people walking around the lobby recognized his powerful aura, they dropped on their knees to greet him. No one dared to stop him as he walked into the private elevator and headed straight to the presidential floor where CEO Sullivan''s office was located. As soon as he disappeared inside the elevator, the receptionist quickly dialed Mr. Kim''s number to alert him. What she did not expect was for the elevator door to open as soon as she ended the call and a pair of fiery eyes landed on her. She would have ended up losing her soul if the man had kept staring at her for even one more second. He was just as deadly in beauty as he was in power. His entire persona screamed danger and his eyes - they promised a life worse than death. If Kaiden Sullivan and Domenic Alessandro were known as the cold-blooded monsters with hearts of stone, then Shadow was even worse than them. Because no matter how cold-hearted those two Young Masters were towards the rest of the world, their hearts were filled with love for their dear ones. But the same could not be said about Shadow. He had no one to love and care for, and that was probably the reason behind his cruelty and heartlessness. The woman did not even realize that she had stopped breathing. If not for her companion who hurriedly tried to calm her, she would definitely have ended up as a pile on the floor. "Why is he here?" One of the men who had been hiding behind one of his colleagues asked in a meek voice as he rubbed his heart as if he was trying to calm it down. "Stop it! Don''t talk about him behind his back. It''s forbidden and could lead you guys towards the end of your mortal lives." It was a fox shifter who spoke as she warned all of them to keep their curiosity on hold for the time being. "Then....What are we going to do now?" Another man asked as he looked at his colleagues with questioning eyes. Everyone was silent for the next few seconds before the fox lady once again decided to speak. "Let''s continue doing whatever you were working on. If not for him, then we will definitely lose our lives to CEO Sullivan." As soon as everyone heard her words, they all immediately returned to their works. Even though their CEO was not as ruthless and barbaric as the King of the Undead, but they did not doubt that he would make them suffer if they failed in doing their jobs. On the other hand, the elevator doors opened on the twenty-seventh floor with a ping. A twitch appeared on Shadow''s lips as his eyes landed on the familiar figure who was waiting for his arrival as per his Master''s command. "Mr. Kim, it''s been so long since we last met. You are becoming more and more handsome with time." Shadow commented with a tone that sounded as cold as an iceberg, a complete contrast to his eyes which were filled with fire. "Your Highness!" Mr. Kim politely greeted the man with a bow as he did not comment on the complement that he received from the higher being. "Still the same, I see." Shadow remarked as he looked at the young dragon shifter who appeared so fragile in his human form while he was the complete opposite in his other form. "CEO Sullivan is waiting for you inside his office. This way, please!" Mr. Kim did not waste any more time as he started walking towards his boss'' cabin. Shadow silently followed the dragon shifter and soon they appeared outside the office of CEO Sullivan. As he entered the spacious office room, his eyes immediately landed on the young man who was sitting behind a huge mahogany desk. Even though Kaiden was aware of the Supernatural King''s presence in his office, he did not show any reaction. He had a very important report to study and he was deeply immersed in his work. While the young CEO worked, the ancient Supernatural took a seat on one of the sofas that were placed near the floor-to-ceiling glass window. The two were silent as they busied themselves. One was going through the report of a new proposal while the other one was busy on his phone as he watched several funny videos to pass his time. It was not until the clock hit eight o''clock in the evening that Young Master Sullivan finally closed his laptop before standing up from his seat and moving towards the shelf behind his desk. He pushed a button and a hidden compartment opened with centuries-old expensive wine bottles sitting in it. Kaiden took out the bottles and two glasses before he joined Shadow. "Why are you City A?" He asked while he opened the bottle and filled the glasses with the rich flavored wine. The aroma filling the air immediately. "I just wanted to personally pay a visit to your new mate. And I must say, she left me surprised and that too in a good way." Shadow sincerely answered as he accepted the wine. Kaiden''s eyes fleshed with a dangerous aura as he glared at the other man. "You better stay away from her. Otherwise, I won''t be able to control the consequences." His voice was filled with dark promises and he left no space for doubts. "You know that you can''t win against me," Shadow said in response to his threat as he sipped the wine even though he really did not enjoy its taste. Everything tasted like dirt to him and all that he wanted to taste at this moment of his life was the rich flavor of Divine Elixir. "Maybe not in a direct fight. But I can sure find a way to make you suffer." Kaiden replied with a small twitch on his lips. "That you can." With Shadow''s acceptance, the office was once again filled with silence. The two men silently sipped their wine even when neither of them was enjoying it. "Thanks for saving Daniel. I know that you did it to make your way into her life, but still...! Since you have been keeping eyes on Alessandro''s and everything that was happening around them, I''m sure you are aware of the identity of those who were behind this incident." Since it was not exactly a question, Shadow did not bother to answer. "There are so many people who have been waiting for her arrival. She''s too unique for this world and that uniqueness is going to bring dangers in her life. Either you can protect her with everything that you got, or you can teach her to protect herself with everything that she had." Shadow''s reply made Kaiden fell into deep thought. He took in a deep breath before he gulped down all the contents of his glass and putting it on the table. "I know why you are here and I think Domenic knows it too since he has given you the position of her bodyguard. I know that you will be the best person to make her come out of her comfort zone. All that I''m asking you is to keep your heart at bay. Don''t end up falling for in the process of reaching your destiny." A chuckle escaped Shadow''s lips as he too finished his wine and set the empty glass on the table. "No matter how precious it unique she is, but she can never be lucky enough to make me care for her from my heart." He stood up from his seat as he finished speaking those words. His aura once again turning as cold as usual. "I''m relieved to hear that. I wish that you will be able to finally find the peace that you have been looking for." Kaiden said as he too stood up to get his blazer from his chair behind the desk. "I''ll try to keep her safe, but don''t put too much faith in me. Also, someone will send you the information about the culprits for whom you are looking for." Shadow whispered before he walked out of the office. Kaiden stood in his empty office as he looked outside the window at the bustling night view of City A. The image of a little girl with eyes glowing with life, appeared in front of his vision, bringing a small smile to his lips. He had been watching her for months as she moved forward in her life, but little did he knew that the demons inside her were trying to pull her back into the world of darkness. He had missed her a lot in the past few months and all he wanted at the current time was just to go and see her, feel her smile radiating the world around her and filling him with the warmth that he needed. It''s decided! He''s going to celebrate his Christmas with her! Chapter 109 - Little Star Mark sat on the chair beside Emily''s bed in the dimly lit room as he waited for her to finally wake up. It had been more than two hours and she still had to wake up. He once again recalled Sam''s assurance that she was perfectly fine and just needed a little time to rest. He took her small hand in his large ones as he thought about how he ended up hugging her two hours ago when she was almost on the brink of a breakdown. He was afraid of disturbing her thoughts but at the same time, he knew that he needed to stop her. That''s why without thinking about the consequences anymore, he ended up finally hugging her for the very first time since she returned. "I don''t hate you, Little Star." Mark whispered softly as he rubbed her fingers with such gentleness as if he was holding porcelain. He drew in a deep breath before he continued in a soft voice. "You know when you were born and I first got to see you....I was so surprised to see such a cute little thing bundled up in Domenic''s arms. He refused to let go of you and no matter how much the rest of us quarreled with him to hold you even once, he did not back down." A huge smile was covering his face as he recalled those memories. He was barely five years old at that time but he still remembered everything very clearly. "Your arrival filled our mansion with happiness. Your small smile held so much power. Your eyes were like the emeralds as they used to twinkle when you looked at us." He shook his head as if he was trying to bring himself out of his thoughts. "Even back then, I was used to be too afraid and hesitant around you. I was afraid that I would end up hurting you I won''t be careful and because of that fear, I lost my chance of spending those beautiful moments with you. The day Jianna took you away, I was left shattered. I just wanted my little star back with me. I remember very clearly that all of us brothers cried in dad''s arms that night, requesting him to bring you back." The room was filled with silence for the next few moments as Mark tried to get a grip on his emotions. Recalling the past was definitely not a good feeling, especially when it''s a past full of pain and suffering. "Years passed after that day but you never returned. And when almost most of us gave up the hope of ever finding you again, you returned..." ".....but you were no longer that small baby who could barely utter a word of understanding. You were almost seventeen and I could not find my Little Star in those green eyes that were so familiar but at the same time looked as strange as one could." His hold on her hand tightened as he thought about the day when Domenic brought her home. She looked nothing like his Little Star whose emerald eyes used to shine like stars. Rather, her eyes were filled with insecurity, sadness, and a lot of pain. His heart immediately refused to recognize her. Even though she looked like his baby sister, she was nothing like her. "I was harsh towards you in the beginning because I wanted to keep my distance from you, but then I started seeing glimpses of my Little Star every now and then." He went silent as he looked at her sleeping frame. She looked so innocent and naive, just like a little girl who was unaware of all the darkness that was filling the world. "But no matter how much my heart was ready to accept you back in my life and this family, my mouth refused to say these words out." "And then I realized that in the middle of all the love that you were receiving from others, you needed someone who can help you get out of your comfort zone and make you challenge yourself. And when the others refused to do that, I decided to help Domenic and react harshly towards you." Once again he stopped to collect his emotions before he continued his confession. "I know that my way of doing all this was nothing like Domenic. No matter how cold and harsh he reacted towards you most of the time, he also showed his warm side to you when you needed it. But I''m not as strong as him. If I''ve let my care for you come out even once, I don''t think I would have been able to go back to my harsh and indifferent behavior..." "...that was why I reacted so coldly towards you. I decided to be the bad brother to help you because I know that the others would never let you down. What I did not expect was that you were actually affected by my cold behavior to such an extent. I want to see you strong and independent, not sad and full of pain." His eyes were filled with pain as he looked at the sleeping girl. How much he wanted to wake her up and tell her that he did not hate her. He had never hated her. She was the most precious person in his life along with the rest of his brothers and he could do anything for her happiness. "I won''t continue this stupid act of mine anymore. I just want to see you happy and if it means that I need to become the brother on whom you can rely on and put your faith in, I will do my best to become just like that." His eyes held the promise and there was no hesitation in them. His attention was pulled away from his little sister when he heard soft knocks on her bedroom door. "Mark, Domenic is calling you downstairs." It was Crist who appeared in the bedroom to inform his brother about the meeting that their eldest brother had called to share something important. His eyes landed on the sleeping form of the little girl and a small sad smile appeared on his lips. "She looks so calm right now." Crist whispered as he kept watching his baby sister with eyes filled with immense warmth and love for her. "She does," Mark replied as he rested her hand on the bed before pulling the duvet to cover her hand. He gave a last look at her before he stood up to face his brother. "I don''t know what''s going on with you, Mark. But one thing that I know for sure is that you don''t hate her as she believes. We can see it very clearly bro, you care about her just as much as we all do. I just hope that whatever you are doing, it won''t hurt her in a way that will be impossible to cure." Crist''s words were soft but the meaning behind them was filled with a harsh reminder. Mark nodded his head before the two young men left the room. The room was silent for the next few moments and it was not until it was clear that no one was going to enter the room, did Emily finally opened her eyes. A tear rolled down from the corner of her eyes while a small smile bloomed on her lips. She heard every single word that Mark just confessed. The way her heart filled with warmth after hearing him speak his heart out to her, only she knew how she kept the facade of sleeping. All the anger, sadness, pain, and suffering that she went through because of his cold words in the past few months, all had vanished, leaving her heart light and warm. All that she wanted to do was to run after him and threw herself in his arms, forgetting the past and celebrating their reunion. However, she knew that she could not do that. She had decided, she was not going to ruin his hard work. He had done so much for her, going as far as to become the bad guy just so that she could become stronger. How could she let him down after knowing all this? She was going to give her hundred percent to become stronger and independent. "So you are not sleeping anymore, are you?" The sudden voice that filled her bedroom made her jump as she hurriedly sat up on her bed to look around. Her eyes landed on the figure of the man who was standing next to her study table while looking through her notes. "When did you enter my room? I did not saw you enter." Emily asked as she switched on the lamp sitting on her bedside table. A small twitch appeared on his lips as he looked at the girl while answering, "You are forgetting that I''m not a human, Princess. By the way, go get a shower. Then we will head downstairs for dinner." Chapter 110 - The Banquet Invitation "So we all are going, right?" Crist asked Domenic while raising both of his eyebrows in question. "Hmm." That was all he got in response but that was enough to clear his confusion. "Are you sure, Dom? I mean this banquet that the Council is throwing for Christmas is not only too sudden but also suspicious. Before this, they never held a banquet during Christmas time. Then what''s so new about this year." Mark showed his concern as he still could not believe that the supernatural council decided to throw a banquet all of a sudden. "Guys, it''s just a banquet. There''s no need to be so worried about it. I know you all are anxious because Em will be joining us this time, but still, you guys need to chill." Leo decided to speak as he could no longer stand their constant naggings about the banquet. "Yeah, a banquet full of powerful supernaturals from all races." Crist could not help but add. A sigh escaped Domenic lips as he finally put down his tablet to give his attention to his brothers. "Would you rather have us leave her alone in the Mansion while we will be away at the banquet?" His question immediately brought silence among his brothers as they realized the consequences of not taking her along with them. "What if one or two of us stay here with her? The tight security around the mansion and two of us will be enough to keep her safe for four or five hours, right?" As Crist looked at others to find some support for his idea, all that he found was dissatisfaction. "That question at the end of your suggestion is our answer, bro," Simon replied with a shake of his head. "You all are taking this matter too seriously. While you guys are planning about how to stop her from going to the banquet, she has been preparing the entire day for attending this exact banquet. I think you should keep her feelings in mind before taking any decision." Shadow''s voice landed in their ears as the man appeared in the living room all of a sudden. His name suited him perfectly because he always acted like a shadow. You won''t see him entering or leaving a room, however, you would always find him at unexpected places. He was just like a shadow - silent and dark. Hidden in the blackness as he performed his duty. "And how do you know that?" Leo immediately asked as he did not like the fact that the Shadow man knew something about Emily that he still had to find out. "Because I''m her bodyguard. I know things about her that you all don''t." Shadow''s reply was quick and swift, immediately making the brothers look at him with dislike filling their eyes. "You have been assigned as her bodyguard for barely three days for now. Don''t give that lame excuse of an answer to us." Crist immediately countered. "Three days were enough for me to learn about her character and her attitude. I''m a quick learner." Shadow replied with ease. "Were you stalking her? Is that how you find out about her preparing for the banquet?" Leo asked as he looked at the Shadow man with suspicious eyes. "Let me say it again. I''m her bodyguard, meaning I protect her, not stalk her." Shadow once again replied with an ease that just made Leo and Crist dislike him. Mark and Simon too were not that fond of Shadow, and while the two oldest brothers did not dislike Shadow, they too were not liking the fact that the supernatural was learning about their little sister''s likes and dislikes too quickly for their comfort. "I don''t like him!" Leo commented all of a sudden as he clearly showed his dislike towards the supernatural. "Neither do I." Crist also did not hesitate to show his feelings either. "I think me and Simon will also agree on this matter," Mark muttered as he stretched his limbs before once again relaxing in his seat. "What a coincidence? I feel the same towards the four of you." Shadow countered with a small smirk decorating his lips. "..." The four of them stared at Shadow with their mouths hanging open as they could not believe that the man still held such calmness. One of them probably had passed another fiery response if not for the sharp glare that they received from Daniel. "What''s your thought about all this?" Domenic asked Shadow in a serious tone as he ignored his four younger brothers and their childish behavior. "To be honest, I think she would be far safer if you let her join the banquet. The six of you will be there with her, along with all your main security. Other than that the Sullivans and Evans would also be there. I''m sure that they will protect her with everything that they have. And...I''ll be by her side too. So, let her enjoy this little chance." Shadow gave a last serious look to the head of the Alessandro Empire before he walked out of the study where all the brothers were currently assembled. "Why do you trust him so much?" Simon asked after a few moments of silence. Domenic was silent for the next few minutes as he looked deep into his thoughts. Daniel gave his right shoulder a soft pat that finally made him pull out of his deep thoughts. A small sigh left his lips as he looked at the rest of his brothers as he spoke. "I have decided, Emilia will be joining us for this banquet and that''s final. Moreover, I want you guys to respect Shadow. Just because he''s assigned as our little sister''s bodyguard doesn''t mean that his background is simple. He is someone who deserves respect.....because he has owned it. So the four of you better behave in the future." Domenic gave a serious look to all the four brothers - Mark, Simon, Crist, and Leo, before he stood up from his seat and walked out of the study to finally take a rest. Everyone was silent for some time as they just looked at each other with confusion clearly written on their faces. "What''s going on, Danny? Who''s Shadow? Is he ain''t some normal supernatural?" Crist asked his second eldest brother in the hope of getting some answers. Clearly, he hoped for too much! Rather than answering his questions, Daniel just shook his head before he left the room. "What the..." The disappointment on Crist''s face was as clear as day and it made Leo burst out into chuckles. "Can''t you two try to find out about Shadow and his background by using your resources?" Crist asked Mark as he tried to ignore Leo and his stupid chuckles. "Already tried it! They found nothing. Not even a single thing. And when I brought this topic in front of Dom, he dismissed me like it was no big news. There''s definitely something fishy going on here." Mark told them as he thought about the day before yesterday when he went to tell Domenic about his findings. "Well, one thing is for sure...." Simon trailed off and did not speak again until all of his brothers were looking at him with raised eyebrows. ".....Shadow is reliable!" ***** A day before ~ "Why do you wanted to see me?" Shadow asked the Shifter Prince as he entered the spacious office of the young CEO Sullivan. The workers of the company were once again left behind with terrified souls as they watched the Supreme Sire once again entering their company building within just a couple of days. "I want you to help me in making Domenic agree to bring her to the Council''s banquet." Kaiden did not beat around the bush as he immediately told him the reason. Shadow stared at the young prince with a little surprise before he shook his head as he spoke, "You clearly surprised me this time. But at least this explains why the Council is suddenly holding a banquet. You are really something." Kaiden closed the file that he was signing before he looked at the ancient old supernatural who was standing at the other end of his desk. "I just suggested the idea of the banquet to them, nothing more." He said with a soft shrug. "Sure! I believe you." Shadow replied with a little smile on his lips as he thought about Domenic''s reaction if he ended up finding about all this. "You will help me, right?" Kaiden asked the man as he tried to not look anxious at all. Shadow was silent for a couple of seconds before he slowly nodded his head as he spoke, "I''ll try my best. Make sure to count this as a small favor that you will need to return in the future." Kaiden immediately nodded his head, not wasting any more time in negotiations. "Are you already in love with her?" Shadow asked with a serious tone as he looked at the young man to read his expressions. Kaiden did not reply immediately as he looked like he was thinking about the question. "I''m not sure, to be honest. But if I''m not wrong, then I think I''m in the process of falling for her." The genuine smile that bloomed on his lips and made his eyes sparkle, gave Shadow the andwer that he was looking for. Chapter 111 - The One Who Needed To Be Saved "Are you done preparing?" Shadow''s smooth voice killed the silence of her bedroom, making Emily turn her attention towards the glass window. The man was sitting on the bean bag as he watched the guards patrolling the perimeters of the mansion. "Don''t pretend anymore. I know that I''m not going." She said with a sigh as she closed her laptop and put it aside. She was just checking the mail that she received from the bank, informing her that her salary for the last month had safely arrived in her account. Her words successfully pulled Shadow''s attention to her as the man turned around to look at her. His face did not let her grasp his emotions. However, the way his amber eyes stared at her made Emily quickly turn away. The man was powerful and smart. Strong too! And his eyes always succeeded in making her give in. "Why do you think so?" "Huh?" She was so distracted by his eyes and her thoughts that she could not grasp the meaning of his question, not until she made a fool of herself. "Well....I.....it''s just....." She did not how to answer that question, so in the end, she just trailed off and lightly shrugged in response. "You are going to attend the Christmas Banquet with your brothers. So you better prepare yourself for it." He informed her before he once again turned his attention towards the patrolling team. "Really?" Emily could not help but ask in amazement as she hurriedly walked towards her new bodyguard. "I don''t lie, Princess." Shadow''s response was so low that it was barely audible but she still succeeded in hearing it. "Really?" She again repeated her question but this time, it sounded different. Shadow turned his head to look at the girl who was standing just a few feet away from him, her beautiful eyes trained on him as if he was a puzzle that she was trying to solve. "Let''s just say that I lie very rarely. So rarely, that I can''t remember the last time I lied about something. And so far....I have not lied to you." His reply made Emily look at him with even greater focus as she tried to recall their previous conversations. "How can you not lie? That''s not normal at all." She finally spoke after a few minutes. Her voice coming out soft and curious. "I''m not normal either. Moreover, I don''t need to lie because I have nothing to fear." Shadow answered as he turned his attention away from the girl. "What are you, Shadow? Who are you?" Emily found herself asking as her eyes refused to leave his face. His side profile appearing so familiar to her even though she was pretty sure that they had never met before. She could feel the familiarity between them. She felt it in her soul, the soft pull that advised her to stay close to him, not because she needed it, rather, because he needed it. Even though he was the one protecting her as her bodyguard but her inner voice we''re telling that in reality, he was the one who needed to be saved. She had felt the pull between them from the very moment they met. It was not the same pull that she had been feeling towards Kaiden or Rylan. It was different. The link that she felt with Rylan was because of the guardian spirit bond. She could feel relieved and assured every time they were together. He had become her best friend along with Shane, and even though she shared no guardian bond with Shane, the two young boys always made her feel well protected. On the other hand, there was no link between her and Kaiden Sullivan. However, she could not deny the pull that she had been feeling every time that man appeared in front of her eyes. Of course, he was handsome and powerful, but the way her heart, soul, and body reacted towards him was not normal. She remembered those soft electric tingles that erupted all over her body every time he touched her. The way her breathing and heartbeat tended to accelerate at his nearness. The way his beautiful eyes held the power of pulling her into a vast ocean of something mysterious. These reactions that she had been feeling towards him were definitely not normal. However, no matter how hard she tried to find the reason behind them, she had not succeeded so far. And now, there was another person who was filling her brain with questions and confusions. The pull that she had been feeling towards Shadow was different from those that she felt towards Rylan or Kaiden. It was pure, full of warmth, and most importantly, it was protective. As if a part of her wanted to protect him from some kind of harm. She could tell that he was powerful. Too powerful to even exist. Every cell in his body screamed power, wealth, and experience. She could tell that he was a man full of mysteries. And somehow, she could even tell that he was the most dangerous creature walking on the Earth. She had no idea why she had such thoughts about him. However, she just knew that they were true. Nonetheless, she never feared him, even for once. She believed him, she trusted him. And these feelings and emotions that she had been experiencing towards this strange man was making her confused. She looked into his eyes that held the answers to all her questions. But she was not capable enough to read them. The man looked at her silently for a few minutes. His eyes assessing her as he thought about her questions before he finally decided to reply. "It''s not the right time for you to learn about my identity, Princess. You are too innocent to learn about my dark world." A soft sigh escaped Emily''s lips as she smiled softly at his response. "Everyone kept saying that. Everyone thinks that I''m too innocent to learn about their dark worlds and the dark secrets that surround them." The sad twitch on her lips made Shadow raised his eyebrows as he asked, "Why? Are you not?" Emily looked into those amber eyes as she shook her head in denial. "No, I''m not. My world is also dark Shadow and in there lies just as many dark secrets as someone like me can have. I''m not innocent, nor I''m safe from the darkness of this world." Her answer made the man look at her with pure confusion covering his face. "What are you talking about, Princess?" Shadow asked as he could tell that she was not just playing around with him. She was telling the truth. "I thought you knew everything," Emily commented as she completely ignored his question. "I''m no elf, Princess," Shadow replied with a shake of his head. "Elf? Oh, those who knew about everything. I think they are even far more reliable than a seer. Right?" Emily asked curiously. "Indeed. They know everything and their information is far more reliable, but they are treacherous. They will surround you with riddles that you can never solve and the payments that you need to make in return for their help could be the end of your happiness. That''s why I''ll advise you to stay as far away from an elf as possible." Shadow informed her as he looked at her, trying to read her mood. "Alright! I''ll keep that in mind." Emily said before she fell silent. The two of them were silent and Shadow still could not pull his eyes away from the girl. He had always felt the darkness lurking around her. He had recently learned about her episodes and that she did not have a perfect childhood. He first wanted to know more about her past but then stopped himself. There was no point in doing that. However, as he looked at her now, he could see that the darkness around her felt familiar. It was not the darkness that she experienced because of her mother and her downfall, rather, it was the darkness that she experienced while going through a life that was worse than death. He felt something inside him shrinking in horror as he noticed that very darkness still looming in her eyes. His hands twitched to grasp her smaller hands and delve into her memories to see exactly what had happened to her, but he did not. He could not cross that line. He needed to maintain his distance from her. He only came to find her because she was the only one who could help him get rid of all his burdens and pains. He just needed to wait for a little more time and then he would leave her forever. He would leave everyone and everything behind, finally finding the peace that he had been searching for centuries. For him, Immortality was not a gift. Rather, it had become a cage for him. A bane that he wanted to get rid of. And Emily was his only chance! Chapter 112 - He Found Her "Can I seriously not wear sneakers? I don''t think they will look that bad." Emily once again tried to plea but as soon as she saw Bianca shaking her head as she took the beautiful silver heels out of the box and placed them near her feet, she knew that her pleading was not going to work. "Bianca...." Emily gave a last try but was immediately disturbed when a loud knock on her bedroom door pulled their attention. A man clad in a black fitting suit with perfectly styled hair entered her bedroom. He looked so much different from his usual self and the two of them could do nothing but stare at the handsome creature standing in front of their eyes. "What''s taking you guys so long? Jackson has been waiting downstairs for more than an hour, Miss Bianca." Shadow''s voice was gruff as he kept his attention on the woman who was supposed to help Emily in getting ready. Bianca was clearly not expecting to come across his angry mood as she hurriedly responded, "We are almost done. All that''s remaining is for Me to wear her heels and then she will be ready to leave." Shadow still did not look at Emily as he spoke to the witch, "I''ll take care of the rest. You should go and check on your mate." "Umm..., well....okay! I''ll be taking my leave then." Bianca said as she hurriedly picked up her purse before she came to stand in front of Emily and spoke in a serious tone. "I''ll see you at the banquet and don''t you dare wear sneakers. You need to look perfect. Got that?" Emily just replied with a little nose scrunch which made Bianca smile at her with warmth-filled eyes. The woman planted a soft kiss on the young girl''s forehead before she left the bedroom, leaving Shadow to take care of the rest. A sigh left Emily''s lips as she turned her attention towards the beautiful pair of heels that were resting near her feet. Just when she was about to reach for them, she found someone kneeling in front of her. Shadow''s cold fingers pulled the heel out of her hand before he started helping her in sliding the heel on her feet and strapping it. "Y-you...I''ll do it myself.....you don''t need to..." Even before she could finish, he had already secured both of her heels in their places. "Why don''t you want to wear them?" He asked as he finally moved his eyes to look at her face. She was looking so beautiful. Bianca really did a fabulous job in getting Emily ready for the banquet. She was wearing a golden peach-colored tea-length dress with a square neckline. Her long brown hair was left loose in curls that bounced around as she moved. She was wearing a long ear cuff in a light golden color that almost reached the top of her left shoulder. A diamond bracelet, gifted by Daniel, was wrapped around her left wrist. Other than mascara and lip gloss, there was no touch of makeup on her beautiful face. But even then she appeared as beautiful as an angel. She was looking exactly like the elegant, rich, and educated Young Miss of a rich family that she was. Her heels gave her height of five-three a little boost, making her realize that wearing her was definitely not that bad of an idea. As Emily heard his question, she replied with a small smile, "I just feel like I''ll be cursing them by the end of the banquet. That''s why I wanted to wear my sneakers." A small twitch appeared on Shadow''s lips as he took out a small black velvet box from his suit pocket. "Where''s Daniel?" She asked as she watched him taking out the mysterious box. "There was an urgent call from some clients. He''s in the study at the moment, attending to whatever important thing his clients have to discuss with him. We will be leaving for the banquet within the next ten minutes." He informed her as he kept his eyes locked on the small box in his hands. "What''s this?" She finally asked when the man kneeling in front of her did not seem to move or speak at all for quite some time. Shadow finally looked up at her and there was a barely noticeable smile playing on his lips as he answered, "It''s something that I''ve prepared for you. I hope you will not only like it but will also accept it." After saying that, he brought the box in front of her face before he slowly opened it. Emily was left speechless when her eyes landed on the beautiful ring that was sitting inside the box. Even though she was not a big fan of jewelry, she could still recognize a masterpiece when she saw it. As Shadow took the ring out from the box, she noticed its fine design. There were three small leaves made of gold with very fine diamonds lining them. A huge emerald crystal set in the center of the ring and she noticed that there were carvings of some kind visible at the very bottom of the emerald. Before she knew what was going on, Shadow took hold of her right hand as he slipped the ring down her finger. *** "Master, this envelop is sent by the Secretary of the Supreme Sire." A woman in a dark red knee-length official dress entered the office before she bowed to her master and placed the envelope on the desk. Another woman with short blonde hair and hazel eyes was sitting at the other end of the table, clearly enjoying the chocolate cake that she had already finished. The poor secretary could only stare at the empty plate with horror but did not dare to speak at all. She just stood there in silence, waiting for her Master''s command. The said master licked off the last traces of the chocolate that was left on her spoon before she turned her attention towards her secretary. "Tell the chef to increase the size of the cake. That old man is becoming more and more daring. Can you believe that he sent me such a small-sized cake? It barely took me five minutes to finish it! I could not even enjoy it properly." The woman was half complaining and half reprimanding as she glared at the empty plate before signaling for her Secretary to take away that plate. As her secretary ran to make the plate disappear from her office room, the blonde-haired woman used that time to open the envelope and look at whatever she had received from the man who ruled the world of the Supernaturals. She took out the parchment and a pen drive, there was nothing else in that envelope. She unfolded the letter and found a single line written in it - "You are going to become fat, supernatural or not!" "Jeez!" She crumbled the letter before she tossed it at the dustbin. She was about to do the same with the pen drive but she stopped herself at the very last moment. No matter how unlikeable that man was, he would never waste his time in sending her a useless pen drive. With that reminder popping up in her mind, she inserted the pen drive into her laptop and started looking for whatever secrets that little gadget held in it. "Who''s she?" It was her secretary who had returned and was currently standing behind her chair, looking at the same images that she was seeing. "Not sure! But she looks like someone in her teenage. And she''s so pretty." The blonde-haired woman replied with a look of interest in her hazel eyes. "Why would the Supreme Sire send images of a girl to us? Is he too free to waste his time like this?" The secretary was clearly left surprised and confused by the images of the beautiful girl which were spread over the screen of her boss'' laptop. "Di you seriously think that he will do anything without any reason!" Her boss asked as she closed the pictures and searched through the other files. The secretary was silent for a few seconds before she immediately shook get head in denial. "No matter how unpredictable he is, there''s still no chance that he would waste his time in such things. He thinks too highly of himself to do such childish things." Her boss immediately turned around in her chair, scaring the freaking daylights out of the poor secretary. "I knew that you are intelligent enough to judge his character perfectly. You are so intelligent, Marine." And with these sweet words, the boss once again turned her focus on her laptop. Only heavens knew if she was really praising her secretary or making fun of her. "Oh my!" The shocked voice of her boss made Marine look at the laptop screen and what she found there left her surprised just as much as her boss. "Wait! Is that......Is the girl.......she''s the one....." Marine could barely complete her questions but her boss was already nodding her head with surprise and excitement filling her eyes. "He found her! We found her, Marine! We found her! Let''s go and get her before someone else grabs what is ours to claim!" Chapter 113 - The Banquet (Part One) "Are you sure it''s going to work?" Crist asked as he eyed the ring on Emily''s hand. Rather than answering, Shadow decided to ignore the Fifth Young Master of the Alessandro Empire as he disappeared through the large wooden doors that opened into a long hallway. "He''s really something!" Leo muttered as he moved his fingers through his brown locks to give them some volume. "He just doesn''t like to talk unnecessarily." Emily defended her bodyguard as she noticed Domenic and Daniel finally coming out of the secret room that was located at the other end of the corridor where she was currently standing with the rest of her brothers. "You are looking so beautiful, Sorellina," Daniel commented as he gave her a huge smile while giving a little pat on her head, making sure not to mess her hairstyle. "Thank you." Emily beamed at her brother as she looked at his sky blue attire. He looked just as handsome and perfect as one could. In fact, all her brothers were looking so handsome and dashing. "Shall we?" Domenic asked as he came beside her and offered his arm, looking at her with raised eyebrows as he waited for her answer. Without missing a beat, Emily immediately took hold of his arm as she gave a nod in reply to his question. The seven siblings entered the long hallway that was supposed to lead them to the second floor where the banquet was taking place. She was in the front of the group with Domenic by her side. While her brother looked like he owned the damn place, she could feel her heartbeat increasing rapidly with each step that she was taking towards their destination. She tried her best to not let her nervousness show on her face as she tried to appear as calm and confident as she could muster. However, she knew that she could not fool everyone for so long. They were near the staircases when suddenly a familiar voice stopped them. As she turned with her brother to look at the group of men who were coming towards them, Emily immediately recognized the Sullivan brothers, Shane and Mr. Kim. "Damn! You are....looking like a girl for a change!" Rylan commented as soon as he approached their group. His eyes were filled with sparkles as he enjoyed teasing her. Shane clapped Rylan on his shoulder as he burst out into chuckles, probably seeking fun at the moment. "You guys are pumpkins!" Emily muttered as she glared at the two boys, making sure to show her dissatisfaction. The silence that followed her words made her look at everyone with raised eyebrows. "Pumpkins? Like seriously, Em?" Shane asked with huge soccer-like eyes as he stared at her to make sure that he had not misheard. "You guys are fortunate because I''m not allowed to curse. So be a pumpkin for the time being!" Emily replied with a soft shrug. Her answer made many of her brothers burst out into chuckles. She even noticed a proud look in Daniel''s eyes. And then, her eyes finally landed on the man who had become someone that always lurked in her thoughts. She was surprised to see him wearing anything but dark-colored clothes. He decided to go with a white suit for the banquet. His silver hair matched his clothes and the icy blue eyes were a beautiful contrast to his attire. She noticed that his necktie was a little crooked. It was just so minor that barely anyone could point it out unless they were looking at his necktie in particular. But she did notice it. Her hands itching to help him position it perfectly. However, she controlled her hands from doing anything stupid. "Miss Alessandro, you are looking so beautiful tonight," Kaiden spoke as he took hold of her hand and bent his head to plant a soft kiss on the back of her palm. Her heart fluttered inside her chest as she felt his soft lips coming in contact with her hand. She could not even promise that she was not blushing like an idiot at that moment. Because her cheeks were sure on flames as she tried to not react. And even though her eyes were plastered on the Prince with silver hair and blue eyes, she could feel the shock that her brothers received by Kaiden''s act. "How dare..." Her attention was pulled towards Mark who was glaring daggers at Kaiden. In fact, almost all of her brothers were glaring at Kaiden with murderous looks in their eyes. She felt her heart shaking in fear as she pictured her brothers destroying the handsome face of the Young CEO, but before her imagination could come true, Domenic decided to interfere. "He''s just being POLITE! No need to create a scene." And even though his words were in some sort of Kaiden''s support, there was no doubt that even he was not happy about what he just witnessed. He confirmed his dissatisfaction when he pulled Emily''s hand out of Young Prince''s grasp and pulled his little sister by his side, creating quite a distance between her and Kaiden. "Even I''m shocked. My brother is no longer acting like my brother." Rylan spoke as he shook his head lightly before he marched towards the stairs. It barely took him ten seconds before he disappeared from their eyesight along with Shane. "I will be looking forward to ask you for a dance. I wish that I can have the pleasure of dancing with such a beautiful young lady." Kaiden spoke as he looked directly into her eyes, making her immediately look away as she felt her heart rate accelerating once again. "She won''t. Don''t dream with open eyes." Crist said through gritted teeth as he glared at the Supernatural Prince. "We will see," Kaiden commented back in reply as he gave a last look to her before he too walked away with Mr. Kim. There was silence for the next few seconds when she heard Shadow speaking from behind her. "Since you all have successfully avoided this blood bath, shall we enter the hall? Everyone''s waiting for the great Alessandro Siblings to make their appearance at this grand banquet." A small smile appeared on her lips as she looked at her bodyguard with grateful eyes. She loved this fact about him. The way he appeared out of nowhere and changed the mood of the room just with a few of his words, that''s a very rare but great talent. Done nodded his head as he squeezed her shoulders to assure her that he was there with her. The others followed them as they moved up the stairs towards the banquet hall but not before she watched Shadow passing her a quick wink that brought a huge smile on her face. She did not even realize but the events, that took place in the short period of barely ten minutes, changed her mood completely. She wasn''t longer anxious or afraid. Rather, she was filled with happiness and confidence, especially since she found so many familiar faces around her. "You look pretty when you smile," Leo commented as he took hold of her other hand, squeezing her fingers in the process. "Thank you, Brother Leo," Emily whispered back as they finally stepped into the great hall where the banquet was going to take place. The hall was filled with guests and almost everyone turned towards them as their group entered the hall. For a moment, she felt nervousness once again taking over her but then her eyes landed on the familiar figure of Kaiden Sullivan, and all her worries disappeared just like that. She could hear people whispering around her, greeting her brothers, and talking about her, but she cared about none of them. Her eyes were trained on the man who was looking back at her with a smile that held the power of killing people. "Princess, if you kept looking at Kaiden Sullivan with those puppy eyes, I''m pretty sure that everyone here will soon witness a blood bath started by your brothers." Emily was pulled out of her trance when she heard Shadow''s soft voice whispering in her ears. She immediately looked around to see where the man was but to her shock, she could not locate him anywhere. "Emilia, meet Mr. Mackenzie. He''s one of the Elders of the council. The head of the Witch Clan and the owner of the Meck Corporation." Domenic introduced her to a man who looked like in his mid-fifties and was wearing a dark grey suit. She shook his hand as she smiled politely at him, neither liking it disliking him immediately. The introductions continued as Domenic introduced her to the other Elders of the council and various of his business partners who were a part of the supernatural community. "This is so boring, right?" Rylan asked her as he came to sit at their table. Currently, only she and Leo were sitting around their booked table while the rest of her brothers continued to talk with the guests who had arrived. Kaiden and Mr. Kim were also doing the same thing, leaving Rylan and Shane to fend off to themselves. Chapter 114 - The Banquet (Part Two) "It''s more like a business gathering than a banquet for Christmas celebration," Shane added his opinion as he sipped his drink. Emily totally agreed with their opinions. There was nothing fun in the so-called banquet. She felt like she would fall asleep by the time it would end. Even though it was a banquet for the Christmas celebration, there were barely any Christmas decorations. It was more like a lavish supernatural banquet than a Christmas celebration banquet. "Who was responsible for the decorations?" She could not help but finally ask out the question. It was drilling holes in her consciousness that there was no Christmas tree standing in any corner of the huge hall. Shane looked around the hall and let out a sigh, probably noticing how lame the decorations appeared for a Christmas celebration. "I think it was a team of Witches. Since organizing this banquet was a last-minute call, they didn''t have much time to prepare. I heard that the team of Witches who were responsible for the decorations ended up hexing the Christmas tree and then ended up ruining the rest of the decorations. Hence, this is what we are seeing." It was Leo who answered her question as he too looked around the hall. Emily once again took a look at the decorations. The decorations were not perfect for a Christmas banquet. However, it was still looked pretty good. "If they ruined the decorations, then why the hall still looks so lavish and elegantly furnished?" She asked curiously. This time, it was Rylan who decided to answer her question. "It was your friend Bianca who ended up casting a last-minute spell to decorate this hall. If not for her, maybe won''t be having this conversation right now." Emily nodded her head as she recalled that Bianca was too a Witch. The young woman was just as nice and sweet as her mate. She had come to like both Jackson and Bianca as her close friends. They both cared about her and treated her with sincerity. "But why did not she used her spells to create a Christmas tree?" She asked as she looked at Rylan with raised eyebrows. She was expecting him to reveal some hidden secrets about how Witches could not create trees or living brings, or something like that. However, the boy just shrugged in response as he sipped his banana milk like he was enjoying a glass of rich flavored wine. Emily could not understand his obsession with banana milk. Sure it tasted great but the way Rylan used to drink it all the time made her look at him with questioning eyes. She scoffed when the others too refused to give her any answer. She was about to throw another smooth and unique insult at them when someone disturbed her. "Miss Alessandro!" She turned her face towards a man who appeared to be in his late fifties. His bald head and dark crimson clothes made him stood up but definitely not in a good way like he probably wanted. He was standing beside their table with a glass of champagne in his hand while he smiled warmly at her and the others. It did not take her long to realize that he was there with a purpose. "I''m Barren Bro...." "That you are!" Rylan did not even give the poor man a chance to finish his introduction before he ended up commenting on his name. Both Shane and Rylan burst out into laughter and Leo also could not help but give in. Even though Emily tried her best to suppress her smile, she knew that it was only a matter of time before she would too lose her control. "Guys!" She sharply called out the three boys who eventually stopped laughing as they noticed her sharp glares. When she was sure that the three of them were not going to insult the man anymore, she turned her attention back to him with a small polite smile on her lips. "Mr. Barren, I''m..." She had hardly spoken his name and the three boys once again lost their control as they ended up bursting into laughter. And even though she tried, unfortunately, this time she failed too. Even though she did not end up laughing like the other three, the huge smile that appeared on her lips as she bit on her lower lip to suppress it, made it clear that she too was laughing at his ironic name. "You Masters and....." Mr. Barren was clearly not happy with the way he was being mocked. However, looking at the fact that he could do nothing about it, only infuriated him. "Are you having any problems, Mr. Browny?" Kaiden''s sharp cold voice interrupted the man as he turned to look at Young Powerful Prince who was approaching their table. Mr. Barren''s demeanor immediately changed as he smiled brightly, hurriedly thinking of plans to impress the almighty CEO of the Sullivan Empire. However, before he could speak, he heard a familiar voice speaking, and her words made him bit down on his tongue as blood spilled in his mouth. "Barren Browny?" Emily could not stop herself from asking out loud. She could not believe that someone had such a funny name. Though she felt bad for making fun of the man and was also sympathetic towards him, but it was still not easy for her to control her smile. At least she did not end up laughing out loud like Leo and the others. Mr. Browny immediately turned around to glare at her, making her smile disappear as she flinched a little, immediately finding her behavior unacceptable. How could she make fun of an elder like that? She reprimanded herself inside her mind as her eyes registered the defensive pose that Leo, Rylan, and Shane had taken towards Mr. Browny. They probably noticed the change in her expressions and the way she flinched very slightly. She was about to tell them to not be so harsh towards the old man when she felt a hand caressing the crown of her head. She turned her head to look behind her and found Kaiden looking back at her with beautiful blue eyes. "Are you alright?" He asked her softly as he patted her head lightly, trying to not ruin her hair. Emily nodded her head in reply, finding warmth and a sense of protection filling her heart and soul at his presence and soft caresses. After making sure that she really was fine, Kaiden finally moved his eyes towards the man who was looking at them with surprise-filled eyes. He was not the only one though. Almost everyone present in the hall was left surprised by the events that they saw unfolding in the past hour. The Sullivans and Alessabdros were like two different worlds and for the first time ever in history, people were watching them interact like they were close friends. If Rylan and Shane''s presence at the Alessandros booked table was not enough to leave them shocked, then as soon as they watched the cold-blooded Silver Prince caressing the Alessandro Princess'' head with warmth in his eyes, they felt like they were watching something illegal. Domenic and Daniel too had appeared beside Emily but none of the brothers questioned Sullivan''s presence in their area, especially their presence around their sister. But no matter how surprised and curious everyone was, no one dared to voice it out. After all, none of them were looking forward to ending up as an enemy of either of the family. They all just started making up their own theories. It was far better than standing there cluelessly and finding no answers no matter how long they waited. Some went even as far as to conclude that the Alessandros had decided to cut off their alliance with the Evans and now they were teaming up with the Sullivans. It was like they all needed to be in the good books of the Alessandros because whichever side would have the alliance of the Alessandro Empire, would surely be the more powerful one. "Mr. Browny, I''ll advise you to keep your eyes and mouth in check. Let me remind you, the girl sitting in front of you is not someone ordinary. You are looking at the Young Princess of the entire Alessandro Empire. I''m sure her brothers won''t appreciate your lack of behavior towards their precious sister." Kaiden''s voice was sharp, cold, and loud enough to reach the ears of every single person who was present in the hall. "And don''t ever forget that Emilia Alessandro is just an as important person of Evans''s family as the rest of her brothers. I don''t like it when someone or something makes the smile on her face diminish even a little bit." Sam''s sharp and powerful voice followed Kaiden''s as the handsome and successful ruler of the Vampire Clan entered the hall with Jackson and Bianca by his side. His words clearly dismissed the theories that Evans and Alessandros were no longer together. Also, even though no one voiced it but everyone understood another important thing...... ''Even Sullivans would finish you off if you tried to hurt the Alessandro Princess.'' Chapter 115 - The Banquet (Part Three) "I''m so happy to not see any sneakers here," Bianca commented as she came forward to plant a soft kiss on Emily''s forehead. It was something that she loved to do, probably her way of showing her care and love towards the little girl who reminded her of happiness and light. Emily scoffed a little at the woman''s teasing words but even she could not stop the smile that bloomed on her lips. "Hmm. I must say that you did a superb job, my love. Em is looking just like a little angel." Jackson said with a proud smile on his face as he came to sit next to Emily. "Were you doubting my capability?" Bianca asked as she glared at her mate with accusing eyes. It was like Jackson was taken aback by her question as he stared at her for a few seconds before he hurriedly shook his head. "Of course, not! I know very well that no one is better than you when it comes to getting ready for any type of event. You are far much better than a professional." Sam, who was standing beside Emily all this while, could not stop himself from chuckling a little as he heard his best friend trying to save his ass from his mate''s wrath. His timing was definitely not perfect because Bianca immediately turned her glaring eyes towards him as she asked, "Do you think otherwise?" Sam coughed a few times to cover his laughter as he immediately shook his head in denial. "Good." Bianca said in a loud and calm voice as she gave a last sharp look to both Sam and Jackson before she turned her attention back to Emily. But before the woman could open her mouth to speak, Kaiden interfered as he offered his hand to Emily as he spoke, "Are you ready to fulfill your promise?" Emily first stared at his hand before she let her eyes travel towards his handsome face. His cerulean eyes immediately making her heart flutter. "Promise?" She somehow succeeded in voicing out her confusion as she battled with herself to look away from his mesmerizing eyes. Kaiden raised one of his eyebrows as he replied, "Yes. The promise of dancing with me tonight." The level of confidence that his words carried and the way he was looking at her as if he was daring her to back down from her promise, made her hesitate. No matter how hard she tried, she could not recall any promise of such kind. But his expression was so serious that it made her think that she indeed promised him. Even before she could finish the fight that was going on inside her, she found his warm fingers curling around her right hand. Oh, wait! Looked like it was her who ended up placing her hand in his offered palm. And just like that, she found herself following Kaiden towards the center of the hall. She was completely oblivious to the dark glares that her brothers were firing towards Kaiden. Somehow, everyone cleared a large area in the center of the hall where Kaiden made her stop. The lighting dimmed and the band started playing a slow instrumental song. Emily could still not pull her attention away from the man in front of her, not until she felt one of his hands moving towards the small of her back. She felt electric tingles running all over her body at his touch. Her free hand moving to rest on the top of his shoulder. "I.......I........" She wanted to speak but the sudden realization about her situation made embarrassment took over her. She could barely meet his eyes as they stood there even though the music had already picked up the pace. Emily felt Kaiden stepping closer to her and before she could realize what was happening, she felt his warm breath next to her ear. "What is it, sweetheart? Just speak without any hesitation." His voice was full of warmth and it was so low as if meant only for her ears. "I......I d-don''t know h-how......how to dance." She ended up whispering in reply as she felt her cheeks turning bright red due to embarrassment. A small smile appeared on Kaiden''s lips as he looked at his little mate with eyes full of affection. "If it will make you feel better then let me tell you a secret...." Kaiden softly spoke as he started slowly swaying both of them. His muscular arms easily guiding her body without her realization. Emily turned to look at his face with a small frown covering her face as she waited for him to complete whatever he was going to tell her. As Kaiden realized that he had successfully grabbed get attention, his smile only broadened as he felt contended in his heart. Not wasting any more time, he decided to continue, "Well...let just say that there are dozens of people present in the banquet who would enjoy watching you stepping on my foot again and again. And most importantly, six of these people are your dear brothers. I swear that their glares are about to pierce holes through my body." Emily could not stop the smile that appeared on her lips as she slightly tightened her hold on his shoulder. She shook her head softly as she asked him, "You love triggering my brothers, don''t you?" Kaiden spared a quick glance towards the table where the Alessandro brothers were currently sitting with the Evans. A small smile appeared on his lips as he pulled his eyes back towards his gorgeous mate before he replied, "It''s kind of fun, to be honest." His honest reply only made Emily chuckle softly as she let him move her around the floor as they slowly danced to the beautiful music that was playing in the background. She had already realized that during the time she was focused on his funny words, he successfully took control over her body which followed his lead and matched each of his steps as they danced. "I''m sorry that this banquet doesn''t end up as a real Christmas banquet. No one informed me about the problems until it already started." He apologized softly as his eyes looked around the hall. Emily could tell that he was sincerely apologizing which did not make any sense to her. "Why are you apologizing? It''s not like you were responsible for arranging the banquet in the first place. Moreover, it''s not really that bad. It should be my brothers who need to apologize for dragging me to this party which feels more like a business gathering. Just look at everyone, all they are talking about is business or politics." She did not stop herself from showing her dissatisfaction towards the environment of the banquet. There was no warmth or happiness in it. All that she could see were two-faced people who were trying to fake their smiles as they discussed important things which should be put aside on an occasion like Christmas to enjoy a little freedom. It was like Kaiden read her thoughts as he too looked around the hall with displeasure clear in his eyes. He wanted to spend some time with her during the Christmas week and thus came with the idea of the banquet. However, he had no idea that some stupid people were going to ruin his plan very badly. Even had could feel that the air inside the banquet hall was filled with greed and selfishness, not the happiness and love that he wanted his mate to enjoy. Once again he started cursing the rules that separated the Southern and Northern parts of City A. Only he knew exactly how much he wanted to spend Christmas with her. He just wanted to appear at her door in comfy pajamas and a Christmas hat on Christmas morning with a beautiful gift to surprise her. However, he knew very well that he could not do that, at least, not yet. Breaking the rule of the pact would not only lead him to a devastating penalty but his family and pack would also suffer. He knew very well that he wanted the agreement that separated the City into two parts, to finally come to an end. But he also knew that it would take time before that could happen. And not only time but it also would a lot of effort and hard work on his part before he could succeed in this mission of his. "Are you alright?" Emily''s soft voice pulled him out of his thoughts and as he turned his attention towards the girl, he promised himself that very soon he would spend his Christmas with her. Very Soon! "Yeah. I''m perfectly fine." He answered as he smiled at her with softness filling his eyes. Emily returned his smile as she let herself enjoy the moment, knowing very well that as soon as the song would end, her brothers were going to drag the man far away from her. Chapter 116 - Are They Cheating On Him? Emily glared at Leo as he once again pinched on her left leg, making her hiss at the sudden pain that shot through her leg. Since her feet were in pain due to all the dancing that she did with Kaiden, Rylan, Shane, Leo, Crist, and Sam, her brother took pity on her and let her rest her feet in his lap as he softly massaged them. However, her comfort was short-lived because barely five minutes later, she found that her brother was digging holes in her feet as his fingers tightened their hold on them. When she had looked at him to find out exactly what was wrong with him, she found him glaring at Rylan who in return, was glaring back at Leo. She almost let out a frustrated growl at that moment. She was getting tired of their catfight. No one was telling her exactly what was wrong with the two of them. Moreover, even if they wanted to have a contest of glaring at each other, there was really no need to injure her already aching legs. "Are you seriously thinking that I won''t punch your perfect face just because we are at a party?" She asked her brother while arching one of her eyebrows high as she glared at him. Leo immediately let go of her feet with an ''Oops'' sound as he realized that he just pinched her. "It was not intentional." He defended himself as he looked at her with apologetic eyes. "I know." Emily could not stay mad at him even if she tried to give it her best shot. It was just impossible for her to do that. "Let me massage them for you." Kaiden suddenly spoke as he bent to lift her legs into his lap. While on one hand she was left dumbfounded as she felt his fingers on her ankles, at another hand, her brothers almost shouted in alarm to stop the Young CEO. She noticed how the hall suddenly filled with silence, even the music stopped for a second but then everyone and everything resumed when they encountered Simon and Mark''s sharp cold glares. "I''m only going to heal her feet." Kaiden defended his act as he proceeded to lift her legs. "No need. We can call Sam and Bianca for that." Daniel said as he looked around to spot the two people he just mentioned. "Let them enjoy the party. I can manage this without any aid." Kaiden was really in no mood of giving up, especially when Domenic had still to speak. Even though the Alessandro Master never permitted him to stay this close to his baby sis, he also never fully stopped him. The reason why Domenic was not showing as much outrage and discontentment as the rest of her brothers was because he''s aware of the special bond Kaiden shared with his sister and most importantly because he knew Kaiden''s personality very well. And when Kaiden raised his head from his mate''s feet to look at her guardian, he found the latter looking back at him with a sharp and commanding gaze. The command was clear - ''Don''t create too much scene and don''t go overboard.'' In short, he received permission for healing her sore feet but that was it. He was not allowed to touch her for even a single more second. What else could he do other than following the order of his future brother-in-law? Therefore, with a heavy heart, Kaiden gave up the idea of teasing his sweet little mate. His fingers brushed against the soft skin of her ankles before they moved to cup her feet as he let his energy channeled into her. He felt her shivering at the contact and it took all of his strength to not rub his fingers against her ankles to make her relax even more. It barely took a few seconds before Emily felt her feet returning to their normal self. They were no longer aching. Without wasting any time she hurriedly pulled her feet down from Kaiden''s lap ss she stood up to check exactly how good her kegs were feeling. To her amazement, not only her legs but her entire body felt like it was filled with a new kind of energy. She turned to look at the silver-haired man as she hurriedly thanked him. "Thank you, Mr. Sullivan." She smiled softly at him and felt her heart stopping for a second as he winked in reply. She was pulled out of her trance when she felt a powerful presence behind her and as she turned her face a little to look at whoever was standing behind her, she found herself looking directly at Mark. She knew that he was about to say something to Kaiden and her instincts advised her to stop him before he could open his mouth. Therefore, without giving it much thought, she grabbed Mark''s hand taking him by surprise, as she put on her heels before she dragged him towards the center of the hall where people were dancing with their partners. "What are you doing?" Mark asked as soon as he found himself standing in the middle of a bunch of dancing figures. His tone was not as harsh and rough as it used to be whenever he talked to her but it still carried an edge in it. "I want to dance with you," Emily replied with a soft smile as she placed her hands on her brother''s shoulders. Mark was definitely not looking that excited about the idea of dancing but his hands still wrapped her in his embrace in a protective manner. "I don''t know how to dance, Em!" He whispered near her ear as he started moving a little to the music as it appeared too weird to just stay standing in the middle of the dance floor. "Really?" Emily was really surprised as she was not expecting him to say that. For a moment, a frown appeared on her face as she thought that he was lying but then she saw the serious look on his face and she knew that he was not lying. She could not help the giggles that escaped her lips at the realization that her ''Always so perfect'' brother was finally not perfect in something. "Why are you laughing?" Mark asked as he tried to glare at her. However, unlike before when his glares used to shut her up immediately, this time she looked totally unaffected. Emily slowly shook her head as she tried to not think about how funny Mark''s current expressions were. "Nothing much. It''s just that I also don''t know how to dance. Maybe we can create a funny scene at this boring party by stepping on each other''s feet and shouting out loud in pain like idiots." She suggested her idea why wiggling her eyebrows playfully, something that she had learned from Shane. Mark took in a deep breath as he realized that an excited sister was even harder to control than a scared sister. "Absolutely not! You are not allowed to step on my foot and neither you can shout. So stay still." Emily pouted at his rejection of her mind-blowing idea. "How are we going to dance if I will stay still?" She asked him while raising her eyebrows high to emphasize her question. Mark felt like a headache was approaching him as he tried to understand exactly what was wrong with his sister. Of course, he was no longer acting strict or harsh towards her since the last week but they still had not shared a single soft moment. And even though she was starting to open up and show her bubbly side, it was still weird to see her acting so carefree in the middle of dozens of supernaturals and especially in front of him. But no matter how hard he tried, he just could not pinpoint exactly what was different about her. One moment it looked like she was not her normal self but when had tried to focus on exactly what was different or wrong about her, it appeared like she was just as normal as her usual self. After thinking about it for a few moments, he finally asked, "You were awake that night, right? And you heard everything." Even though his first sentence was a question, the second was not because he already knew the answer to his question. Emily stilled in her movements for a mere second before she once again started to follow Mark''s lead. Even though he said that he did not know how to dance, the two of them were doing a pretty impressive job as either of them had still to step on the other''s feet. She nodded her head softly as she tried to look anywhere but at her brother. He felt his body relaxing a little and she knew that he was not mad at her, making her relax in return. She was about to speak something but then her eyes landed on something that made her still. Her body completely froze as she realized exactly what she was looking at. She could not believe what she was seeing. She could feel her throat drying as a sick feeling took over her. She kept staring at the silhouettes of the two very familiar people who were hidden a little in the shadows of the balcony. The only thought that appeared in her mind was - Were they cheating on him? And looking at the scene in front of her, she already knew the answer. Chapter 117 - Hes Not That Bad... "What''s wrong?" Mark asked as he looked at his sister a little worriedly. He could not understand exactly what had made her turn as pale as a ghost. His eyes hurriedly moved around the hall to find exactly what was the reason behind her sudden change in expressions. However, he could not find anything that could have caused the reaction. Everything and everyone looked just as normal as it was a few minutes ago. "Emily!" Mark shouted sharply at her when he found that she was not paying any attention to him or his questions. Emily shook her head as she tried to pull out of the shock that she had received. Her eyes once again turned towards the direction where she had seen two very familiar figures making out just a minute ago, however, this time she found no one there. "Emily? Is everything alright?" She heard Mark asking her as he lightly shook her shoulders in order to gain her attention. "Yeah! I.....I just thought that I-I saw someone familiar. But I think I was mistaken." She somehow ended up replying as she tried to bring a soft smile on her face to look a little bit convincing. But she knew very well that she did not succeed in convincing him even a little bit. Even though Mark knew pretty well that she was not telling the truth but seeing that she was in no harm at the moment, he decided to not pressure her to answer truthfully. "Alright! Let''s go back. The others are worrying about you." He told her as he took hold of her right hand before he started walking towards the table where the rest of their brothers and Sullivans were sitting. Little did he knew that his brothers were not looking worried because they saw the sudden change in Emily''s behavior. Instead, they were worried because they were expecting him (Mark) to end up saying something rude to their baby sis and end up making her sad. Of course, they would be worried about leaving their little sister alone with Mark. After all, none of them were aware of his confession and the changes that had appeared in the relation between him and Em. Other than Kaiden and Domenic, no one else had noticed the shock that was displayed on her face when her eyes had landed on two figures who were slightly hidden because of the shadows while they were enjoying a passionate kiss. While Kaiden was not sure exactly why she looked so shocked by what she saw, Domenic was pretty aware of the reason. Emily followed her brother and as soon as they reached their table, Simon did not waste even a second before he pulled her into his arms and settled down on his sofa with her on his lap. Even though she was taken by surprise because of his actions but she did not complain. She just let herself relax against his warm chest as she tried to not think about what she saw a few minutes ago. "Did you two fight once again?" Leo asked her in a whispered tone as he glared at Mark who was discussing something with Domenic. "What? Of course, not! Why would you assume that?" Emily was left a little bit surprised by Leo''s question, not realizing that his question wasn''t actually that weird looking at the fact that she did not use to share a good bond with Mark. As soon as Leo and Crist heard her reply, they both turned their entire attention towards her as they tried to not look absolutely stunned by her reaction. "What''s wrong with our assumption? We just saw that you are looking a little bit down than before and since you were with him, we thought that he would have once again spoken something no sense to you." Leo immediately defended himself as he looked at her as if he was waiting for her to finally tell the truth and not hide exactly what happened between her and Mark. "He''s not that rude and moody all the time. You guys don''t need to blame him all the time." Emily defended Mark as she looked at both Crist and Leo with a serious look in her eyes. Not only Crist and Leo but even Simon, who was silently listening to their conversation, was also surprised by her words. "When did you start defending him?" He asked her as he tightened his hold around her waist, pulling her tighter against his chest as he felt that she was shivering lightly. Even though the temperature inside the hall was completely normal and there was no hint of the chilled weather that was present outside the Council building, he could tell that his little sister was still feeling a little cold. He took off his blazer before he draped it over her shoulders. His expressions as cold and hard as they usually appeared. "Thank you," Emily whispered as she let the warmth of his blazer grace her body which immediately helped her slightly shivering body relax. "By the way, he''s really not that bad." She added after the silence of a few seconds. Her answer rewarded her with an arched eyebrow from Simon who smirked a little as he spoke, "As far as I can remember, this was the exact thing that we were trying to make you believe all those time when you thought that he hated you." Emily took in a deep breath as she tried to not look as embarrassed as she was feeling at that moment. Of course, she knew very well that it was not her fault that she used to believe that Mark hated her, his actions never made her feel otherwise. However, she still felt bad for not believing the rest of her brothers when they continuously tried to make her realize that Mark did not hate her. Maybe if she and Mark had a one-to-one conversation where they tried to speak out their thoughts, the past few months could have been much better. "Well, it''s good that you two are on good terms now. But if you still need someone to punch his pretty face, you can always look for me. I''ll be more than happy to help you." Simon''s promise made her giggle as she shook her head at his words. The mood returned to normal as they had their dinner with the Sullivans while they all talked about various funny topics. Sam, Jackson, and Bianca did not join them since they were having dinner with the Elfers of the council. However, the Sullivan brothers, Shane, and Mr. Kim were present to join them, only adding more fuel to the gossips that were circulating around the supernaturals who were present at the banquet. If not for the fact that Sam had already clearly stated that the Evans and Alessandros were still as close as before, then everyone would have believed that the Alessandros were now on Sullivans'' side. Emily felt Kaiden''s gaze on her throughout the dinner and when once she finally gave in to the temptation and moved her head up to look at him, she found his alluring cerulean eyes staring directly back at her. The intensity with which he was looking at her made blush crept up her cheeks and ears as she immediately turned her attention towards her food. The man was just too dangerous for her heart. Even though she still was not completely sure about the feelings that he made her feel every time he came closer to her but she was fully aware that she was attracted to him. And who could blame her? The man was just too perfect to not be her ideal type. He was handsome, caring, kind, intense, rough, powerful, and even soft sometimes. His behavior towards her always made her feel comfortable, confident, and warm around him. And his eyes - those alluring blue eyes that held the power of stopping her heart with just one look. She could not deny the fact that he pulled her towards him, made her think about things that she should not be thinking at all. "Em, are you even listening?" Emily was brought out of her thoughts when she felt Crist shaking her elbow as he looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Sorry. What were you saying?" She asked as she tried to not think about the man who was still looking at her, not caring that all of her brothers were pretty aware of his shameless ogling. "Come on, sis. What has taken over your thoughts today? By the way, Jackson is calling you. He is over there." Leo pointed towards the table which was located at their right. Emily turned her head to look at the table and found Jackson waving back at her as he smiled warmly at her. She found her heart sinking as the memories of what she had seen around half an hour ago, returned in front of her eyes. What she was supposed to do now? Chapter 118 - The Pain "What are you guys talking about? Share with me too." Emily''s attention was pulled towards Bianca who joined her and Jackson on the balcony where they were discussing the banquet and the stupid theories that everyone was making about the changes that had happened in the relationship between Evans, Sullivans, and Alessandro Family. Emily could not even make herself look at the woman as she tried her best to slip away. She knew that she should tell Jackson about what she saw, however, no matter how hard she tried, it was just impossible for her to ruin his Christmas. Jackson was almost like a big brother to her and she would never want him to be unhappy. But at the same time, the thought of hiding the truth from him and keeping him in darkness was also not right. The contradicting thoughts made a headache built as she decided to first escape from Bianca''s company before thinking about what she was going to do next. However, her luck was not as great as she assumed. Just as she was about to slip away, the slightly drunk woman turned her focus towards Emily. "My sweet little Em, wanna join me for a dance?" Bianca asked in her usual chirpy voice as she stretched her hand out towards Emily, waiting for the girl to accept her offer. A warm and friendly smile was visible on her face while her eyes were filled with affection for the little girl. "Babes, the banquet has almost ended, and you are too drunk to be left alone. Moreover, I''m sure Em is currently in no state to join you on the dance floor. You made the poor girl wear those killer heels. Her feet must be aching." Jackson immediately interrupted as he tried to save Emilia from his drunk mate. He knew very well that once Bianca started dancing, she won''t let go of Emily anytime soon. "You are just jealous of our friendship. Don''t even dare to interrupt. Who cares if the banquet is ongoing or already over? I''m still going to enjoy a dance with my little beautiful princess." Bianca berated her mate before she turned towards Emily, who had been silent all this while. Her expressions were filled with happiness as she moved forward to pull the girl in her embrace so that she could finally make her agree for a few minutes of dance. However, what she did not expect was for Emily to sidestep as soon as her hand moved to touch her (Emily''s) arm. The girl was not looking at her, rather, her eyes were fixed on her feet as she shuffled uncomfortably. Bianca turned to look at Jackson with worry covering her expressions. The two of them were just as concerned about the girl as they were surprised by her sudden action of pulling away. "Emily, dear are you alright? Is something wr..." Bianca once again tried to move closer towards the girl as she spoke to her with a soft and calm tone. However, as soon as she stepped towards her, Emily once again stepped away, creating a clear distance between the two of them. Both Bianca and Jackson were left surprised. The former one feeling a bad feeling taking over her heart as she saw Jackson slowly walking closer to Emily and this time, the girl did not pull away. The realization that Em was only avoiding her, made Bianca feel shocked and sad at the same time. Worry took over her as she could not understand the reason behind the sudden change in Emily''s behavior. "Em, what''s wrong child? Are you feeling alright?" Jackson asked the girl as he pulled her face up to make her look at him. "I.....Jackson, I w..." Emily tried to speak but words failed to come out of her mouth as she looked at worry and concern for her that was filling his eyes. She took in a deep breath before she hurriedly shook her head to get a hold on her emotions. "Jackson." She heard a very familiar voice calling Jackson''s name and soon enough, Domenic and Sam appeared near the French doors. "Is everything alright?" Sam asked as he took in the weird environment that had taken over the balcony. Emily did not even spare a single glance towards the Vampire doctor as she immediately ran towards Domenic and threw her hands around him. "Are you alright, Emilia?" Her brother asked her softly as his hands pulled her in his warm embrace without missing a single beat. "Yeah. Can I go and wait in the car? I don''t want to stay here anymore." She looked at him for permission and to her surprise and relief, he nodded his head, allowing her to skip the awkward situation. "Dom, is she alright?" She heard Sam asking her brother with his voice filled with worry for her. She knew that both Bianca and Sam cared about her but no matter how bad she felt for acting so rudely towards them, she just could not unsee the image of the two of them cheating on Jackson. The banquet hall was almost empty, only the team of waiters and servants could be seen as they cleaned the hall. Emily made her way towards the staircase and just as she stepped down the first step, she felt her ankle twisting on the wrong side. She felt her balance disturbing as a squeal almost made its way out of her mouth while she waited for the pain to greet her body because of the harsh fall. However, nothing more than just a small painful whimper escaped her lips as she found herself plastered against a warm chest. Muscular hands were wrapped around her as they stopped her from falling down the stairs and ending up breaking a bone or two. The pain in her ankle was too strong for her to not realize that she had successfully sprained it. All that she could hear was her racing heart that was almost at the edge of popping out of her chest. Her consciousness returned to reality when she felt the arms shifting around her and soon enough, her savior lifted her in his arms bridal style as he descended the stairs and took her towards the benches which were sitting in the beautiful lawn that was located in front of the council building. She recognized the familiar scent that used to intoxicate her every time she smelled it. As her eyes finally cracked open, she saw the serious but breathtaking face of Kaiden Sullivan as he very softly shifted her on one of those benches. As soon as she was comfortably sitting on the bench, he kneeled in front of her as he took hold of her right leg, the one which was sprained and had already started swelling. "Aaahh!" The cry of pain was already out of her mouth before she could stop herself. Her hands gripping his shoulders as she tried to bear the pain that had successfully brought tears walking up in her eyes. "I''m sorry. I''ll be more gentle. Just bear with it for a few more seconds. Alright?" He whispered to her as his eyes looked at her with concern and fear, fear of giving her more pain. Kaiden could feel his heart clenching in pain as he watched her tear-filled eyes staring back at him. The pain that she was experiencing made him both angry and worried. He could not believe that he let her get injured just like that, in front of his very eyes. "I-Is....Is it going to hurt?" Emily asked as she tightened her grip on his shirt. Only then did she realize that he was no longer wearing his suit blazer and tie. His sleeves were rolled up, showing his bare but muscular arms. The top two buttons of his shirt were left open, giving her a little glimpse of his tanned collarbone. Maybe it was the right distraction that she needed because while she was busy taking in his handsome and alluring appearance, Kaiden had already called on his healing abilities to fix her ankle. A sharp cry of pain left her lips as she dug her small nails in his shoulder. Her head fell in the crook of his neck as she tried to not spill the tears that were threatening to flow through the barriers that she had created to keep them at bay. "Sssh! This is it. Everything is alright now. Just relax, sweetheart." Kaiden murmured softly in her ear as one of his hands came to rub her head while the other one stayed around her injured ankle. Emily felt warmth covering her right ankle and soon it felt like soft tingles were flowing under her skin. His hand felt warm against her cold skin and she could tell that the pain was disappearing from her ankle. Her hold on his shirt loosened and she tried to pull away from him. However, the hand which was slowly stroking her head immediately pulled her face against his nape once again. And this time, Emily found her lips landing against the warm soft skin of his neck! Chapter 119 - You Are My Friend "..." Silence took over them, making Emily only hear her racing heart which was ready to jump out. She hurriedly pulled away from his embrace. Her face was burning with embarrassment as she realized exactly what she had just done to the man who appeared to be completely taken aback. "I...I''m...s-sorry.....I did not m-mean to...It was just an accident." She could no longer look into his eyes as she fumbled with the sleeves of Simon''s blazer that she was currently wearing. It took everything inside the young Prince to calm his soul and body down as he reminded himself that his little mate was still too young for him to lose his control. He took in a deep breath before he turned to look at the beautiful angel in front of him. A small twitch appeared on his lips as he noticed the redness that was clearly visible on her cheeks. "No worries. Don''t think too much about it. Alright?" He patted her head lightly which finally made the girl look up at him. Emily observed his calm expression which made her calm down too. A small smile made its way to her lips as she nodded her head in reply. "How''s your ankle now?" Kaiden asked to change the topic as he pressed his fingers around her ankle to see if she was still feeling any kind of pain or not. Emily too waited patiently for him to finish his examination before he shook her head as she replied, "It''s completely okay now. Thank you." Kaiden nodded his head as he stood up and took a seat beside her on the bench. The two of them remained silent for the next few seconds before Emily decided to ask one of the questions that had been lurking in her mind for quite some time by now. "Umm...You...you have healing powers, right?" She turned her face towards the handsome man as she waited for him to answer. A smile made its way to Kaiden''s lips as he turned to face the girl as he tilted his head towards the right as he observed her in silence before finally nodding in reply to her question. Even though Emily already had her doubts but she still was taken by surprise when she saw him answering positively. "It''s such a cool and unique power." She muttered softly as she looked up at the night sky which was filled with millions of shining stars, however, there was no moon visible. It was probably hidden behind the dark clouds that she could see at some distance. "You think so?" Kaiden''s question pulled her attention back towards the man who appeared just as harmless at that moment as he was deadly in reality. "Mmhmm." She immediately nodded her head in reply to his question. "I think having healing powers is one of the greatest gifts that any supernatural can ever have. It''s not only good for him/her but if used correctly, this power can be a boon for so many people." Emily elaborated her thoughts as she looked at her ankle which was supposed to be injured but was as normal and perfect as it could. A small smile appeared on Kaiden lips. However, she noticed that it did not reach his alluring cerulean eyes. He let out a soft sigh as he spoke, "But I don''t use my power to heal others." The both of them fell into a short silence which was finally broken by Emily as she spoke, "You used it to heal me." She was not expecting him to chuckle as he shook his head as he said, "That''s because you are different from others." "How?" She could not help but ask as soon as her mind registered his words. Kaiser looked at her for a few seconds before he answered, "Because you are special...you are my.....friend." To say that she was left shocked by his words would be an understatement. She could feel a warm feeling surrounding her heart at his words. He made her remember the day when the two of them met at the cafe in the neutral zone and he offered her his friendship. The past few months which she spent without merging him even for once, made her completely forget about their newly formed friend bond. "Well...It''s probably my good luck to have you as my friend, Mr. Sullivan." "You should stop calling me that." Kaiden could not help but point out as he felt a little bit sad when she refused to say his name. "Huh? Sorry?" Emily was completely clueless for a few seconds before the realization dawned over her. "Oh! Yeah, right...Kaiden." Emily felt his name slipping through her lips. It was almost like she tasted the feeling of his name in her mouth for the very first time, or maybe it was not really the first time. But it still felt different. It felt so right and good as if she was supposed to say his name out loud again and again. And the young Prince was just as happy as he was trying to not appear in front of her. His soul and heart filled with so much joy just by hearing his name rolling out from her tongue. However, he maintained his calm exterior pretty well as he nodded his head in acknowledgment of her correction to her previous mistake. "Am I interrupting or something?" The sudden teasing voice that appeared out of nowhere, pulled both Kaiden and Emily''s attention towards Shadow who was standing behind them while he held a pair of slippers in his hands. Emily immediately recognized her favorite bunny slippers. A huge smile appeared on her lips as she watched her bodyguard making his way towards the bench where she was sitting along with Kaiden. "I think you knew the answer pretty well," Kaiden replied to Shadow''s question as he stood up to take the slippers from him. However, Kaiden paid him no attention as he crouched down in front of Emily and helped her get rid of the heels before he slipped the slippers in place. "Thank you," Emily whispered to him as she felt her feet relaxing and surrounded by the warmth of the fluffy slippers. "Where were you all this time? I did not see you anywhere in the hall. Were you..........YOU ARE HURT!" Emily was shocked as she looked at his hands which were covered in blood. There were cuts all over the back of his hand and as he tried to pull his hand away to hide them, she stopped him immediately as she took hold of both of his wrists. "What happened? How did you get hurt? We should call Sa....I-I mean you need to get these....." While she was busy babbling, she found herself trailing off when her eyes noticed how his cuts were healing on their own. One by one all the cuts closed off and any trace of blood disappeared from her view, making his hands appear as normal and healthy as they ever could be. She let go of his hands before her eyes moved up to look at the Supernatural with questions filled in them. She found him smiling softly as he spoke, "I''m one of those supernaturals who can heal themselves. There''s no need to worry or call a doctor." He patted her head lightly before he stood up and looked around the garden to spot something that was totally unknown to her. "You could have healed them before you came here. No need to scare her like that." Kaiden could not help but comment as he glared at the man who was suddenly appearing as the second male lead of the story in which he, Kaiden, was supposed to be the main lead along with his angel as the female lead. "I''m sorry for the inconvenience, my dear Prince. I was too busy taking care of the task that I was assigned to finish. It never occurred to me that I''ve hurt my hands in the process." If Shadow was supposed to stay silent and not reply with a perfect comeback, then Kaiden was definitely in for a disappointment. "Is it done?" Maiden asked as he completely ignored his attempt of defending himself. His entire focus was now on the task that Shadow had promised to complete. Shadow did not reply immediately as he took out his phone and started typing something. Soon enough, a message alert was heard and Kaiden took out his phone to check the message that was probably sent by none other than Shadow. Whatever he saw or read in that message made an evil smile appear on Kaiden''s lips. It was definitely not a smile that Emily was used to seeing. She was totally taken by surprise after seeing the secret conversation that took place between Shadow and Kaiden in front of her very eyes. Both the handsome men held a glint of evilness in their enchanting eyes as they appeared to be happy because of something. Exactly what was going on? Chapter 120 - Tough Competition *** Shadow kept his eyes trained on the girl who was sitting along with Leo, Rylan, and Shane as she sipped the mango juice that one of the waiters had just served her. He could clearly see that she was not enjoying the banquet as much as she was supposed to do according to Kaiden''s plan. A small smile almost appeared on his lips as he heard the four of them talking about how boring the banquet actually was. He was hidden in from the eyes of those who were present in the hall, while his own sharp amber eyes were fixed on Emily as he made sure that she was completely out of harm''s way. Just then his phone pinged with an incoming message. He took out his cell phone to check the message. A sigh escaped his lips when he finished reading the message. Domenic had called an urgent meeting immediately. His eyes moved around the hall to spot the Alessandro Master and immediately found him walking towards the back door of the hall along with Daniel, Sam, and Kaiden. He again turned his attention to Emily and found her surrounded by the rest of her brothers, Jackson, Bianca, Mr. Kim, and her friends - Rylan and Shane. The security teams of the Alessandro family and the Sullivan family were also present in the hall, though all of them were hidden pretty well. After making sure that she was pretty much in safe company, he followed behind Domenic and the others. After five minutes, he found them inside a small room that was hidden at the very end of the third floor. "What''s going on?" He asked as he took his place beside Kaiden. Looking at his profile it appeared like he was the most carefree person present on the entire planet, without any problems or care in the world. Domenic did not bother to waste any more time as he looked at the captain of his Alpha team who had just entered the room after Shadow. "My team received information about a rogue team''s presence near our seventh warehouse. The one who''s leading the team is the same marked man who was spotted at the Star Xander Mall on the day of Emily''s incident. And if I''m not mistaken, they are trying to sneak an attack on the warehouse. It could be their tactic to pull our attention away from this banquet." The Young Master Alessandro informed the rest of the men present in the room as he passed a tablet to Daniel, who passed it to the next person standing beside him after taking a look at the live footage that was playing on the screen. "I want all of you to keep a watch around here just in case they dare to try something. While I''ll lead my team to the warehouse to take care of the rogue team." Domenic spoke as he signaled the captain to get ready to leave immediately. "It''s not good for you to suddenly disappear from the banquet. Since Emily is here, you should stay here. Let me take care of the warehouse matter. And I''ll assign my team to search the nearby area to see if they can spot any disturbances." Kaiden immediately spoke up as he looked at Domenic for his permission. None of the men who were present in the room were able to believe that the cold-hearted CEO of the Sullivan Empire was asking for Domenic''s permission. Were not they supposed to be rivals who could not afford to even look at each other with warmth in their eyes? Then what changed? Similar questions were rising in everyone''s mind but no one dared to interrupt either of the Young CEOs. "You can''t." Domenic immediately answered as he refused Kaiden''s suggestion without even missing a single beat. "Why?" Kaiden asked as he raised his eyebrows high while he stared at the man with challenging eyes. "Because if my sudden disappearance from this banquet will end up badly, the same goes for you. Moreover, you can''t go after the rogue team as you are still not allowed to enter our part of the city." Domenic''s explanation was followed with silence as everyone started thinking about the situation. "Maybe...." Sam barely opened his mouth to speak but was immediately cut off by Daniel. "Your presence in the banquet is just as important as theirs. You can''t leave either. But none of you need to worry, I''ll take care of everything." His suggestion was far more logical than the others and both Domenic and Kaiden were also convinced. However, before Domenic could finalize anything, Shadow finally decided to speak. "Kaiden can send a team to look around the area. And for additional security, you can send one of your own team along with his. As for the warehouse, I''ll take care of it. My absence will not cause any kind of problems for either the banquet or Emily. Since all of you will stay here, I''m sure you guys will take care of her in my absence." Silence fell over the room as everyone started thinking about Shadow''s suggestion. Domenic nodded his head after a few moments as he signaled Daniel and Sam to immediately send a team to search the area around the headquarters. The Alpha Captain also left the room to prepare his team for the task that was waiting for them at warehouse number seven. Only Domenic, Kaiden, and Shadow were left in the room after the others left to take care of their tasks. "Do you want me to keep him alive?" Shadow asked as he looked at Domenic while arching one of his eyebrows. "I''m sure you will be able to decide if he''s worth keeping alive or not. Just make sure to send them a perfect example." Domenic replied to his question with coldness filling his eyes. Shadow gave him a nod as he acknowledged his words. "Don''t worry. I know what I''ve to do." To be very fair, he had no idea exactly what was wrong with him. He was not supposed to care about such matters but here he was, participating in matters that had nothing to do with him. "I can''t believe that I have started to trust the two of you when it comes to Emilia''s safety. It makes me question my sanity." Domenic muttered as he shook his head. Kaiden could not help the smile that appeared on his lips. A few months ago even he would not have dared to believe that he would be this close to the Alessandros. "It''s because you know that neither of us will hurt her at any cost. It''s not really that stupid of you to trust us with her safety if we take this fact into account." Shadow decided to speak as he provided a perfect explanation for the reason behind the trust that Domenic was placing in him and Kaiden. "Alright! Now, let''s not waste any more time. You should immediately leave with my team. I hope to hear from you soon." Domenic said as he gave a quick nod to the Supreme Sire. Shadow nodded his head in return before his silhouette disappeared from the room, leaving Kaiden alone with his eldest future brother-in-law. "He''s just as perfect as you. No matter how much I try to find any kind of fault in him, it''s just impossible. Moreover, he came about Emily''s safety just as much as we all do." Domenic spoke his thoughts out loud. He knew very well that his words were going to irk the young Prince who was now carrying a frown on his handsome face. "What are trying to say?" Kaiden asked as he stared at the other man, waiting impatiently for him to answer. "Are not you afraid that he will get more closer to her than you are? After all, he is staying with her 24/7. He''s handsome, rich, powerful, and kind towards her. He has all the abilities to win her heart. I think you have got yourself a tough competition here." Domenic''s words were like a sharp knife that slashed through Kaiden''s soft heart. "I think some of your brain cells have committed suicide, Mr. Alessandro. That''s probably why you are only able to see our similarities and not our differences. Let me tell you..." Kaiden quieted down for a second to take a deep breath before he continued. "He''s way much older than me, thousands of years older. He''s not her mate. He only cares about her because he needs her. Moreover, he doesn''t like her at all." An almost unnoticeable smile appeared on Domenic''s lips as he replied, "I think in our world, she no longer matters. And just because he''s not her mate, it doesn''t mean that the two of them can''t have a happy future. Moreover........, he doesn''t live her now but we can''t say anything about the future." "You...." Kaiden could barely control his anger. He was not angry at Domenic, rather, he was angry because he could tell that a part of him believed his words and the threat that was hidden behind them. Chapter 121 - The Biggest Realization "Can you stop looking at her like that?" Daniel could no longer stop himself as he finally called out to Shadow seeing that the man was continuously staring at his baby sister. The bodyguard did not reply but he indeed stopped looking at Emily who was sleeping beside him without any care in the world. Her head was resting on his shoulder while one of her hands was placed on his thigh. He could clearly hear her heartbeat which almost sounded like soft sweet music to his ears. He could tell that she was not wearing any perfume, rather, she had a natural scent that reminded him of almonds and roses. Currently, they were on their way to the Alessandro mansion. It was already near midnight and Daniel was the one driving the car. Another car, filled with a team of trained guards, was following them. Domenic had decided to visit the warehouse before returning to the mansion while the rest of the brothers left the headquarters about half an hour before the banquet officially ended. The car ride was filled with silence after that and it barely took them around fifteen minutes before they reached the mansion. As soon as the car stopped, Shadow slowly pulled the sleeping princess in his arms and made the car door flew open on its own. "Let me carry her." It was not a request. Rather, it was a command from the Second Young Master of the Alessandro Empire. However, instead of complying with him, Shadow stepped out of the car before he turned his attention towards the Second Young Master. "I know that you are worried about her safety but it will be better if you can learn to trust me, Young Master. Although I''m not the most innocent or harmless person in this world, I think I''m still worthy of the trust that your brother has put in me. I will take care of her, at all costs." He did not wait to hear Daniel''s reply before he disappeared into the thin air along with the sleeping Emily. While the team of guards panicked for a few seconds seeing their ''supposed to be team captain'' disappearing with their Young Miss, Daniel showed no worry on his face. Rather, he just let out a deep sigh before he started climbing the stairs. Just how he was supposed to stop worrying about his Sorellina? She was too young and surrounded by people who wanted to use her and her sleeping abilities for their own selfish purposes. No matter how hard he tried, he was not able to trust anyone when it came to her, except his family along with Sam, Jackson, and Bianca. He could tell that Kaiden, Rylan, and Shane also truly cared about her. But the doubt was still present in his mind. The fear of losing her just because he trusted a stranger with her security was making him worry with each passing day. All that he wanted was for his sister and brothers to live a happy and carefree life but he could already tell - they were going to go through the worst and best phases of their lives. Their bonds would be tested, and all that he wanted was for his family to pass all these coming challenges and tests. -- Shadow appeared inside Emily''s bedroom which was filled with darkness. The lights suddenly flickered on as he moved towards the bed and laid down the sleeping girl on the soft covers. "How long are you going to pretend?" He questioned softly as he kneeled next to her bed as he gently took off her heels and started massaging her feet. Emily opened her eyes as she sat up on the bed, watching the man taking care of her with so much gentleness. "Why are you so good to me?" She could not help but ask as she watched his slender fingers working magic on her feet. All the exhaustion and sleepiness that was surrounding her body and mind with a thick fog started disappearing. "Because I''ve nothing better to do." Shadow replied as he kept his attention on her feet while her fingers continued to transfer his power essence to help her body relax. Rather than getting mad at his attempt of ignoring her question, she ended up bursting out into soft giggles. Shadow did not comment on her reaction, nor did he move his eyes away from her feet. "You are weird.....but also so normal. I wish I can learn to hide my shadows behind a light just like you do." Emily''s words came out as soft as flying whispers. He was probably not supposed to hear them, however, his sharp senses picked up every single word that escaped her lips. His fingers stilled on her feet as he turned to look at the girl. The more time he spent with her, the more surprised he was left whenever he saw a glimpse of the girl that was hiding behind the facade of the perfect Young Princess of the Alessandro Empire. "Want me to tell you a secret?" He asked in a soft voice as he took a seat next to her. Emily immediately nodded her head and waited eagerly for him to continue. "You don''t need to learn anything from me. You are just as perfect in hiding your darkness as I am. Maybe you don''t realize it but to those who have not got the chance of getting to know you personally, what they all see is the perfect Young Princess that you are supposed to be. Only those who are close to you can tell your true emotions." The two of them were silent for the next few minutes ss Emily thought about what Shadow just told her. Even though a minor part of her wanted to object to his words, the major part knew pretty well that he was speaking the truth. "Is it wrong to hide our darkness from prying eyes?" She asked him after a few minutes as he fumbled with the emerald ring that she was still wearing. The ring gave her a sense of safety, almost as if it was protecting her in its own way. She watched as a small smile appeared on her bodyguard''s lips as he covered her right hand with his left one before giving it a warm and gentle squeeze. "No, Princess. It''s not wrong to hide your darkness from others. Since it''s your darkness, then it''s your choice if you want to share it with others or not. However....." He became silent for just a second or two before he continued. "Although it is not wrong to hide your darkness from others but what''s wrong is to hide yourself from your own darkness. It''s a part of your life, of your past, or maybe the present. You should never try to run or hide from it. You need to be strong and accept it. You need to learn to embrace it as a part of your life and try to find a way to start a new life without forgetting what that darkness has taught you." Emily turned her eyes to look at the man as she asked, "Is it hard to accept it as a part of you?" Shadow shook his head as he smiled warmly at her while replying to her question. "Everything is easy and possible if you have the confidence and patience to achieve it. Maybe you won''t succeed on the first try, or second, maybe not in a day, or a month, or even a year, but as long as you don''t lose your confidence and keep trying, you will eventually succeed. And you know what''s the best part of always keep trying again and again?" Emily shook her head as she eagerly waited for him to answer the question. Shadow once again smiled softly at her as his free hand moved to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "The best part is that you will learn something new about yourself and life every time you will fail. Both good and bad moments of our lives teach us something new and important. It''s up to us if we are capable of learning those lessons or not." His amber eyes were swarmed with so much warmth as he looked at her with a small smile present on his lips. "Have you learned to accept your darkness as a part of your life?" Emily asked as she looked at him with eager eyes. "I have lived for too long to care about these trivial matters. All that I want at this moment of my life is to finally find the peace that I''ve been searching for such a long time." Shadow answered her question as he turned to look at the glass window, his eyes showing no disappointment when he found the moon absent in the vast night sky. "What''s your biggest realization so far?" Emily again found herself asking. Shadow was silent for a few moments before he answered, "Being an Immortal is always not a blessing." Chapter 122 - The Misunderstanding "Why are they here?" The question was out before she could control herself. The only good news was that other than Shadow no one else heard her. Her bodyguard moved to stand next to her before he whispered the answer next to her ear, "Domenic has invited them. They will be staying here tonight and will celebrate Christmas tomorrow with you and your family." Emily almost scrunched her nose as she did not like the answer that she was provided with. It was her very first Christmas with her brothers and she did not want to ruin her mood because of some matters that she could not solve. "Em! Come over here. Let''s see if Bianca can win against Mark or not." Jackson called out from the living room as he noticed her standing at the bottom of the stairs along with Shadow. "Come on!" Shadow said as he started dragging her towards the living room where everyone was present. Mark and Bianca were playing Chess and the environment was so intense as everyone waited for the winner as the game was in its last stage. Emily moved to stand beside Mark who was intensely staring at the chessboard. "Emmy, who are you rooting for? Is it Bianca or Mark?" Leo asked as he took a break from cheering the woman who had dared to challenge Mark, knowing that he was even better than a professional. As Emily looked at everyone present around watching the game, she realized that other than Simon, everyone else was supporting Bianca. Domenic and Sam were not present in the living room, while Daniel was busy in the kitchen. Shadow had next to no interest in the intense game that was going on. The man had taken a seat next to the fireplace as he surfed through the magazines that were sitting on the small wooden table. Emily took a comfortable seat on the armrest of the sofa on which Mark was sitting before she snaked her arms around his shoulders from behind. She rested her chin on his right shoulder as she tried to make herself comfortable to watch the ending of the game. "Ooooo....!" The hooting that everyone started as soon as she wordlessly showed her support towards Mark, was almost ear piercing. "Sister Bee, you are now in trouble. Mark has the lucky charm in his support. Now it''s very hard for you to win against him." Crist spoke as he walked to stand beside his little sister. "Are you changing sides?" Leo asked him with raised eyebrows. "I''ll support the person whom my baby sis is supporting." Crist quickly defended himself as he patted Emily lightly on her head, making sure to not ruffle her perfectly combed hair. "..." Leo stared at Crist with surprised eyes but then within a blink, he too was standing behind Emily and Mark. "You guys are really something!" Shadow muttered from his seat next to the fireplace as he shook his head after seeing the dramatic characters of Crist and Leo. Emily was expecting for either Crist or Leo to send a remark in return. However, she was left surprised when neither of those two paid any attention to Shadow. Her attention was pulled back to the game when she felt Mark shifting a little as he reached his hand out to play his turn. Everyone watched in amazement as just with a single move, the game came to an end, and Mark ended up as the winner. Bianca was not looking that happy as she complained about Mark played dirty in the starting. Jackson, like the good mate that he was, tried to calm her down as he patted her shoulders and planted a soft kiss on her forehead, telling her that she gave a good competition to Mark. Once again Emily felt a sick feeling waking up inside her as she recalled the memories of the previous night when they all attended the banquet. She felt Shadow''s gaze trained on her and when she turned her face to look in his direction, she found him staring directly back at her. It was almost like he knew exactly what she was experiencing or thinking. As if he could read her like an open book. "Thank you for supporting me." Her attention was pulled back towards her brother who moved her hands away from his shoulders so that he could turn around to face her. Emily just shook her head lightly, making some of her loose curls bounce around. "Em, can we talk in private?" The sudden question surprised her, making her turn her head to look at Sam who was standing behind them along with Domenic by his side. Emily had no idea how to answer. She definitely did not want to talk to him at the moment but she also did not want to be impolite to him. She was not looking forward to ruining the Christmas eve for everyone. Just when she was pondering about how to reject him without creating any kind of a scene, her eyes landed on Domenic. Her guardian brother was looking directly back at her. His green eyes held warmth and understanding in them. And just by looking into his eyes, she knew exactly what he wanted her to do. She believed in him and she believed in his judgments. Even though she had not clearly shared with anyone about what she saw the previous night, she could tell that Domenic and Shadow knew something about her discomfort and dilemma. She recalled the conversation that she had with Shadow in the early morning. He had advised her to place her problem in front of those who had caused it so that she could find the answers that she was looking for. Emily found herself standing up as she walked towards Sam. The doctor gave her a warm smile before he turned around and started walking towards the stairs. The two of them walked in silence for less than three minutes before they arrived in front of the library. By the time Emily took her seat on the comfortable sofas that were placed in the first section of the huge library, Bianca and Jackson also arrived. She smartly chose to sit on the single sofa, not giving the others any chance to sit beside her. But even then, she found Jackson sitting on the sofa that was placed right next to the one on which she was currently sitting. She made sure to not look at any of them. Her eyes were trained on the creeper that was spread over the window sill and some of the empty bookshelves that were placed near the window. "Em, relax. None of us are here to hurt you." She found J¨¤ckson speaking to her in a soft voice as he hesitated to place his hand on her shoulder. She did not speak nor looked at him. But she found herself relaxing a little at his voice. "Domenic told us about how you saw me and Sammy together in the banquet. To be honest, I can''t believe that we forgot to tell you about such an important thing. We have known each other for quite some time and I''m so surprised that we failed to tell you about something so important." It was Bianca who spoke and as Emily finally dared to look at the woman, she found sadness filling her eyes. "We actually never needed to explain our relationship to others before this. First, because not everyone''s opinion mattered to us, and second because most of our close ones already knew about the bond that the three of us shares." Emily was as clueless about Sam''s words as she ever could. Even though her mind tried its very best to progress exactly what he was implying, she could not understand exactly what kind of bond he was talking about. "Do you guys share a special bond? I''m sorry if I''m skipping something important here. It''s just...... I thought Bianca and Jackson are mates...but then......then at the banquet...." Emily trailed off as she once again found her eyes staring at the beautiful leaves of the creeper. This time, Jackson did not hesitate to place his hand over hers as he spoke softly, "Every single bond is special and precious. And we can understand that you are currently confused about everything. Even though you have been learning about the supernaturals, I''m sure you haven''t studied anything about our bonds so far, right?" Emily shook her head in reply to his question. It was true! She never found the need to explore the topic of bonds that the supernaturals shared. Even though she had a bond with Rylan but she got to learn all that she needed to know about it from Rylan, Shane, Daniel, and Domenic. Therefore, she never needed to research on the bonds or anything related to them. "You don''t need to be mad at the two of them. They are not cheating on me. The three of shares a special bond. Bianca is not only my mate, she''s Sam''s mate too." Chapter 123 - The Mate Bond "Wait! Both of you?" To say that Emily was shocked after hearing the big revelation would be an understatement. She just stared at the three of them with a dumbfounded expression on her face. "En!" Sam nodded his head in reply as he took one of Bianca''s hands in his own before passing a calm smile towards the woman. Silence took over as Sam, Jackson, and Bianca waited for the girl to react or say something more. On the other hand, Emily stayed completely silent as her mind was busy making sense of what she just got to know. When the silence stretched out for more than five uncomfortable and awkward minutes, Bianca finally dared to speak. "Are you disgusted?" What surprised Emily was not the question. Rather, it was Bianca''s voice that was filled with fear. It was the fear of getting judged. The fear of not getting accepted. The fear of discrimination. While the Supernatural community never questioned the fate that chose mates, the humans were not the same. The mortals were known for judging everyone and everything that threatened their believes and challenged what they depicted as rights or wrongs. A very small smile appeared on Emily''s lips as she turned her attention towards the woman while she lightly shook her head before replying. "Why would I be disgusted? I''m surprised indeed. Though sharing a husband is something that used to happen in the past, sharing a wife is such a very new concept. I was probably not expecting this." She quietened down for a few seconds before she asked while looking at all three of them. "Let me ask something. Are you guys happy in your relationship? Do you think it''s fair for the three of you to be bound with such a fate?" She really wanted to know their answers. Not only because the three of them were bound together with a special fate but also because she wanted to understand their view on the mate bonds that snatches away their right of choosing their life partners. Sam smiled softly as he decided to answer her question, "I know what you are thinking, Emily. You believe that our mate bonds snatch away our chances for choosing our life partners according to our requirements. But it''s not right. Though we don''t get the chance for choosing our partner or partners, we always have the right to reject a bond, and that too with minimum consequences to both parties. The mate bond is not a punishment, rather, it''s a gift. It''s up to us we accept this gift or reject it." "As for the three of us - we are happy. Jackson and I are childhood friends. Our bond was strong from the very beginning. When we first realized that Bee is our mate, both of us were shocked. We did not know what to do or how to handle everything. But as time went by and the three of us spent more time together, we realized that the three of us make the perfect family." There was silence for a few seconds as Sam stopped to adjust his thoughts. At the same time, Emily was busy reading their expressions. "We always had the option of rejecting the bond. Either I or Sam could have backed off from the bond, but thankfully we realized that love has no boundaries. We never fought over our bond. Somehow, everything went just as smoothly. We accepted the bond because of our friendship and our love for Bee, and we are more than happy in our lives." Jackson''s voice was soft but it held sincerity in it. Bianca smiled at both of her mates before she too decided to add her point. "They both are precious to me. I love both of them equally. Let''s just say that I can''t choose one of them. I''ll never be able to choose. We are really sorry, Em. It never occurred to us that everything will end up creating such a big misunderstanding." She was genuinely sorry and her eyes were filled with worry as she feared for losing the warmth that Emily had brought in their lives. Being cold-blooded vampires, Emily was the warmest person they had encountered in their hundreds of years of lives. She was filled with the rays of that warm light that promised to surround everyone and everything. She felt like the real home that took away all their discomforts. Emily stood up from her seat as she walked towards the huge window that was left open. The cool evening breeze that was flowing outside grazed her skin as she leaned against the window sill. "Since the three of you are living a happy life, why do you care about what others think of your bond?" She asked as she turned to face the Vampires sitting just a few feet away from her. She was still amazed that it was completely impossible to differentiate them from a normal human being. They did not have a pale skin color. So far, she still had to see their red glowing eyes. They did not go around showing their sharp fangs (she had not seen them either). She found Bianca smiling softly at her question while she answered, "We don''t care about the opinions of others. But only those who are close to our hearts.....their opinion matters...." Emily suddenly had a strong urge to move forward and threw her arms around the woman who was just like an elder sister to her. Bianca was the only woman who had succeeded in making a place in Emily''s heart after her mother. However, she did not move at all. She just took a deep breath before she started speaking. "Though I''m not the most kind-hearted and understanding person present in this house, I''m still not so narrow-minded. I''m still a little surprised about you guys sharing your bond. It''s definitely something I never heard or thought about....." There was pin-drop silence in the library as all the three vampires waited for the girl to complete her sentence. ".....but I''m not going to judge you guys. It''s not my place to comment on your relationship. Since the three of you are happy and none of you are miserable in this bond, I''m happy for you guys too." "I''m not saying that I''m totally open about this topic. I won''t lie because it still makes me quite uncomfortable. After all, I''m unable to understand exactly how such a relationship works...but I''ll support you." A huge smile appeared on Emily''s lips as she looked at the three of them with genuine warmth and acceptance in her eyes. She was genuinely happy. She was happy because she was not going to lose such close friends because of her misunderstanding, and she was happy because she could see happiness in their eyes too. Sam, Jackson, and Bianca looked just as happy as her. They were happy for each other and they were happy for not losing Emily. It took barely two seconds before Emily found herself wrapped tightly in Bianca''s embrace. The woman was almost on the verge of tears as she hugged the girl. Jackson and Sam too came to join the hug and soon Emily was trying to protest to get some oxygen inside her lungs. By the time those three Vampires separated from her, Emily was gasping for air. "You....you don''t need t-to murder me....in order to show your happiness. Alright?" Jackson and Sam chuckled softly while Bianca just pouted as she once again pulled Emily in a hug. However, this time she made sure not to crush the poor girl. "Thank you, Em! Thank you so much." Bianca said as she took Emily''s small hands in her own and gave them tight squeezes. "You don''t have to say thank you. I''m not doing something great. I like you guys not because of your personal relationships. I like the three of you because of the kindness, warmth, and love that you have shown me in the past months. I''m not going to lose you guys just because I can''t accept something so beautiful as your bond." Sam could feel his heart filling with so much tenderness for the young girl, and he knew that Jackson and Bianca were experiencing those same emotions. She never seized to surprise them with her level of understanding and exactly how accepting she was towards everything and everyone. She was the only one who dared to call cold-hearted vampires like them as warm-hearted. She was the only one who dared to accept the goodness of the supernatural world even though she spent years struggling with the evil darkness that resided in that same world. She was someone who was always ready to find positivity even though she was totally surrounded by negative energy. They had never seen someone who was filled with such goodness even though she went through hell. Sometimes, it became hard for them to believe that there was someone like her who existed in the evil world. She was too pure and good to be a part of their world. But they knew why she was filled with so much goodness and warmth. Her real identity made her like that. Even though she had been through a lot of darkness and she was going to experience even more of that in the future, her real identity would never let the darkness ain''t her light. Chapter 124 - List Of Favorite Brothers "Let me go! Are you trying to choke me? Emmy, SAVE ME! Your bodyguard is trying to kill me over here!" A sigh escaped Emily''s lips as she finally passed a glance towards Leo who was struggling to get himself out of Shadow''s clutches. Unfortunately, her poor brother was no match to the powerful supernatural. She just shook her head while a soft smile bloomed on her lips. The mansion was filled with warmth and happiness while the outside world was covered in snow. Her brothers, Evans, Shadow, and the servants of the mansion teamed up the day before to decorate the outside of the house with lights. There was a statue of a Santa Claus standing in the front lawn along with a statue of a reindeer and two snowmen. And while the others were busy decorating the outside area, Emily teamed up with Bianca and Mrs. Harris to turn the living room into a cozy and beautiful area to spend their Christmas day. Currently, it was nine o''clock in the morning, and their wait for Christmas had finally come to an end. "Here. Have a taste and tell me what you think." Daniel said as he placed a plate of freshly baked cookies in front of her. Emily smiled warmly at her brother as she moved her hand to pick a cookie. However, before her hand could reach the plate, someone else was there to attack her cookies. "What are you doing?" She glared at Crist as she moved the plate away from his reach. "Come on, Emmy! I only want one." Crist said with a cheeky smile as he eyed the plate that she was holding securely in her hands. "There''s none for you." This time it was Daniel who spoke, making it way too clear that the cookies were only for his Sorellina. Crist pouted at his elder brother before he again turned his eyes towards Emily to beg her with his cute puppy eyes. But to his disappointment, the girl did not even spare him a single glance as she took a bite of the cookie. "Mmm....! It''s so tasty, Danny!" Emily could not help but shout happily as she gulped down the entire cookie, relishing its sweet chocolaty flavor that coated her taste buds and filled her with instant joy. "What the....And here I thought that you are not a fan of anything sweet!" Crist muttered as he glared at the plate of cookies that was calling his name as if it was meant only for him. "Danny''s cookies are too good. I can''t help but change my preferences." Emily replied as she picked up another cookie and started munching on it. Crist scoffed at her words as he picked up his phone to divert his attention from the cookies that he was unable to get. "Don''t be in such a hurry. There''s more. You can have as much as you want." Daniel spoke in a worried tone as he stopped her from gulping down an entire cookie at once. "En!" Emily immediately nodded her head as a huge smile bloomed on her face. Five months ago, she literally despised the mention of the word ''sweet'' but now, she was reluctant to share even a single cookie with her brother. Mark entered the living room and after giving Leo a hard slap on his head, he took a seat beside his little sister who was happily munching on freshly baked cookies. "Here! Try it....it''s so yum." Emily brought a cookie in front of Mark''s lips as she asked him to eat the luxury that she was holding in her hand. Mark first looked at the cookie and then he turned his attention towards his sister. The way she was smiling at him with pure happiness filling her emerald-like eyes, made him open his mouth to accept the cookie. The rich taste of chocolate covered his tongue and he turned to look at Daniel to give him a thumbs up. His brother''s kitchen skills were on an otherworldly level. He was an expert when it came to cooking and baking. "What''s going on here? Am I seeing things?" Crist could hardly believe what he had just seen. His little sister just shared her cookies with her least favorite brother! Was Mark even her least favorite brother anymore? Rather, it looked like that he was climbing the list at a very fast pace. "How come you chose him among all of us? This ain''t fair, Em!" He complained as he looked at his sister with a put on his lips. "Even in curious to know about how he has become so close to you within a week...Actually, never mind!" Leo, who had finally succeeded in getting himself out of Shadow''s hold, spoke as he came to stand beside Crist. "You can''t trust her judgment at all. I mean look at her list of favorite brothers. Those who are sitting on top are none other than Dom, Daniel, and Simon. And it looks like even Mark has entered the top five spots." Leo spoke as he shook his head. An expression of complete disappointment was covering his face. "Wait! Doesn''t that mean the two of us are at the bottom of the list?" Crist asked as he stared at his sister with shocked eyes. "Of course, we are at the bottom. That''s why I''m telling you that her judgment is way too poor to even be considered. Who knows exactly what kind of standards she''s using. Definitely not reliable!" Leo replied to Crist''s question with another shake of his head. "You are actually right. If we look at the six of us and our personalities, both of us along with Danny should be at the top of the list. But she actually has Dom on the number one spot..." "...tsk tsk! Emmy, how can you even place Dom, Simon, and Mark in the upper half of the list? Your list is definitely not reliable." The way Crist and Leo teamed up to drag her list of favorite brothers down, made Emily glare at the two of them. "Are you two too bored?" Mark asked the two of his brothers as he picked up another cookie from the plate that Emily was still holding in her hands. The girl did not even blink when he took away the last cookie that was left on the plate. She was too busy enjoying the smoothie that Nick had just handed her. "Wait! Don''t fight over cookies. Here, there are some crumbs left on the plate. You can enjoy them." Emily suddenly said out loud as she placed the plate on the table and pushed it towards Crist and Leo. "...." "Pfft!" While her two younger brothers were left dumbfounded, the rest of the people present in the living room burst out into chuckles. "She''s become a monster. So evil." Leo muttered as he shook his head at his sister''s teasing words. "You are becoming just like them. Soon enough, they will turn you into a cruel villainess. You should immediately change sides. We are far much better than them." Crist added as he looked at Emily with a serious look filled in his eyes. Emily just shook her head at their antics but did not comment, she just returned her focus on her smoothie. "I can tell you about the standard that she uses to maintain the list of her favorite brothers." Shadow''s voice pulled everyone''s attention towards the supernatural who was still busy reading the magazine. His gaze was still fixed on whatever he was reading. When the room was filled with complete silence as everyone waited for the man to speak again, including Emily, he finally looked up from his magazine. His amber eyes immediately landed on Emily who almost choked on the smoothie because of the sudden act. A small twitch appeared on his lips before he pulled his attention away to look at Leo and Crist who were actually looking at him with eager eyes. "If you will pay a little more attention to this matter, you will realize that those who are sitting on the top of her list were the ones who are good at bullying.....while those who are at the bottom...they are the ones whom she can bully." Emily immediately burst out into giggles, accompanied by Sam and the others. Even Domenic smiled a little as he looked at the horrified expression of the two of his youngest brothers. "Wait! Are you telling me that she bullies us?" Leo asked the weirdest, creepiest, and most dislikable man who was sitting in front of him. "Why? She doesn''t? Maybe I have misjudged the situation then." Shadow replied with a soft shrug as he once again returned his attention to his magazine. "Oh no! Our Emmy has become a bully. This is definitely not good news. But........" Crist trailed off as he moved towards where his little sister was sitting with Mark. He took a seat beside her and wrapped his arms tightly around her as he continued. ".....I''m more than happy to be bullied by her. She''s the only one who can bully me." Chapter 125 - Shadows White Lie "Alright! Stop being so cheesy." Leo muttered as he dragged Crist far away from Emily and Mark. "Emilia." "Huh?" Emily turned to look at her eldest brother when he called her name. Domenic was still busy reading the report that his Secretary brought early in the morning. It was some kind of important file that needed his signature before noon, that''s why her brother was still busy with his work even on Christmas. "I want you to do me a favor," Domenic spoke as he continued reading the report. "What is it?" Emily asked while she tried her very best to not look excited at all. She was more than happy to do something for Nick. It was so rare for him to assign her with any work unless it was about following certain rules and regulations. "I have an important parcel that is needed to be picked from the SA. Can you please visit the Academy to pick it up? Shadow will accompany you there." He finally looked up from his file and fixed his gaze on his little sister as he waited for her answer. "Alright! Just give me five minutes to change." Emily hurriedly accepted his request and immediately made her way towards the stairs. Everyone watched in silence as the girl disappeared within a minute. She looked far too happy to be real. "What is going on? What parcel? And why do you need to send her to pick it up?" Mark was the first one who started bombarding the questions. The others were just as curious to know the answers as he was. The only person who looked completely normal and unaffected by the entire situation was none other than Shadow. He just silently sat there reading the magazine. Fortunately or unfortunately, no one noticed that the man had not turned a single page since the very beginning. In short, he had been reading the same page all this while....or maybe he was not even reading at all. "To be honest, the parcel is not really that important. I just want her to enjoy a little time while enjoying the outside decorations of Christmas." Domenic answered Mark''s questions as he once again picked up the file that he had put aside just a few moments ago. "That''s thoughtful of you, Dom. But don''t you think it''s risky to send her out all alone? What if something bad........OUCH!" Crist let out a sharp cry when a sharp slap landed on the back of his head. He turned to glare at the person who dared to hit him, only coming face to face with an angry-looking Simon. "Don''t jinx!" His brother exclaimed at him with a shake of his head. "Yeah, right! But you guys know what I''m talking about." Crist said as he once again looked at his eldest brother. "Dom, Crist is right. We can''t take such a huge risk with her safety." Daniel added his part as he too looked worried about the situation. "You guys don''t need to worry. Shadow will be accompanying her." Domenic said as he gave Daniel a serious nod. While just like the others, Daniel too was not aware of Shadow''s true identity but he knew his brother very well. Domenic would never neglect Emily''s safety and if he trusted Shadow completely regarding her safety then it meant that the man was really someone powerful who could keep her safe. A sigh escaped Daniel''s lips as he quieted down and did not speak anymore. Even though his heart was unsettled because of worry, he was going to put his faith in his brother, just like he had been doing all these years. He trusted Domenic, his decisions, and his instincts more than anything or anyone. The others looked at Daniel in surprise which made the man sigh once again as he spoke, "If he''s saying that she will be fine with Shadow, then trust him. Dom will never let her get hurt because of his stupid decisions." Even though the others still wanted to protest but they all knew that Daniel was speaking the truth. "I can back up Domenic''s trust in Shadow. He won''t let her get hurt in his watch." This time it was Sam who spoke up as he passed a quick look in Shadow''s direction. "What''s so unique about him?" Leo muttered under his breath, even though he knew pretty well that almost everyone heard him. Shadow finally decided to discard the magazine as he stood up from his seat and moved to stand in front of Domenic. "I can''t believe you are doing this." He said in a light voice as he shook his head at the situation. "Me neither. But I owe it to him this time. Can''t back down." The Young Alessandro Master replied as he thought about the previous night. "Are you not worried that it''s not really that safe to send her. She''s only seventeen. What if something happens that should not happen?" Shadow pressed on the situation as he reminded the Young Master about the risk that he was taking. "Why do you think I''m sending you with her? You are responsible for her safety. No matter what''s the situation, you have to make sure that she''s totally safe." Domenic replied as he once again focused his attention on the file. "How much safe? I mean she''s not really a child. She can have those moments if she wants or maybe at least she can make....You know what I mean!" Shadow was either trying to piss off the Young Master, or he was just too bored to think about the consequences of his words. Domenic slammed the file shit as he focused his piercing gaze on the Supreme Sire. "I''m leaving everything up to you. She can do as much as you will allow her. Good luck!" The man did not wait to watch the dumbfounded look on Shadow''s face. He just stood up from his seat and disappeared from the living room. The rest of the people who were present in the room were left as confused and surprised as they possibly ever could. While Shadow and Domenic were busy talking in codes, the rest had no idea what they were actually talking about which led to their utter confused states. And the thing that left them surprised was the shocked expression that was still visible on Shadow''s face. It was the first time they had seen him looking totally speechless. Just what Domenic meant by his words that brought such a reaction out from Shadow? "I''m so confused!" Leo spoke out softly as he watched Shadow finally shaking himself out of his shock. "Same bro!" Crist added as he too stared at the bodyguard. "What were you two talking about?" Jackson asked the question even though he knew pretty well that he was not going to receive any answer. Just like he thought, Shadow completely ignored his questions and the curious gazes that were trained on him. Their attention was pulled towards the stairs when a beautiful girl dressed in black jeans, white blouse, and a dark blue overcoat, appeared in their vision. Her long brown silky hair was left loose and her hands were hidden in the pockets of her coat as she hurriedly walked towards Shadow. "Are you ready?" Her bodyguard asked as soon as she appeared beside him. Emily immediately nodded her head in reply before she turned to look at her brothers. "We will be back soon. Don''t have too much fun behind my back." She told them with a cute little pout. "I''m coming with you guys," Simon announced as he moved to pick up his jacket that was resting at the armrest of one of the chairs. "You can''t!" Shadow immediately stopped him as he turned his attention towards the man. "Why?'' "Why not?" Both Emily and Simon asked at the same moment as they looked at Shadow with confused looks on their faces. "Because if any of you were allowed to accompany us, then your brother would have let you know." Shadow''s reply made a frown appeared on almost everyone''s face but the man did not give them any more chance to question him or stop him. He took hold of one of Emily''s hands before he pulled her towards the hallway that led to the entrance door. There were shouts of complaints but to both of their amazement, no one followed behind them. "What is going on?" Emily asked as she descended the stairs along with her bodyguard. "Domenic wants me to show you around the city while we are on our way to pick up the parcel. You can look at all the decorations around the area. He did not allow the others to accompany us because he thought that they will be too worried about your safety and it will ruin the mood." Shadow laid out the white lie in front of her in such a way that Emily did not even think about not believing him even for a second. She was completely clueless about what was waiting for her at the Academy. Chapter 126 - Being Vulnerable "It''s beautiful!" Emily whispered out as her emerald eyes sparkled at the beautifully decorated streets. It was a pity that it still was early morning and not evening or nighttime, otherwise, she would have got the chance to enjoy the sparkling lights that people had used to decorate the outside of their shops, cafes, restaurants, and other such buildings. "It is..." Shadow''s soft words pulled her attention towards her bodyguard and as she turned to look at him, she found him looking directly back at her. His amber eyes were looking at her with such softness that it left her surprised for a few seconds. At the same time, Shadow too was taken aback as their gaze collided and it made him immediately look away. He focused his attention back on the road as he cleared his throat to divert his thoughts. "I mean that...it''s really beautiful....the view. Just like you said." Shadow explained his words as he continued to keep his attention on the road ahead as they drove towards the Academy. "I know right...!" Emily smiled at him before she looked out of the window at the snow which was covering everything under its white blanket. The streets were bustling and Emily could feel the positive and happy vibes that were present all around her. It barely took them five minutes before their car reached the junction of the neutral zone and after another five minutes or so, their car finally entered the Academy grounds. Since it was the holidays, no one was present at the Academy. Shadow parked the car in front of the stairs that led to the entrance of the seven-storey building before the two of them came out of the car and made their way towards the stairs. Just when they reached the entrance, Shadow stopped in front of the main doors as he took out a card and his cellphone from his jacket pocket. He opened his message box to view the message that he just received. ''No need to enter the building.'' The Supreme Sire scoffed as he read the message. His facial expression looked like he was ready to curse someone to death. "Is everything all right?" Emily asked as she looked at the man who was rubbing his temples as if he was currently battling a headache. Shadow took in a deep breath before he turned to face the girl as he answered her question. "Looks like I need to visit the depository near the back gate of the Academy. There''s another important thing that I need to collect from there." Emily chuckled as she realized the reason behind his exasperated look. "Are you mad because Nick is making you work on Christmas?" She asked him with raised eyebrows. Shadow looked at her for a few silent seconds before he shrugged in response, neither denying nor confirming her words. "It''s alright. I''ll ask him to pay you an extra bonus for today''s work. Now stop making that face. Let''s pay a visit to the depository first." Emily said as she turned around to climb down the stairs. However, before she could take even a single step, she was stopped in tracks by none other than her bodyguard. She looked at him with confused eyes as she waited for him to speak. "You can''t go there, Princess." "And why?" Emily asked while arching her eyebrows high as she folded her arms to look as much intimidating as she was feeling at that moment. "Because I''m saying so. I''ll go there alone." Shadow replied in a serious but soft tone. "Really? When did you become like this?" Emily was definitely not happy with his answer and she did not try to hide it at all. "Princess, do me a favor and follow my words. I''ll go to the depository to finish my work and you will go to the private office on the seventh floor to collect Domenic''s parcel. Alright?" Shadow looked directly into her emerald eyes as he waited patiently for her response. What else Emily could do other saying yes? So, that was exactly what she did. "Fine!" She muttered out in a barely audible tone as she turned her attention to the door of the academy building in front of her. Shadow let out a deep sigh as he placed his hands on her shoulders and made her turn to face him. He pulled her chin up to make her look at him as he spoke in a tender voice. "Don''t make that sad face. I''m doing this for your safety, Princess." Emily observed his expression for a few silent seconds before she let out a sigh and nodded her head as she spoke. "Alright! I''ll do as you suggest. But you need to make it quick. Don''t keep me waiting for too long." Shadow immediately nodded his head in acceptance. He passed the card to her that he has been holding. "Go now." He spoke as he nodded his head towards the door in front of them. Emily turned to walk towards the electrical door that was surrounded by a magical ward. But she soon stopped in her tracks as her eyes took in the empty entrance of the building through the glass doors. Her heart suddenly started filling with anxiousness as her eyes took in the emptiness and silence inside the building. She felt Shadow''s presence behind her as he moved closer to stand right behind her. "Are you afraid of stepping inside all alone?" He asked the question in a very soft voice. Emily immediately turned around to face him. Her eyes held so much vulnerability at that moment, Shadow almost felt like something inside him was crushing into pieces. "Shadow.....I-I don''t want to be left alone," Emily whispered out as she looked at him with hopeful eyes. One of her hands had moved on its own accord and her fingers were tightly clutching his overcoat. She could not believe that she was letting him see her in such a defenseless state, something that she hated to do in front of strangers. However, she felt so safe and comfortable around her new bodyguard that she did not even think twice before exposing her fear in front of him. Chapter 127 - Merry Christmas Shadow looked at her in total silence while he found his own fingers wrapping around hers as he softly pulled her hand away from his coat. "Do you trust me, Princess?" He asked her as he moved a little closer to her. He let out a very small amount of his energy that immediately surrounded the two of them, helping Emily to calm down without her knowing about it. The girl was silent for a few seconds as she looked into his amber eyes, trying to find the answer to the question that had suddenly taken over her mind. She found herself slowly nodding her head in reply to his question. She did trust him....more than she should. And the question was - why? Why did she trust him, a stranger, so much? "Then, believe me, I won''t let anything happen to you. Even though I won''t be here with you physically but that can''t stop me from protecting you. Trust me, Princess. I won''t let anything happen to you. I promise." Shadow''s words were filled with a promise that held far too much weight and power than the usual promises that people used to make with each other. Emily nodded her head as she closed her eyes for a few seconds to take in a deep breath. When she opened her eyes after a few moments, her gaze landed on the ring that she was wearing on the index finger of her right hand. It was the same ring that Shadow gifted her the previous night. Her body relaxed a little and so did her mind. She looked at him as she spoke, "I trust you too much for my own good." Her voice came out relaxed even though her body was still looking a little tense. A small twitch appeared on Shadow''s lips as he heard her words. He was not going to say it, but the words just flew out of his mouth on their own accord, leaving both him and Emily surprised. "And I care too much about you for my own good." The two of them looked at each other in pure silence as Emily tried to read his emotions, and failing miserably. Before she could found her voice to speak, Shadow suddenly pulled away from her. He stepped back a few steps to put some distance between the two of them. His expression changed as a small smile appeared on his lips as he spoke loudly, "Go now. Let''s not waste any more time. We should hurry and finish our work." "But..." Before Emily could speak any further, she felt the glass door behind her opening and someone stepped out from the supposed-to-be empty building. She turned to look at the person and found herself staring at none other than the Young CEO of Sullivan Empire. "Mr. Sullivan...?" Emily was surprised to see him and her questioning look perfectly portrayed her shock. "Don''t freeze yourself out here," Kaiden said with a smile on his lips as he hurriedly approached her and took one of her hands in his own before he turned to re-enter the building. Emily was so surprised that it took her a few moments to realize exactly what was happening and by that time, she was already inside the building. She hurriedly turned her face to look at Shadow but to her surprise, she found no one standing there. "He has left." Kaiden told her as he kept walking towards the elevator, still holding her hand. "What are you doing here?" Emily asked as she fastened her steps to keep up with him. "Rylan and Shane wanted to send Christmas presents for you, so I called your brother for permission. That''s when I got to know that you are heading here for some reason and I decided to hand over the gifts to you. That''s why I am here." Kaiden skillfully portrayed the lie that he had created to support his plan. Even he was convinced with his lie, less alone Emily. They entered the elevator and headed straight to the seventh floor. "Then where are Rylan and Shane?" Emily asked as she very slowly pulled her hand out of his hold. "Well....since it''s Christmas, they could not leave the mansion due to all the guests," Kaiden answered as he kept his attention fixed ahead on the closed doors of the elevator. This time Emily raised her eyebrows high in a questioning look as she turned to face the silver-haired man. Kaiden felt her gaze on him and turned to look at her in return. Her questioning eyes made a small twitch appeared on his lips. He put on his most serious and calm expression as he asked, "Anything wrong, Miss Anderson?" Emily found herself immediately shaking her head as she pulled her eyes away from his serious face. Even though she felt for a moment that he was lying but she had no plans of confronting him just because of a stupid feeling that could easily turn out wrong. They reached the seventh floor and the elevator door opened in the quiet hallway. Emily followed behind Kaiden towards the private offices that were located at the end of the left-wing. They came in front of a door and Kaiden open it to let both of them inside. It was a huge office room, decorated simply but exquisitely. "Where''s the parcel?" Emily asked as she looked around the room. "Look over there," Kaiden said as he pointed towards the huge wooden desk that was placed at the very back of the room in front of a huge glass window. Potted plants were sitting around the room and there was a faint fragrance of rosemary in the office. Emily approached the table and started looking around. It took her some time before she finally spotted the box which was resting under the table. It was quite big and heavy, but she succeeded in safely placing it on top of the table. She found no name, address, or any other information written on it. Just when she was busy assessing the parcel, she felt his presence behind him. A warm breath grazed the skin beneath her ear which made tingles erupt all over her body. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart." Chapter 128 - The Unique Present Emily inhaled sharply as she felt his warm breath caressing her skin, making her heartbeat accelerate as she tried to keep her breathing as normal as possible. When she failed to reply even after a few moments, Kaiden decided to step even closer to her, barely leaving a few inches between their bodies. Emily could clearly feel the heat of his body on her back. Her hands gripped the edge of the table as she bit down on her lower lip to make her focus return to reality. "Merry Christmas to you too, Mr. Sullivan." She finally whispered out in a calm voice even though she was feeling anything but calm at that moment. What she did not expect was to hear him groan as one of his hands caged her from one side as he rested his hand on the edge of the table just beside her own. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt his lips so close to her nape as he whispered in her ear, "You are not allowed to be so formal to me. Don''t you remember, angel?" Emily felt something fluttering inside her as she heard him calling her ''angel''. The ways in which he addressed her were far too intimate and new for her. "Mr.......Kaiden..." Emily whispered out his name as she tried to think of a way to get herself out of his proximity which was threatening to consume get completely. "Perfect!" Kaiden whispered in her ear as a soft smile bloomed on his lips. Only he knew how hard it was for him to not pull the girl in his arms and hug her. He took in a deep breath, inhaling her unique scent before he pulled away from her. He moved towards the other end of the table before he took out a few gift boxes from a bag and placed them on the table in front of her. Emily checked the boxes and realized that two of them were from Rylan, and one from Shane. "This is a special one." Emily looked at the blue gift box that Kaiden placed on top of the other boxes as he spoke those words. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow but when the man did not speak anymore, she turned her attention back to the box. It was from him! "Open it," Kaiden said as he signaled at the box, waiting for her to hurriedly open the box and see the present inside it. Emily stared at the box for a few silent seconds before she picked it up and started taking off the gift wrapper. It did not take her long to pull out the silver velvet box from it. Even the box looked so beautiful as it was designed very finely. Her eyes once again looked up at the man in front of her, finding that he was too looking directly back at her. Kaiden again signaled at the box in her hands with his icy blue eyes as he waited patiently for her to look at the present that he had prepared for her. Emily took in a deep breath as her fingers opened the box to reveal whatever was hidden inside it. And as the box finally opened, her eyes landed on the item that was laying inside it. "What is it?" She asked in surprise as she turned to look at the man in front of her. Out of all the things that she expected to see in the box, a glowing silver crystal ball was definitely one of them. It was small, barely the size of a candy. However, it was glowing brightly as a silvery light surrounded it, making it hard for Emily to see the crystal properly. "It''s a present for you," Kaiden answered her as he took the crystal ball in his hands and placed the empty box on the table. He moved to stand in front of her as he looked into her eyes as he spoke, "Do you trust me, angel?" Emily was left surprised as she heard the familiar question. Shadow asked the same question barely ten minutes ago and here she was, once again facing the same question but from a different person. She was silent as she thought about his question. Did she trust him? She was not sure. Even though he had never hurt her, was always polite towards her, cared about her, and even respected her, she was not sure if she could say that she was not afraid of him. She was not worried about him hurting her. Rather, she was worried because she could not understand her reactions to his presence around her. The way her entire being reacted towards his closeness made her question her sanity. Not knowing exactly how to answer his question, she decided to go with her instinct as she spoke. "I know that you will not hurt me." Her words were sincere. She was confident that he won''t hurt her, at least not intentionally. Kaiden smiled softly at her words. How could he not notice that her answer was not exactly what he was expecting to hear? But it was still a start and he was more than happy to work hard to win her trust. And he was sure that one day he would surely reach his goal. "Since you think so, please hold this magic ball in your hand." He told her as he offered the sparkling crystal to her. Emily looked at the crystal for a few seconds as she finally took it out of his hands and hold it in her own. She could feel that it was emitting a cold energy which made her palm tingle with little sparks. "It''s cold." She muttered as she tried to look at the ball more closely. "It''s filled with the essence of snow," Kaiden told her as he moved his hand to cover the ball as he looked at her. His cerulean eyes looked directly into her green ones as he let his spirit energy drift into the ball to send the last message to the little devil who was sleeping inside the ball. "I promise that you are going to love this present. Keep it under moonlight surrounded by snow for the next few days. The moment when the new year will greet us, I want you to keep this ball in your hands. This crystal will reveal the hidden gift at that time." They both were silent as Emily tried to grasp all that he just told her. The tiny ball was su?h a mysterious thing that she had a sudden urge to crack it and see exactly what kind of secret it was holding. "Is it a present for Christmas or New Year?" She asked as she looked at him with raised eyebrows. A smile appeared on Kaiden''s lips as he heard her question. He cleared his throat softly as he replied, "It''s such a unique and priceless gift that it can make up for both occasions." Emily shook her head at his words, letting out a soft sigh as she spoke, "You are a multi-billionaire. How can you gift me only one present for two different occasions?" This time Kaiden could not stop the chuckle that escaped his lips as he shook his head before he spoke. "Fine! I''ll prepare another present for you. No need to look down on me like this." Emily just shook her head as she very carefully placed the crystal ball back inside its box before stuffing the box in the inside pocket of her overcoat. "No need. One is enough. And....thank you. Though I''m not sure exactly what is hidden inside this ball but I''m believing your words. I''m gonna see exactly what surprise I''m gonna receive on New Year." Emily said as she looked at the man with a smile playing on her lips. The two of them were silent for a few moments before Kaiden decided to speak, "I was expecting you to reject my gift. But I''m happy that you accepted it." He looked at her with genuine happiness filling his beautiful and alluring eyes. "Make no mistake. You did not predict wrongly. I would not have accepted your gift if it had been something else, especially something expensive. But I did not expect to receive a magical gift. Even though I want to reject it, I just can''t. I want to know what kind of magical gift it is." Emily answered sincerely as she recalled the sense of connection that she felt with the crystal ball the moment she touched it as if it was meant to be in her possession. It was the main reason why she did not reject to accept the weird gift. She wanted to know exactly what it was, what kind of secret it was hiding, and why she felt connected with it. Her attention was pulled back at the silver-haired handsome CEO when she felt him inching a little closer to her. Her eyes automatically moved to look at his face, finding herself once again falling for his devilish looks. "If you don''t mind me asking - what I''m getting as a present from you?" Chapter 129 - Forgiveness "Huh?" Emily looked at him with surprise filling her eyes. It was like her mind was too busy to process whatever he was speaking. Kaiden arched an eyebrow as he looked at her confused expression. The twitch that was already visible on his lips only increased but he somehow succeeded in keeping a calm exterior. "Are you not going to give me any present?" He asked as he looked around the office to divert his attention a little bit. "Oh! That....well...Daniel helped me in delivering the presents to your mansion this morning." Emily replied as she brushed away the loose strands of hair that were covering her face. Kaiden turned his surprised eyes towards her as he walked closer to her while speaking in a warm tone. "Really? That''s good then. But since I can''t really see your present right now, can you please tell me what gift you have exactly prepared for me?" He could barely control his happiness and excitement after getting to know that she did not forget to give him a present. Emily could not find a way to avoid his question and since she had no other option than to answer him, she decided to defend herself as best as she could. "Well....I-I don''t really know about your likes to dislikes...so...I di-did not prepare anything unique...." She looked away as she felt her cheeks turning bright red due to embarrassment. She pondered a lot about what she wanted to gift him but no matter how hard she tried, she could not find anything suitable. In the end, she just gave up and picked the most normal thing as a present for him that she noticed. If she had known that she would be facing such a situation then she would probably have asked for one of her brothers'' or maybe Rylan''s help to select a present for the Young Sullivan Master. She felt Kaiden stepping closer to her and the next moment, she found one of his hands cupping her jaw as he made her lift her face and look at him square in the eyes. His fingers grazed her cheeks very softly as he looked into her eyes with such tenderness that Emily felt like she was going to melt at any moment. "It does not matter how simple your gift is. As long as it''s a gift from you, I will cherish it as if it''s my most precious possession." Even Kaiden could feel his heart beating loudly as he watched her twinkling eyes staring back at him in wonder. He could sense the changes in her body at his closeness. Could she sense the same about him? As soon as the thought appeared in his mind, he wanted to pull away from her. He could not let her know that she affected him just as much as he affected her, probably far more than that. Though the bond between the two of them was still sleeping, he could feel that his spirit had already recognized his other half. He took in a deep breath to calm himself down. It was not time for him to lose his cool and scare the girl. Once he was under control, he looked at her with a soft smile as he stepped back a little to place some distance between the two of them. His hand slipped away from her soft cheeks and he immediately stuffed it in his coat pocket to keep the warmth of her skin caged in his fist. "So, what is the gift?" He asked in order to divert both of their attention. Emily rubbed the tip of her nose with the index finger of her right hand as she finally muttered out a reply to his question. "A greeting card and a box of saffron and honey cookies from the Golden Sugar Bakery." Kaiden found a smile appearing on his lips as he heard her answer. He was more than happy with the present that he had received from his angel. However, his happiness was short-lived because her next words were like a bucket of cold water that left his heart shivering and trembling. "......I have sent the same for Mr. Kim since I was also not aware of his likes and dislikes. I hope both of you will enjoy the sweets. They are actually good." The poor girl had no idea that her words were like sharp knives that slashed the young man''s heart into pieces. "What did you just say?" Even though Kaiden tried to stay as calm as possible, he could barely control the bitterness that was coating his words. "Huh? Well......I said that....I-I hope you and Mr. Kim...." Before Emily could finish, she found herself trailing off as she noticed the frown that had appeared on the handsome face of the man in front of her. His icy blue eyes no longer looked as warm and affectionate as before. Rather, she could feel that there was something wrong with him and his mood. Though she could not understand exactly what was going on but she could clearly tell that his mood had suddenly changed due to some reason. Was he mad because she bought such cheap and normal stuff as a present for him? But the cookies were not exactly cheap. She could have enjoyed a complete buffet in the amount of money that she spent on just one box of those cookies. "How.....? How can you gift me the same present as my Secretary? Are you trying to tell me that my position in your life is the same as Secretary Kim? You did not need to be this direct and cruel even if you wanted to tell me that." Kaiden could barely keep his sadness at bay. It was a good thing that Secretary Kim was not present there with them. From the very first moment, his Secretary had successfully pulled his little mate''s attention away from him. He could feel something boiling inside him as he pictured taking revenge on that good-for-nothing secretary of his. How could his angel gift that damn man the same present that she chose for her future husband? Was Secretary Kim trying to snatch away his mate? The thought only made him more furious and sad as he growled at the thought of that old dragon taking away his little angel from him. "Kaiden....!" The sudden soft and sweet voice entered his ears and started clearing the fog of jealousy that was surrounding his mind. He did not even realize that he had closed his eyes and as his eyes fluttered open, the first thing that appeared in front of his vision was the beautiful face of his little angel. He could feel all his dark emotions fluttering away as her eyes and sweet voice pulled him out of the ocean of fear that kept reminding him that he could lose her anytime. He did not even realize what he was doing until he found his arms circling her tiny waist as he pulled her in his embrace. Her familiar scent calmed him down and so did her racing heart that matched his own. It was like their hearts were having a competition of who would beat the fastest. He felt himself completely relaxing as soon as he felt her hands on his back. She was soothingly rubbing his back as she kept asking if he was alright. He did not reply as he just closed his eyes and snuggled his nose against her nape to inhale her natural scent. He could feel his entire being calming down as he was filled with happiness to have his little angel securely wrapped in his arms. "Kaiden, are you alright? Is everything okay?" Emily again asked him, this time a little bit more loudly. To be honest, she was not really expecting him to answer but to her amazement, he replied with a small ''hmm'' that made the skin of her nape tingle in a very wrong but exciting way. "Are you angry because you did not like the gift?" She asked the question but immediately shook her head. "Are you angry because I gifted the same present to both you and Mr. Kim?" She corrected her question and waited for him to confirm what he had already made very clear with his tantrum. Kaiden nodded his head against her shoulder as he once again hummed in reply. His arms tightened around her as he pulled her even closer to his warm chiseled body. "I''m sorry. It was not intentional. I barely know your Secretary but you are my friend. How can you both have the same place in my life?" Emily questioned as she kept rubbing his back softly while she continued. "Since you have received an extra gift in the form of this rare and expensive hug from me, can you please forgive me for my stupid mistake?" She asked as a small smile bloomed on her lips. She had no idea exactly why she was playing along with him but for the very first time in a while, her heart wanted to give in and she decided to do exactly that. Chapter 130 - Follow The Instincts "Okay! I will forgive you since you are asking so politely. But I''m going to keep Secretary Kim''s cookies for myself. He will only receive the gift card, nothing more." Kaiden said as he pulled away from the hug a little to look at his little angel. A smile bloomed on Emily''s lips at his words but she immediately nodded her head in acceptance of his demand. "Alright! You can do as you wish." She told him before she took out her phone to look at the time. "I think we should leave now. Shadow will be waiting." She said as she again stuffed the phone back in her jeans pocket. "Alright! Let me carry these." Kaiden did not try to stall for more time and immediately agreed. He picked up the gift boxes and the parcel and followed Emily out of the office. As soon as she stepped out of the building, the chilly weather welcomed her, making her immediately yearn for warmth. "You finally remembered to return." Shadow''s voice entered her ears and when her eyes focused on the tall handsome man with amber eyes, she found him staring at Kaiden. "Thanks." Kaiden spoke from beside her, making her look at him in puzzlement. The two men stared at each other as if both of them were either talking through their eyes or were probably trying to intimidate each other. "Nevermind. I was just too free to anything." Shadow muttered in response after a few moments of silence as he took out a big overcoat from the back seat of the car and started walking towards her. "You can put them in the car." Her bodyguard told the other man before he turned his entire focus on her. Emily watched Kaiden moving towards their car with the gift boxes in his arms. She did not miss the sigh that he let out before walking away. Her attention was pulled away from the silver-haired man when Shadow wrapped the coat over her shoulders and secured her in a warm cocoon. "Don''t freeze yourself." He mumbled in a low voice as he fixed the collar of the coat before stepping back. "We should return to the mansion. The weather is about to change." He informed her as he turned towards the car and started walking. "Enjoy your holidays. And remember about the present." Kaiden reminded her as he opened the passenger side door for her. "En! I will." Emily nodded her head in reply before she slipped inside the car. She watched Kaiden''s figure becoming smaller and smaller as their car made its way towards the main gates of the Supernatural Academy. "A snowstorm?" Emily asked her bodyguard as she accepted the cup of coffee that he offered her. "A blizzard." "Really? The weather was not looking that bad when we..." Emily trailed off as her eyes finally landed on the sky. The temperature had dropped since the morning and the wind was no longer calm. "We will reach home before that. Right?" She asked Shadow in a worried voice as she looked at the little snowflakes that had started to pour down from the sky. "Don''t worry," Shadow replied as he kept his attention on the road. Emily just let out a small sigh as she quieted down to let him focus on driving. By the time the two of them finally arrived at the Alessandro Mansion, the snowfall had become stronger and the wind only added energy to the chill that was threatening to freeze her. While Shadow went to park the car in the underground parking area, Emily made her way towards the private elevator that was installed on the ground level. The elevator was only used on special or urgent occasions like the current one. There was no way she would be climbing all those stairs in such a heavy snowfall. It took only a few moments before she found herself entering the mansion from the back door of the kitchen. The house welcomed her with the warmth and aroma of various dishes that were being prepared in the kitchen. It was almost ten past noon and she knew that they soon would be having a warm family lunch. After asking Mrs. Harris about Domenic''s whereabouts, she made her way towards his study on the third floor. Ever since her brothers opened up about the secrets of the supernatural world and all, she was no longer restricted to enter any area of the entire mansion. However, Emily rarely went anywhere near the third floor. She just wanted to stay away from all the business issues and works that were handled on the third floor. Her only favorite place there was the library and she never took advantage of her brothers'' trust in her by venturing into the office area. She shook her hair to get rid of the snow before she knocked on the door of Domenic''s study. "Come in!" She heard her brother''s voice allowing her to enter. She opened the door and stepped inside. Her guardian was sitting on the sofa next to the fireplace. A small fire was burning in it which immediately pulled her towards it. "You are back. Are you feeling cold?" Domenic asked as he noticed her flushed cheeks and the snow that was still covering her coat and hair. Emily shook her head as she allowed her brother to take off both of her coats. He even pulled her hair in a loose ponytail before he made her sit down near the fireplace and offered a cup of warm water. "I''m alright, Nick." She told him with a soft chuckle as she found his actions filling her heart with warmth. "Here you are." She turned her head towards the door to look at Simon who had entered the room with a parcel in his hands. It was the same parcel that she collected from the Academy. "Your bodyguard is lucky that he brought you back home before the storm turned into a blizzard," Simon told her as he placed the parcel on the desk sitting beside the fireplace. "He''s perfect in his job. Stop doubting him." Emily defended her bodyguard immediately as she looked at her brother with challenging eyes. "Really?" Simon asked her with one of his eyebrows arched high as he waited for her answer. She could tell that his question was serious. He really wanted to know her answer. She smiled softly at her brother as she nodded her head. "Really. Give him a chance. He''s not a bad person." Simon looked at her in silence for a few seconds before he slowly nodded his head in reply to her advice. "Alright! If you really trust him that much, I''ll give him a chance to prove himself." He rubbed her head softly before he gave Domenic a nod and walked out of the study. "Why do you trust him so much? It has only been a short time since he joined us. How can you say that he does not have any bad intentions?" Domenic''s question made Emily pause as she looked at her brother with blank eyes. Her mind pondered on his question as she tried to find the exact reason for which she trusted Shadow to such a stupid level. "Probably my answer will sound stupid......His first impression was way better than anyone else I''ve met in my life. He was the one who saved Daniel''s life that day. After that day, you assigned him as my bodyguard. He had dozens of chances when I was left alone with him. If he really wanted to hurt me, he would have already done it by now. And also because...... I have a feeling that he does not want to hurt me." The two of them were silent for the next few minutes as Domenic observed his little sister. Her expressions told him that she was telling him the truth. "Your instincts are one of your most powerful weapons, Emily. If you want my advice - I''ll tell you to always listen to your instincts. They will probably guide you towards the right path." Domenic''s words made Emily look at her brother with a small smile on her lips as she nodded her head in response. Her eyes landed on the parcel and it made her ask the question that she wanted to ask ever since he told her to pick the parcel from the Academy. "What is it? Something important?" She knew that if he did not want to reveal anything about the parcel, then he would just ignore her question. She had no problem with that. It was just that she was taking her chance with the question. Either she would get an answer or she won''t. Domenic picked up the parcel and placed it in his lap as his hands lightly arrested the top of the box. He let out a small sigh before he turned his attention towards her as he decided to answer her question. "Yeah, it''s something important. It''s a present for you.......from Dad." Chapter 131 - The Past Of The Three Family Heads "Dad?" Emily asked with a shocked expression covering her face. Her eyes were trained on the parcel that was sitting on her brother''s lap. The word was so foreign to her that it came out without any hint of warmth in her tone. Was it bad that she felt no emotions towards a person whom she could not even remember? "Umm-hmm! It was the present that he bought for you years ago, probably as a present for your birthday, the one when you were taken away from us. Unfortunately, he never got the chance to give this to you personally." Domenic told her as he placed the box on her lap and patted her lightly on her shoulder before he stood up and left the study, giving her some alone time. Emily knew that their father had passed away years ago. The war that broke through in City A around twelve years ago, was the reason why the heads of the three powerful families of City - Alessandros, Sullivans, and Evans, lost their lives. It was ironic that all the three family heads lost their lives on the same and in the same banquet, one that was held in honor to the three powerful families for placing the base of a better future for their city and citizens. They were supposed to sign a peace treaty at that banquet. However, they never got the chance. The enemies arrived at a time when no one was prepared and their guards were down. That day was recorded as one of the darkest periods of City A''s history. The only good thing that happened that day was that none of the younger generations of the three families were present at that banquet. Domenic, Kaiden, and Sam took command over their family empires, and after a few months of the attack, the three signed the peace treaty that their fathers were supposed to sign. As far as she knew, Domenic, Kaiden, and Sam joined their forces back then to find the team of rogues who attacked the council on the night of the banquet. Rylan even told her that the three Masters succeeded in finding the rogues and killed them but for some reason, Emily felt like there was still a part of the story that she did not know yet. A sigh escaped her lips as she turned her attention towards the box. She really did not feel any kind of attachment towards the man who was her biological father. The thought of returning the parcel to Domenic appeared in her mind. However, it felt bad to not accept the present that her father especially prepared for her. She struggled to make a decision but no matter how hard she tried, she could neither make herself open the box and look at whatever was inside it nor did she want to return it to Domenic. "You can keep it with you. No need to open it now or today. Wait for the day when your heart finally wants to see whatever is inside it." Emily did not need to look at the person to know who he was. She just nodded her head in reply as she stood up with the box and left the study with him beside her. Soon, all of them were sitting around the dining table as they enjoyed a warm and happy time during their lunch. After lunchtime, her brothers decided that it was finally the time for them to open the presents since they had nothing else to do. Leo and Crist decided to first make Domenic wear something casual since he was still wandering around the mansion in a grey suit pant. "You should change too," Emily told her bodyguard as soon as Leo and Crist disappeared with her eldest brother to choose a casual outfit for him to wear. "Why?" Shadow asked with his eyebrows raised high as he looked at her with questioning eyes. "Come on, Shadow! Are you not tired of wearing all black? I haven''t seen you in any other color since the day to appear in our lives. I think the black color too needs a vacation for the time being." This time, it was Sam who decided to answer Shadow''s question. Everyone chuckled at his words while Shadow just rolled his eyes and ignored everyone. His eyes were still trained on Emily as if he was still waiting for her to answer. Emily let out a small sigh as she looked into the amber eyes of her bodyguard and started speaking. "You do look great in black and the color suits you. But just like Sam said, you need to try other colors too." "I don''t like any other color." Shadow immediately replied as he turned his focus towards the pile of presents that were sitting under the huge Christmas tree. "How about....trying a color that I like?" Emily asked in a lowered tone as she looked at the man who immediately turned to face her once again. "Is that what you prepared as a gift for me?" Even though he made it sound like a question, she had a feeling that he already knew the answer. "You already knew, right?" She asked with suspicious eyes. "I''m your bodyguard, Princess. There''s nothing that I don''t know about what you have been doing these days." Shadow''s voice was just as low as it could possibly be. Somehow, the rest of the people present around them were too busy in their own worlds to pay any attention to them. "So where are my new clothes?" She turned her attention back towards Shadow when he asked about the clothes. A huge smile appeared on her lips as she immediately dragged the man towards her bedroom. "Why did you not put my present under the tree?" Shadow asked as he followed behind her, shaking his head as he looked at her excited expression. "Because I bought you more than one gift. One is sitting under the tree and the other one is in my room." Emily replied as she opened the door of her bedroom and entered. It was a good thing that Kaiden was not there to hear her words. Otherwise, the harsh life that Mr. Kim was suffering at the moment would have become someone else''s future. Chapter 132 - Dramatic Leo "This.....looks weird." Shadow mumbled as he checked himself in the full-length mirror that was set against the wall in Emily''s walk-in closet. "Shut up! You are looking so handsome in this." Emily immediately reprimanded him as she fixed his hair and finally set the comb down on the dressing table. "I''m not looking like me....at all!" Shadow spoke as he tried to take off the lime yellow-colored cardigan. The faded jeans and white sneakers that he was wearing were in direct contrast to his all-black leather boots and tight pant. His hair was combed perfectly and his forehead was visible, giving his already handsome looks another boost. "Seriously?" He asked the girl standing beside him as he kept checking his appearance. The sigh that left her lips made him turn towards her. "If you are really not liking it, then just take it off. There''s no pressure on you to wear it if you are not comfortable." Her words came out without any touch of warmth in them. It was almost like she was tired of making him realize that he was actually looking good in the outfit, far too good than what she imagined while buying it. "It''s not like that. I''m just feeling weird after wearing such light clothes. They look so different from my usual style." Shadow hurriedly explained as he did not want her to get angry at him. "Alright! I get it. Just take it off. And you should quickly change as we have to join the others. I''ll be waiting in my room." Emily told him before she turned to leave. However, before she could take even a single step, the man stopped her as he pulled her back to face him. Emily raised her eyebrows as she looked at him with questioning eyes, waiting for him to speak. "I know that you are purposely doing this. You are pretending to be mad so that I can feel guilty and keep these clothes on. I can see through your evil plans." Shadow said as he pointed his index finger of his left hand at her. Emily scoffed at the man as she slapped his hand away before speaking, "You sure have a great imagination. Though I seriously want you to wear these clothes, I''m not desperate enough to play such childish tricks. How ridiculous!" She could not herself from rolling her eyes as she once again turned to leave but once again found herself being stopped before she could take more than a few steps. "What now?" She asked with furrowed eyebrows as she glared at him. The man was really testing her nerves. "You are not allowed to be mad at me. Especially today." Shadow told her as he put his arm around her shoulders and started walking towards the door. "I''m not mad." Emily immediately replied as she tried to not again roll her eyes. "That''s good then!" Shadow mumbled with a small smile on his face as he walked out of her bedroom along with her. By the time they reached the living room, Domenic had already returned. He was wearing a red t-shirt with black jeans. His hair was ruffled slightly, making him look nothing like the powerful young CEO of the Alessandro Empire. "Woohoo!" "Woah!" "Am I seeing things?" From the sound of it, probably no one expected to see Shadow in such pastel colors just minutes after he was seen wearing all black. "He''s looking good, right?" Emily asked everyone as she joined Daniel on the fluffy carpet that was laid on the floor next to the Christmas tree and the fireplace. "He''s looking damn hot, to be honest." Bianca was the one who answered first, receiving a cough from Jackson while Sam just shook his head. "She''s getting tired of you too," Leo commented as he smirked at Bee. "I can appreciate beauty when I see it." The woman replied with a small shrug as she sipped the juice. Though Emily was pretty sure that she saw her mixing beer in that juice a while ago. The woman really had weird tastes. But at least, her judgment about Shadow''s looks was on point. "You should try out casual wear too. They look great on you." Daniel complemented with a sincere look in his eyes. It was like the positive comments that he received from everyone, finally made Shadow relax as he took a seat beside Domenic who was sitting next to Daniel. Leo came running into the living room, receiving death glares as a present from more than just one of his brothers. However, he was already used to them glaring at him almost all the time. It never stopped him before and it won''t be stopping him even now. He just gave all of them a blinding smile before he jammed himself next to Emily, making Mark groan as he tried to shove his youngest brother away. Since there was no space left to sit between Emily and Mark, Leo had almost thrown himself in Mark''s lap, making the latter struggle to not curse out loud in front of everyone. In the end, Leo eventually succeeded in making Mark move away a little to provide enough space for him to settle down comfortably. "You really love to irritate everyone. Don''t you?" Emily asked as soon as he took out a packet of chips and started munching on the crispy snack. The idiot just turned to look at her and gave her a full view of his boxy smile before returning his attention towards his chips. "Leave him. He is just looking for a beating from either Mark or Simon. Soon you will find him walking around the house, complaining about how unfair everyone is towards him." Daniel whispered into her ear as he pulled her closer towards him. Emily chuckled as she pictured a crying Leo as he threw tantrums. She was sure that it would only end up with Domenic punishing him for disturbing everyone. Her youngest brother just loves to cause scenes. He actually lived for them! Chapter 133 - Hes Too Perfect! Emily enjoyed a beautiful and warm Christmas with her family and friends. They opened presents, played games, ate delicious dishes, and spent the next day playing outside with snow when they actually were supposed to help the servants with cleaning. She could not remember when was the last time she felt so happy to be surrounded by people. People who made her happy with their mere presence. People who made her feel safe and protected every single minute of the day. Who would have thought that someone like her would receive such warmth in her life all of a sudden? Who would have thought that she somehow end up finding a place to call home and people to be known as her family? At least, she never thought that. She never imagined living such a comfortable and happy life. All the presents that she received on Christmas were piled up in one corner of her room. Being the youngest in the entire family and the only princess of the Alessandro Empire, she received gifts from not only family and friends but also from people who worked for her family. With the number of things that received, she could easily open a small shop with them. After discussing with Domenic and Daniel, she decided to send most of the clothes, make-up, luxury items, and other such things to one of the NGOs that were under Alessandro Empire. She also followed Kaiden''s suggestion and placed the Crystal ball under the moonlight for the next few days. Sam, Bianca, and Jackson returned to their mansion after Christmas. The siblings stayed at home and enjoyed the last few days that were remained of the current year. Though Domenic still spent most of his time taking care of the family business, he also made sure to spend enough time with his family. And just like that, the last day of December month finally arrived. - "Em!" "Huh?" "Daniel is asking you to meet him in his room." "Alright!" Emily shouted in reply as she watched Crist walking back towards his bedroom where he, Mark, and Leo were playing some kind of board game. She knew because she also received the invitation to join them. However, she needed to write new episodes of her story as she needed to give a mass release to her readers as a gift for the New Year, that''s why she declined their offer. She closed her laptop and made her way towards Daniel''s room. As she knocked on his door, she heard him talking to someone. There was silence inside the room for the next few beats before he allowed her to enter. "So, it''s you." She mumbled as she walked into the room, her eyes trained on her bodyguard who was sitting next to her brother. It felt like the two of them just had a heated discussion before she arrived there. What was going on? "What''s happening here?" She asked as she took a seat at the edge of the king-size bed. Her eyes moved to her brother from her bodyguard. "Shadow wants to take you out for an hour or so," Daniel spoke as he typed something on the tablet that he was holding in his hands. "And?" Emily asked as she raised her eyebrows at her brother who was not even looking at her. "And Domenic has given his permission," Daniel answered as he kept his focus on the tablet. "And...?" Emily once again asked as she observed her brother. Unfortunately, this time she got no reply. "You don''t want me to go out with him." She said out loud after waiting for a few seconds. "I never said that." Came out her brother''s response as he kept his focus trained on whatever he was busy doing. "You don''t trust him. Is that why you are looking so frustrated?" She asked as she gave a quick look at Shadow who was silently observing the snowglobe that was sitting on top of the wooden desk where he was sitting beside her brother. Daniel kept silent. He neither accepted nor dismissed her question. "Why don''t you trust him? I mean he''s just perfect for the job of my bodyguard...." Before she could complete her sentence, she was cut off by her brother who suddenly looked up from his tablet. "And there''s my answer. You just said that. He looks too perfect for me to trust him." Saying that Daniel once again returned his attention to his previous tablet. Emily shook her head at her brother before she turned her entire attention towards her so-called bodyguard. "You succeeded in establishing such a good bond with Domenic. Can''t you do the same with the rest of them?" She asked with hopeful eyes. She really wanted them to get along. Every time one of them started objecting to Shadow''s loyalty, she felt a headache was going to hit her any moment. She would rather have a new bodyguard whom everyone trusted equally, rather than seeing everyone cornering Shadow every time he was the one taking her out alone. "I''m the same with everyone in this house. And it''s not my fault that only your eldest brother has a sensible attitude while others are just...." Shadow did not complete his sentence and that was probably a good thing. Emily let out a sigh as she shook her head before speaking, "I think I know why no one else likes you in this house." She moved closer to her brother and murdered something in his ear. "Fine. But make sure to be back within two hours. We have to leave early for tonight''s dinner invitation." Daniel reminded her as he too gave his permission. Emily placed a quick soft kiss on his cheek before she followed Shadow out of the room. It took her barely a few minutes to get ready in jeans, sweater, boots, and a long overcoat before she was climbing in the car with Shadow, and they were driving out of the huge gates. Chapter 134 - Lunch With Her Bodyguard "Where are we going?" Emily asked as she stuffed her hands inside her pockets to keep them safe from the chilly weather. Though it was not snowing anymore, the temperature was too low for a mere mortal like her to bear with. "It''s time for me to give you the present that I prepared for Christmas. Unfortunately, it got delayed for some reasons." Shadow replied as he drove towards the seven-star restaurant owned by the Evans. "Are you taking me out for a lunch?" She asked when the man sitting on the driver''s seat parked the car in the parking lot of the huge restaurant. "That''s a bonus, a sorry for being late in giving you the Christmas present," Shadow replied as he opened the door for her and helped her in climbing out of the car. Emily raised her eyebrows as she gave him an impressed look. The two entered the building and were immediately led towards the VIP elevator that took them to the third floor. Soon they were seated inside a private room that was elegantly decorated with a high chandelier, potted plants, aroma lamps, and an aquarium. The huge floor-to-ceiling glass windows gave them a beautiful view of the outside world. "What do you want to eat?" Shadow asked as he passed both of their coats to the man who was on standby. "Anything will do. Just make sure that it''s not too heavy." Emily replied as she took out her phone and started looking through her emails. Shadow ordered the food and the two of them sat there in silence. He observed the girl for the next few minutes and when she finally put her phone away, he decided to speak. "So, how''s your story doing so far?" He asked as he took a sip of water before placing the glass back on the table. "I thought you know everything about me," Emily commented as she passed him a teasing smile. "I''m trying to be polite, you know." He replied in his defense. "By?" Emily asked as she looked at him with curious eyes. The man sighed softly as he replied, "By making it appear like I''m not aware of what''s going on with your story." Emily just stared at him for the next few seconds in total silence. "Alright! I''ll pretend that your question is sincere and you know absolutely nothing about my life as an author. So, the answer to your question is - it''s going good so far." The two of them fell silent as two waiters entered the room and started filling the table with hot and mouth-watering dishes. Emily could feel her mouth salivating at the delicious aroma that was wafting from the dishes. She did not waste any time and as soon as the waiters went out of the room, she picked up the spoon and dived into the soup. "Slow down. No one is snatching that away from you." Shadow commented as he chuckled softly at her reaction. "You know nothing. I suddenly realized that I''m starving. It''s been three hours since I last ate and even then I barely ate a toast and a glass of milk." Emily replied as she took a bite of the fruit salad. Shadow just shook his head but did not comment anymore. The two of them enjoyed their food in silence. It barely took them around twenty minutes to finish their lunch. "Now what?" Emily asked ss she watched the waiters leaving the room with all the dirty dishes. "Now we are going to wait for someone," Shadow replied as he checked his watch before settling down in his seat. "How by of a present is it?" Emily continued asking more questions as she had nothing better to do at all. However, Shadow totally ignored her as he closed his eyes and let his body relax. What else Emily could do than just shutting up and waiting for whoever was coming? It took nearly ten minutes of pure torture before someone finally knocked on the door of their room. Emily looked up from her phone where she was busy giving some finish touches to her already written episodes. So far she had stockpiled four chapters for the mass release. She was going to try to draw another chapter but if she failed to do so, four chapters were still better than releasing nothing. As she put her phone away, the door opened and two beautiful women entered the room. One of them was dressed in a white paint suit with matching high heels. Her blonde hair was tied in a high ponytail and she was wearing small pearl earrings. Her hazel eyes looked sharp and full of power but at the same time, there was a hint of warmth and comfort in them. The other woman was dressed in pure black, a direct contrast to the complete white look of her partner. Her shoulder-length black hair was left loose and she was too wearing black high heels. "Emily, this is Erica Scott, and Erica, this is Emily Alessandro." Shadow introduced her to the woman in white. "Oh my! So this is her. She''s so young and absolutely stunning." Erica reacted like she was in complete awe after seeing Emily. On the other hand, Emily was struggling to recall exactly why Erica''s name sounded so familiar to her. "Boss! Be professional!" The other woman, the one in black, immediately whispered to Erica who hurriedly hid her smile and cleared her throat softly. "And this is Marine, Erica''s Secretary." Shadow introduced her to the woman in black. Emily shook hands with both the woman before they all settled in the seats that were placed around the table. "Should we order. How about having lunch together?" Erica offered as she picked up the menu. "We already have our lunch and I''ve ordered tea for the four of us. You can now put down the menu." Shadow spoke in a cold tone as he took out the menu from a surprised-looking Erica''s hands and put it aside, far away from her reach. The man really was a cold-blooded monster when it came to everyone except for his little Princess! Chapter 135 - Ericas Proposal "Can''t you try to be polite? At least a little bit." Emily asked him as she glared at her bodyguard. "Did I not order tea for them? That''s me being as polite as I can." Shadow replied with a small shrug as he took out his phone and started playing some sort of battle game. "Shadow!" Emily whispered shouted at him, even though the other two ladies could clearly hear her. She could not believe that he was actually acting in such a cold manner towards the guest that he himself invited. "Ah! Let''s not disturb him. After all, we are here to talk to you." Erica hurriedly said as if she was being threatened for her life. Little did Emily knew that her bodyguard actually threatened the two women just now. His actual words were - ''I don''t want her to get mad at me!'' He sent this wish to the two of them through the mind links, something that he got as a reward for claiming the throne of the Supreme Sire. Being the ruler of the world of the undead, Shadow was far more powerful than anyone could ever imagine. There was barely anything that he could not do if he wanted. Of course, one of those rare things was his happiness and peace because no matter how hard he tried, he did not succeed in finding any sort of happiness and peace in his Immortal life. Emily stared at the two women in surprise. She had no idea about what was going on at the moment. Shadow was supposed to give her the Christmas present that he failed to give on Christmas day. However, there were now two strangers with them, sitting in a private room of a restaurant as they announced that they were there for her. Just when she thought that her brain was going to erupt with so many questions, something suddenly popped up in her mind. "Wait! You are Erica Scott from E Entertainment!" Emily suddenly spoke out loudly as she stared at the woman in front of her with pure shock. Never did she imagine seeing the CEO of the famous Anime and drama-making company of their country in front of her very eyes, less sitting with her and having tea. "Oh my! See! She even knows me!" Erica looked too happy as she smiled at Emily while taking her hands in her own. The woman''s hands were cold against her warm ones but Emily did not pull away her hands from her hold as she tried to be polite. "It''s an honor to meet you, Mam. But why do you want to meet me?" Emily asked as she kept a small smile visible on her lips. She was just shocked to see the famous Erica Scott and that''s why her mind was still struggling to process everything. It was not as if she did not like their company. "Ever since Dark Happiness launched, its success and fame are known by everyone who''s a fan of the world of books, stories, dramas, and comics. Without any doubt, the story also attracted my attention. What I did not expect is to suddenly receive a mail that informed me that I can find the writer of this story here, in City A." Erica answered Emily''s question with a genuine smile and amazement in her eyes. The woman still could not believe that such a young girl succeeded in writing such a hit story. Though the story was still ongoing, its success was as blinding as it ever could. It was indeed a true - talent was not bound to a particular age. As long as one was ready to give their all in what they wanted to do, sooner or later, they would actually achieve their goal. The thing that pulled everyone''s attention towards Emily''s story was the darkness that she beautifully embodied in her plot and characters. Her story was not filled with rainbows and happiness, but it was either not filled with pure darkness. It was a story of finding happiness through the darkness, finding light through the sadness. It was a story that made thousands of people relate to the characters. While everyone dreamed about having perfect lives, in reality, what they had were imperfections. Emily''s story was about finding perfection in those imperfect sketches, and that''s probably why so many people were loving it because they could relate to the story in one way or other. "You are doing a mindblowing job, my dear. All that I want is for you to never give up on your dreams and that''s why I''m here." Erica''s words pulled Emily''s attention towards the woman and she waited patiently for the former to continue speaking. "You are still young. It''s understandable if you want to pursue a different profession later in your life. But if you really want to continue your journey as a writer, I''m here to present a proposal to you." "A proposal?" Emily asked as she tried to understand exactly what was going on. "En! A proposal. I want to start an anime series on your story. We can even launch a drama later on when the story will be completed. I''m here today to know if you would like to collaborate with E Entertainment." To say that Emily was left totally shocked would be an understatement. She could barely believe what she was hearing. Ever since she first posted her story online, everything related to it had left her immensely surprised. First, she received a proposal for signing a contract with an online site. Then her story became a hit within a few months of its release and now she was receiving another proposal from such a well-known director of the Entertainment industry of their country. "This........Actually.....I can''t take this decision so suddenly. I have never thought about anything related to such stuff. Moreover, I will need permission from the company under which I''m an author at the moment." Emily finally found her voice and gave an answer to the woman. "It''s alright! You can take your time to think about it. As for the online site where you publish your story, my company will take care of it if you decided to accept my proposal." Erica informed her with a tender tone. Chapter 136 - The Dinner Party "I''m sorry if I overstepped my boundaries." Emily turned her attention towards her bodyguard as he suddenly apologized out of the blue. The two of them were heading back to the Alessandro mansion after bidding goodbye to Erica and Marine. "I have known Erica for quite a long time by now. I stumbled across her two months ago before I moved to City A. That day someone fooled her by promising her to tell the identity of the author behind the Dark Happiness. I can''t believe that the stupid woman fell for something like that." "When I came here and found you, I realized that you were the one she had been looking for. So I sent her a mail, telling her that she can find you here. What I did not realize was that I should have asked you before telling her about your whereabouts. That''s why I''m sorry. I should not have acted on my own." He seriously sounded apologetic which only made Emily stare at him with surprised eyes. "Why it feels like you are not used to apologizing?" She could not help but ask. A small twitch appeared on his lips as he answered her question, "Because I''m indeed not used to apologizing." Emily could not help but smile softly at his words. The more time she was spending with this man, the more amazed she got by his personality. He was definitely as cold-hearted as Domenic and Kaiden, or maybe even more than both of them. But unlike those two, he barely acted seriously. Most of the time he acted like he did not care about anything as long as it was not related to him. "I''m not angry at you. It''s just.....I''m surprised by everything that happened. I never paid much attention to my future and what are my dreams about my book. So far, my only mission was to make sure that I don''t end up creating problems for everyone." "I can''t accept this proposal immediately even though it sounds so alluring. I need time to think about it, to think about my future. I''ll also need to talk with Nick. After all, he only allowed me to continue writing this story because I promised him that it will not affect my studies." Shadow nodded his head in understanding and for the rest of the ride, the two of them stayed silent. By the time they returned to the mansion, it was already past one o''clock in the afternoon. Mark greeted them at the door and Emily immediately gave him a tight hug. She knew that even though he enjoyed her sudden hugs, he always pretended otherwise. "I missed you," Emily told him as she kept her arms tightly wrapped around his waist. She could hear Shadow coughing behind her as he tried to not laugh. She turned to face him before she glared at the man who immediately excused himself and disappeared from the hallway. "Stop lying," Mark told her as he dragged her towards the living room. "But I really missed you," Emily said with a small pout as she looked at Crist who was busy building a house of cards. "Is he that bored?" Emily asked Mark in a whispered tone as she signaled towards Crist whose entire focus was on the tower that he was trying to create. "Of course, he is! By the way, where did you go?" Mark asked as he took a seat on one of the sofas and pulled her to sit beside him. "To have lunch in a famous restaurant," Emily replied as she took out a candy from the jar sitting on top of the coffee table and popped it in her mouth. "Daniel has really changed your mindset about sweets," Mark muttered as he followed her lead and chose a candy for himself. Emily did not comment. She just took out her phone and started working on her story as Mark returned his attention to his laptop. - "Wow!" Emily could not help but be amazed at the marvelous castle that was standing in front of her eyes. And as they were ushered inside by the butler and the team of servants that were waiting to welcome them, she got to see the elegance and mesmerizing sight of the inside of the castle. The architecture was completely different from the one that was used in building modern houses. Every single area of the castle screamed a story of history and culture. There was so much for her to take in that she felt like she would need days to see and absorb all the fine details. "Do you like it?" Jackson asked as he appeared beside her. The man was wearing a white suit for a change. "It''s so beautiful. You never told me that you are living in a freaking palace." Emily complained as she followed everyone towards the living room which was just as grand and elegantly decorated as the rest of the castle. Jackson chuckled softly before he replied, "I wanna apologize for keeping this fact hidden. I hope Young Miss will show some mercy to....." "Alright, alright! I''m not that cold-hearted. By the way, where''s Bee?" Emily asked as she looked around the room but did not find the woman. Her relationship with Bee was getting stronger with every passing day, probably because she was the only other woman present in her family circle. "There she is!" Jackson replied as he nodded towards the entrance of the living room. Emily turned to look at the door and found Bianca entering the room with servants who were bringing drinks. "My dear Emmy! Mommy missed you a lot!" Bianca squealed happily as she pulled Emily in a tight hug. "You are at the age where you can be considered her great great great grandmother. Don''t fool yourself and others." Leo commented immediately as he sipped his juice to ignore the glare that he received from the not-so-happy-looking woman. "Don''t listen to him. He knows nothing. He''s just jealous that I look so young and beautiful." Bianca told her as she dragged Emily to sit on the sofa beside her. "Of course!" "Sure!" Both Leo and Emily replied at the same time but their words carried different tones and meanings. The room filled with chuckles while Domenic gave a sharp look towards Leo who finally decided to shut up. Chapter 137 - The Secret Of The Crystal Ball "There''s no moonlight tonight...!" The crystal ball almost slipped from Emily''s hand but she succeeded in catching it before the fragile thing could land on the hard floor and shatter into thousands of pieces. Her heart was ready to pop out as she realized exactly how frightened she was, not only because she almost dropped the crystal but also because of the voice that suddenly disturbed the silence of her room. She turned around to glare at the man who was lazily sitting on her bed while playing with one of the many pillows that she had in her possession. "Can you please stop popping up into my room all of a sudden? You almost scared me to death." She complained as she slipped the ball back into the pocket of her night suit. They were already back in their mansion after enjoying a warm and friendly dinner at the Evans. It was already one o''clock in the morning, an hour after midnight when they all bid goodbye to the previous year and welcomed the new one. Unfortunately, the sky was currently filled with a lot of dark clouds, and there was no hint of the moon. She was so much curious to find the secret of the crystal ball. However, her wait had still to come to an end. It''s been more than half an hour since she was waiting to see just a single glimpse of the moon but all in vain. Shadow noticed her sad expressions as she took a seat on the edge of her bed. He did not need to ask in order to find out exactly what was the reason behind her sadness. "If you want, I can help you to open that magical box." He offered his helo as he tried to look like he had not just succeeded in pulling her entire attention towards himself. "Really?" Emily asked with excitement but then the glow in her eyes diminished as she looked at him with suspicious eyes. Shadow looked at her furrowed brows and pinched her cheeks as he commented, "You actually dared to question my words? I''m being serious." Emily slapped his hand away as she rubbed her cheek to fight the pain that his pinch had caused. "How?" She asked as she looked at him curiously. "Show me the crystal," Shadow said as he stretched out his hand. His palm patiently waiting to receive the crystal ball. The girl hesitated for a mere second before she took out the magical ball from her pocket and placed it on his palm. The ball immediately started glowing in bright silvery light, making her gasp in surprise. "What''s happening?" Emily asked as her eyes keenly observed the glowing crystal. It was a good thing that Shadow used to enchant her bedroom nowadays to keep their voices hidden from the ears of her brothers. Otherwise, she would have to face a very angry Domenic for staying up till so late. "Let me take you to a magical world. Place your hand above the crystal and close your eyes." Shadow replied to her question as he nodded towards his hand and the glowing crystal that he was holding. He could tell that Kaiden had really chosen a great gift for her. Emily was taken by surprise after hearing his words. This time she hesitated as she had no idea exactly what Shadow meant by his words. Which magical world he was talking about? And how was he going to take her there? "Trust me, Princess. I''m here with you. Trust me and do as I''m saying. I promise that you won''t regret it." Shadow whispered those words as he looked at her with his alluring amber eyes, the promise of not letting her down was clear in them. She nodded her head softly before she finally placed her hand above the crystal. The two of them were sitting on the bed, facing each other, while their hands were joined together as they held a glowing magical ball between their hands. Emily closed her eyes as she tried to relax her body and mind. She felt something warm traveling through the tips of her fingers towards her arm, shoulder, neck, face, and then to the rest of her body. It felt like cold sensations and tingles but at the same time, it felt warm and familiar. She did not fight it because her body found a sense of familiarity in it, she just let that odd sensation took over her entire body. The darkness that was present behind her closed eyes suddenly started shifting. It started fading into something brighter. Little by little, the black color disappeared and a white light took its place. Her eyes flew open but the scene in front of her was no longer familiar to her. She was standing in the middle of some sort of a forest that was covered with a thick layer of snow. Fortunately, she was not in her nightdress. Rather, she was wearing warm clothes, boots, and a huge coat along with a cap that were kind of protecting her from the chilly weather. "Let''s move. It''s waiting for us." Shadow''s voice from behind her pulled Emily out of her shock. She turned to look at the man who was walking towards her. As soon as he reached her, he took a hold of her hand and started walking in a particular direction. "Shadow, what''s going on?" She finally found her voice as she shouted the question towards her bodyguard. While she was totally shaken by what just happened, the man looked just as calm and collected as usual. "I''m taking you to see the secret of the crystal ball. It has been waiting for you for a long time. You should not waste any more time. You can always return here to check this beautiful forest. But for now, please focus on the main part." Shadow responded as he kept walking deeper into the forest. Emily felt like her mind was about to freeze. She took in a deep breath before she asked, "Exactly where we are right now?" She did not know what she was expecting to hear in reply but what Shadow told her was definitely not what she believed. "We are inside the magical crystal ball." Chapter 138 - Just Wow "I''m about to freeze," Emily muttered as she followed Shadow inside the cave that they had come across after walking into the forest for about ten minutes or so. The man who had been silently leading the way did not say anything in response but his left hand immediately took hold of her right hand. Emily felt him transferring his warm energy into her hand and within the next couple of seconds, her body was no longer suffering because of the cold. "Thanks." She said softly as she stepped inside the small clearing inside the cave. Her breathing got caught in her throat as her eyes landed on the little creatures that were snuggled against each other as they slept. "Oh my...!" She could not find proper words to define her shock and amazement at the sight in front of her eyes. "They are the presents that Kaiden has prepared for you," Shadow told her as he settled down on the cold ground of the ice cave and tugged at her hand to make her sit too. Though Emily feared the cold ground, she still ended up taking a seat next to her bodyguard, close to where the three little snowballs were sleeping soundly. To her amazement, she did not find the ground cold at all even though she was literally sitting on a floor made of ice. Her eyes immediately moved towards the man beside her and in response to her unasked question, he just raised their joined hands before he turned his attention back towards the furballs. The two of them were silent for the next few seconds but then Emily decided to find answers to the dozens of questions that were swarming through her little brain. "The crystal ball was so small. How is it even possible for us to be inside it?" She asked her first question as her eyes too find their way towards the little sleeping creatures. At first, she got no reply to her question but rather than repeating her question or turning to look at the man beside her, she just sat there in silence, patiently waiting. "This world is no longer the same as before, Princess. There are things and creatures present on this planet that were never supposed to even exist. The word ''magic'' is very powerful. It can make anything possible. Creating an entire world inside a small crystal is just one of the millions of wonders that are possible because of magic." Shadow finally spoke after the silence of a few moments. "Is magic a good thing?" Emily found herself asking as she turned her eyes towards the handsome man beside her. His attention was on their hands that were still joined together. It looked like he was thinking about something as he stared at their hands. "Do you think oxygen is a good thing?" He suddenly asked. "Huh?" Emily was so taken aback by his weird question that it made her stare at him with a confused expression covering her face. However, the man did not share her a single glance as he just stayed silent, waiting for her to answer his question. "Well.....It is a good thing. It''s something that is very important for the survival of all the living beings..." She did not get to speak further as Shadow immediately cur her off. "Magic is the same for supernaturals. Our kind not only needs oxygen to survive but also magic. Some of us can survive without oxygen but we can''t survive without magic. If you will take away the magic, the supernaturals will no longer be supernaturals. Magic in itself is pure and good. However, whether someone uses it for a good cause or a bad cause, it depends on that person." His words made Emily think deeply about her question and the answer that she received. His words made sense and she could tell that he really meant what he just said. "Shadow..." "Hmm?" "You are a shifter, right?" Emily suddenly asked as the curiosity took over her. She was a little bit unsure about her judgment because there were situations where she felt like he was more than what she was seeing but her instinct was telling her that her speculation about his supernatural identity was not wrong either. A small twitch appeared on Shadow''s lips as he finally looked up at her face, finding her emerald eyes staring back at him with pure curiosity filling in them. "Part shifter." He replied as he observed her shocked expression that immediately overshadowed her curiosity. "Part shifter? Y-You mean....like Bee? You are a hybrid?" Emily asked as she looked at the man in amazement. She never expected him to belong to more than only one supernatural race. Shadow was silent for a few seconds as he pondered about how to answer her question. "Not exactly a hybrid. I''m one of those rare vampires that are born and not turned..." He stopped for a second to look at her shocked expressions at the revelation of his identity as a vampire. She was not terrified nor did she looked disgusted. She was just taken aback to know that he was a vampire. "My father was a high blood vampire and my mom was the head of the which clan, meaning I can control magic way better than any other vampire present on this planet. I''m a little bit better than your friend Bianca." Shadow explained a little bit more about his mixed-race blood. "Bee is a third rank witch and....you are saying that you are better than her. Exactly how much better?" Emily asked as she looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Seventh rank." "Holy Pumpkin! Are you kidding me?" Emily almost shouted out in shock but somehow she succeeded in controlling the volume of her tone. She could barely believe what she was hearing. "Holy pumpkin? Seriously Princess?" Shadow asked as he arched his eyebrows at her choice of words. "Forget about that. Let''s focus on the important matter. So you are telling me that you are a seventh rank mage, the highest rank that is possible to achieve by a mage or a witch? Oh my...!" How could he call this just a little bit better? It was a whole lot better than Bianca''s rank. If Emily remembered correctly then there were only eight or nine seventh rank magic users present in their world. This alone could clearly summarize exactly how powerful Shadow was. "So you are a pureblood Vampire which already makes you very powerful among your race and in addition to that, you are a seventh rank magic-user.....and you are a shifter too..." Emily trailed off as the realization of exactly how powerful Shadow was finally hit her. It was a good thing that she had no idea about his identity as the Supreme Sire, otherwise, she surely would have passed out because of shock. "My ability to shift into the spirit form was supposed to be a punishment for me, a lesson that my father and elders of my family wanted to teach me. But with time, I have learned to use it according to my requirements. It''s now a reward rather than a punishment." Shadow told her as he started playing with the emerald ring that she was wearing on her index finger. It was the same ring that he gifted her on the night of the banquet, a protection charm that was supposed to keep her safe. "How old are you? And what''s your spirit form?" Emily asked softly as she could not help but be curious to know more about the person in front of her. This time, Shadow actually chuckled at her curiosity. He shook his head as he spoke, "Don''t you think that both of your questions are too personal?" "Come on, Shadow! At least answer one f these two questions. Forget it, just answer the second one. The first one isn''t that important. Pretty please!" Emily begged as she looked at him with her puppy eyes. The eyes that held the power of moving the hearts of all six of her cold-hearted brothers. The eyes that could melt the aloof and cold Kaiden Sullivan just in a few seconds. How could Shadow not give in to those eyes? "Alright! I''ll show you. But you have to remember that you can''t go around asking shifters to reveal their spirit forms, especially if it''s someone who''s not close to you. Alright?" He asked as he looked at her with a serious expression. "Yes, boss." Emily immediately gave him a mock salute as she hurriedly nodded her head in acceptance. Even though she acted like she was playing his words like a joke but she knew better than to not trust him. One thing that she had learned after the revelation of Shadow''s mixed races secret, was to never question his judgment about anything related to the supernatural world. Just when she was busy in her thoughts, a bright golden light shone through the cave and the very next second she was staring at the spirit form of her bodyguard. Chapter 139 - Shadows Spirit Form "Oh my...!" Emily could barely believe her eyes. The five feet tall white lion that was standing in front of her was a sight to behold. Its glowing amber eyes were looking directly back at her and she could not move her own eyes away from it even if she wanted. It started walking towards her with slow steps that made no noise at all. On the other hand, Emily felt something jumping inside her as she had a sudden urge to throw her arms around his neck and snuggle her face against his silky white mane. She had a soft corner for animals and at the moment, she was facing a breathtakingly beautiful lion. How could she not be so eager to touch an actual lion especially when she knew that it won''t hurt her? "Shadow...?" She called out his name softly as she raised her right hand towards his face but stopped before her hand could actually come in contact with his head. The lion stared back at her in silence, patiently waiting for her to take the initiative and touch him. Seeing the eagerness in his alluring amber eyes, Emily finally gave in. Her palm landed against the soft skin of his forehead and the lion instantly leaned into her touch, making her chuckle at his eagerness. "You are so beautiful..." She murdered in a soft voice as her fingers trailed across the bridge of his nose and then to his chubby cheeks. She played with his ears and noticed the way he closed his eyes as if he was enjoying the moment just as much as she was enjoying it. She finally stood up to move closer to him and when she was finally standing beside him, she let her left hand brush through his soft silky hairs. She took her time in appreciating his unique beauty before she finally stepped back to look at him with smiling eyes. At the exact same moment, she felt something jumping against her legs, and when she looked down to find out what was going on, her eyes landed on the three cute little figures that were now wide awake and were running around her. "Aww, look at these cuties." She said with a high smile on her face as she crouched down to rub the heads of the little treasures that were running around her in circles. She noticed that all three of them had black eyes but what surprised her were the bright blue rings that were outlining their irises. She had never seen eyes like that before in her life. "Give me your hand." She suddenly heard Shadow''s voice which made her turn her head towards the lion but instead of the beautiful beast, she found a handsome man standing there. He had shifted back to his human form and his amber eyes were back to their normal self, meaning - they were no longer glowing brightly. "My hand?" Emily asked with confusion as she looked at both of her hands, not understanding what he meant. "En!" The man just nodded his head in response as he also crouched down beside her and pulled her left hand in his own without waiting for her to follow his words and offer her hand to him. He was very well aware that her mind used to take quite some time to process everything especially when it''s an urgent situation. "What are you doing? I''m not actually feeling cold.....OUCH! THAT HURTS!" Emily suddenly shouted in alarm as she tried to pull her hand away from his grasp but failed when he refused to let go. She watched first in confusion and then in shock as he put her index finger in front of three little cubs. Her fingertip was covered with her blood and the pups started liking the blood off her finger. All the three pups/cubs took a small taste of her blood and by the time the last one licked her finger for the last time, there was no blood nor any cut left on her finger. "What are they doing? What are you doing? What''s happening?" Emily asked those questions rapidly as she inspected her finger to see if she could find a hole or something. "Too many questions, Princess! Take a breath and relax. I''ll explain everything." Shadow said as he watched the threat of a beautiful bond forming between her and the three little fox cubs. Emily shut her mouth as she observed the little white cubs whose eyes were now glowing bright blue as a miracle was taking place in front of her very eyes. Her eyes returned to her finger and she noticed the little blue carving that was forming on the tip of her index finger of the right hand. "I-Is...Is this a...a familiar bond?" She asked as she noticed the same pattern forming on the front left paws of the fox pups. "Looks like you are not really that clueless about everything," Shadow commented as he rubbed the ears of one of the little creatures. "These are the babies of white spirit fox. Kaiden has chosen a beautiful and beneficial gift for you. Not only these will become close companions of yours but they will also be able to protect you in times of need. They are magical beasts with magical abilities which you will find out with time." Emily was silent as she observed the little cubs once playing and running around. They were so young, probably just a few months old and they were so adorable that she wanted to pick them up in her embrace and shower them in her love. "What about their mother?" She finally asked as she looked around the area to see if she could spot a bigger fox hiding anywhere inside the ice cave. "She''s dead," Shadow answered her question as he took out a brown packet from his cost packet and started looking for whatever he was hiding inside it. "Dead? How?" Emily asked as she looked at her bodyguard, waiting for him to answer. She felt her heart filling with sadness for the poor babies. "A white spirit fox dies the moment it gives birth to more than two babies. Since there are three of them, it means that their mother died the very moment they were born. Their mother transferred all her spirit energy to her babies so that they can stay safe in the wilderness until they are big and strong enough to protect themselves. It''s a good thing that Kaiden found them and saved them from the cruel outside world. White spirit foxes are rare and their blood is used to extract many types of magical pills and elixirs. They will be safe now with you." He took out the like green-colored grass from the packet and gave it to the pups who immediately started chewing on the grass as if it was the most delicious food they had ever tasted. "This.....?" Emily asked as she looked between the pups and her bodyguard with amazement visible in her eyes. "They are spirit animals and that means they need food which is full of spirit energy. Even if these babies are foxes, it does not mean that they will eat only meat. They will eat anything as long as it is filled with spiritual energy. This forest is filled with hundreds of spirit plants, you won''t have to struggle in the future to provide them with food." Shadow explained as he signaled for her to follow him. It was already past three o''clock in the morning and even though Emily looked as energetic as usual, he knew that she needed to sleep. Emily hurriedly gave the pups a last rub and blew them soft kisses before she stood up and followed behind her bodyguard. She was about to ask another question but he started speaking even before she could utter a single word. It was like he knew what she wanted to ask. "This forest is not too big, only about the size of a football playground. I think Kaiden asked for the help of one of his witch or mage friends to create this little world for the pups. There are no other beasts in this forest, so you don''t need to worry about their safety. Also, they are snow foxes, so they need to stay in the snowy area for at least six to eight hours every single day till they reach the third rank. Once they have broken through the third rank of spirit beasts, they will be able to stay away from the snow for two days but then they will have to spend at least ten hours in the snow to recuperate." "Can you stop for a moment?" Emily called out in a small voice as she looked at his back. Shadow turned around to look at the girl and realized that she was freezing due to the cold. It had also started snowing lightly and she was looking exhausted. "I think I''ve received too much information today. And you are telling me all about taking care of the babies as if you are going to disappear in the coming morning. I''m tired..." Emily complained as she looked at him with exhausted eyes. A sigh left his lips as he moved closer to the girl. He crouched down in front of her with his back facing her before he spoke. "Hop on! I''ll carry you back." *** WANT MORE? There are 14 more chapters available in the privilege system. If you guys want to read them, all you need to do is to buy the privilege. There are five different tiers set up. The first tier will let you read 2 chapters in advance and you can buy it in less than fifteen coins. If you have any questions regarding the privilege system, please let me know here in the comments, or you can dm me on Instagram - @nightsummer20. Chapter 140 - Shoulder The Responsibilities "Em, are you ready? We are getting late!" Simon shouted from downstairs as he urged his little sister to hurry up. "Just a moment, Moni," Emily shouted back as she double-checked all her assignments and projects. Simon cringed at the nickname that his sister had suddenly found for him. He knew that she was deliberately calling him by that name so that he would stop telling her to hurry. He just sighed and decided to patiently wait for the girl. The holidays were over and her school had reopened, bringing a lot of assignments and projects for the students to finish. It was almost the end of January and Emily had spent the entire month in the company of Jackson, Rylan, and Shane at the SA to complete their assignments and also so that she could continue her defense classes. She barely got any time to focus on the thousands of books on supernaturals that were sitting in the library of SA and were waiting for her. She needed to focus on her studies for the time being. Emily grabbed her backpack and hurried downstairs. She and Simon immediately set off towards her school. "I heard that you have rejected Miss Scott''s offer. Can I ask why?" Simon questioned as he kept his focus on the road ahead. Emily chuckled lightly before she cleared her throat and answered his question, "Your information resources are not really that great because I did not reject her offer. I have just asked her to wait for me to first finish the book which I think I''ll be able to do somewhere near the mid of April. After that, I can easily put my focus on my final exams and at the same time, I won''t need to worry about keeping the story ongoing to not hinder the anime series. It''s a win-win situation." Simon looked impressed as he nodded his head in understanding before he commented, "You are becoming smarter with time. Keep it up! I sure don''t want you to end up like either Leo or Crist." "Come on, they are not that bad." Emily decided to defend her brothers but the smile on her face was saying otherwise. And just like that, the time kept passing by. Emily was finally able to enjoy a normal teenage, well at least as normal as it could be. She no longer had any nightmares, not any new episodes. There were no new attacks and her bond with every single person around her, was becoming stronger. Her friendship with Shane and Rylan was as strong and precious as she had always dreamed of. The boys really cared about her and most importantly, they enjoyed her company. Her school life was also perfect. The teachers loved her because she was a topper, obedient, respectful, and also because she kept Rylan and Shane under control. Though she did not have any other friends except the two dorks, most of her classmates liked her because of her friendly nature. At school, no one ever dared to create problems for her since she was an Alessandro and also because of Rylan and Shane. Her relationship with every single of her brothers was becoming stronger and so was the friendship that she shared with Sam, Bianca, and Jackson. Shadow had literally become her shadow. He was always there for her, protecting her and making sure that she was always comfortable. He was no longer just her bodyguard, he had become an important member of the circle of family and friends that she had around her. Her three white treasures were also growing rapidly. They proved a wonderful companion for her. She always made sure to spend at least an hour every day in their company, playing with them and feeding them. Her life was going on just perfect. But the question was - for how long? -- "Miss Alessandro, can I join you?" Emily looked up at the familiar figure who was standing at the other side of the table where she was currently sitting. "Sure. It''s been a long time, Mr. Sullivan." She greeted the man formally since he used the same way to address her. They were currently in the library at the Supernatural Academy and just like usual, Emily was sitting at her favorite table in the very secluded corner of the huge library. A small twitch appeared on Kaiden''s lips as he pulled the chair closer to where she was sitting before he also took a seat. This made him sit directly beside her, close enough that their legs almost brushed each other. "Why are you alone here?" He asked as he picked up one of the books that were sitting on the table and started looking through it. "None of my brothers are here today and Shadow is downstairs in the cafeteria. As for Rylan and Shane, well they suddenly have some sort of emergency at their home so they left around five minutes ago." Emily replied with a small shrug as she continued to sketch the mermaid that she was drawing at the moment. "Oh!" That was all that he said in response to her reply. His eyes keenly observed as her hand manipulated the pencil to draw exactly what she wanted. "Are you planning to pursue your carrier in art and design?" He asked after a few minutes of silence. "I think so. I really like drawing and writing webcomics. Also, I want to learn about sculptures because it has grasped my attention during the time I was working on my school projects." Emily replied sincerely as she took out the crayons to fill the sketch of the mermaid with colors. Kaiden stayed silent for the next few minutes as he did not comment on her reply. It looked like he was lost deep in his thoughts at the moment. He just sat there in silence as he observed the girl. His heart and soul were filled with calmness after being so near to her. It was not until Emily completed her drawing of the mermaid and took a deep breath to relax her tired body, did he realized that almost half an hour had passed since he entered the library to find her. His eyes landed on the drawing of the mermaid and he smiled softly as he praised, "It''s beautiful." And it indeed was. She was really great when it came to shoeing her artistic skills. "Thank you," Emily said softly as she turned to look at the man beside her. She would be lying if she refused to accept that his presence around her always helped her in calming down. The fact that she kept working on her seeing and completed it without any idea that she was actually in a library with a man sitting beside her, was clear proof of exactly how comfortable she was getting around him. "Why are you studying business management if you wanna pursue your carrier as an author and artist?" Kaiden finally asked the question that he wanted to ask from the very moment she answered his question about her carrier choice. A small smile broke out on Emily''s lips as she observed him in silence for the next few seconds. She took in a deep breath before she decided to answer his question. "The Alessandro Empire is Domenic''s biggest achievement. It''s a name that my family has worked on with their blood and sweat. Today, the Alessandro Empire is where it is because, for centuries, every single member of our family has given their all to this business." She stopped for a second before she continued. "I know that Domenic has shouldered everything from a very young age. He never got the choice of having dreams about his future. He has sacrificed a lot for the business and our family. Though he never asked the others to help him with the business, I know that Daniel decided to help him because he was the only one who knew exactly how much our brother was struggling to keep everything in check. I know that even Simon is also preparing to enter our business so that he could help Domenic and Daniel." "And even though I''m allowed to choose whatever carrier I wanna pursue in my life, I also want to make sure that if one day my brothers will need my help, that time, I will be able to step in and shoulder their responsibilities with them." There was a smile on her face as she finished. Her eyes turned to look at the handsome face of the man sitting beside her and she found him looking back at her with eyes filled with pride. She could see the trace of an almost non-existed smile on his lips but she knew that she somehow ended up impressing the man with her answer. The realization made her smile brighten as she tried to look away from the alluring icy blue eyes that were staring right into her emerald ones. She was about to turn away when she felt a hand resting on the back of her head as she found her face being pulled to face him again and before she could realize what was happening, it was too late. Chapter 141 - Not In A Good Way Emily inhaled sharply as a pair of soft and warm lips landed on her forehead. "You are amazing, sweetheart," Kaiden whispered softly as he pulled away slightly to look at her flushed cheeks and dropped eyelashes. He could feel, more like almost hear, her racing heart and quick breathing. A smile bloomed on his lips as he looked at his mate with eyes full of warmth and affection. He moved his hand from the back of her head but did not forget to graze her cheeks slightly with the back of his fingers which made her shudder slightly at the sensations. "Looks like you are cold. Your cheeks are resembling a tomato at the moment. Here, wear it or you will catch a cold," he commented as he took off his overcoat and draped it over her shoulders. While Emily wanted to reject his kindness because she was not feeling cold at all, however, rejection meant there were high chances that she would then need to explain the reason for her red cheeks. That''s why to save herself from the embarrassment, she decided to stay quiet as her hands immediately grabbed the collar of the coat and pulled it closer. "It''s getting late. I should leave. Will see you around, Mr. Sullivan." She said as she stood up and started assembling her sketchbook and other stuff. But she soon stopped as Kaiden followed her and also stood up from his seat, grabbing her hand lightly to stop her movements. She turned to look at the man with slightly confused eyes, waiting for him to explain exactly what was wrong. "It''s Kaiden for you. Why do you keep forgetting that? Stop making me feel like an outsider, alright?" He looked at her with such a serious expression that she felt like she was going to melt that very moment. Somehow, she succeeded in nodding her head as she started chanting in her head to stop calling him so formally. "Alright. I will try my best to improve." She responded with a smile as she looked at him. Her eyes sparkled with life and warmth that she carried inside her, trying their very best to lure the man in front of them into their depth. Kaiden shook his head as he tried to not give in. He took in a deep breath before he once again looked at the girl in front of him as he spoke. "You always keep testing my control without even trying....." A sigh left his lips as he once again shook his head as if he was trying to shake off his thoughts. "Your friend is coming to take you home. Make sure to not forget anything here. I''ll see you next week. Have a beautiful weekend." And with a soft pat on her head, he disappeared from her sight. Emily stood there in silence as she kept chewing her lower lip, something that she had started doing recently whenever her emotions were overrunning. One of her hands moved to touch the crown of her head as she recalled the soft pat that she just received. At first, she used to get angry whenever anyone patted her on her head because it made her feel like a child. But that was when she used to live in the orphanage and usually, the warden or one of the teachers did that when she got kicked or punched by one of the bullies. However, things had changed. Now the people who usually pat her on the head were her closed ones. Rather than feeling offended, she had now started liking it because it had become an act of their love and affection. "Are you daydreaming?" Shadow''s sudden teasing voice pulled her out of her thoughts. Instead of replying to his question, she started grabbing her stuff and stuffing them inside the backpack. "Let''s go." She said as she marched towards the man who was standing against one of the bookshelves as he observed her. She grabbed one of his hands and started dragging her towards the exit. It was time to go home. *** The next four months went by quickly. Emily succeeded in finishing her webcomic by the end of April and immediately received a phone call from Erica. The CEO of E-Entertainment was in hurry to sign a contract with her to start filming the anime as soon as possible. The reason behind her anxiety was actually understandable since there were now many other companies who wanted to sign Emily under their labels. Emily decided to keep her identity as the author of the ''Dark Happiness'' hidden from the world as she was not ready for it. The fact that the fans of her comic had started requesting her company to establish a certified fanbase for her as they wanted to support her and all her upcoming works, kinda scared her. She was not used to such kind of popularity and recognition, and she surely was not ready for it. Erica somehow succeeded in buying the copyrights of her story from the online site where she was uploading the book. After that, not only Emily signed a contract for an anime on her comic with Erica, but she also signed another contract which made her an author under E-Entertainment labels. Her new company successfully established a certified fanbase for her completed comic and upcoming project during the first week of May, making her fans go crazy with happiness. But her comic was not the only thing that was bringing so much warmth into her life. After eight months of continuous practice, she was finally doing great in her self-defense classes. There were actually times when she received compliments from Mark and the senior who was mostly in charge of their training sessions. However, the one thing that surprised her the most was the friendship that finally succeeded in blooming between her and Kaiden. The two of them were finally on first name bases and that too without any awkwardness between them. She would be lying if she said that she no longer found herself speechless and dumbfounded whenever he was around her but it was also true that he was definitely one of the most kind-hearted, selfless, warm, and funny people that she had encountered in her life. She actually started enjoying his company. There were times when he invited her for lunch, or played board games with her when they stumbled across each other in the cafe beside the Academy. Sometimes he used to help her in finding books about various topics from the library at the SA, or he would clear her doubts about certain topics. There were even instances where she ended up falling asleep in his company without any care about her safety. In short, her relation with Kaiden surely improved during these four months. But while on ne hand, she had started to enjoy and look forward to his company, there was another part of her that was well aware of the connection that she was feeling towards him. It had always been there from the very beginning but as time kept passing and the more time she was spending with him, she could feel that it was growing stronger. And no matter how hard she tried to understand it, she was failing miserably. - "Wohoooooooo! I can''t believe that our exams are finally over. We are finally done with our high school life." Shane shouted with pure happiness filling his voice as he high-fived Rylan. The two boys looked as happy as if they had just won some kind of lottery. "Why are looking so weird?" Shane asked as he pulled on her ponytail, making Emily glare at him. "You are right, dude. She''s not looking happy at all about the fact that we just submitted our last exam and our school life is finally over. This actually makes her look weird." Rylan added as he looked at his best friend and the two of them immediately cracked into a fit of laughter. "Shut up, you two. I''m heading towards Academy, are you coming?" Emily asked as she looked around the crowd of students near the parking area to see if she could find Shadow. "Come on, Emm! You can''t be serious, right? Let''s go have some fun. Don''t always rot yourself between those hundred of years old books." Shane complained as he tried to pull the girl towards his car. "I have something important to do there today and unfortunately, it can''t wait. Sorry guys, I won''t be joining you today. Let''s meet tomorrow and it will be my treat. Bye!" Before either Rylan or Shane could stop her, she already disappeared into the crowd. "This girl..." Rylan sighed as he shook his head and watched Shadow opening the passenger side doir to let Emily in. Only after he was sure that his best friend was in safe hands, did he jumped inside Shane''s car, and the two of them left the school grounds. At that time, none of them were aware that the coming few hours were about to change everything.......and not in a good way! Chapter 142 - Somethings Wrong "Is everything alright? Why are we stopping here?" Emily asked as Shadow parked the car in front of a cafe. They were on their way to the Academy but then her bodyguard received a sudden call. The next thing she knew, they were stopping for a short break. "Domenic is inside. Let''s go!" Shadow told her as he climbed out of the car and walked around to open her door. Though Emily was quite confused about whatever was going on, she decided to not ask many questions as she followed Shadow inside the cafe. An old man in his late fifties greeted them and led them towards the back of the room where she found Domenic and Mark sitting around a table. The smile that was about to bloom on her face immediately died as she noticed the dark expressions on her brothers'' faces. "What''s wrong?" She asked as soon as she reached closer to the table. Domenic let out a soft sigh as he turned to look at her and motioned her to take a seat. "I''m leaving the city due to some business emergency. I won''t be home for the next three days. Make sure to stay away from troubles in the meantime and if you have any sort of problem, just give me a call. Alright?" He looked at her with serious but warm eyes. "When are you leaving?" Emily asked as she spared a glance at Mark who was just sitting there in silence. "Within half an hour," Domenic answered as he too passed a quick look at his brother who was sitting at the other end of the table. "That....." Emily was taken by surprise as she realized that he would be leaving so soon. She was happy that he made sure to see her once before leaving but at the very same time, there was a weird feeling blooming inside her chest. "There''s something important that I have to take care of. Even if I want, I can''t delay it. That''s why I''ve to leave immediately." Domenic explained the reason behind his sudden decision of leaving the city. Emily nodded her head slightly in understanding. She knew exactly how devoted her brother was towards his business. Even though she was slightly upset to know that she won''t be able to see him for the next few days but at the same time, she did not want to create problems for him. She turned towards Mark as she asked, "What about you? Why are you looking like you are about to murder someone?" "Why don''t you ask him?" Came the instant reply as Mark spared a quick glare in Domenic''s direction which left Emily surprised. Something was seriously wrong, otherwise, no matter how mad Mark would be, he would never dare to disrespect Domenic by glaring at him. "Nick, what''s going on?" She asked her eldest brother. Her eyes kept jumping between her bothers to see which one was finally going to reveal whatever was going on. "Nothing! He''s just overreacting. That''s all." Domenic immediately tried to close the matter as he gave Mark a sharp look. "Seriously, Dom! I''m overreacting? Then what about the others? We all are overreacting, right?" Mark shouted angrily as he slammed the table with his fist, making Emily cringe. "Mark!" The inside of the cafe became dead silent as Domenic coldly shouted at his younger brother, making Emily immediately grasp his arm to stop him. "Guys, please stop!" She pleaded as she looked at both of her brothers. Her eyes were begging them to stop shouting at each other. It was probably the first time she had witnessed them in such a situation. She was used to Domenic''s coldness when it came to educating her and the rest of her brothers but she had never seen Mark speaking to Nick in such a way. Moreover, she knew that Nick was seriously getting angry, like really angry. Both the brothers calmed down a little as they noticed that their unthoughtful behavior was making their sister uncomfortable. "He''s heading to Direspell." Mark finally whispered as he immediately turned his face towards the windows to save himself from noticing the cold glare of his brother that immediately landed on him. "Direspell? You mean the city..." Emily trailed off as Shadow, who had been silently standing at a distance observing everything that was going on, finally divided to speak. "Yeah! It''s that exact city that is ruled by dark magic users and several rogue groups. The only humans present there are treated as slaves and that place is known for all the vile creatures and stories. Most importantly, currently, wars and attacks are happening there almost every day as the Supernatural Headquarters and Human Government are finally working together to get rid of that city and its residents." Emily felt shivers running all over her body as she realized that her brother was about to visit one of the most dangerous places present on the planet. "Not only that but he''s also hell-bent on not taking any guards with him," Mark added as he kept his attention fixed on the windows. "What? But why?" Emily asked as she turned to look at her eldest brother. No wonder Mark was looking so mad all this time. Domenic took in a deep breath as he tried to make the girl understand his point. "The security is needed here the most and they will stay here with you. There''s no point in discussing or arguing about this matter because I''m not going to change my mind." Mark scoffed while Emily looked at her guardian as if he was the dumbest person she had ever encountered in her life. "I know that you are worried about our safety but what about you Nick? You are taking such a huge risk with your safety. Do you seriously think that we all will not worry about you? Why are you being so careless? There are hundreds of secret guards working for you. Is it really a big deal to take a few of them with you?" "It is......!" Domenic immediately answered. "You....!" "Nonsense!" Emily and Mark both reacted simultaneously. "The security team is divided into several units and each unit is assigned to a specific area of the city to make sure that each member of the Alessandro Empire remains safe and sound. Your safety is the most important to me and I''m not going to take any chances with it." Domenic declared as he stood up from his seat but stopped when Emily grabbed his arm. "Nick, please don''t do this. We are just asking you to take a security team with you and that''s all. Can''t you listen to us?" She could feel herself panicking as the bad feeling that she had been feeling inside her for some time by now, only increased. Her grip on Domenic''s arm tightened as she refused to let go of him. "Emilia Alessandro, I''m not changing my decision. I''m not a kid and it''s not my first time visiting a dangerous place all alone. If I did not have the capability of protecting myself and my people, then I would not have survived this far. You don''t have to worry about me. I''ll return safely after three days. All you need to do is to take care of yourself." Domenic said in a tender voice as he patted her hands which were gripping his arm so tightly that there were chances he would get to see fade bruises later on. "Nick...." Emily refused to let go of his hand as she looked at him with eyes filled with tears that were ready to spill any second. Domenic pulled her in a warm hug ss he rubbed her head softly to calm her down as he spoke in a soft tone, "Don''t worry, child. I''ll be alright." Emily could no longer stop the tears that finally rolled down her cheeks. She tightened her hold around her brother as she rested her head against his chest. Her gaze landed on her bodyguard who was standing near the table next to him. His eyes were trained on him but she could not read his emotions at all. Suddenly, she pulled away from the hug as she turned her face to look up at her eldest brother as she suggested, "You can take Shadow with you." Everyone was silent as they looked at the girl in surprise. "Shadow? But he''s your main bodyguard..." But before Domenic could speak any further, Emily decided to cut him off as she started speaking. "Why not? Since you don''t want to take even a single guard with you, then it''s fine. We won''t force you anymore. But you have to let Shadow accompany you." She turned to look at all the three men who were standing there in silence. And as her eyes landed on her eldest brother, she knew that very exact moment that he was about to refuse. "Listen to me first!" She said as she looked straight into Domenic''s eyes. The man was stiff for a few seconds but then he finally nodded his head, signaling her to continue. Chapter 143 - Only If "You are worried about my safety, right? Then I promise that I''ll stay at home for the coming three days. I won''t step out of the house, won''t go anywhere, and will make sure to stay in the company of at least one of the brothers all the time. I''ll even let Leo sleep in my room. The others can also take leave for three days and stay with me at the mansion." Emily hurriedly tried to explain her idea. Her eyes turned to glance at Mark and found him also nodding his head in agreement. "See! Even Mark doesn''t have a problem with this. And if you are still worried, then I''ll call Bee and Jackson to stay with us. Sam can always drop by whenever he will have free time. And....there''s always the Sullivans. Though they can''t step into our side of the city, I''m sure they will still do their best to make sure that we are well protected in your absence." She finished and looked at her eldest brother with pleading eyes. She could tell that he still wasn''t impressed by her idea but at least, he did not reject it immediately. "Dom, I''ll protect her at every cost and so will the others. The mansion is one of the safest places....." "It is not..." Domenic immediately cut off Mark in the middle of his sentence as he shook his head in denial. ".....you are forgetting that last year, the rogues succeeded in capturing her from the mansion," Domenic reminded as he looked at his younger brother. "But that was when we were not aware of the dangers. It''s been more than ten months since then, and the security around the mansion is far stronger than before." Mark immediately responded. "He''s right. Unlike before, the mansion is now surrounded by five protective wards. The outermost one is the patrol team of Evans. Then there''s the protection ward that Miss Bianca has installed. Then the original protection ward of your house, and your security team that surrounds the mansion. And then there''s the protection ward that I''ve installed." Shadow spoke as he looked at the three of them, especially at Domenic. "I''m not saying that no one can break through these protection layers, but it will take hours to do that. I''ll know immediately if anyone will try to break through the wards and I can teleport us back to the mansion before they can succeed. Moreover, the Evans can petrol the area around the mansion and the Sullivans can keep eyes from their spots. It''s not really a bad idea in my opinion but only if she keeps her promise and doesn''t step out of the mansion for the coming three days." Shadow continued as he turned to look at the girl with serious eyes. He was not really that happy about leaving her alone like this but he was also aware that she loved her brothers more than anyone else. If she wanted him to keep Domenic safe, then he would do exactly that as long as she promised to stay inside the mansion for the coming three days. "I promise. Once I''ll step inside the mansion today, I won''t step out of it until you both are back and everything would go back to a normal pace. I won''t break my promise. Really!" Emily hurriedly responded as she looked at both Shadow and Domenic with serious eyes. "This..." Domenic still looked a little bit unimpressed but then he saw the anxious expressions of both of his siblings which made him sigh as he finally nodded his head. The cheers of happiness that immediately escaped through Emily and Mark''s mouths made their eldest brother shook his head as he watched them celebrating their victory. "Alright! Let''s go. We will see you guys off at the airport." Mark said as he took hold of one of his sister''s hands as he started to move away from their table. "You guys should head to..." Before Domenic could complete his sentence, his younger brother decided to take revenge on him as he also cut him off before he could finish speaking. "It won''t take us long to drop you guys off. We will then immediately head towards the mansion and do exactly what Emmy has promised... WHAT ARE YOU DOING GIRL?" Mark shouted when he felt a sharp pain on the left side of his waist. His right hand immediately moved to rub the spot while his eyes glared at the girl accusingly. Emily just nodded her head in her eldest brother''s direction, making a confused-looking Mark turn to look at Domenic only to find his eldest brother glaring at him with cold and scary eyes. "You are..." "We are heading home immediately. Without wasting a single more minute. Let''s go!" Mark did not waste any more time as he pulled Emily beside him and started walking towards the exit of the cafe. "Can you slow down?" Emily whispered shouted at him as she tried to keep up with his long strides. "That damn man is about to murder me. How can you even ask me to slow down?" Mark questioned as he walked out onto the busy street. "A few moments ago, you were acting like you are not afraid of Nick at all but look at you now," Emily commented as she chuckled softly. "People change." That''s what she got in reply from her moody brother. She turned around to look at Shadow and Domenic who had also followed them outside. "Don''t you need to get your belongings from the mansion?" She asked her bodyguard as she watched him walking towards Domenic''s car. Shadow just shook his head in denial but did not speak to explain any further. Emily just shrugged her shoulders before she gave Domenic a quick hug and hopped inside the car. Mark was already sitting in the driver''s seat and as soon as they all were done with the final waves of goodbyes, he started the car and headed towards the mansion while two security cars followed them. The two of them were silent for some time before Mark decided to speak. "I hear from Dom that you and Shadow were heading to the Academy when he asked him to bring you to the cafe. Was it something important that you needed to do at the Academy?" He asked as he decided to put on some music. A small sigh left Emily''s lips as she remembered the reason for which she wanted to visit the Academy. "Nothing important. I just wanted to collect some books so that I can read them in my free time." She answered his question as she focused on the music to stop thinking about anything at the moment. She was completely unaware of the tsunami that was going to knock her entire world in the next few minutes. *** "Why are you going to Direspell all of a sudden?" Shadow asked as he drove the car towards the airport. The journey to the airport was almost half an hour long. He could have just teleported both of them to Direspell and back, but he knew that Domenic would definitely not like his suggestion. "It''s something really important. I can''t miss this chance.......we can''t miss this chance." This was the only response that he got from the man who was sitting in the back, pretending to read something on his tablet but was actually lost in his thoughts. Shadow did not ask any more questions as he became silent and focused on his driving. Only if he had decided to ask further, maybe then, he would have been able to stop everything that was about to take place soon enough. Only if! *** "What''s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Mr. Kim asked as he hurriedly came around the table to check on his master who was suddenly looking a little paler than his usual complexion. Kaiden pushed away his Secretary''s hand as he took a sip of the tea that was sitting in front of him. However, as soon as the hot liquid touched his taste buds, he wanted to gag at the weird sensations that his tongue received. "Where''s Rylan and Shane?" He asked as he pushed away the cup and started focusing on the files that he needed to sign. "Second Young Master was suddenly feeling a little bit unsettled, so he had gone to take a stroll in the nearby park along with Young Master Shane." Secretary Kim answered as he hurriedly typed a message to his assistant. Kaiden stopped in the middle of signing one of the files as he heard about Rylan''s condition. For some reason, he too was feeling a little bit unsettled. But he just could not pinpoint exactly what was the reason. A knock on the door of his cabin pulled his attention away from his thoughts. He watched as Secretary Kim''s newly appointed assistant ran inside the cabin, bowed to greet both her bosses, picked the cup of tea, and ran out of the room. Kaiden was about to comment something when his phone started buzzing with an incoming call. Chapter 144 - Its Bound To Happen "What''s wrong?" Emily asked as she climbed out of the car and moved to stand beside her brother who was examining the car that had suddenly refused to start. They were about ten minutes drive away from the Alessandro mansion, in the middle of absolutely nowhere. The Golden Hills Estate was located at the outskirts of the city, meaning that currently, they were the only people present on the deserted road. "No idea. I can''t seem to find any kind of problem..." Mark muttered as he kept checking the engine which seemed completely fine to him. After a few more minutes of futile struggling, he decided to give up. "Let me call Simon to pick us up." He said as he took out his phone and started dialing his twin''s phone number. Emily nodded her head as she stood next to the car. Because of the rain during the morning, the weather was a little bit better than the previous few days. "My my! You are way beautiful than I predicted." The sudden unfamiliar voice caused Emily to flinch as she hurriedly turned to look at the person who was standing a few feet away from her. The woman was wearing a shiny black gown with a black cloak over it. However, her silver hair and hazel eyes were in sharp contrast to her attire. She was beautiful but there was also something evil about her. Emily stepped back a little to put some more distance between herself and the strange woman who was keenly observing her in return. "Mark...?" She called her brother''s name as she kept her eyes fixed on the woman. But even after an entire minute, she received no response from her brother. She had a strong urge to turn around and look for her brother but at the same time, she knew that it was exactly what the woman wanted her to do. "Are you not going to look for your brother?" The woman asked as she tilted her head a little while staring at the girl with interest. Emily was silent as she pondered on what she was supposed to do at that moment. She recalled that her brother was standing a few feet away in front of the car and that memory made her feet move on their own accord. She moved her right hand behind her to look for Mark and it did not take long before her body collided with another solid body. Her eyes were still fixed on the woman as her hands hurriedly moved behind her to grip Mark''s arms, only to find him standing there like a statue. Emily felt panic rising inside her but she tried to stay as calm as possible. She not only had to save herself but also her brother and for that, she needed to keep her mind and body under her control. "What spell...." She was about to say something when her eyes landed on the trees that were standing behind the woman by the roadside. For a moment she found herself puzzled by what her eyes noticed but then realization hit her which made her glare at the woman as she spoke. "You have stopped the time, right?" Miraculously, her voice did not waver as she asked the question. Her eyes glared at the woman as her hand tightened on Mark''s arm. A smile appeared on the woman''s lips which were painted dark red. She remained completely silent for a few seconds before she decided to speak. "Looks like Shadow has been giving you some private lessons on supernatural powers. Impressive! It''s still hard to believe that someone like him is capable of caring about someone." Emily was shocked as she heard the woman mentioning her bodyguard. "How do you know Shadow? Who are you?" She asked as she stared at the woman. Once again her instincts were telling her that the strange woman did not mean any harm but she also had a feeling that if she lowered her guards against her, the consequences would probably not to be her liking. "Of course, I know Shadow. After all, he''s the person who has become the biggest mystery for me. The only person on this entire planet whose future is completely hidden from me. Keeping my eyes on him has become a part of my daily life now." The woman answered as she smiled slightly. "What do you want?" Emily asked as observed the woman with her sharp eyes. She could not understand what she meant by her words about not being able to see Shadow''s future. But at the moment, she (Emily) needed to pay attention to the most important matter and that was to get her brother and herself out of the current situation. "Don''t worry, I''m not here to harm you or anyone else. I''m just here to fulfill my promise. I don''t have anything personal against you or anyone related to you but I''m bound by my oath and I can''t back down." The woman spoke but her words were like puzzles that did nothing but only ended up confusing Emily even more than before. "Some things are bound to happen no matter how hard you try to avoid it. And what''s going to happen today is also bound to take place. I accepted to fulfill my promise today because I''m aware it will eventually benefit you. If there has been someone else, the results would not be the same. I hope you won''t hold this against me. As an apology, I''ll answer any three of your brother''s questions. Now, everything is up to your fate." Emily watched in pure shock and confusion as the silhouette of the woman started disappearing little by little and as she vanished, the world started moving again. The sharp intake of breath from behind her made her turn around to look at her brother who was breathing a little bit sharply as he shook his head to assemble his thoughts. "Are you alright?" Emily asked hurriedly as she looked at her brother. Her hands moved to cup his cheeks as she made him look at her. There was confusion in his eyes but other than that, he looked normal to her. "What happened?" Mark asked as he observed his sister from head to toe in order to make sure that she was okay. "I......I''m not actually sure. One moment everything was fine and then she appeared...." Emily trailed off as she turned her head to the direction where the strange woman had been standing just a few moments ago. And as her eyes observed the empty road and dense forest standing in front of her, she felt the same dreadful feeling rising inside her that she had been experiencing in the cafe. The only difference was that it was far more intense than before. She could literally tell that something bad was bound to happen and suddenly the woman''s words started ringing in her mind. "We need to leave, Mark. Immediately!" Emily shouted at her brother in panic as her eyes refused to leave the direction from which the strange woman had appeared and then disappeared. "Emmy, what''s wrong?" Mark asked in a worried tone as he heard the panic in her voice. His eyes followed her gaze only to end on an empty road that led towards the city center. "I''m not a hundred percent sure but I have a very strong feeling that something bad is going to happen........ Mark, where''s the security teams that were following us?" As soon as the question was out of her mouth, both Emily and Mark experienced the sudden rumble that shook their silent surroundings. They were here! *** The car suddenly came to a halt as Shadow looked around the area to grasp the weird tingles of energy that he just felt passing by. He immediately recognized the familiarity of the magical energy that was present in the air. It was very light, almost untraceable but his sharp senses succeeded in grasping their presence. "What''s wrong?" Domenic asked as he looked at the other man from the backseat. They were barely about two minutes drive away from the airport. "I can feel the essence of a magic spell in the air. It''s very light, meaning it''s not used in this area but I can tell that it''s a powerful spell." Shadow responded after a few seconds of silence as he closed his eyes to focus his attention on that light presence of the leftover essence of the spell. "Can you tell me why you are going to Direspell?" He once again asked the question as he felt like he needed to know the answer. Domenic was silent for a few seconds before he finally let out a soft sigh as he decided to answer. "I received a message that Oracle Seriena will be arriving at the town of black magic during the night of the full moon of this month." He did not explain any further, and he did not need to because as soon as he mentioned the name of that familiar person, Shadow''s eyes flew open. "You have been misled." That''s all he said before he jumped out of the car. Chapter 145 - A Promise Of Death "And here I thought that I''ll be able to fool you. Tsk tsk...! You really deserve that position of the Supreme Sire, My Lord." Shadow and Domenic stared at the woman who suddenly appeared in front of their car. "Who''s she?" Domenic asked as he too came out of the car and moved to stand next to Shadow who was busy glaring at the woman. "Seriena..." Shadow answered as he kept his eyes fixed on the woman, not even blinking once. "..." Domenic was shocked but he made sure to keep his expressions as neutral as he always used to carry. He remained silent for the next few seconds as he tried to analyze the situation. Only a minute before Shadow told him that he had been fooled by wrong information and just a minute after that, the person whom he had been trying to meet for the past seven months suddenly appeared in front of him out of the blue. "You purposely planned all this, making me believe that you will be appearing in the Direspell." He accused the woman in his usual cold tone as he too glared at her. There were very few people who could dare to manipulate his information sources and unfortunately, Oracle Seriena was one of them. A small smile appeared on her lips as she finally turned her attention to the handsome and powerful man who was standing beside the Supreme Sire. Even though Domenic Alessandro was not a supernatural and had no magical powers, he was still someone who held the power of swiping almost half of the supernatural races in his hands. He was someone who was respected and also feared. Even though he was a mortal, he''s still one of the most dangerous persons walking on the planet and that''s because of his huge business empire and the influence he had over human government and even some of the supernatural councils. His connections with some of the most powerful supernatural clans also did not help the situation. "Don''t be so quick to judge, Mr. Alessandro. I have no hands in spreading those rumors. I don''t waste my energy on such trifle matters. And you know that an Oracle never lies." Seriena spoke in her defense as she gave a slight nod to the man as a greeting. "Then who did it? And what are you doing here?" Shadow asked as he looked at the woman with suspicious eyes. He could tell that the woman had created some kind of barrier around them. He could break it but for some reason, he knew that he should not be wasting his energy. "I came here to fulfill my promise to a benefactor of mine. I owed this to him and could not refuse even though I was really not that happy with his plans. But I''m kind of pleased now since I''ve fulfilled my promise to him and no longer owe him anything." Seriena answered as she sighed a little dramatically. "Why are you here, Seriena? Don''t make me repeat my question again." Shadow spoke in a chilling tone that made the woman halt for a mere second but she immediately resumed her usual unaffected appearance. "I''m here because I don''t want to be known as a companion of a rogue group of sups. Since I''ve already fulfilled my promise to him, I''m no longer obliged to help him. That''s why I want to let you know that you should not waste your time here anymore. Your sister probably doesn''t have much time left." This time, the woman did not beat around the bush as she told them about the danger that was lurking around their precious Emily. For a moment she saw deathly energy surrounding her as Shadow''s eyes started filling with a killing aura but before he could do anything, Domenic Alessandro decided to stop him. "We don''t have time for this," Domenic told the other man as he pulled out his phone to call Mark, only to find it switched off. "If anything happened to her, I won''t let you off, Seriena." It was a promise, a promise of death that she received from the Supreme Sire himself. He did not wait for the woman to speak as he took hold of Domenic''s arm and teleported both of them to the scene where he was sensing Emily''s presence because of the ring that he had gifted her. And as soon as they appeared there, both of them were left in shock as they watched the dead bodies that were surrounding a very familiar car. Domenic''s eyes landed on the figures who were present in the middle of all the bloodbath. *** Half an hour ago... "Mark..." Emily whispered as she felt her heart beating rapidly. Her eyes tried to see through the fog that suddenly appeared out of nowhere, surrounding them in a blanket of secrecy and fear. "I''m here. Let me c....." Mark did not get the chance to complete his sentence as a loud howl broke through the ire silence that had just taken over their surroundings. The sun was nowhere in sight. Dark clouds had taken over the sky and the wind stopped blowing as the darkness intensified. His hand tightened around his sister and he realized that she was shivering as her eyes refused to move away from the spot where she had been constantly looking for some time by now. Even he could tell that something wrong was about to happen....actually, it had already started. Mark opened the passenger door of the car to pull out a gun from the compartment box and moved aside a little before he spoke. "Em, get inside and lock the doors. I''ll handle this." He said as he pulled his sister closer to the open door. Emily stopped in her tracks as she turned to face her brother. "Mark...." "Sssh! Everything will be alright. I won''t let anything happen to you, okay?" He immediately tried to comfort his baby sis but she started shaking her head. "What about you? If you will be protecting me then who will protect you?" She asked in a small voice. Even though she had been learning self-defense, was it enough for her to save herself and her brother? "Well well well...what a touching moment between siblings! I''m apologizing for ruining this lovely moment of yours." The sudden unfamiliar voice made Mark and Emily turn towards the direction of the said voice, only to freeze when their eyes landed on the scene in front of them. Chapter 146 - The Bloodbath A sharp shriek escaped Emily''s lips as she immediately turned around to bury her face in her brother''s chest. Mark''s arms tightened around his little sister''s shivering frame while his eyes stared at the pile of the dead security guards in front of him. He could feel his blood boiling as he realized that most of them were tortured before they were killed. The marks of fangs and blood on their necks were the visible evidence of how much torture they would have gone through. Even though their security teams were well trained and could have handled a few rogue supernaturals, they were still not capable of handling dozens of powerful rogues. "Em, go inside and lock the do...." Mark once again did not get the chance to complete his sentence as the man who had spoken a few moments ago, spread his right palm towards them and the door of the passenger side closed with a loud bang immediately. "We have a deal for you, Young Master. Give your sister to us and we will show some mercy to you and will give you a quick death. What do you think? It''s a great deal, right?" The man questioned as he smirked at Mark who was busy forming plans in his mind. Emily shuddered as she heard the man''s words. She was worried for herself but her worry for her brother''s safety was even greater. She could not let these men hurt her brother! She felt the presence of her little treasures through her bond with them. They were squirming inside their snow globe as they could feel the danger around their Master, but Emily knew that those three little furballs were still young. If she let them out, they would be dead within a few minutes. Only if she knew how to teleport both herself and her brother inside the snow globe. Then she could have saved both of their lives. Unfortunately, even though Shadow tried several times during the past few months to teach her the method of entering the snow crystal on her own, she never succeeded. Just when she was deep in her thoughts, he felt movements around her and when she pulled her face away from her brother''s embrace, she found eleven men dressed in black leather clothes standing around them (Emily and Mark) in a protective circle. Emily was surprised and she immediately looked at Mark to see if he knew about what was happening. "They are from Evans House. The patrol team that is assigned to the outer region of our estate." Mark told her as he relaxed a little. The danger was still there but at least, now they have more people with them. Moreover, these were trained vampire guards. "Don''t even dare to step any closer to her. You won''t like the consequences." The woman, who was standing in front of Emily with her back towards the girl, warned the man and his team of rogues. "We are here for her and we won''t be returning empty-handed today." The man spat through gritted teeth as he glared at the woman and her team of vampire guards. Just when he thought that he would be able to fulfill his mission without any problems, the Evans house decided to make his life harder than it already was under his master''s dominance. "Then you all won''t be returning anymore." The woman replied with a small smirk as she took out twin daggers from her thigh straps and positioned herself in front of Emily and Mark. Her team followed her as they all took out their weapons and took their positions. Mark also pulled Emily behind him as he prepared his gun for action. Emily was definitely not prepared for the howl that suddenly disturbed the atmosphere and the very next second, the rogues charged. She watched in complete horror as the people in front of her started falling on the ground one by one. She even noticed the limbs that were being torn apart from a perfect body and thrown around. Her eyes noticed the blood that had started covering the road and she could no longer keep a hold on herself. The darkness of her past that had been silent for the past few months finally decided to resurface, taking over her body, soul, and mind. She had no idea who was killing whom. Was it the Vampire guards who were winning the war or was it the rogues who had succeeded in killing the guards? For a moment, her eyes adjusted on the weird figures that were attacking the rogues who had moved closer to her and Mark, but she could not clearly see what they were through the fog that had taken over her senses. She could feel Mark''s presence around her as he also fought along with the vampire guards and those weird-looking creatures. However, his presence around her was probably not enough to keep her from giving under the weight of her past, the dark memories that got triggered with everything that was currently happening around her. She was not breathing rapidly, she was not screaming or crying like a baby. She was just frozen in her place as the familiar memories of her dark past resurfaced. Maybe this was why she did not realize that Mark was calling her name. Maybe this was why she did not realize that a huge silver wolf was running towards her. And maybe this was why she did not realize that her fear of the past was about to ruin her present and future. And by the time she succeeded in hearing the loud and ear-piercing growl of the silver wolf who was still at a distance of a few feet from her, it was already too late. A gasp left her lips as she caught Mark who fell in her arms. His eyes were filled with tears and his lips were moving as if he was trying to say something but nothing came out and then...........he was no longer breathing! Chapter 147 - Take Her Away "Mark..." His name slipped through her lips as she followed his body and kneeled on the hard ground. Her hands supported her brother''s head whose body suddenly looked completely lifeless. His eyes were closed and her trembling fingers could no longer feel his pulse. It took her frozen mind quite some time to realize that he was bleeding. The left side of his chest was covered in blood, his blood. "MARK...!" Emily shouted at the top of her lungs as she patted her brother''s cheeks to make him react. She was in so much shock that she had no idea about what was happening around her and she did not even realize that she was crying her heart out as she tried to make her brother open his eyes and look at her. She heard footsteps coming towards her but she did not react at all. She did not care about anything anymore, she just wanted her brother to be okay. "Mark.....!" A cry left her lips as she hugged him close to her heart. Her body shaking as tears kept running down her cheeks. Her heart was in so much pain that it was becoming harder for her to breathe. She had never experienced anything like this before, not even when she was captured and thrown into the depth of hell and neither when her mother left her alone to fend for herself. The pain and fear that she was currently experiencing were completely foreign for her. She felt people calling her name, familiar voices surrounded her as they spoke to her but she refused to listen. She just kept shaking and crying as she held her unconscious brother in her arms. She felt hands on her shoulders and arms as people around her tried to separate her from her brother but she refused to comply. "Let go of me! I won''t let you hurt him." She shouted as she tightened her hold around Mark. "Emily, let go of him." Someone shouted as once again a pair of hands tried to pull her away but she just shook her head and refused to submit. "Emmy, he''s already hurt! Are you trying to kill him? He''s not breathing for Heaven''s sake. Just let Shadow take a look at Mark before it''s too late!" This time she heard Crist''s familiar voice clearly as he shouted at her in panic and as she finally raised her head to look at the people present around her, she recognized all the familiar faces. Since she was slightly distracted, they all used the opportunity to separate her from Mark, and before she realized what was happening, Kaiden pulled her away from her brother. "NOOOOOOO!" Emily cried out as she tried to get herself out of Kaiden''s hold and return by her brother''s side but the man refused to let go of her. "Let go of me!" She shouted as she pulled at the arms that were holding her and keeping her away from her brother. She could see that Shadow was using some kind of spell on Mark while Sam was assisting him. Rylan, Shane, and Crist were also present there along with the Vampire Security Team who were looking like they just survived a war, well...they did survive a war.....but not all of them. Out of eleven, only eight succeeded in staying alive and even some of them appeared to be heavily injured. But since they were vampires, their injuries were bound to heal quickly, unlike her brother who had no such special abilities. "I want to be with him. Please let me go!" Emily begged as she once again tried to pull herself out of Kaiden''s arm but the man still refused to let her go. "You can''t. I can''t let you go near him right now. Just let Shadow and Sam help him the best they could, and...please calm down..." Kaiden whispered in her ear as he tightened his hold around her. "Why not? Why can''t you let me stay with him? He''s my brother!" Emily cried as she questioned him, her eyes still pinned on the spot where she knew her brother was lying unconscious in the middle of so many people. They were at quite some distance from the rest of them and she did not even realize when he (Kaiden) succeeded in pulling her so far away. "I''m asking you something, Kaiden Sullivan! Why can''t I...." "Because you did not see what we all saw. Because you are not aware that right now you are the most dangerous person to be left around your almost dead brother. The darkness that resides insides you will kill him for sure if he somehow succeeded in surviving this...!" "SHUT UP!" Everything happened so fast that Emily barely got the time to understand the meaning behind the woman''s words. She felt Kaiden''s arms tightening around her a little and she could feel the cold and dark aura that he was emitting. However, it was not towards her but the woman who was standing in front of them with her head bowed down. Emily could feel Kaiden glaring at the woman who appeared kind of familiar to her. She tried to recall where she had seen her (the woman) but her mind was in no state to function at the moment. "Just shut up! I don''t care that you have been working beside Crist for the past five years as his assistant. If you dared to speak a single more word, I''ll make sure that you won''t be able to speak anymore for the rest of your life." Domenic''s voice was filled with a dark promise as he glared at the woman who just bowed her head and nodded in order to save her life. Her eldest brother finally turned to look at her and as soon as his eyes fell on her tear-covered face, a sigh left his lips as he stepped closer to her. "Don''t worry. Mark will be alright. Don''t think too much about anything. We just don''t want you to see all this more than you already have." He spoke to her in a soft voice as his hands wiped her tears from her cheeks. Domenic turned his face to look at Kaiden as he spoke again, "Take her away from here and keep her safe. I''ll find you guys after taking care of everything here." Emily felt Kaiden nodding his head from behind her and before she could speak or do anything, her brother was already moving away from her, and then the world around her transformed into a very familiar abyss. Chapter 148 - You Are Not Dangerous "Sweetheart, wake up!" Emily heard a very familiar voice calling for her as something warm came in contact with her freezing cheeks. It was currently the starting of June and the weather was anything but cold, then how come she felt like she was freezing from head to toe. "Angel, you can hear my voice, right? Come on, open your eyes and leave that dark world of your past. It''s not good for you to sleep any longer than you already had. Wake up!" The soft familiar voice once again called her as she felt warmth covering her freezing hands. She struggled to open her eyes, feeling a strong pull that called her back to the dark and cold world that was waiting for her but she did not want to return there any more. She was scared of that place and never wanted to go there ever again. Something soft and warm touched her forehead which made her breathing increase and her heart flutter as she felt a familiar sensation taking over her freezing body. It did not take her long before her eyes finally flew open and met with another dark place. It took her eyes a few seconds to adjust and she realized that someone was covering her eyes with their hands. "The room is filled with a soft light. Let your eyes slowly adjust to it." Kaiden told her in a soft tone as he pulled his hands away from her face, letting her eyes finally see the light. Emily''s eyes landed on the man who was sitting beside her on the bed. And as her eyes roamed around the room, she realized that she could not recognize the place. Soon enough the memories of all that happened before she passed out, returned and she immediately sat up as she remembered an unconscious and bleeding Mark. Her sudden act of sitting up made her hiss as pain shot through her head, making the darkness appear in front of her eyes as she felt a little bit dizzy. Kaiden''s hands immediately held her as he helped her to sit against the headboard of the king-size bed. He passed her a glass of cold water which made her realize that instead of freezing, her body was super hot and she was even covered in sweat. The discovery puzzled her but she did not have the time or patience to think about her own condition. "How''s Mark? Is he alright? I need to go and find him. I...." "Emily..." Kaiden stopped her as he called her name softly. His hands stopped her from moving as she was about to throw away the duvet and jumped down the bed. "What?" She sounded a little bit frustrated as she realized that the man was clearly stopping her from meeting her brother. "You can''t." That''s all he said as his hands squeezed hers while he looked at her with warm and soft eyes which made her feel as if he was looking at her with pity, even though she knew deep down in her heart that she was only trying to make herself feel frustrated towards everything that was happening. She was about to ask him why she could not be with his brother who was currently struggling for his life when she suddenly recalled the words of the woman whom Domenic called Crist''s assistant. And she indeed was Crist''s assistant. Emily had met her once or twice when she visited the Mansion due to some important matters which her brother, Crist, needed to handle even on his off days. "What did she meant? Why did she say that I''m dangerous for him? What was she trying to say?" She asked as she looked at Kaiden in order to search for the answers that she wanted to know so desperately but at the same time, there was a part of her that was afraid of the answers. A part that knew she won''t be able to handle the truth. "Am I dangerous?" The question slipped through her lips as a single tear rolled down her cheek. Kaiden immediately cupped her face in his hands as he wiped her tear and made her look at him as he spoke. "You are not dangerous, not for him. But you are dangerous for yourself. You need to stop questioning yourself all the time. Whatever nonsense that woman spouted was far from the actual truth. You are here with me because Domenic really doesn''t want you to see Mark in such a poor condition. Once he''s in a good condition, I''ll take you back to the Alessandro mansion and no one will dare to keep you away from your bother. Just stop thinking too much. He''s better than before but still unconscious. You should trust Shadow''s powers and Sam''s medical skills. They won''t let anything happen to Mark." Emily let his words sink in and she realized that something inside her relaxed when she got to know that Mark was still alive and breathing. She did trust Shadow and Sam, and the thought made her relax even more. Kaiden once again handed her the glass of water that somehow had returned to the bedside table at some point. This time she quietly accepted it and took a huge sip to coll her throat. "Good. Now you should take a bath and then we''ll have dinner. It''s already past seven o''clock and your body and mind need some nutrition to work any further." He said with a small smile on his lips as he took the glass from her hand and placed it on the bedside table. Emily''s eyes once again looked around the room and finally returned to the silver-haired man sitting there in front of her eyes. "Where''s this place?" She asked as she noticed how unkempt his appearance was. He looked nothing like the cold, aloof, and powerful Kaiden Sullivan whom she had come to recognize. "You are currently in my apartment near the Academy. Now, no more questions. You need to take a bath because you are covered in blood. Here, let me help you." Emily did not get the chance to speak at all because the next moment, she found herself in the arms of Kaiden Sullivan as he lifted her from the bed and started walking towards a door located in the farthest corner of the room. Chapter 149 - Not A Plus Point Two Weeks Later... - "Has she eaten her breakfast yet?" Domenic asked his brothers as he walked into the kitchen which was too quiet even though all his brothers, except for Mark, were present there. And he knew pretty well the reason behind the strange silence and gloominess that had taken over their lives and home. "Yeah! As usual, she finished her breakfast within eight minutes and once again disappeared into the library." Shadow answered instead of his brothers as he kept looking for something in the fridge. "That''s good. At least, she''s not avoiding food. That''s still a plus point in this situation." He murmured as he took a place around the dining table where Simon, Crist, and Leo were also sitting. "You are wrong, Dom. It''s not a plus point. Nothing about her current state is a plus point. You won''t even believe it but yesterday we asked her to play a VR game with us and rather than rejecting our offer like she used to do, she accepted it and played with us till the very end. And she doesn''t even like VR!" Leo was almost on the verge of tears as he complained about Emily''s current behavior towards everyone and everything. The kitchen was filled with silence for the next few moments as they all got lost in their own world of thoughts. "Mark has been asking for her since he woke up this morning. I don''t think we will be able to fool him any longer. He''s already talking about returning home this weekend." Domenic finally broke the silence as he told the others about Mark''s constant complaints and threats. His eyes were fixed on Shadow who was taking out box after box of vanilla ice cream from the freezer. "I''ll visit the hospital with Crist and Leo later today. Don''t worry too much about him. He''s almost ninety-five percent healed." Daniel said as he patted his elder brother on the shoulder before he once again busied himself in preparing the soup for Mark. "What are you doing?" Crist asked Shadow as the latter was ready to flee the kitchen with the ice cream boxes filling his large hands. "It''s for your baby sister," Shadow replied without even turning around. "All five of them?" Simon questioned as he eyed the boxes of ice cream that the man was holding in his arms. "Why? Is there a problem?" Shadow threw the question as he kept walking towards the entrance of the kitchen, but before he could leave the room, he was stopped in his tracks. "Shadow.....are you really not aware of what''s going on with her? I mean, you are really close to her, and you stay with her all the time....maybe she has told you something?" Crist asked as he looked at the man with hopeful eyes. Even though everyone knew what his answer was going to be, they still turned to look at him as they waited for him to reply to Crist''s question. A sigh escaped Shadow''s lips as he found four pairs of eyes trained on him. The only person who was not looking at him, waiting for an answer, was Domenic and that was because he already knew what Shadow was about to say next. "Trust me, Young Masters. This time I''m just as clueless about the reason behind her detached behavior as the rest of you all. Whatever has happened, it has not happened in this mansion. If you are forgetting, then let me remind you, she''s been like this ever since she returned from Kaiden''s place. But even he has no idea about what''s going on with her." Shadow replied with a small shake of his head before he gave a quick look to the brothers and then walked out of the kitchen. "What exactly happened to her? I seriously can''t see her like this anymore. She''s behaving nothing like my Em!" Leo once again complained as he glared at the empty doorway of the kitchen. And he was not the only one. Just like him, the rest of his brothers were also confused and worried about the sudden change that had appeared in their little sister. Domenic brought her home the very next morning after the incident since none of them wanted to keep her away from the mansion more than necessary. At that time they did not question her quietness and sad mood because they all thought it was because of the incident and the shock that she received from it. However, as time passed, they realized that it was not just as simple as they were thinking. She was genuinely happy when Domenic informed everyone that Mark was finely out of danger and he would be back to full health in less than three weeks but that was the only time they saw her smiling in the past two weeks. She would eat her food without any complaints. She no longer requested to stay awake past nine o''clock. She would wake up exactly at six o''clock. She no longer stepped out of the mansion even though Shane and Rylan called her many times to take her out for shopping or just a simple lunch. She would stay quiet all the time but would reply whenever one of them asked her something. She no longer denied their (her brothers) requests for anything. She would do anything that they would ask her to do. She would watch a movie with them if they asked her to. She would help them in the kitchen or cleaning the house. In short, she was being as perfect as a little sister ever could. But that was the exact problem! She was being too perfect and in the midst of that, she had long forgotten to be like herself, the funny, caring, and innocent little girl whom they all loved with all their hearts. The girl who was now present in front of their eyes was no longer the same little sister that they had known for the past year. Chapter 150 - A Harsh Decision It was past six o''clock in the evening and they all were sitting in the living room as they watched a rom-comm. Emily was sitting between Simon and Daniel while Leo was sitting in front of her on the ground with his back against her legs, and Crist was sitting beside Daniel. The small coffee table in front of them was filled with boxes of popcorn, chips, drinks, and even five empty boxes of pizzas. Domenic and Shadow were not at home while Mark was still in the hospital. He won''t be getting discharged before the weekend and there were still two days left in that. She could tell that her brothers were trying to show her their support, and love as they surrounded her with their warmth. The one thing that made her respect them even more, was the fact that none of them tried to question her about why she was currently so detached from everyone. Though they tried it in the very beginning but when they realized that she did not want to share anything at the moment, they all decided to give her some time. It had been more than two weeks since she became so silent and lifeless around them but they were still giving her time, waiting for her to open herself to them on her own accord. Little did they know that they were in for a huge surprise, a surprise that was about to ruin their happy family. - By the time credits started rolling on the screen, it was already past seven past thirty in the evening. "I don''t think I''ve any space left in my little tummy for dinner," Simon commented as he stretched his muscles. It was true, they had been constantly munching in the snacks as they binge-watched three movies back to back. They started in the afternoon and it was already night. "What about the r....." Daniel stopped speaking when they all heard the loud bang of the front door of the mansion opening and the sound of loud heavy footsteps followed it. "What''s happening?" Leo asked as he stared at Domenic and Shadow who entered the living room. The aura that his eldest brother was emitting at the moment was so cold and deadly that even he could not help but shiver as he realized that for some unknown reason, Dom was in a very bad mood. Not only that but even Shadow''s usual calm and indifferent expressions had changed into a deep frown as he stared at someone beside Leo. The boy followed his line of sight and his eyes landed on Emily who was standing beside him with her hands clasped in tight fists as she looked back at both the men standing at the entrance of the living room. "Emilia Alessandro.....follow me!" Domenic said through gritted teeth as he tried his best to not scare the girl even though he was in a really bad mood at the moment and could barely care about anyone else''s feelings. "Dom, what''s going on?" Simon asked as he looked at his brother and Shadow before passing a quick look at Emily. "Not now, Simon. I need to talk to her first. In the study, Emilia. RIGHT NOW!" This time Domenic''s voice was way sharper than before. Though he saw exactly how his brothers stared at him in shock he did not pay them any more attention as he just turned around and walked away. On the other hand, Shadow walked into the living room and stopped right in front of Emily. His answer eyes stared at the girl in silence, without displaying any emotions in them. "You seriously amazed me this time, Princess. I can''t believe that you succeeded in keeping all this a secret even from me. I don''t know whether to praise you or...Nevermind! You should not make him wait. He''s already not in a good mood." Saying that he took hold of one of her hands and started pulling her out of the living room as he headed towards Domenic''s study. The rest of the brothers could barely do anything as they just stood there in silence as they watched the two of them disappear from their sight. To say that they were left shocked and completely taken aback by whatever just happened, would be an understatement. The mere fact that Domenic was so angry at the moment and the anger was actually either towards or because of Emily, spoke volumes. *** As soon as Emily entered the study, she was pulled towards the center of the room by her brother who had been waiting at the door. For the very first time in the past year, his hands were not holding her with any sort of softness. And she could tell that he was actually struggling to keep his anger in check. "Don''t hurt her, Domenic," Shadow spoke from behind them as he too noticed that Dom''s hold on Emily''s arms was pretty tight. "Leave us alone." That was all that Domenic said as he kept his eyes closed. Though his hold on her arms loosened a little. Shadow stood there in silence for a few seconds before he just let out a soft sigh and then left the room. The two of them, Emily and Domenic, stood there in silence as the first one just watched her brother struggling to keep himself in control while the latter tried his best to handle the current situation as nicely as he possibly could. With a deep breathe, Domenic finally opened his eyes and this time rather than anger, there was a kind of urgency and helplessness in them. "Why, Em? Why are you doing this? If there''s something you are struggling with then you can share it with me or the rest of your brothers. We will try our best to solve it. I''ll do anything to help you. Then why do you have to choose such a harsh way?" Domenic asked her as he stared at her, waiting to hear the reason that made her take such a harsh decision. Chapter 151 - Not A Burden "I just don''t want to be a burden on you guys. I want to....." "YOU ARE NOT A BURDEN ON US!" Domenic immediately silenced her as he reminded her that they never saw her as a burden. "You are our sister, Emilia. A precious member of our family and an irreplaceable person in our lives. Not a burden. Did any of us ever made you feel like you are a burden on us?" He asked as he looked at her with questioning eyes. Emily slowly shook her head as she took hold of both of her brother''s hands as she spoke, "I know that none of you see me as a burden.....but that can''t change the reality. How many people have lost their lives in order to protect me? How many have got seriously injured? Even Daniel and Mark were....." She trailed off as her throat suddenly felt stuffed because of her emotional state. "Is this all about what happened to Mark? Is that why you have been acting so detached for the past two weeks? Is that why you suddenly decided to take such a big decision without even thinking about all of us?" Domenic asked her as he looked at her with disappointment clearly visible in his eyes. But to his surprise, Emily shook her head in response. "No! I''m not leaving because I''m feeling guilty for what happened to Mark. I indeed hate myself for being the reason behind his current state. I''m guilty because I know that because of me, several people have already lost their lives. But my decision of leaving you all and this City is just not based on that guilt." She became silent for a few seconds as she slowly let go of Domenic''s hands and stepped away from him. She walked towards the family photo frame of her and her brothers that was sitting on the wooden desk. She picked it up and brushed her fingers across the frame as she took in the warmth that the photo held in it. "I''m tired, Nick. I''m tired of living in the shadows of my past. I''m tired of living on the edge all the time, under the blanket of fear, and in the paws of the darkness that resides inside me. I''m tired of running." She placed the photo frame back on the table before she turned to look at her brother. "All this time, I kept telling myself that as long as I can forget about my past and not think about it anymore, everything will be alright. I was sure that as long as I can find a new start, a new life - I will be able to leave my previous life behind." She shook her softly as a chuckle escaped her lips. Her laughter sounded like she was mocking her stupidity and foolish imagination. "It took me so long to realize that I can not run from my past, that I can not lock all the bad memories in the farthest corner of my mind and move on just like that. I can''t run from my reality." Domenic was silent as he listened to her. He could not find in himself to speak or disturb her because he knew that for the very first time - she was speaking from her heart. So, he just stood there in silence as he listened. "I''ve been learning self-defense for months now and I''m even in the top twenty students of my class. But what''s the point of learning all this if I can''t even move when it''s time to use those skills and save myself. I''m living in the middle of hundreds of supernaturals. They are an important part of my daily life but I still can''t make myself trust most of them because of some past bad memories. Can''t you see, Nick? My present is still struggling under the shadows of my dark past, a past that I really want to forget." The study was filled with silence as Emily stopped to take in a few deep breaths. She was getting emotional but she did not want to cry either. On the other hand, Domenic stayed totally silent as he observed her every single move, the changes in her expressions, and the depth of her words. Emily walked closer to her brother and stood directly in front of him as she spoke again. "I don''t want to run anymore, Nick. Because I''m tired of running. It''s time for me to accept who I was, who I am, and to find the answer to who I want to become. It''s time for me to accept my past as a part of me. I can''t get rid of those memories but I want to get rid of the darkness that is hiding in them. I want to become someone who won''t freeze at the sight of blood, a werewolf, a vampire, or another kind of shapeshifter. I want to become someone who can actually use her hard-learned defense skills when needed. And I want to become a sister who can protect her brothers just like they are protecting her." This time, she failed in controlling the tears that finally rolled down her cheeks and landed on her white satin blouse. "And we both know that as long as I will live here with all of you, I will never be able to become the person that I want to become. I know you all won''t agree with my point but deep down even you know that what I''m saying is right. I love you all and I''m grateful that you guys are protective towards me but that protectiveness of yours will always stop me from blooming and becoming a stronger version of myself." "Leaving you guys is not easy for me but I have to do it for myself, for all of you, and for us - our family. You have always supported me from the beginning, Nick. Can you please support me once more? Can I ask you to trust me one more time?" Chapter 152 - No Shortage Of Men Domenic pulled the girl in his arms as he hugged her tightly. He could feel her tears soaking his shirt but he did not care. All he wanted to do was to pull her out of all her misery and pain. "I did not even realize that you have become so smart and thoughtful just within a year. You always showed us your bright, happy and cheerful side. But exactly how much pain you have been keeping inside you? You are way too strong than you think, Emily. I don''t think I''ve ever seen someone as brave and strong as you." He said as he planted a soft but tender kiss on her forehead before he slightly pulled away from her to look into her tear-filled emerald eyes. "Don''t cry, Child. If this is what you want.....then I''ll support you. I can sign these documents and permit you to leave this house, your brothers, your family, friends, and this city. But how are you going to make the rest of your brothers agree with your decision? Even though I''m your guardian but you have more than just a guardian in your family and all of them deserve a proper explanation." He told her as he brushed her tears away and patted her softly on her head. Emily was silent for the next few seconds but then she slowly nodded her head in response. She did not dare to look at him and kept her eyes trained on the floor, completely oblivious to the fact that she could never hide anything from her brother. At least, not in front of his eyes. "And...what about Shadow?" Domenic asked as he suddenly changed the topic. "Huh? What about him?" Emily asked as she looked surprised by Nick''s question. "You are not thinking about leaving him here, are you? I mean you are aware that he is living with us only because of you. If you left, he will no longer be needed here either. Maybe, I should inform him now that he should start looking for another job. I''ll give him a full year bonus..." "I''m taking him with me!" Emily suddenly spoke as she stopped her brother from finishing his sentence. Domenic raised one of his eyebrows as he looked at her with questioning eyes as if he was waiting for her to explain something. "I''ll be living in a completely new place, and in the middle of strangers. If he will be there with me, it will be easier for me to cope with the changes. Moreover, he''s good at keeping me safe. I think it''s a good idea of letting him stay beside me." Emily hurriedly tried to explain as she looked anywhere but at her brother. "Alright! If that''s what you think, then I''ll do as you want. Shadow will stay with you. It''s getting late now. Go and have some rest. We will talk to others in the morning." He said as he gave her a soft pat on the shoulder. However, Emily immediately threw her arms around his waist as she hugged him tightly. "You are the best brother, Nick and I''m so lucky to have you in my life." She murmured as she engraved the feeling of his strong arms in her mind. She was really going to miss all of them. A lot more than she thought! *** "Here are the documents. I''ve signed them and already send an email to the university. I''m trusting her life and safety to you, Shadow. Please don''t let me down." For the very first time, Shadow watched the famous and powerful Domenic Alessandro using the word - please. The man, who was known to give orders to everyone, was now requesting him to keep his sister safe. "You know that I will. Don''t worry, I won''t leave her side ever and will keep her safe. And I also promise to not become an obstacle in her journey of becoming stronger." Shadow promised as he picked up the folder. Domenic nodded his head as he gave an appreciative look to the powerful Immortal standing in front of him. The Supreme Sire that was standing in front of him was nothing like the rumors that they all had heard. Shadow was definitely one of the kindest, warm-hearted, and understanding people that Domenic had ever met in his life. "I want to ask you something. Why it looks like you are purposely trying to make me a third wheel between your sister and Kaiden?" Shadow asked as he looked at the other man with curious eyes. A small smile appeared on Domenic lips as he heard the question. "It''s because I seriously respect you and like you as a person. I don''t mind keeping you as a backup for my sister''s future potential husband. And also because I want Kaiden to realize that just because he''s chosen as her mate by destiny, it doesn''t give him an upper hand. He still has to work hard to earn her trust and love. If he succeeded, that''s good and if he didn''t, well.....there''s no shortage of men in this world." It was really a good thing that other than Shadow, no one heard Domenic''s response, especially Kaiden. Otherwise, the latter would have surely puked some blood after hearing those sharp and cold words. On the other hand, Shadow just shook his head as a sigh escaped his lips. He should have seen that coming. "Just pretend that I did not ask anything. By the way, you are aware that she already has her plans for tonight. Then why did you not say anything during the dinner?" Shadow asked as he stood up from his seat. It was the final question that he wanted to get the answer to. "I realized it the moment she hugged me. And my doubts got confirmed when she hugged the others during the dinner. She has already said her goodbyes. There''s no need to say anything anymore." Domenic answered as he looked at the hourglass that was sitting on his table. "Your brothers won''t be happy when they will realize that you kept everything from them." Shadow reminded him as he moved towards the door of the study. "It''s better for them to take out some of their anger on me, rather than pointing it all towards her and feeling betrayed by her actions," Domenic replied with a small sigh before he focused his attention on his laptop. A small sad smile appeared on Shadow''s lips as he gave a last look towards the man. "You really are a great brother!" Chapter 153 - Not Prepared "I can''t believe you really are doing this, leaving in the middle of the night!" Shadow could not help but comment as he dragged their suitcases as they moved towards the security checkpoint. It was one past midnight and they were at the International Airport located outside City A. To make sure that no one at the mansion would see her leaving in the middle of the night, she made Shadow teleport both of them to the airport. "Stop mumbling, Shadow. I can hear you pretty well and please don''t make me feel more guilty than I already am. It''s not easy for me either." Emily kind of snapped at her bodyguard but immediately regretted it. She was seriously in a bad mood. Leaving her brothers and her home was definitely not easy for her but she needed to do this. Moreover, she was leaving them without a proper goodbye because she was afraid that the others won''t be as understanding as Domenic was and also because she was afraid that she won''t be able to leave if they tried to make her give up on her idea of leaving. "Princess..." Shadow called her softly as he placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks, and made her turn around to face him. However, just when he was about to speak, two very familiar voices shouted from behind him. "SURPRISE!" Emily stared at Rylan and Shane in pure shock as she watched the two of her best friends dragging their suitcases as they approached her and Shadow. "What.....WHAT are you guys doing here?" She asked as she looked at the two of them in confusion. "Are you seriously planning on attending the most famous and privileged Supernatural Academy in the world all alone? Of course, we are also coming with you. If not for Domenic, we would never have realized that you are planning something so big until it was already too late. I''m disappointed in you, Em! How can you not share such a big plan with us?" Rylan complained as he pinched her cheeks lightly, making her slap his hands away. "Me too! Do you have any idea that the two of us had long planned to attend the Nightfall Academy? But after we became friends with you, we changed our plans. We thought that you won''t like the idea of attending a supernatural university, so we decided to attend whichever university you would have ended up choosing. But look at you now!" Shane added as he shook his head in total disappointment. "..." Emily did not what to say anymore. She could barely believe what was happening. "Don''t waste any more time here. Shadow, take these boys to complete the security procedures. I need to have a word with her." Emily stiffened as she heard Kaiden''s voice. Her eyes immediately looked up and landed on his familiar figure. However, his entire focus was on Shadow as the two men kept looking at each other as if they were communicating through their eyes. Her eyes took in his tall frame and breathtaking appearance. Rather than his usual official look, he was currently wearing a dark olive V neck, full-sleeved tee with dark black jeans, and leather boots. His long silver hair was loosely tied in a bun with strands of hair falling around his face. He was looking even more ethereal in a casual look. She was so lost in admiring him that she did not even realize that Shadow and her friends had already left and she was now standing alone with him. He looked at her in silence for a few seconds before he took hold of one of her hands and started walking in the opposite direction of where Shadow and others had gone. "What are you doing?" She asked as she tried to keep up with his long strides. Kaiden remained silent as he kept walking and after a few minutes, finally opened a door and pulled the girl inside before locking the door from inside. "Kaiden....ahh!" Emily was taken by surprise when she found herself pushed against the wall while he moved to stand in front of her, blocking her way as both of his hands were resting on the wall, creating a cage around her. But he made sure to keep enough distance between their bodies. "I should be the one asking about what you are doing, sweetheart? Were you seriously planning on disappearing without even talking to me at least once?" His voice was so low but filled with a lot of hurt and sadness that made Emily feel just as sad as him. "I don''t think I''ve to explain to everyone about my future plans." Her voice was detached from any kind of emotion as she responded. It was totally opposite to how she was feeling inside. However, Kaiden did not buy her act for even a mere second. When he spoke again, his voice was low but he whispered them right next to her ear. "Stop pretending, angel. I know that you are already aware of our bond." A small gasp left her lips as she heard his words and as he pulled his face away to look at her, she found his eyes intensely looking back at her. "Do you still think that I don''t deserve an explanation from you? You are planning on running away from me and you are saying that you don''t need to explain anything to me. This is no longer about you, sweetheart. The moment you find out about us....everything became about us." Emily immediately shook her head as she took in a deep breath before she replied. "I''m not running away from you, Kaiden. I''m indeed surprised to find out that we both are connected with such a sacred bond. I was always puzzled about my reactions towards you. And I only realized what''s happening when Bee shared her experience about how she felt when she first met Jackson and Sam. I researched a lot, read a lot of books, and finally confirmed that my doubts about us are true." She stopped to take in a deep breath before she continued. "I''m also aware that once I will turn eighteen next month, the bond between us will wake up...but...but I''m not prepared for this, Kaiden." Chapter 154 - Worth The Wait "Angel....." "Let me speak, Kaiden." Emily immediately stopped him from speaking as she raised the index finger of her left hand to his lips. Her finger ended up touching his soft warm lips and for a mere second, the two of them ended up staring into each other''s eyes in pure shock and awe. Once again, the familiar tingles started running through their bodies as their inner selves recognized each other. But this sweet moment did not last long because as soon as the realization of her action hit her, Emily cursed herself inwardly as she hurriedly pulled her finger away from his lips. Fortunately, Kaiden did not say anything and just stood there in silence as he waited for her to continue. "First, I wanna ask you something..." Emily started speaking as she tried to change the awkward situation. "...I know that You, Nick, and Shadow, all three of you are capable of finding out the mysteries of my past that I''m keeping from you all. Then why did none of you ever tried to find it out?" She asked as she looked into his icy blue eyes. Kaiden was silent for a few seconds before he finally decided to answer, "Because we respect your choices and also because we wanted you to trust us enough to reveal your past on your own accord." A small smile appeared on Emily''s lips as she took in a deep breath before nodding her head slightly. "Just what I thought. And trust me, I''m more than thankful to you all for respecting my privacy. One day, when I''ll finally be free from the darkness of my past, I''ll share that part of my life with all of you." It sounded like a promise and the sincerity in her eyes made Kaiden believe her. He patted her head very softly as he finally pulled away from her and walked a few steps back before he once again focused his full attention on his mate. "Go on! I''m listening." He told her as he looked at her with warm eyes. She could no longer find any sort of sadness or hurt in his deep ocean-like eyes. "In less than a month, I''ll turn eighteen, and the bond between us would finally activate. I know that you have been waiting for that day....but just like I said.....I''m not ready for this. I''m not ready for a relationship, Kaiden." "I''m too young and am still living in the darkness of my past. I can hardly take care of myself. Do you seriously think in my current mental condition, I''ll be able to contribute to a happy and healthy relationship?" She asked him and found the answer in his silence. "I''m not stepping back because I don''t like you. No! I like you as a person, and I like you as a friend. And I also trust you. But these are not the only things and emotions that we need to build a relationship. I probably don''t know much about love or love life. But what I know is that for a successful relationship, both parties need to put in their best efforts." "I know that my decision of leaving is going to impact your life too. But leaving is no longer a choice for me....it''s a necessity. Before loving someone else, I need to learn how to love myself. Before accepting the faults of others, I need to learn how to accept my own faults and failures. I need to learn how to accept my past and present so that I can work on a future that I want." "I can''t stay here and let you all protect me every time I''m in danger. It''s no longer about not becoming a burden on anyone, now...it''s about finding a stronger version of myself." A small smile appeared on her lips as she continued to speak. "I want to find that Emilia Alessandro who will love herself with all her weaknesses and strengths. The one who will know the actual meaning of love. The one who will not freeze whenever something related to her past will appear in front of her. The one who will be able to protect her family and friends. I want to find that version of myself." The small cabin where they were currently present, suddenly got filled with silence as neither of the two of them spoke for the next few moments. "It sounds great. I can already see myself falling head over heels for the Emilia Alessandro whom you just engraved in my mind. She sounds like someone who will be able to make me run for my money and I like such challenges." "..." Out of all the reactions that she imagined in her head, she definitely did not guess to see him acting so casually about the situation. "Kaiden..." "Sssssh!" Emily did not get the chance to speak any further as the man stopped her. This time, it was his finger that almost graced her lips but stopped just a mere fraction away. "Your speaking time is over, sweetheart. Now, it''s my turn." Kaiden reminded her as he dropped his hand and walked closer to the girl, once again caging her against the wall. "You are worth the wait, angel. No matter how long it''s gonna take........I will wait for you. And it''s true, you are too young to start a love life. You first need to grow up, finish your education, start your dream career and become the person that you want to become. Once you have accomplished all of that, then I''ll show you how it feels to be pursued by the one and only Kaiden Sullivan. I''ll wait for you." Emily did not even realize that she was already crying, not until he pulled her in his warm and comfortable embrace. "Your brother and I have planned to send Rylan and Shane along with you since they were dying to follow you to the Nightfall Academy. The three of you are best friends, so I''ll shamelessly ask you to look after those two idiots. You can take it as a training session. It will help in making you a responsible person. Shadow is a good person. I''m sure he will keep the three of you safe. And most importantly..........you are not allowed to date anyone behind my back." Emily burst out into soft chuckles as she tightened her arms around his waist. Her heart was finally feeling a little bit calmed, knowing that not everyone was going to blame her for leaving. "Take care, Kaiden. And please.......look after my brothers too." - Kaiden watched as the plane disappeared from his vision. The night sky was filled with millions of stars but for some unknown reason, the moon was absent. "Master, are we going back to the Villa?" A man in a black suit appeared behind Kaiden and asked while bowing his head in respect towards his Alpha. "No, Mr. Shen. I''m going on a run." Kaiden replied as he pulled off his tee and started running towards the empty runway. Within a second, a huge five feet tall silver wolf with icy blue eyes was seen running under the night sky as it enjoyed the sweet feeling of freedom. Chapter 155 - The New Boss FOUR YEARS LATER... - "Mr. Mark, congratulations on this another great achievement!" A man in a white suit approached Mark and congratulated him in a cheerful tone. His brown eyes sparkled as he admired the decorations of the grand hall where the celebration was taking place. "Thank you, Mr. Bazaz. I hope you are enjoying the party." Mark replied politely as he shook the hand of the older man. "A party organized by the Alessandro Empire. How can someone not enjoy it? Attending Alessandro''s party is like living a fairytale." Another young man in a dark green suit said as he approached their group. This person was none other than the Young Master Crist. "Ever since Star Entertainment joined hands with the mysterious and famous AIL-Labels, the movies, and dramas produced by your company have continuously topped the box office. Not only you gave us back-to-back hits, but you also have five very popular and high-rated stars working under your company. Mr. Mark, you should share the secret behind this grand success with us poor guys." The young master of the Han family commented and they all burst out into a fit of laughter. It was indeed true. Mark started his carrier in the entertainment industry only three and a half years ago but within the last twenty months, his company succeeded in climbing to the top - and half of the credits for his success went to the AIL Labels. As for the mysterious AIL Labels, the first time anyone heard this name was almost around four years ago. The weirdest thing about AIL Labels was that they did not work only in one certain field. Though they started with just an online platform for web stories and comics, it took them only a year to broaden their scope and include other businesses under their label. Currently, they had an online writing website, an art gallery located in the central city, a sculpture house, an anime website, a gaming website, and even a lifestyle website working under their label. And coincidentally, the company was achieving success in all the areas in which it had invested. It was the first time when people had seen a small emerging company trying to open so many businesses from the very beginning and succeeding in all of them. The people were curious to know who was behind AIL Labels. But no matter how hard they tried, no one succeeded in finding the answer. Not many people thought about collaborating with the mysterious company as they were not sure about what kind of future it held. Just because it was doing good currently, it did not mean its boat would have kept sailing smoothly. Not only that but the mysteries surrounding the AIL-Labels also put many questions and insecurity in people''s minds. But then Mark Alessandro decided to sign a deal with the mysterious AIL-Labels and ended up taking both Star Entertainment and AIL-Labels to new impressive heights. After this successful partnership between Star Entertainment and AIL-Labels, people finally started realizing that they were missing out on great opportunities just because of their insecurities about the latter. It was the grand night of celebration as Star Entertainment had successfully produced another hit movie with the help of AIL-Labels and so many people had appeared at the success party - only for one sole reason. *** "I seriously can''t believe this." Erica once again muttered as she entered her office with Marine and another beautiful lady in a white suit following her. "Come on, Erica. Don''t be like this. You two should start practicing from right now. After all, it won''t be easy for you two to call me boss from now on." Emily teased her friends as she took a seat on one of the sofas that were placed on the other end of Erica''s office. Erica took a sip of her hot chocolate before she turned her attention towards the beautiful young girl sitting in front of her. She was 5''5" in height with an hourglass figure. Her waist-length silky brown hair and emerald-colored eyes only intensified her beauty to another level. She was barely wearing any makeup, just mascara, and a baby pink lipstick. It was no doubt that the twenty-two-year-old Emilia Alessandro was even more beautiful than before. But the most beautiful thing about her was her positive attitude towards life. Her warm and humble behavior. She was not judgemental, she was not cold-hearted, and most importantly, she was not fake. Her inner self and true personality were even more beautiful and alluring than her outer appearance. "You have changed." Erica could not help herself from commenting as she took another small sip of her hot chocolate. "But you have changed for good. I like that seventeen-year-old Emily...but now I admire the twenty-two-year-old Emilia Alessandro." She finished her words with a genuine smile on her face that matched the emotions that she was carrying in her eyes. Marine also nodded her head as she agreed with every single word that her boss had just spoken for her new head boss. Emily smiled softly as she looked at the two Vampire ladies present on the other side of the office. "Thank you!" That was all she said but even these two words sounded as genuine as they should. "Alright! So, our new boss, what''s your next destination?" Erica asked as she clapped her hands softly before taking another sip of her hot chocolate. Emily stood up from her seat as she started walking towards the door while replying, "Thanks for reminding. I have a party to attend." "Do you want me to drop you at the venue?" Erica asked and her question made the girl halt in her tracks. Emily turned around to give a soft smile to Erica as she spoke, "No thanks, dear. I can teleport there." *** [Flashback] Four years ago... - "Where is she?" Shane asked as soon as he and Rylan entered the apartment. Both the boys looked a lot better than what they were looking just a few hours ago. Their injuries had already healed and since both of them had taken a quick shower before heading towards Kaiden''s apartment near the Academy, they were looking as normal as their usual self. No one could even guess that they just fought against a group of rogues around two hours ago. "She''s taking a shower. I''m going to prepare dinner. You two wait here for her." Kaiden replied as he closed the door and locked it before disappearing into the kitchen. There was silence for the next few seconds before Shane turned to look towards the second floor as he eyed the closed door of the guest room. A sigh left his lips as he took a seat beside Rylan on the sofa. "I can''t believe that this is happening to her. She doesn''t deserve all this." He muttered as he shook his head while he recalled what they all saw during the fight. "I''m just as surprised as you and the others. The moment that dark energy jumped out of her and tried to attack Mark, I was left completely shocked." Rylan added as he too looked deep in his thoughts. They could still picture that seen exactly how it transpired. Emily was holding Mark in her arms as she kept crying but she did not even realize that a black fog was coming out of her body and went straight towards Mark''s injured chest. If Shadow and Kaiden had not moved at the right time to push the evil energy away from Mark, no one knew what would have happened. "I have only heard about such things in the history books of our kind. But I never thought that one day I''ll see it happening in front of my eyes. Exactly how dark is her past? Dark enough to create an evil aura inside her? That black energy is so evil, Ry. It did not even recognize Mark as it tried to attack him!" Shane was almost on the point of losing his calm. He could feel his heart beating so fast as it hurt for his best friend. He cared for Emily because she was just as dear to him as Rylan, and finding out that she had been through a lot and was still going through so many problems, he felt like he was failing as a friend. "We should never leave her alone.......We will not leave her alone! We will help her in fighting that darkness. She''s our friend and it''s our responsibility to protect her and help her." Rylan suddenly spoke in a calm tone. His words were like an oath that he was making with himself and without wasting a single second, Shane too nodded his head. But the question was how they were going to help their friend fight against the evil about which she had no idea. She did not even know that the darkness of her past had become so strong inside her, that it had taken the form of evil. What they did not know was that Emily was standing right next to the wall that separated the stairs and the living room. She finally knew why she was dangerous for her brother. Chapter 156 - CEO Of AIL-Labels The double doors of the ballroom opened and immediately invited everyone''s attention towards the person who stepped inside. The sudden gasps of shock and amazement were clearly heard as the guests present at the party finally got to see the newcomer. The men were left shocked and amazed while the women suddenly felt like they were underdressed for the party, even though they were not. Emily''s eyes roamed around the ballroom and within a few seconds, she found those whom she was looking for. As she started walking towards the group of men who were standing at the other side of the room, still busy in their discussion, her ears registered the whispers of the people present in the ballroom as they watched her keenly. She was wearing a dark blue off-shoulder gown with a long slit that revealed about eighty percent of her left leg. The five inches silver high heels gave her already 5''5" height another boost. Once again she was barely wearing any makeup, just a light shade of eyeshadow, mascara, and an almost nude lipstick. Her long brown hair was left loose in curls that bounced as she walked. A long diamond earring was dangling from her left ear while she was wearing a small, barely noticeable, earring in the right ear. Her left wrist was filled with various simple but elegant bracelets, along with a black and red thread bracelet. And a single emerald ring was visible on the index finger of her right hand. The twenty-two-year-old Emilia Alessandro was bolder and much more confident than the seventeen-year-old Emily. She paid no attention to those who kept whispering about her as she passed by them. They were either amazed by her beauty or were curious about her identity. The group of men who were still busy discussing about the Entertainment market and the AIL-Labels, finally noticed that something was going on around them. The first person who noticed Emily walking towards their group was none other than the Young Master Han. His eyes immediately stopped blinking as he watched the beautiful goddess walking towards him. "Who is she?" Mr. Bazaz asked as soon as he noticed the dumbfounded look on Young Master Han''s face and he also turned to look at the young lady who was just a few meters away from them. Both Mark and Crist followed Mr. Bazaz and Young Master Han''s gaze, only to found themselves frozen on their spot as their eyes landed on a very familiar figure. She had changed a lot. She had grown up, became even prettier and taller than before. Every single step that she took towards them was filled with confidence and a powerful aura surrounded her which was completely different from her previous self. However, she still radiated warmth instead of coldness. She still seemed approachable rather than aloof. She still appeared like a ray of light rather than the ambiance of darkness. She was still their little Em! Emily finally approached the group of four people where two of her brothers were standing in a frozen state. "Mark....Crist....." Their names slipped through her lips in a very low voice which was barely noticeable but her brothers heard her very clearly. "You are back...!" The first one who came out of his shock and spoke these words was none other than Mark. His expression had turned from shocked to neutral in just a few seconds. Even though Emily tried to read his emotions through those familiar green eyes that matched hers, she could not find any answers in them. And it did not take her long to realize that exactly that thing was happening at the moment which kept haunting her for the past four years, ever since she left her brothers alone without a proper explanation or goodbye. But she was already prepared for this. She knew pretty well that her brothers were not going to forgive her immediately just because she had returned home after four years and she was prepared for it. She''s going to do her best to ask for forgiveness from her brothers, no matter how hard she has to try. "Wait! She looks a lot like..." Mr. Bazaz trailed off as he first glanced at Mark and Crist before turning to look at the young lady. Before and one could put two and two together, Mark signaled one of the servants who immediately brought a microphone and handed it to him. "Everyone....I know that many of you are wondering about the identity of this young lady present here among us. So, without any further delay, let me introduce to you all - the CEO of AIL-Labels...Miss...Emily....." Mark trailed off as he kept his eyes trained on the guests who were gawking at him and the beautiful girl standing beside him, in amazement and shock. It took everything inside Emily to not show her surprise at the revelation that Mark just did in front of everyone. She was not surprised that he revealed her identity in front of his guests, rather, what surprised her was the fact that he was aware of her identity as the CEO of the AIL-Labels. As whispers once again started writing around the hall, it pulled her out of her thoughts. She took in a deep breath before she took the microphone from Mark and after glancing at him quickly, she turned towards the guests to address them. "Hello everyone! Just like Mark introduced me - I''m the CEO of AIL-Labels.....Emilia....Emilia Alessandro." Her words were followed by an ire silence as people immediately started realizing exactly how similar to Mark and Crist she was looking. They all could now clearly see that they were siblings. "Emilia Alessandro....Oh my, God! No doubt you look so similar to them. You are the mysterious princess of the Alessandro Empire. Miss Alessandro, what a nice surprise this is." Mr. Bazaz looked like he had successfully solved a huge mystery as he clapped his hands in excitement before hurriedly walking closer to Emily to shake her hand. Before she could spare another glance towards her brothers, she was immediately swarmed by the reporters who were present at the party, asking numerous questions about her company and where she had been all these years. And when she was not being swarmed by the paparazzi, various businessmen approached her with similar intentions - to seek answers to their curiosity. By the time her assistant and the security succeeded in calming down everyone to give her a chance to escape, her brothers were no longer present in the hall. A sigh escaped her lips as she slumped against the wall of the balcony. Her tired eyes roamed around the garden down below. And then she noticed them. Both Mark and Crist were standing near the fountain that was built in the center of the front garden. Their eyes were fixed on her as they watched her in silence. As soon as they noticed that she had found them watching her, both of them turned away and started walking towards the parking lot. "Wait! Mark...Crist....!" Emily shouted as she hurriedly moved towards the railing of the balcony but neither of her brothers paid her any attention as they kept walking towards their waiting car. She could tell that she won''t be able to stop them at her human speed and the realization made her body and mind act on their own even before she could realize what she was doing. The world started changing around her. First, time stopped as everything came to a stop around her, and then a spectrum appeared around her which immediately shed all its colors and only black remained. But just when she was about to step inside the waiting dark abyss, a hand grasped her from around her waist and pulled her away from it. The abyss immediately disappeared from the front of her eyes as she landed against something hard but warm. "Are you trying to kill yourself, Princess?" Shadow asked as he helped her to stand as she staggered a little on her feet for a little while as her mind was still under the impact of the spell that she had just succeeded in casting without even realizing that she was trying to cast a powerful spell. "It was not intentional." She replied as she rested her head against his shoulder to grasp a deep breath. Slowly but surely, her body was finally giving up. She had continuously worked since dawn to finish all her businesses as soon as possible so that she could finally attend the success party that Mark Organized. When she first got the invitation to the party, she was too happy. She was ready to surprise her brother since the person he invited was the CEO of AIL-Labels and not her. But who knew that she would be the one receiving a surprise. He not only knew about her identity as the CEO of AIL-Labels but he also did not look even a little bit happy after seeing her. The truth was - so many things had changed in the past four years! Had her brothers changed too? Chapter 157 - The Real Supreme Sire Sullivan Corporation - "Master, Second Master Rylan, and Young Master Shane are here. They are waiting for you in the hallway." Secretary Kim notified Kaiden as he walked into the CEO''s office. Kaiden''s hands stopped for a mere second before he resumed tapping the keys on his laptop. "Hmm! Let them inside." He told his secretary without even moving his attention away from his work. "Yes, Master." Secretary Kim bowed his head slightly before he left the office to let the Young Masters inside. It barely took them two minutes before the boys were running towards the cabin of the CEO of the Sullivan Corporation. "Brotherrrrrr...." Rylan shouted as he ran inside the office and immediately jumped on his brother who was now standing near the floor-to-ceiling glass windows that looked down at the busy night view of the city. "Ry....." Kaiden softly called his brother''s name as he let the boy hug him. Shane also did not waste much time as he too jumped in to hug the two of them, making Kaiden chuckle lightly as he patted both the boys on their backs. "We missed you a lot, K." Shane said as he finally stepped away from the man and smiled at him. Rylan immediately nodded his head to emphasize his best friend''s words. "Yeah! I can see that. Ry....., can you please jump down now? You have become heavier than before." Kaiden commented in a teasing way as he patted his younger brother''s back who was still hanging on him. "It''s not like my weight could bother you. In front of your alpha power, I''m absolutely nothing." Rylan remarked as he finally jumped down and stood beside Shane. "You guys are probably tired after the long flight. I have still some important stuff to handle. Secretary Kim will drop you guys at the mansion. I''ll see you tomorrow morning." Kaiden told them and immediately, Mr. Kim walked inside the cabin. "Alright! But you have to promise us first that you will take us out tomorrow for dinner. It''s been four years since we last had dinner together." Shane demanded as he looked at Kaiden with hopeful eyes. And from the expression that was visible on Rylan''s face, it was pretty clear that the Second Young Master was also looking forward to a dinner night out together with his brother. Kaiden sighed softly as he nodded his head before replying, "Okay! It''s a promise." The boys immediately cheered in happiness as they high-fived each other before bidding Kaiden a quick goodbye and following Mr. Kim out of the cabin. Barely a few minutes would have passed when a knock was heard, disturbing him as he was almost about to finish reviewing the project on which his company was currently working. "Come in!" He said in a lazy tone as he finished signing the project and securely putting it aside before the person walked into his office. "Is it done?" Kaiden asked as soon as the man stepped inside. "Yes, Master. Everything has been taken care of as per your orders." The man replied as he bowed his head to greet his Sire. "Good. Wait for my next instructions and ask Secretary Kim to organize a holiday trip for your team and their families. I''m leaving now." Kaiden told the man who once again bowed his head as he accepted the orders. Within the next few minutes, he was driving his car towards Phoenix Square Street which was located near the Star Xander Mall. *** "Are you sure you want to do this?" Shadow asked as he watched the girl playing with the three snow treasures who were running around the living room, filling the place with their cold energy. "Come on, Shadow! You need to chill at least once in a while. And it''s not really that scary." Emily said as she rubbed the soft ears of one of the snow fox spirits. "You have no idea! But why do you want me to do this? You can ask someone else to do this, don''t you?" Shadow asked her as his fingers hovered over the keys of the laptop that was sitting in front of him. "It''s an important matter and I don''t trust others as much as I trust you." Emily immediately replied as she kept her attention on her spirit animals. Shadow was silent for the next few seconds as he watched the girl playing with the cute spirits. "What about Shane or Rylan? You can ask...." "They have been away from their families for the past four years. I don''t think I should be disturbing them right now." Emily immediately replied as she stopped Shadow before he could complete whatever he was saying. Another soft sigh escaped Shadow''s lips as his attention returned to the screen of his laptop. Just when he finally decided to press the enter key, the laptop disappeared from his sight. He turned to look at the girl who was now holding the laptop in one of her hands while the other was hovering over the keys. "It''s alright. If you really don''t want to do this then I won''t force you. I will...Wait! What are you doing now?" Emily asked with raised eyebrows as Shadow suddenly snatched the laptop away from her and pressed the enter key, confirming his fate of the coming weekend. "Care to explain?" Emily again voiced her question as she folded her hands as she looked at the handsome supernatural sitting in front of her. Shadow placed the laptop on the table before he turned his attention on the girl as a small sigh escaped his lips. "If you think that I can do this.....then...I will try my best to put all my efforts into it. It is just that...I''m...I am...not used to stay around humans, especially children. And I''ve never been to such a place before...." Shadow tried to explain in a small voice and was taken by surprise when the girl suddenly cupped his face and made him look at her. "Aww, Shadow. You have no idea how soft and innocent your heart actually is. No matter how the rest of the world sees you, I know that the real Supreme Sire is not like what this world believes in, and that''s because I''ve seen the real spirit of the Supreme Sire and he''s so different from those rumors." "You don''t know what you are talking about. The real Supreme Sire is just as cold-blooded and lethal as this world thinks. The person who has been living with you for the past few years, he''s just a facade." Shadow immediately responded as once again he felt something moving inside him at her words. From the very first moment when he met her in a dream, she successfully ended up making a place for herself in his cold and dead soul. No matter how much he tried to keep a distance from her and stay away from her personal life, he was just unable to do that from the very beginning. She had successfully become the most important person in his life. A person who had been the center of his entire life for the last four years and still was. He probably had not realized it yet, but Emily was just not his salvation anymore, she had successfully ended up becoming far more important to him than he was aware of. "I don''t think so. Though I''ve not been with you for too long, I still think that I''m the only person whom you have let to cross all the walls surrounding you. I may not know much about your past, but I''m sure that I know the real Shadow. And because of this, I can confidently say that you have a very soft and innocent heart. Just because you can kill without blinking, you can torture without a single thought, or use others for your benefit, it doesn''t mean that you can''t be innocent. You are innocent when it comes to ruling the Supernatural world but you are definitely very innocent when it comes to deal with those who are not your enemies." Emily had a soft look in her eyes as she shared her inner but sincere thoughts with the man who was no longer just her bodyguard, he was the only person whom she trusted more than anyone at the moment. "I don''t know what standards you are using to decide my innocence but it sure is not a trustworthy one," Shadow muttered as he stood up from his seat and moved towards the adjoining kitchen. "You just don''t want me to ruin your cold-hearted and dangerous image in front of the world. No need to question my standards. They are pretty reliable." Emily commented in response as she followed him into the kitchen. It was past ten o''clock and the two of them still had to have their dinner. She watched curiously as Shadow started preparing dinner while ignoring her remark completely. She was about to tease him again when they were disturbed by the sudden ring of their doorbell. Looked like they had an unlimited guest. Chapter 158 - Imagination Or Reality Emily opened the door only to find no one there. A frown appeared on her face as her eyes hurriedly looked around the hallway but finding it completely empty. She was about to close the door when her gaze landed on the paper bag that was hanging on the handle of the door. Her frown deepened as she picked the bag and returned to the kitchen. Both her hands and eyes were busy finding out exactly what was hiding inside that paper bag. "Who was it?" Shadow asked as he continued to chop some onions. He looked like a professional chef at that moment with years of experience in the kitchen...and also....he looked like very handsome while cooking. "No one. But I found a bag with this inside it." Emily replied as she took out a golden envelope from inside the bag. Shadow quickly passed a look in her direction to see exactly what she had found inside the bag before he once again resumed his cooking. "What is it?" He asked as he added the ingredients for the chicken soup in the pot. Emily did not respond immediately as she was busy finding out the answer herself. She opened the envelope and took out the golden and black invitation card that was inside it. "It''s an invitation card to the twenty-seventh anniversary of SA." She told him as she read the information that was written on the card. Since her entire focus was on reading the card, she completely missed the sudden twitch that appeared on Shadow''s lips. "Why don''t you take the garbage out?" He suddenly suggested out of nowhere while his focus was still on his soup. Emily turned her face to stare at him for a few seconds in pure surprise before she just shook her head and stood up to do as she was told. "What''s up with you now?" She muttered under her breath as she picked up the bag of garbage, knowing fully well that he could hear her. "I''m just helping you. No need to thank me." Shadow replied as he finally moved away from his soup to collect a bottle of orange juice from the fridge. Emily scoffed as she moved into the living room and then left the apartment and headed downstairs. It barely took her a few minutes before she was opening the lid of the huge dustbin box placed next to the driveway as she dumped the bag of garbage inside it. "Need some help?" The familiar voice that came from behind her made her stop in her tracks as her body came to a standstill. She felt her heart racing way too faster to be normal as the familiar scent of Kaiden Sullivan entered her system. The familiar electric tingles started running through her body as she felt the hair on her nape standing as the man walked closer to her. She wanted to turn around and finally look at him after so many years but at the same time, her body was frozen in its place, stopping her from moving at all. It was like her heart stopped beating for a few seconds as he finally reached her. She could feel the warmth that his body was resonating as he stood directly behind her. A shiver ran over her body as his warm breath touched the bare skin of her right shoulder. "Welcome back, angel." Kaiden softly whispered into her ear, making her bite her lower lip to stop herself from reacting to his closeness. "You are full of surprises, sweetheart. Both Dom and I have full confidence that the Alessandro mansion would be the first place that you will visit after returning....." He stopped to chuckle softly as she felt him shaking his head slightly before he continued. "....but neither of us would have thought that the first place you will visit after returning to the City would be a bakery. Not only that but you also ended up renting an apartment here rather than returning to your home. Very well done!" Emily could easily tell that rather than praising her, he was actually questioning her decisions. She closed her eyes for a mere second to take in a deep breath before she asked, "What are you doing here?" She felt him closing the small distance between their bodies which made her back almost hit his front. Emily almost let out a gasp when she felt his fingers very softly grazing the skin of her left wrist. "Since you refused to visit me, I''m here to see you myself. I don''t think I would have been able to fall asleep tonight if I''ve not seen you even for once. At least, now I''ll be able to sleep soundly tonight." Kaiden answered as he ran his fingers up and down her arm in small circles. Emily could barely speak as both her mind and body were distracted by his fingers that were running over her arm, making something foreign wake up inside her which was keenly looking forward to getting his attention. "Does it feel good?" Kaiden asked her softly as his other hand moved to circle her waist and rest on her belly, right below the hem of her night top which was more like a crop top. Though his fingers did not move over the bare skin of her belly, it did not help at all in silencing the weird feelings inside her that were ready to burst out of her. She did not even realize that her breathing was coming out in short gasps as she struggled to control the reactions of her body to his touch. "Kaiden..." His name slipped through her lips making him close his eyes tightly as he tried his very best to not give in to his needy and desperate spirit that was too happy to finally reunite with its other half and at the same time was filled with anger as it could still feel the distance between them. "Yes, angel...?" Kaiden asked as he brought his lips next to her ear and placed a soft feathery kiss on the tip of her ear, making her shiver at the contact. "I can hardly wait. But I''ll wait for you, sweetheart." Kaiden spoke these words into her ear before placing another kiss on her temple. Before Emily to comprehend the meaning behind his words, she suddenly found herself standing there alone under the night sky which was filled with millions of stars and a bright moon. She immediately turned around to look for him but no matter how hard her eyes tried to find him, there was no one present there other than her. A sigh escaped her lips as she suddenly started feeling lonely and cold, completely opposite to the feelings that she was feeling just a few minutes prior. Her eyes once again ran all around her surroundings but she was already aware that he was no longer there. If not for the fact that she could still feel the warmth and to goes of his touches, she would have regarded this incident as her imagination. But she knew pretty well whether he was her imagination or reality. *** Sullivan Enterprise... - "Master, this came for you." Secretary Kim notified Kaiden as soon as he entered his boss'' cabin with a huge bouquet of fresh red roses in his hands. Kaiden looked up from his laptop to spare a glance at his Secretary, only to freeze as his eyes landed on the bouquet. A cold aura surrounded him immediately as he glared at his Secretary as he spoke, "Secretary Kim, even after years of your experience in your job you still succeeded in failing very poorly. Do I have to remind you that I don''t want any such kind of thing inside my company and especially inside my office? No matter whoever has sent this, just throw it out!" There was no trace of warmth left on his face as he immediately returned his attention to his work. Ge did not voice out the part where Mr. Kim needed to get punished for failing in his job and that''s because he did not need to. "Are you sure Master? You are not going to take even a single look at these fresh and fragrant roses?" Mr. Kim asked bravely as he stood in front of his master''s desk. Kaiden slapped the table in anger as he glared at his Secretary with a killing aura. "Ate you that much fed up with your Immortal life?" He asked his Secretary who immediately stepped back a little as the man could clearly see his early death in his Master''s cold eyes. "Alright! I must follow your orders. If you want me to throw these beautiful flowers away, then I''ll do exactly that. I just hope that Miss Alessandro would forgive me for being so brutal with the flowers that she delivered for you this early in the morning." Secretary Kim said in a deep sad voice as he slowly moved towards the door. "WAIT....!" Chapter 159 - The Greatest Teacher Secretary Kim halted immediately in his tracks as he heard his boss''s sharp and kind of panicked voice commanding him to stop. It took all his self-control to keep a straight face as he turned around to face his Master. "Who allowed you to touch my things? You are becoming more and more outrageous with time, Secretary Kim! Make sure you keep your hands away from my things next time. If something like this happens again, then remember to inform me immediately. No one else is allowed to touch my things." Kaiden reprimanded his Secretary as he hurriedly pulled the bouquet from the latter''s hands. Secretary Kim hurriedly nodded his head as he replied, "Sure, boss!" He bowed his head slightly and moved towards the door but then suddenly stopped and asked, "Sire, since I performed very well today...can I get a day off this weekend?" He was pretty sure that after getting flowers from Miss Alessandro, his boss would be in enough good mood to not mind giving his poor Secretary a single day off. However, Mr. Kim felt cold and sharp daggers cutting through every inch of his skin as soon as his boss turned his cold icy eyes towards him. "I.....I-I.....I.....was....j-just...joking....Yeah, just joking!...I''m gonna....l-leave now.....have...h-have some important work to finish...!" Secretary Kim somehow managed to speak as he hurriedly moved towards the door, knocking his knee against the edge of a desk in the process. Kaiden watched the dragon shifter hurriedly escaping from the office as if he was being chased by the devil himself. As the door of his office closed, he turned his attention back towards the beautiful bouquet that he was holding in his arms. The sweet fragrance of the fresh red roses filled his senses as he inhaled deeply. He still could not believe that his precious angel had sent these flowers for him. He took out the little card that was placed in the bouquet and read the words written by his Sweetheart. ''Have a nice day!'' There was also a small heart drawn at the end which made a huge smile appear on his face. He could barely control his happiness at the moment. And while he was busy making himself believe that his mate had sent him red roses, his phone pinged with a message alert. He took another deep inhale of the fragrant roses before placing the bouquet on the center of his desk. He took out his cellphone to check the message, only to realize that it was a message from Emily. ''Do you like it? Or have you already ordered Mr. Kim to throw them out without asking who sent them?'' He took in a sharp breath as he realized that his Secretary had successfully leaked some information, something that he should not have done. Was he trying to ruin his (Kaiden''s) image in front of her? One after another, weird thoughts and questions kept popping up in his mind as he tried to think of a proper response. After contemplating hard for a few long seconds, he finally started typing - ''I will never dare to throw away the things touched by you. I''m going to build a museum to keep all the things that you are going to give me in the future. I''ll cherish them with my entire heart.'' *** Shadow glanced at the girl who had been smiling stupidly for the past few minutes while staring at her phone. "Let me guess. Your idea of sending him flowers went way better than you imagined, right?" He asked as he placed a cup of freshly brewed herbal tea in front of her and took a seat beside her. Emily finally put down her phone as she turned her attention towards the handsome Vampire Lord sitting in front of her eyes. "Thank you, Shadow. It was actually your idea. So no need to make it sound like I''m the one who thought of it. But after seeing his response, I''ve decided something important." It was pretty clear that she was too eager to tell him about whatever idea she had come up with. "Don''t keep it inside you, or you will start getting cramps. Come on, share it with me since that''s exactly what you want to do." Shadow commented as he flicked her forehead, making her pout as she rubbed the spot. "You are becoming brutal day by day." She complained as she kept rubbing the spot on her forehead where his fingers had successfully hit her. Shadow let out a sigh as he moved her hands away and started massaging her forehead as he replied, "And you are becoming eviler." Emily scoffed but let him massage her forehead. She was no idiot to lose such a big chance of getting massaged by the great Supreme Sire whose hands were only popular for killing and not for being so soft and comfortable. "Oh! I almost forgot to tell you about my idea - I''ve decided to court Kaiden." Emily finally revealed with a cheerful tone as she felt her heart racing at the thought. She felt Shadow''s fingers coming to a stop for a mere second but then he resumed massaging her forehead. She slowly looked up towards his face, only to find him staring back at her. "Is it still hurting?" He asked softly with a small smile and as she immediately shook her head in denial, he pulled his hands away and relaxed in his seat. "If that''s your plan.......then I''ll support you no matter what. Remember to ask if you need help from me, except if it''s to buy condoms or pills..." "SHADOW, JUST SHUT UP!" Emily shouted at the man as she tried to hurriedly cover his mouth and stop him from speaking. "I''m just being clear before it''s too late. Why are you being so mad about it?.....OUCH!" Shadow tried to save himself from the constant attacks from the girl who was hell-bent on kicking him out of his seat. "You are a PUMPKIN. A BIG ROTTEN PUMPKIN!" Emily shouted at him as she kept attacking him with her fragile hands who barely knew how to fight against a super-powerful person like the one and only Supreme Sire. "You know what, your brothers will feel proud to know that you still can''t curse properly. HEY, Woman stop attacking me!" Shadow finally decided to take some action as he could not see her attacks stopping anytime soon. He caught both of her hands in his own, keeping his hold a little bit tight but also lose enough to not hurt her. But this action of his rewarded him with a greater reaction when she tried to knee him. Fortunately, his vampire reflexes were quicker than her human speed and he successfully dozed her. But this only ended up making Emily use more of her energy and strength as she made a complete turn of three-sixty degrees and pulled her hands away from his hold. With a quick jump back she moved a punch towards his face which got blocked immediately but gave her enough time to launch a kick towards the left side of his waist. Shadow let go of her hand and blocked her kick, making her bent backward as she tried to regain her balance. A huge smile broke out on Emily''s lips as she straightened and once again attacked the man who too was smiling as he prepared to block her attacks. The previously silent and warm living room of her apartment suddenly became a fighting ground within a few minutes. The two of them did not even realize that they were breaking things in the midst of enjoying a friendly fight. The living room no longer looked anything like its name. Rather, it appeared like a battlefield. About twenty minutes later, Emily could be seen lying down on the cold floor of the living room as she panted harshly to catch up her breathing. Her heart was racing because of the adrenaline rush and her face had heated up due to all the fighting. Shadow crouched down beside her as he returned with a towel and a bottle of cold water. "Here!" He helped her to sit with her back against his right arm as he handed the water bottle and started wiping the sweat that was covering her face and neck. "You still have a long way to go, Princess. You are nowhere near defeating me." He told her as he took the bottle from her and set it aside. "Tell me something that I already know don''t know. You have thousands of years of training and experience, while I only have four years of knowledge in my pocket. Of course, it''s going to be super super super hard for me to defeat you in a physical fight. But I''m not going to give up." Emily replied as she brushed away her wet hair from her face. "You are forgetting a major part here, Princess. While I actually have an advantage over you, my teachers were really not that great. However, your teacher is the best in the world and he won''t stop until the day you will successfully surpass him." Chapter 160 - Playing Tricks "Miss, we can''t let you inside. Please don''t create a scene here." The woman once again said in a frustrated tone as she tried her best to make Emily realize that not anyone could enter the Alessandro Corporation and demand to meet Domenic Alessandro. Emily just sighed as she once again tried to call her brother. But just as she predicted, none of her brothers picked up her call, not even Domenic which was making her confused about the entire situation. She could understand why the rest of her brothers were ignoring her but she had no idea why Nick had also joined their group. "Miss, please leave. Otherwise, I''ll need to call security." The woman reminded her as she glared at Emily a little bit too harshly than needed. Emily had enough of her nonsense but just when she was about to respond to the woman, her gaze landed on two very familiar figures that were entering the building. To say that she had become eviler in the past four years would be an understatement. She had learned too many dirty tricks to win in situations similar to the current one. But it was not her fault, or at least that''s what she thought. She was a writer, she needed to learn such things to make her story interesting enough to grab the attention of her readers who liked drama. However, she always made sure to never offend anyone with her tricks, nor she let an innocent person get affected because of her. Just as the thought appeared in her mind, she started analyzing the situation. Her author''s brain started running as she thought about a perfect solution for her current situation. "Simon and Leo..." She called out softly as she kept her eyes trained on the silhouettes of her brothers who were talking with a man as they walked inside the building. Though her voice was low, it was loud enough to let the woman hear who was standing behind the front desk. "Hey! Miss.....! Are you even hearing me?" The woman called Emily to pull her attention away from the two Alessandro Masters. "Simon...!" "Leo...!" Emily called out her brothers and succeeded in pulling their attention towards her while on the other hand, she ignored the woman completely as she started walking towards her brothers in hurry. Her instincts were telling her that her judgment about the woman was correct and soon enough, she would receive proof of it. But what made her halt in her steps was the indifferent looks on Simon and Leo''s faces as they glanced at her and then started walking towards the private elevator. Her distraction was all that the woman needed because as soon as Emily came to a stop, she felt a sharp pain in her left arm which made her cry out in both pain and surprise. "What the...." She didn''t get the time or chance to finish her sentence because the very next second she felt a burning pain in her right cheek. The sound of the slap ranged through the hallway which suddenly became too silent. Emily was so shocked that she could barely process the situation. When she purposely tried to ignore the woman and started walking towards her brothers, she knew that the woman would try to stop her. She would probably have said a few harsh words to make Emily realize her place, that what Emily thought. She knew that if her brothers would have seen the woman talking so rudely with her, they would have probably not kept ignoring her. What she did not realize was that the woman would go as far as slapping her. For a moment everything became dark in front of Emily''s eyes as some very familiar old memories started resurfacing. But this time, she knew how to deal with them. She just closed her eyes and started breathing deeply to calm her mind and body. She was too busy keeping herself calm that she did not even realize that Leo was calling her name until he pressed one of his fingers on her right cheek which made her hiss in pain. "Are you okay?" He hurriedly asked as soon as he saw her opening her eyes before settling them on him. She knew that her cheek was going to swell but she did not care about that at all. The thing that mattered the most to her at that moment was her brother who was standing in front of her with worry in his eyes as he waited for her answer. Emily immediately shook her head but then hissed softly as the action caused a mild pain in her cheek. "Don''t move!" Simon spoke as he came to stand beside Leo. His eyes were also filled with worry as he observed her. "I''m alright. You don''t have to worry. She''s just doing her job." Emily said in a small voice as she bowed her head to let her hair fall around her face. Suddenly, she was feeling bad. Bad for playing tricks on the woman, bad for playing with her brothers'' emotions. Her eyes hurriedly looked around to find the woman so that she could apologize but she could not find the woman anywhere in the entire lobby. "Where''s she?" Emily asked as she turned to look at her brothers with confusion. "Exactly where she deserved to be," Leo replied in a cold tone as he gritted his teeth as if he was trying to hold in his anger. "What? What are you talking about? What are you going to do with her?" Emily asked as she stared at both of her brothers. "You don''t have to worry about it. Just forget about her. No one will dare to lay a finger on you after this, I promise." Simon vowed as he made her turn to look right at him. However, rather than feeling assured by his words, Emily only panicked more as she hurriedly shook her head. "No, you are misunderstanding. It''s not her fault. I was the one who purposely tried to create a scene in order to pull your attention towards me. She was just doing her job. All of this has nothing to do with her." She hurriedly explained as she tried to make her brothers realize that the woman had no bad intentions towards her. It was not like she was going to murder her or something. Knowing her brothers'' personalities pretty well, she could already tell that they were going to make that woman''s life a living hell. "No matter whatever you did or did not do, no one is allowed to hurt you. And she dared to hurt you this badly. She already lucky seeing that she''s still alive. Stop thinking about her. We should get you to a doctor, it''s starting to swell." Simon spike as he cupped her left cheek while checking her right one. Just the mere sight of the bruised cheek of his little sister wanted him to kill the woman who caused such pain to his baby sis. "Simon...! Are you even gearing what I''m saying? It wasn''t her fault. It was me!" Emily was almost desperate as she once again tried to make her brother understand her point. Simon pulled her in his arms as he hugged her while making sure to not hurt her already injured cheek. "You are too innocent, Em. Do you seriously think that she''s innocent? And if you really think like that then you still are not prepared to face this cruel world." His words made Emily pull away from the hug as she looked up at him and tried to read his expressions. "I''m just feeling like all of it was my fault. If I''ve not tried to trick her, nothing like this would have happened. Is it wrong for me to feel guilty about something that I''m really ended up ruining?" She asked in a soft voice as she turned her attention towards Leo. He had changed a lot too in the past four years. He no longer looked like a teenager who was busy enjoying his young life. Now he looked more mature and handsome. He looked like someone who knew his way around the world and the people living in it. "Emily, this world isn''t made of just white and grey. There are many more colors present here, some visible to every single eye while some are hidden so well that not everyone could see them. If you want to keep believing that your eyes will see through people based on the white and grey theory, then you will never be ready to face this world. But if you are finally ready to let go of your previous belief and accept the new one, then you are finally on your way to understanding this world a little bit better with time." Simon explained as he once again cupped her face and looked straight into her familiar emerald eyes. Emily was silent for a few seconds before she spoke, "You are speaking in an alien language!" Chapter 161 - Tears And Pain "Just wait and see how I''m going to torture that stupid woman," Leo muttered as he watched Domenic applying medicine on their sister''s bruised cheek. "You are going to do nothing to her. Stop overreacting." Emily immediately replied as the gel started working and a warm sensation engulfed her right cheek. It barely took a few seconds before the magical medicine healed her cheek, taking away both the pain and the bruise. "And you should stop being so soft-hearted," Simon remarked as came forward to inspect her cheek as if he was doubting the authenticity of the medicine. Emily decided to keep quiet as she knew that there was no point in fighting with her brothers and making them understand that they did not need to use violence all the time. Her eyes landed on Domenic who had returned to his desk and was once again busy dealing with his work. From the very moment, she stepped inside his office till now, he had not spoken a single word to her. But what filled her with sadness was the realization that he was not even looking into her eyes. Though he talked with Simon when he got to know about all the drama that transpired in the lobby downstairs and even applied the medicine for her, it did not succeed in hiding the fact that he was ignoring her exactly how Simon and Leo were ignoring her before the incident. "Why are you living in Mount Ville? Don''t you remember that you have a home here?" Leo suddenly asked in a kind of sharp tone as he registered her eyes on Domenic. Emily was taken aback by the sudden change in his tone. And as she turned her attention towards him and Simon, she realized that neither of them was carrying the familiar soft and warm expressions that she was so used to. When did they learn to change their moods and expressions so quickly? She was really surprised to see the sudden change in their demeanor. One moment, both of them were worried sick about her, and the next moment, they were back to giving her cold shoulders. A small sigh escaped her lips before she spoke, "I know that all of you are mad at me, and you have the right to..." "We are not mad, Em. We are feeling betrayed." Leo cut her off before she could finish her sentence, leaving her completely speechless with his words. "Betrayed...?" Emily asked in a small voice as she looked at her brothers to see if Leo was telling her the truth. Did they all really feel betrayed by her actions? "En! Betrayed. We kept hating ourselves for not being able to find you on time when Mrs. Alwssandro took you away years ago. We felt like we failed as your brothers. Do you know how hard it was for us to cope with our lives while a very important person of our family was missing?" Simon''s eyes were looking straight into hers as he voiced out that question but Emily could barely find her voice to answer him, not like she had an answer for his question. "When we finally found you after so many years, we promised ourselves and each other that we will never let you disappear from our lives again. Hah! Who would have thought that it would be you who will leave us all just like that? Betraying our trust and love." Emily could feel her heart contracting as Leo''s sharp but sincere words entered her ear. She wanted to tell him and the others that she never planned to betray them but barely any sound left her lips. "They both are the same. None of them thought about us when they decided to take such huge steps. Like it will not affect our lives even a little bit." Simon suddenly commented coldly as he glared at Domenic who was still pretending to be busy with his work. "There''s no need to pull him in all this. It was all my decision, he has nothing to be blamed for." Emily hurriedly spoke as she recalled her conversation with Shadow. He had told her that the rest of her brothers were angry with Domenic for keeping the topic of her leaving the city a secret from them. And looking at the current situation, it appeared as if she not only succeeded in ruining her relations with her brothers but she also successfully planted a feud between Domenic and the others. "Why not, Em? Why he has nothing to do with all of this? Though he''s the one who found you back then and was also your legal guardian, but that did not give him the right to take such a big decision without telling the rest of us." Leo stated coldly as he kept his eyes trained on her, not even sparing a single glance in Domenic''s direction. "Leo, don''t talk so rudely about Nick. Let me repeat this again - he has nothing to do with my leaving the city back then. It was my decision and I''m really sorry about hurting you guys. It was never my intention. You......" "Save it, Emmy! If you start apologizing, you will really need a lot of energy and time to ask for forgiveness from all those people whom you have hurt by your actions. And as for whether Domenic is guilty or not...........he knows it better than all of us. We all are aware that it was your decision but we also know that he was the one who signed the documents of your admission. He knew that you would be leaving but he decided to stay quiet about it and kept it from all of us...." "You both are the same. You both are selfish and you both have no regard for our feelings." Emily watched as a single tear rolled down Leo''s cheek as he hurriedly stood up from his seat and left the office. She was so taken aback by his words that her mind and body were no longer in a state to work according to the situation. While a part of her brain was aware that she needed to talk with her brothers, the major part was too shocked by their harsh words to react at all. She kept standing there in a daze and did not even notice as time passed. At some point, even Simon left the office but she just sat there on the sofa in silence. It was not until she felt some movements beside her, that she returned to the real world. Her eyes first landed on the dark view outside which told her that it was already night. Her attention was pulled towards the man who had taken a seat beside her when she felt him draping his cost over her shoulders. She watched as Domenic relaxed a little as he stared at the same night view of the city which she had watched just a mere moment ago. "Nick...." She called his name softly as she felt her eyes finally tearing up. She did not cry when she was ignored by Mark and Crist at the party. She did not cry when she was slapped in the morning and she did not cry even when Simon and Leo finally poured their complaints out in front of her. But just one look at her eldest brother and she could no longer control her emotions that were already ready to burst. "I thought that you would be prepared for all this since you know that you hurt them." He said softly but did not turn to look at her. "I knew that they are hurt but I had no idea that they were hurt so deeply. I knew that it will take time before I''ll be able to earn their trust, forgiveness, and love again but nothing prepared for me this." Emily replied sincerely as she wiped away the tears that had already succeeded in rolling down her cheeks. "You should always be prepared for the worst. Did they not teach you this at Nightfall?" He asked as he started playing with the ruby ring which had a symbol of A written on it - a family heirloom. "What about you? Why are you also mad? Is it because the others don''t like you anymore because of me?" She barely completed her stupid thought when her brother finally turned to look at her. The expression in his eyes was clearly telling her that he was really let down by her stupidity. Emily did not waste any more words as she hurriedly buried herself in his embrace, taking him by complete surprise as she wrapped her arms around him, locking them behind his back to make sure that he won''t be able to free himself from her hold. Domenic sat there in silence for the next few seconds as he looked at the girl who was hugging him so tightly that it was almost hard for him to breathe properly. He was about to speak when he realized something. It barely took him a second as he wrapped his arms around her and just like that, Emily''s silent tears turned into heart-wrenching cries as she finally let go of her tears and pain. Chapter 162 - We Dont Deserve You "Alright, child. Stop crying or you will end up having a fever." Domenic reminded his little sister as he rubbed her head softly to soothe her. Emily hurriedly pulled away as she looked at him with a tear-stained face before asking in a small voice, "Will you stop being angry at me if I''ll become sick?" Domenic flicked her forehead immediately as he spoke in a serious and reprimanding tone, "Don''t even think about harming yourself to get our attention." She did not need to be a mind reader to realize that her brother was completely serious. Not like she was really planning to do something like that. She was not completely insane after all. "I was just asking. I don''t have any such plans. I really love my life." She muttered in reply, making her brother relax a little. When Domenic once again became silent, she finally looked up at him only to find him sitting there with closed eyes. "Nick....., why are you angry at me?" She once again repeated the question and kept her eyes glued on him while she waited for him to answer. Her brother stayed silent for the next couple of seconds before finally opening his eyes and looking straight at her. "You really don''t know?" His question made her hesitate just when she was about to immediately shake her head in denial but stopped when she started recalling if she had really ended up doing something stupid. "Is...it....because I''m staying at Mount Ville?" She finally asked after a few moments of silence. "Why did you not return to the mansion?" Domenic asked instead. Not like he really needed to confirm what she already had realized. Emily sighed softly as she turned her face away and started staring at the night look outside the windows. "It''s not like I don''t want to return to the mansion. But I seriously don''t know how to face everyone. I don''t think I''ll be able to stay there when all my brothers are busy ignoring me. That''s why....., I''m sorry, Nick. I did not mean to hurt you." And just like that, Domenic felt his anger disappearing. Though he was already not angry at her anymore and all his complaints towards her had also vanished since she had explained the reason behind not staying at the mansion. "You are not angry anymore, right?" Emily asked as she looked at her brother whose face was now carrying a calm expression. "Don''t be too happy. Just because you have explained your reason for not staying at the mansion, it doesn''t mean that I''m happy about all this. I know that you are no longer the same Emilia of the past, you can now look after yourself and Shadow is also with you but as your big brother, I''m still worried for your safety. You should hurriedly solve the problems between you and the others and return to the mansion," Domenic told her in a serious tone as he moved forward to pick the magazine that was sitting on the table but got stopped by his sister. "What about you? How are you going to solve the problems between you and them?" She asked seriously as she pulled his hands away from the magazines. A small twitch appeared on Domenic''s lips as he turned his attention towards his sister before he replied, "I''m counting on you. Once you will succeed in solving the problems between you and those idiots, the misunderstandings between us would automatically disappear. I don''t need to do anything at all since you will be doing a favor to me." Emily just stared at her brother with her jaw hanging open as she tried to wrap her brain around whatever her brother had just said. "You....how can you.....I mean....." She was unable to put her thoughts into words as she continuously changed her words and only ended up trailing off in the end. "...were you waiting for the past four years and did absolutely nothing to solve the misunderstandings between you and the others only because you.......you were waiting for me to return and solve all this?" Even she could not believe her own words but Domenic did not waste even a single second in nodding his head to answer her question. "You....! Well done, brother! You have improved a lot in the past four years. You have successfully learned to use me for your benefits, I can hardly recognize you." Emily commented as she shook her head lightly as if she was still in denial of whatever she just heard. "No need to be so dramatic. I just don''t have too much time to spend dealing with stupid little siblings who are not even ready to hear anything......you are an exception in this case." Domenic replied as he stood up and patted the back of her head softly before walking away towards his desk. "Wow! Did you seriously call them all stupid? And you are saying that you don''t have the time to talk with them because you are busy with your work. Really, Nick?" Emily was still surprised by her brother''s words. She was fully aware that Domenic cared about his brothers just as much as he cared about her. There was no way he would ever ignore them because of his work. Domenic stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her. There was a strange expression visible on his face for a few seconds before it disappeared and he just appeared tired. "Let just say that most of your brothers are blaming me because they need someone to blame for all the hurt that they endured these past four years. There was barely any point for them to stay mad at you, after all, you were not here for them to let their frustration and hurt out. So they found a different target. They need someone to take out their anger, hurt, and frustration." Emily watched her brother in silence for the next few seconds before she spoke in a don''t voice, "...and you decided to become that target." It was not really a question and Domenic did not need to answer. A small chuckle escaped her lips but there was no humor in her eyes as she shook her head before speaking, "We don''t deserve you, Nick. Because of us, you keep facing all the hardships, difficulties, darkness, and cruelty of this world but you never blamed any of us. Whenever one of us needs your help, you never hesitate. You never say no to any of our requests or demands. You never neglect us. You are always there for us - 24/7. But there''s no one looking after you. We really don''t deserve you and your unrequited love." Emily moved to stand in front of her brother as she looked up into his eyes before speaking again. "But not anymore. I won''t let you burden all this alone. Don''t worry. Not only I''ll clear the problems between me and the brothers, but I''ll also make them apologize to you. Then you can cut off their pocket money and ground them. I won''t let anyone take advantage of your warm heart in the future and I''ll protect you." The smile that appeared on Domenic''s lips was as genuine as it ever could. He did not say anything but just nodded his head in acceptance before rubbing his sister''s head with affection. "You should leave now. Shadow must be waiting for you. By the way, you are coming to the Academy''s anniversary, right?" He asked before sitting down on his chair. "En! I''ll be there. As far as I can see, this anniversary is going to bring many new changes and surprises for everyone." Emily replied as she collected her purse and mask from the sofa. "You are actually right. Many things have changed in the past four years and it''s time to finally reveal these changes to the world." Domenic replied as he gave his sister a quick look before he turned his attention towards his work. *** "Took you long enough," Shadow commented as soon as he saw the girl walking out of the building. "How long have you been waiting?" Emily asked as she approached the big black car standing in front of the Alessandro Corporation. "It''s been around two hours or so, I think," Shadow replied as he opened the doir of the passenger side and helped her to settle down inside. "I''ll be waiting for you at the apartment. Though you are already twenty-two, I''m still not allowing you to stay out of the house past midnight. So make sure to return before that." Shadow reminded her as he closed the door. "Huh?" Emily was totally confused as she had no idea what he was talking about. But before she could ask him anything, he had already disappeared somewhere. "Good evening, Sweetheart." Emily hurriedly turned to look at the driver''s seat and her gaze landed on Kaiden. What was going on now? Chapter 163 - Make It A Memorable One "You....what.....what are you doing here?" Emily asked as she stared at the man who was looking back at her with shining blue eyes. Kaiden had stopped the car next to a small park but there were barely a few people who could be seen walking around. Otherwise, the area was pretty deserted. She could feel her heart starting to once act abnormally as it realized that the person sitting in front of her eyes was someone very special. She took in a deep breath to calm herself down. After all, she could not lose her cool every time he was around her. "I wanna take you out for dinner.....on a date," Kaiden replied softly as he kept gazing at his beautiful mate. "All of a sudden? Why did you not tell me in advance? I''m definitely not presentable for a date." Emily murmured the last part as she succumbed in her seat and glared at the lifeless hoodie that she was wearing. She passed a side glare towards the handsome devil sitting beside her before once again turning her eyes on her lap. It was as if she was blaming him for purposely teasing her. Kaiden was silent for the next few moments as he just enjoyed watching her. A small twitch was clearly visible on his lips as started speaking, "Actually, you are right! I mean look at you....." He pulled her face up to make her look at him before he continued, "Your eyes are puffy, a clear indication that you have cried your heart out today. Your face is completely dry. Your hair is all over the place and....your hoodie and shorts....well....they are not as bad looking when compared to the rest of...Wait! Why are you glaring at me? I''m just telling you the truth....." Emily did not wait any longer to let him complete as she hurriedly climbed out of the car and closed the door behind her with a bang! "You are mad." It was not a question and the teasing smile on his lips only made Emily glared at him as she tried to walk past him, only to find herself trapped between his well-built body and the car. His hands came to rest against the side of the car, almost caging her in his arms. "What are you doing?" She asked as she looked up at the handsome face of the young prince in front of her. "I''m trying to understand exactly why my angel is angry at me. After all, I just followed your exact words. Did not you just say that you are not dressed properly for our date?" Kaiden looked at her with raised eyebrows which made the girl frown as she stared back at him. "Even though I said that you did not need to make me feel so bad by voicing out exactly how bad I''m looking. Don''t you know how to treat a girl?" Emily questioned as she tried to find a way to walk away. However, Kaiden already knew what she was planning. Before she could even take any action, strong arms pulled her against him before he wrapped them around her tiny waist. Emily looked up at his face and her eyes landed on his beautiful cerulean ones that reminded her of deep oceans. His touch was like fire but a sweet alluring fire that was calling her name and telling her to succumb to it. "Would you have believed me if I had said that you are looking absolutely beautiful? That there''s no need for you to change your clothes or style your hair? Would you have believed it if I have told you that no matter how you look, my eyes will always find you the most beautiful in this entire world?" His voice was soft but the emotions in then were real. The way he was looking at her made Emily realize that he actually meant what he was saying. "What really matters is not what I think about your looks. For me, you are always the prettiest one, even when you are wearing a simple hoodie, even when your eyes are swollen because of crying, and even when your hair is scattered all over the place. And I really meant it. I don''t call you an angel because of your looks but because of your personality." He stopped to brush his fingers softly against her cheeks before he continued. "What I and the rest of the world think about you does not matter and it should never matter. The thing that really matters is what you think about yourself. If you think that you are not presentable for a date in your current look, then you have all the right to dress up as much as you want. And if you think that your current look is perfect then no matter what the rest of the world says, you should go with this look. What really matters here is you and your thoughts, not the thoughts of other people." "So....., if you want to change then I will accompany you to get ready for our date and if you are comfortable with your current look then we will head straight to the venue. You are p....mmmfh!" Everything happened so suddenly that Kaiden barely had a chance to prepare himself. It was like everything stopped at that particular moment when those soft warm lips touched his lips. His heart stopped, so did his breathing, and the world around him also came to a standstill. His shocked eyes looked at the girl whose eyes were closed as she pressed her lips against his. And before his body, mind, soul, or heart could process the situation, the beautiful moment of euphoria ended just as soon as it came. Emily hurriedly stepped away as she tried to digest exactly what she had just done. She did not even realize that she was about to something so insane before she was already doing it. Maybe it was the sincerity in his words that made her act, or maybe it was the emotions in his beautiful eyes, or maybe it was the call of her soul that was dying for a taste of her mate. She had no idea what actually made her act but she did end up doing something so impulsive. Her heart was beating so fast that she feared it would pop out soon enough. Her body was filled with tingles and her lips could still feel the softness of his lips. She did not even realize that she was biting her lower lip as she tried her very best to control her emotions. But no matter how hard she tried, she was just unable to find control over herself. And the intense gaze of the man that was trained on her was also not helping at all. "Angel...." Kaiden called her in a soft voice and waited for her to finally look up at him. Only Emily knew how hard she had to try to look up at him and the moment her eyes found his cerulean ones, the memory of the moment when their lips touched, returned to her. Kaiden stepped a little closer to her as he asked, "This is your first kiss, right?" He sounded like he was really asking for her confirmation even though he already knew the answer pretty well. For a moment, Emily found herself transfixed in her position and could barely process his question but then she found herself nodding very lightly. Kaiden took another step towards her before he spoke in a low voice, "Then let me make it a memorable one." And before she could process what was happening, one of his strong arms was once again wrapped around her waist while the other was supporting the back of her neck. Her breathing stopped as she saw his face inching closer to hers and just a mere second before his lips touched hers, she found herself closing her eyes. This one felt so different than the one before. Maybe it was because this time she was the one receiving the kiss, or maybe it was because his lips were softly moving against hers. Maybe it was because she wanted to surrender to him or maybe she could feel her body and soul filling with immense pleasure and a pure feeling of contentment. Kaiden kept placing soft kisses against her lips at the beginning as he waited for her to relax. His hold on her was as light as feather but also as strong as needed. He softly pulled her closer, almost making their bodies touch. And at that same moment, he felt her hands moving. One of her hands moved to rest on his left shoulder while the other clutched the front of his suit coat as she let her body relax in his arms. That was all he needed because the next moment he stopped attacking her with soft kisses and finally gave her the pleasure of a true deep kiss. Chapter 164 - The Mysterious Cave Emily was taken by surprise when the soft kisses suddenly disappeared and she felt something warm and wet poking her lips, only to realize that it was Kaiden''s tongue. She felt him pulling her closer, almost crushing their bodies together and she happily let him. Her body had its own plans as it succumbed to his touch and her lips followed because the next second, they were parting to grant his tongue the permission to invade her mouth. And Kaiden did exactly that. As soon as her lips parted, he slipped his tongue inside, tasting and teasing her with slow strokes of his tongue while he savored the first taste of their kiss. A slow moan escaped Emily''s lips as she let him show her exactly how good a kiss could feel. It was nothing like the soft peck that she had gifted him a few moments ago. It was nothing like what she used to read in romance novels. It was also nothing like what she described in her own novels and it was also not like what she had seen in dramas and movies. It was not like any of them...because it was far much better than all of them. Her fingers tightened their hold on him as she stopped thinking and let herself enjoy her first-ever kiss. It was slow, sensual, warm, and filled with a lot of emotions. The way his tongue was playing with hers, made her want to give up on holding herself back and start playing too. The way his hands were holding her closer to him with tenderness, the way his fingers were rubbing circles on her waist, the way his body had wrapped her in its warm and protective embrace, every single thing made her fill with respect and a new kind of affection for the man. She moaned again when he finally stopped kissing her and pulled away slightly to look at her. But it was not a moan of pleasure, rather it was filled with a complete opposite emotion. All that Kaiden saw at that moment was his beautiful mate and the way her eyes were glaring at him with a little bit of anger in them because he dared to end the kiss. It made him smile fondly at her as he planted a soft kiss on her forehead before he again pulled away a little to gaze into her beautiful emerald eyes. Both of his hands cupped her face as he made her look at him before asking, "Do you still wanna change your dress and get ready for our date?" Emily did not waste even a single second before she shook her head in denial, making him smile even more as he planted another kiss on her forehead. "Are you again mad at me?" He asked as he pulled away to look at her. "I''m not!" Emily hurriedly replied as she again tried to shake her head to emphasize her denial of his words. "Are you sure, Sweetheart?" Kaiden asked as he gazed at her with adoring eyes. The more he looked at her, the more he was finding himself falling for her. He could no longer hide the truth that the woman in front of him had already succeeded in winning his heart in every way possible. It was no longer just about their mate bond. Even though it all started because destiny decided to give him another chance, Emily proved that she could be more than just a second chance. She was perfect in every way possible. She was strong, determined, kind-hearted, warm, and full of happiness. But at the same time, she knew the feeling of darkness. She had survived the worst and lived some of the best moments of her life. She knew how dark and evil the world could be and she also knew how good and beautiful it could turn. She was not judgemental. She knew how to accept changes. She was a fighter but at the same time, she could also be vulnerable. She had her flaws but she was still perfect the way she was. She did not find the Supernaturals unworthy. She was not against their existence in a world that was supposed to be owned by her kind - humans. But the most important one...she made him feel alive, something that he had not felt for a long time. She held the power to change his entire mood with her words or actions. She had made him feel worried for her, happy for her, angry, and even furious at some points. She was deadly for him but she was also his redemption. She had successfully invaded all the walls that were surrounding his heart and now she resided there like a queen. She owned his heart as well as his soul. "En!" He was pulled out of his thoughts when the girl hurriedly nodded her head in response to his question. A small twitch appeared on his lips as he inched his face closer to her and whispered next to her ear, "I was planning to kiss you if you have admitted that you are angry...but since you are not...." He pulled away his face to look at her face and found her pouting cutely, making his heart fill with even more affection for her. He moved his face closer to her and planted a soft feathery kiss on her swollen lips, making her fingers tighten their hold on his shirt. ".....you still deserve a treat." He finished before once again planting another soft kiss on her lips which lasted for a few moments. "Come on, it''s already past seven o''clock. We will be late if we did not move now." He said as he pulled away from her and opened the door of the passenger side. Emily did not waste much time before she hurriedly hopped into the car and then they set off for their first official date. *** "Is this the right place?" Emily asked as climbed out of the car and looked around the dark and silent area of forest where they had stopped. "Don''t underestimate the outer appearance of this place. It''s just as beautiful and mysterious as it looks dark and gloomy. Trust me, you will be surprised." Kaiden replied as he moved to stand next to her. "Alright! I can''t wait to see what this place has in store for me." Emily responded as she watched the man turning towards her and smiling as he held her right hand and entangled their fingers. The two set off a dark, unused, and silent path that led them to a small valley. The silvery moonlight was the only source of light that guided her. Of course, she also had Kaiden with her who made sure to not let her get hurt. After walking for around twelve or thirteen minutes, they finally found a small opening of a cave hidden in the depths of the valley. "What''s this place? Are we still in the city?" Emily asked as she followed Kaiden inside the cave. "This is the Enchanted Valley hidden in the depths of the Dark Forest. That''s why we are still within the boundaries of the city." Kaiden replied as he helped her climb down the natural staircase that was built of the roots of trees, sand, moss, and small rocks. They walked deeper into the cave and soon the interior of the cave started changing. The first change that Emily noticed was the temperature which reminded her of her favorite season - Springs. Next, she noticed the grass and the small bushes that were present in multicolor. She noticed bushes in light green, dull orange, bright purple, and even in deep blue that reminded her of Kaiden''s beautiful alluring eyes. Then the next thing that appeared was the flowers, beautiful and rare flowers that she had never seen in her life before. One by one, her curious eyes noticed many new things that were appearing out of the blue as they walked deeper into the cave. However, nothing would have prepared her for the final surprise. *** "What''s wrong with you? It''s like you have seen a ghost." Rylan teased his friend as he tried to look in the direction where Shane had been gazing for the last few minutes. Shane did not reply as he kept his eyes trained on the group of girls who were standing outside a book store. "Don''t tell me that you are checking them out. Are you already looking forward to getting laid?" Rylan teased as he also checked the group. "Shut up, man! I think I''ve found my mate!" Shane replied in a whispered tone as he padded a glance towards his friend before once again turning his attention towards the group of girls, especially on a particular blonde who had successfully pulled his entire attention towards her. Rylan was left shocked by Shane''s words. Both his best friends had successfully found their mates but he still had to meet his chosen one. Chapter 165 - Overprotective Brothers "This place is so beautiful," Emily whispered out in pure amazement as she played with the cold and freshwater of the underground stream that was running through the cave. Her eyes followed the trail of light pink flowers that were floating on the surface of the water. Dozens of Cherry Blossom trees were standing on the other end of the clearing, next to the little waterfall. Kaiden came towards where she had been sitting on a rock with her feet touching the surface of the water. He crouched down beside her before signaling her to pull her legs up. Emily followed his directions and pulled her right foot out of the water, only to find it wrapped in a towel as Kaiden started wiping it. For a moment she was ready to stop him but at that exact moment, the man with long silver hair raised his face and looked straight at her. His eyes were clearly telling her to not even try stopping him. Therefore, she just sighed softly and kept silent while watching him taking care of her. It was a great feeling, to be honest, filling her with warmth and softness. It was not like those times when her brothers or friends used to take care of her. It was different, it felt more personal and made butterflies appear in her stomach. Kaiden pulled her second foot out of the water and started wiping it, making sure to be as tender as if he was afraid to hurt her even a little bit. A small smile kept playing on Emily''s lips as she watched him taking care of her. "If you kept wiping it then it will turn red because of too much rubbing." She could not help but comment when the man refused to let go of her foot even after a long time. Kaiden immediately stopped wiping her already dried foot and bent his face forward to plant a soft feathery kiss on her ankle, making her gasp with surprise. Emily could barely believe her eyes as she felt the soft tingles running through her left foot. The spot where his lips had grazed her skin felt like it was already on fire. Kaiden once again glanced up at her and this time, there was a beautiful small smile visible on his lips, matching the glow of his icy blue eyes. He did not speak and just stood up before helping her to stand and putting her shoes on, once again making her feel like he was treating her too softly. She could already feel her heart melting with every tender action that he was showing her. After making sure that her shoes were perfectly tied, he entangled their hands together and started walking towards the north of the stream where a dinner table for two was set under a small pavilion made of white marble and obsidian. The black and white colors of the pavilion were so contrasting to each other but at the same time, they created a beautiful view. "How long did it take you to prepare all this?" Emily asked as she took her seat and curiously looked around. The pavilion was decorated with dozens of lanterns that filled it with light. The pillars of the pavilion were covered in ivy while the air was carrying the fragrance of cherry blossom and the freshwater of the stream. There was only a jug of juice and two glasses sitting on the table which made her curiously look around to see if she could find anyone else. Unfortunately, she found no one as far as her eyes could see. She turned her attention towards the man sitting in front of her as she asked in a suspicious voice, "Are you planning to starve me? I can''t see a single human here beside us and there''s no food here. And let me tell you........ I''m not eating any magical food, no matter how great it tastes." Her voice was calm but full of determination. There was no way she would ever be wanting food made of magic. Her first as well as the last experience of eating something made of magic.....was really not great. Every time she recalled that memory, she would almost lose her appetite. A small twitch appeared on Kaiden''s lips as he heard her words and watched her cure expressions. If not for the table that put some distance between them, he would either have pinched her cheeks or kissed her by now Unfortunately, the bloody table had created so much distance between him and his angel. "Don''t worry, sweetheart. I won''t let you starve on my guard. And there won''t be any food made of some magical spells. Promise!" Emily stared at him with suspicious eyes for a second or two before lightly shrugging her shoulders in response. She was putting her trust in him for the time being. Kaiden poured the juice into the glasses and offered her which she immediately accepted. "I don''t know why but I was imagining a very expensive and rich flavored wine. Not like I want to drink but that''s exactly what I''ve been expecting." Emily told him truthfully as she took a small sip of the juice and found it far too refreshing and tasty than the normal juices. The smile on Kaiden''s lips broadened as he too took a small sip of his juice before replying, "That was exactly my plan. But I don''t want to be killed by your brothers by making you drink here, at a place so far away from your home and in the middle of nowhere. You should keep it a secret......that I''m really scared of your overprotective brothers." Emily frowned a little as she pondered about his last sentence before coming to the decision that she needed to defend her brothers. "They are not overprotective!" She said in a stern voice as she folded her arms in front of her chest to appear more determined about her point. Kaiden arched his eyebrows at her words but stayed silent when she glared back at him. After a silence of the next few moments, he nodded his head slightly as he spoke, "Well.....let me put it like this - They are actually right about being concerned about you because they have more than a dozen reasons to worry about your well being and safety. So, as I''m also an elder brother, I can understand their effectiveness towards you because it''s exactly like how I''m towards Ry. But.....as your mate....I just can''t make myself understand them even if I try. So...they are indeed overprotective in the eyes of your mate." Emily chuckled softly at the way he described his point. She could not fight against his point even if she wanted. It was true that her brothers had several reasons to be protective towards her but at the same time, there was no denial that they were clearly overprotective of her. A clear example of their overprotectiveness was the message alert that she noticed on Kaiden''s phone which was sitting on top of the table. Her eyes landed on the familiar name of Simon Alessandro, which made her hands move faster than her brain. Before Kaiden could realize what was happening, she was already holding his phone, or maybe he just did not try to stop her. "May I?" Emily asked for his permission as she looked at him with a small smile visible on her soft pink lips. The man slightly shrugged his left shoulder in response as he keenly watched her trying to understand the pattern of his screen lock. "Your name." He told her softly and watched in agony as she softly bit on her lower lip to hide the smile that was threatening to appear on her lips. He could do nothing but just sat there in silence as he watched his angel unlocking his phone and reading the message that her brother had just sent. He felt his heart filling with hundreds of butterflies as his ears registered the addicting sound of her soft giggles. "Oh, God! Don''t tell me this is not the first time?" She looked at him to get the answer and once again started giggling when he nodded his head with a dramatic sad look on his face. "Aww, my brothers are the best!" Emily shouted with love filling her voice for her dear brothers. The message that Simon had sent Kaiden was - ''If you dared to make her drunk, we will chop off your legs. If you dared to make her cry, we''ll chop off your legs. If you make her smile or laugh too much that her stomach will start hurting, we''ll still chop off your legs. If you dared to bad mouth us in front of her, we will chop off your legs, and if you dared to hurt her even a little bit, we''ll chop off your entire body. It''s a real warning and you can even consider it a threat. CHOP! CHOP!'' Chapter 166 - No Complaints "That''s enough, angel. You are hurting me like this." Kaiden complained as he watched the girl who was still giggling after reading the message that her brother had sent. Emily took a deep breath to pull herself together before she replied, "I''m sorry. I just found it funny and adorable. They love me too much. That''s all." Kaiden shook his head lightly as he finished his juice and refilled the glass. "Do you want to order something particular for dinner?" He asked while refilling her glass. Emily immediately looked around with a frown before returning her attention to him as she questioned, "Who''s gonna take my order?" A small twitch appeared on Kaiden''s lips. He sat the jug of juice aside and turned his focus on the beautiful woman as he replied, "Who else it could be other than me? No matter whatever you want, you just need to tell me and I''ll get it for you." "Cheesy." Emily mumbled with a small scoff which made Kaiden burst out into soft chuckles. "No, seriously. What do you want to eat for dinner?" He asked in a serious tone. "I''m good with anything as long as it''s not too heavy for my stomach. So...surprise me!" Emily replied with a small smile playing on her lips. She watched curiously as the silver-haired man gave her a quick wink before turning his attention towards their left and clapping his hands twice. Since they were still surrounded by walls of the cave, the sound of his claps echoed loudly throughout the area. And soon enough, her curiosity started converting into amazement as her eyes noticed the dozens of pixies appearing with freshly cooked food. The air was soon filled with the aroma of delicious dishes as one after another, the pixies started filling the table with food. The little creatures were barely one and a half feet tall with silvery white wings that glowed in the moonlight. Emily noticed that almost all the pixies looked cute with puffy cheeks and round glowing eyes. Their shining wings succeeded in pulling her attention towards them and she even liked the small glittery dresses that the little creatures were wearing. Pixies were one of the cutest and friendly supernatural creatures. They were famous for their vast majority of skills and efficiency. Most importantly, they were very rarely seen anywhere near human cities as they tend to live in the middle of nature and away from prying eyes. "So beautiful." Emily could not stop herself from complimenting the little pretty things that disappeared from her sight just as quickly as they had appeared. "Try the food. I''m sure you will be even more surprised." Kaiden said as he pulled her attention towards the table covered with delicious dishes, sweets, and drinks. Emily did not waste any time as she could already feel her mouth-watering at the sight of the food in front of her. One of her hands grabbed a bowl while the other went towards the pair of chopsticks and just like that, she was busy enjoying the best meal of her life. Though she would never say it out loud, the food prepared by the pixies was far too delicious than all the food that she had ever tasted in her life, even better than the food that Daniel used to cook. However, she would never say it in front of her brother. He did not need to know that some little glowing fairies had successfully won the heart of his little sister with their otherworldly cooking skills. "Can I assume that you enjoyed the food?" Kaiden asked as he watched the girl taking another bite from her chocolate pastry. Emily just molded her head in answer while she kept her entire focus on the pastry which tasted too good its own good. It did not take the two of them long, probably around half an hour, before all the food was swiped away and nothing was left. The pixies once again appeared to collect the empty dishes and then disappeared just like that. "Do they live here?" Emily asked as she let the man pull her out of her seat. Kaiden took her near the stream before turning around to face her. He closed the little distance between the two of them and pulled her softly in his arms before replying, "No. They don''t." He did not explain any further and wrapped both his hands around her waist, making her look up at him with raised eyebrows. "What are you doing?" Emily asked as she stared at his handsome face which appeared even more ethereal in the silvery moonlight which was filling the night with wonderful beauty. "Let''s dance a little," Kaiden whispered in response to her question as he smiled at her with affection shining n his icy blue eyes. "But there''s no music." She immediately responded. The curve of his lips dipped a little bit more as he tried to not smile before replying, "My phone is in my left pocket. Let''s play a song on the music app." Emily looked at him in silence for a few silent seconds as she realized that how evil and sharp-minded the man was. She just shook her head lightly before reaching out with her left hand and fumbling inside his right suit pocket to find his phone. Coincidentally, she found it on the first try. After spending a few seconds to find a perfect song for the moment, she hit the play button before putting his phone back in his pocket. Immediately, a sweet and slow melody started playing. Kaiden''s hands tightened their hold on her waist a little as he pulled her small body against his own, filling both of them with sweet electric tingles. Emily let both of her hands wrap around his neck as she closed her eyes for a few seconds. When she opened them again, three beautiful white snow spirit foxes were standing beside them as they looked at her and Kaiden with soft and curious eyes. "They have grown up," Kaiden commented as he watched the three fur balls surrounding them as they came to rub themselves against their legs. While two of them were busy showing their affection to their mommy, at least one of them recognized his father as he came to rub its head against Kaiden''s legs. "I never got to say thank you for this wonderful gift. They have been my companions for the past four years and they are really the best spirit animals that I could have ever had." Emily told him sincerely as she brushed the fingers of her right hand across his chin. "I''m happy that you like them," Kaiden said as he leaned into her touch, letting out a small sigh of contentment as he felt his wolf filling with happiness at the nearness of his mate. "Sweetheart...." "En?" Emily looked at him only to find his eyes closed as he enjoyed the sweet soft moment that was making his wolf surrender in front of his mate. He was an Alpha, not a normal alpha but an Alpha with magical abilities and royal blood. He was supposed to rule all the werewolves present in the world and he never bowed to anyone. But at that moment, his always arrogant and cold wolf was more than happy and eager to bow to the woman who was destined to complete him. "Are you alright, K?" Emily asked in a soft tone as she brushed her fingers against his cheek and brow. After all, he was not the only one who was affected by their current closeness. Emily too was experiencing the same emotions. Though she did not have a wolf spirit living inside her but the mate bond that was present between the two of them worked equally on both of them. "I just want to hold you like this forever. I won''t complain at all if the time would suddenly stops right at this moment. I''m too happy to complain about anything." Kaiden admitted as he placed a soft kiss against her fingers. Emily did not speak as she just watched him enjoying the moment of their togetherness. She could feel her own happiness filling her from inside out as the bond between the two of them became stronger than it was before. "I can''t believe that in the past four years, no one succeeded in making me fall for him/her. I refused to believe that it was because I already have a crush on you back then." Her words made Kaiden suddenly open his eyes as he looked at her with a frown decorating his handsome face. "Are you threatening me?" He asked as he tightened his arms around her as if he was worried that she would run away anytime soon. "I thought it sounds like a half compliment," Emily responded with a shrug as she looked down at the foxes that were busy playing around. That''s when she realized that the two f them were not even dancing at all and had been standing still all this time. Chapter 167 - Another Date "Guys, are you even paying any attention to my problems?" Emily asked out loud as she glared at her two best friends. While Shane was busy staring at a blonde who was sitting at the table next to them with her friends, Rylan was playing games on his phone. When neither of the boys reacted, she just let out a frustrated sigh before taking a sip of her herbal tea. She took a quick look at the blonde before returning her attention to Shane as she asked in a whispered tone, "Is she really your mate?" Shane finally looked away from the girl as he turned his focus on his friend and nodded his head in reply. "Wow! Congratulations!" Emily teased as she pinched his cheeks making him blush as he pulled her hands away to save his soft cheeks from her torturous hands. "What congratulations? It''s been more than twenty-four hours since he found her and this coward still had not talked to her. At this speed, he would never be able to ask her out and bond with her." Rylan commented as he dumped his phone on the table and took a sip of his coffee. Both Shane and Emily gifted him with sharp glares for spouting such nonsense. "Don''t be so mean. It had been only a day. It''s jay for him to take some time." Emily defended Shane who gave her an appreciating glance. A chuckle escaped Rylan''s lips at her words. He finished his coffee before focusing his eyes on Emily as he spoke, "Of course, If you can take five years to face your mate and the soul bond, Shane could definitely do with a few days or weeks." "You.....!" Emily glared at the young man who was acting nothing like her guardian spirit or the best friend that he was. Rather, the words leaving his mouth sounded like sharp thorns that were supposed to hurt others. "What''s wrong with you today?" Shane asked as he put his hand on Emily''s shoulder to calm the girl down. They had recently got to know that Emily and Kaiden were mates. While the two of them were surprised by the revelation but somehow they already knew that something like this was waiting for them. It was like they were already aware but decided to ignore the fact back then. He noticed the immediate regret that appeared in Rylan''s eyes as he realized exactly how mean he was reacting. "I''m sorry guys...I....I''m just not in a great mood today. I don''t even know why. It''s just...something is not right with me." Rylan told them as he apologized for his rude comments. He had been feeling terrible ever since the previous night. He could not pinpoint exactly what was wrong with him but there was definitely something wrong going on. Emily looked at the sad expression that had appeared on his face, immediately forgetting that she was angry at him. She stood up from her chair to sit on the one next to her friend as she slipped her hand over his shoulder and patting his head softly. "It''s alright. You just need a good break. I''m going to accompany Shadow to the Amusement Park after this. Wanna join?" She asked with her eyebrows arched high as she waited for his response. "Wait! You just spent the last evening with my brother on a date, then why are you going on another date with another man? Are you cheating on my brother?" Rylan asked as he stared at the girl as if he was really suspecting her. Emily immediately pulled on his ear, making Rylan cry out in pain as he tried to slap her hand away but failing miserably as she punched tightly making the pain worsen. "Are you seriously fed up with your life? If you wanna die then just tell me directly," She told him as she finally let go of his ear. Rylan immediately started rubbing his ear in order to fight the terrible pain. If not for the fact that his wolf was not allowing, he would definitely have shed a few tears by now. "Don''t mind him, he''s just out of his mind. But seriously, what''s with you and Shadow''s plan of going to the amusement park? If you want to have fun, you could have asked us out or better ask Kaiden, I''m sure he would love to spend the day with you." Shane commented with a teasing smile. "I''m not going out for fun. Shadow is going to bring the children of ZG Orphanage to the Amusement Park. I''m giving him company because he''s scared to be left alone with little children." Emily explained as she emptied her cup of tea. She heard Rylan immediately sighing as if he had been ridden off a great burden while Shane just chuckled as he shook his head before speaking. "To be very honest, I seriously like Shadow. He''s someone full of surprises. In the last four years, I never saw him getting scared of anything or anyone. And here I found that he''s scared of little children. How funny...and cute." Emily chuckled as she also nodded her head in agreement. Her thoughts matched with Shane''s completely. Shadow was like a pandora box, full of mysteries and surprises. "I just found him too suspicious. Everything about him is abnormal. He''s nothing like a normal supernatural and we know nothing about him except for his name and the fact that he''s your bodyguard." Rylan commented as he scoffed while making weird faces as f he was trying to portray his emotions through his expressions. "He''s my friend. So stop calling him my bodyguard. By the way, I''m leaving now. Are you guys coming?" Emily asked as she stood up and collected her purse and jacket. "Nah! I''m good here." Shane replied as his eyes once again returned towards the table where his human mate was sitting. A smile appeared on Emily''s lips as she noticed the soft expressions of her friend as his eyes looked at his mate with yearning. She turned her attention towards Rylan who was once again holding his phone. "No thanks! I don''t want to become the third wheel between you and your boy toy." Emily rolled her eyes as she slapped him on the head before turning around and walking away, heading straight to the exit of the hall. "What are you doing?" Shane asked as he noticed that his friend was calling someone as soon as Emily walked out of the door leading to the exit. "Telling my brother that his future wife is going on a date with her boy toy," Rylan replied in an indifferent tone. Shane just sighed while shaking his head at his friend''s stupidity. *** "Can you stop staring at them like they are some weird and dangerous creatures? Look at them, how cute and adorable each of them is!" Emily could not help but comment as she noticed the expressions that were decorating Shadow''s face as he continuously glared at the children sitting in front of him. They were currently sitting in a bus that was parked in the parking lot of the Amusement Park. "Why are you not telling them to stop glaring at me?" Shadow complained as he turned his attention towards her and made a face full of grievances. "Ah? Which one of them is glaring at you?" Emily asked as she hurriedly looked over the group of children to find if any one of them was actually glaring at the man sitting beside her. "Look at that one...that girl in the pink dress. Look at how she''s glaring at me!" Shadow pointed at an eight-year-old girl sitting in the third row, wearing a pink dress with two cute ponytails. Her small twinkling eyes were actually trained on Shadow but she was not glaring at him. Rather, her small brown eyes were full f curiosity and amazement as she looked at him. "Look at you! You are thousands of years old and still can''t differentiate between a look of curiosity and a glare. How can you even dare to say that she''s glaring at you? Childish!" Emily reprimanded him which made him pout slightly as he just looked away, not ready to change his mind about the little girl and her glare at all. Emily sighed before she turned her attention back on the girl and I''m led brightly at her before asking, "Little one, can you please come here?" The sudden flinch from Shadow made Emily turn towards the Supreme Sire with a hard glare which instantly stilled him in his seat. His amber eyes remained focused on the little girl who hurriedly stood up from her seat and ran towards Emily and...him. "Little One, what''s your name?" Emily asked as she pulled the girl closer to her and took her small hands in her own. "I''m Solar. Miss, you are looking so pretty today." The little girl said in a soft tone as she looked at Emily with twinkling eyes. Her words made Shadow''s frown disappear as a small twitch appeared on his lips. He''s a simple man - he liked everyone who liked his Princess. Chapter 168 - The Poor Secretary Sullivan Corporation, - "Second Young Master, is there something that I can help you with?" Mr. Kim asked as he picked up the call. "Where''s my brother? And why is he not even picking my call?" Rylan immediately bombarded the poor man with questions. "Oh, that! Actually, Sire is currently in a board meeting. If there''s something important you can tell me, I''ll relay your message to your brother as soon as he will come out of the meeting." Mr. Kim told the young man on the other end of the call before turning his attention towards the meeting room where a fierce battle was going on at the moment. The Master was in a really bad mood and it would be best if Mr. Kim kept everyone and anyone from disturbing the active volcano that was ready to erupt at any moment. "Unfortunately Mr. Kim, the message that I want to give to my brother is too important to wait for even a second. If you don''t want to lose your life, I''ll advise you to let me talk to my brother this very instant." Rylan told the Secretary in a serious tone. "This...." Poor Mr. Kim was now in a dilemma. "Second Young Master, please try to understand. The situation over here is not really that great. I don''t think we should disturb Master at all." Mr. Kim eventually exposed the situation. Rylan was silent for a few seconds as he thought about his choices and finally found a perfect one. "Mr. Kim, I''m really sorry for doing this to you but I love my life a lot. If I did not tell my brother about this, he would surely kill me. So I''m telling you about this. Then it''s up to what you want to do with this information." And just like that, Rylan told the Secretary about how Shadow was planning to snatch away the future Lady Boss of the Sullivan Empire. As the call ended after a few minutes, Secretary Kim could feel sweat dripping from his face and down his neck. Did not know why but ever since Miss Alessandro stepped in City A six years ago, his happy life had taken a different route. Every now and then he found himself in the center of situations where he would be punished without any reason. His fear for the future Lady Boss was even greater than his fear for his Sire. Just look at the current situation. If he decided to not disturb his Boss and keep the message to himself until the meeting ended, there were high chances that he would be thrown out of the company with a group of rogues chasing him. And if he decided to disturb the current meeting to send the message to the Boss, he still would be punished for becoming the reason for the company''s loss, meaning he had to say goodbye to his next month''s salary and bonus. But life was obviously more important than money, right? At least he would have other chances to make up for his loss if he stayed alive. Keeping these points in his head, Secretary Kim finally made up his mind and headed towards the meeting room. - As soon as Kaiden heard the knock on the door, he was infuriated. Not only he needed to deal with stupid board members who had no idea about what was right or what was wrong for the company, he even had to handle his dumb staff who could not stop themselves from interrupting him at such an important time. "What now?" He asked in a cold and angry tone as his icy sharp eyes landed on his Secretary. Out of the people he was imagining to enter from that door, Secretary Kim was definitely not among them. How come even his Secretary could be so foolish? "Master, it''s really an urgent matter that can''t wait." Mr. Kim hurriedly spoke in a hushed tone as he kept his eyes fixed on the boss, not giving the board members even a single glance. "Secretary Kim, what is so important that it could not even wait for a few more minutes?" Kaiden asked as he kept glaring at the dragon shifter. "Master, it''s about Miss Alessandro." Secretary Kim hurriedly blurted out but made sure to keep his voice to a minimum. Even though most of the board members were supernatural with sharp hearing ability, still none of them would have dared to listen to their hushed talk. Kaiden''s aura changed as soon as his angel''s name was mentioned. Instead of the coldness, anger, and frustration, there was anxiety visible in his eyes for a second before that too disappeared. It took him barely a second to pull himself together as he turned towards the members of the board and said in an overbearing cold tone, "You all are dismissed. I hope that the same nonsense won''t be repeated in the next meeting." No one dared to speak as they just hurriedly nodded their heads and after collecting their things, scurried out of the meeting room. Barely in less than a minute, the meeting room was empty except for Kaiden and his Secretary who had been continuously typing on his phone. "What are you doing?" Kaiden asked as he settled down on his chair. "I have told the HR department to cut my salary and bonus for this month. And here''s the recording of the conversation that I had with Second Young Master when he tried to contact you just a while ago." Mr. Kim replied in a calm tone as he handed his phone to his boss. Kaiden kept his eyes on his Secretary for a few more seconds before he nodded his head and commented, "Fortunately, you are no longer as stupid as before." Meaning, he still considered Mr. Kim an idiot but a better idiot. "It''s all thanks to Master''s lessons and teachings." Mr. Kim immediately replied as he tapped the screen of his phone and the recording started to play. By the time, it ended, Kaiden''d bad mood was back and this time it was even more terrifying than before. "Let''s go. We are going to the Amusement Park." Chapter 169 - Giving Up On Life "I can''t do this anymore! I really can''t." Shadow was almost on the verge of collapsing on the ground in the middle of a public place. The only thing that was keeping him from doing exactly that was his worry about ruining his image in front of everyone. "Come on, Shadow. These rides are not really that scary and you have only been to a few so far. There''s so much more to enjoy. Plus, you need to remember that you are the one responsible for these children." Emily reminded the man only to be ignored completely. She made a pouting face but then turned around to signal her assistant to take the children to the Icecream booth. Once all the children went away with her driver and assistant to enjoy their ice creams, she returned her attention towards the man who was now sitting on a bench next to a little fountain. She observed him from afar for a few moments as she tried to read his emotions. But it was not really that easy to read the Supreme Sire. He was always on guard even though most of the time he appeared totally opposite. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she realized that her master plan probably failed poorly. She walked towards the bench and settled beside him before asking, "Are you alright?" Her voice was soft and so were her expressions. She could clearly see that he was really not thrilled about spending any more time in the amusement park. As Shadow registered her presence beside him, he too turned his face to look at the girl sitting next to him. As he saw the worry in her eyes, he immediately felt himself relaxing a little. He also realized that the children were no longer present there. "I just don''t think that an amusement park is a place for me. And you can see that I know nothing about how to take care of kids." He finally replied to her question as he slumped more on the bench, letting his head rest against the backrest of the bench. "It''s my fault. I wanted to bring you here so that you can finally enjoy some time away from your daily tiring schedule. I should not have listened to you." Emily admitted as she took one of Shadow''s hands in her own before turning her body completely to face him. "Sorry..." She muttered with a genuine apology written on her face. "It''s alright. No hard feelings.....and thanks for thinking about me. But you don''t need to do that at all. I''m completely content with being your friend and companion. The other things are not made for me," Shadow said as he patted her head softly and gave her a rare soft smile. Or maybe it was rare for everyone else but he had been smiling genuinely for the past five years whenever he''s around his Princess. Emily did not reply as her mind was filled with the thoughts of the words that he had just spoken. All that she wanted to do was to make him realize that life was really not that bad if he decided to not give up on it. If someone like her could find hope and happiness after going through such dark moments, then she believed that there was always hope for others too. But no matter how hard she tried to help Shadow, she kept failing badly. It was as if his will of giving up on his life was far much stronger than her wish of seeing him happy for the rest of his life. "Why are you frowning like that?" She was pulled out of her thoughts when Shadow asked the question as he softly rubbed her head. "Nothing. I''m just thinking about how am I going to handle my brothers." Emily decided to change the topic as she knew that she would need to think deeply about the matter before trying anything else. "Domenic is probably not angry anymore but I''m not a hundred percent sure about that. As for the others....." She trailed off as she recalled her meeting with her brothers in the past few days. Not even a single one was filled with happiness. She knew that she deserved their anger and she was also aware that she had hurt them all very badly but that did not mean she was happy about how cold they were acting towards her. She was suddenly missing their love and warmth more than usual. She was feeling homesick. All that she wanted to do was to be with her brothers and talk to them for hours. "Want any help?" Shadow asked when he noticed the sadness that had suddenly appeared in her beautiful emerald eyes. Emily immediately shook her head in denial as she sighed softly and replied with a soft smile playing on her lips, "Nah! I want to do this on my own. I''ll make up for my stupidity and make them open up once again." Her words sounded like a promise that she was making to herself and she knew that she won''t stop before achieving her goal. "That''s like my Princess." Shadow cheered as he smiled at the twinkle that had appeared in her eyes. He liked how confident and strong she had become in the past four years. She had started believing in herself. "You two are hanging out and no one invited me. I''m feeling kind of sad." A very familiar voice was heard, making both Emily and Shadow turn towards the handsome CEO who was standing a few feet away from them. "Kaiden." Shadow gave a nod to the man as he stood up and turned to look at Emily as he spoke, "I''m going to get drinks for the three of us. Will be back soon." Emily nodded her head and watched as his silhouette disappeared in the crowd that was present around a cotton candy stall. A small gasp left her lips when suddenly she was made to turn her face towards Kaiden who was now sitting beside her on the bench. One of his hands was holding her chin while the other ended up taking hold of one of her hands. Her eyes stared back into the cerulean globes that were so alluring that she just wanted to forget about everything and get lost in them. And as her gaze traveled down to his nose and then finally to his parted lips, she felt her throat drying up as the memories of their first kiss returned. She did not even realize that her breathing had changed and it stopped the moment she felt his face inching closer to hers.....so so close...! Chapter 170 - Stop Suspecting Him "What are you thinking about, sweetheart?" He whispered the question very close to her ear. His breath fanning her sensitive skin. Their cheeks were almost touching and she was suddenly feeling overwhelmed as her body once again started reacting towards his closeness. She tried to answer his question and distract herself but no words came out of her mouth, making her gulp down her saliva to relieve her dry throat. A twitch appeared on Kaiden''s lips as he noticed her reactions which immediately made his heart and soul fill with a weird kind of satisfaction. He very slowly pulled his face back and then looked at her flushed cheeks. Her doe-like emerald eyes were gazing at him as if she could not find it in herself to look away at all. "Angel, you need to stop looking at me like that. Your eyes are telling me to do things with you that you are probably not ready for." His voice came out low and raspy as he looked at her with an intense fire sizzling in his beautiful cerulean eyes. Emily immediately looked away and cleared her throat to pull herself out of the weird and intense thoughts that had taken over her fuzzy brain. "W-why are you here?" She asked in order to change the topic. "Because I find that you are out on a date with another man. The next thing I knew, I was already here." Kaiden told her and waited for her response, only to see her trying to cover the smile that was threatening to spill on her lips. "Why are you smiling?" He asked with genuine curiosity and confusion clearly evident in his voice. Emily turned her attention to the man as she asked in a soft teasing tone, "Are you jealous?" "Of course, I am!" She was definitely not prepared for him to accept it without missing a single second. Another smile appeared on her lips as she slowly shook her head before turning her face to look at the children playing with balloons and huge water bubbles. "Are you not going to say anything?" Kaiden asked as he inched closer to her and snaked one of his hands around her shoulder. "Mr. Kaiden Sullivan, behave yourself. You just can''t go around grabbing girls in public." Emily immediately reprimanded as she slapped his hand away. Kaiden was about to speak when Shadow suddenly decided to return at the wrong moment. He immediately gave the man a complaining look while Emily was not noticing. [What? I already gave you around ten minutes. Also, I''m not a fan of this place. It''s making me uncomfortable whenever she''s not around me.] Shadow immediately responded through mind link before he took a seat on the other side of Emily and passed her two cups of cold drink. [Does this mean you are going to tag along for the rest of our time here?] Kaiden asked through the mind link as he accepted the drink that Emily offered him. [Unfortunately, yes!] That''s all Shadow said in response before he disconnected the link, leaving a very unhappy Kaiden pouting on the other side. Emily, who was completely oblivious to everything that was going on between the two men, suddenly stood up and said in a cheerful and excited tone, "I have a great idea!" Her eyes were expectantly looking at the two men as she thought about the wonderful idea that just popped up in her mind. "What is it, Princess?" Shadow asked as he put all his attention on the girl. "Let''s go out camping this weekend. All of us." She excitedly introduced her idea and waited for their response. "You mean all of us....as of your family, my family, and Shadow?" Kaiden asked while arching his eyebrows. "En!" Emily hurriedly nodded her head in reply. "That actually sounds good. I''m all in," Kaiden said after a few seconds as he stood up to join his girl who beamed happily at him. Shadow also stood up and walked closer to the two of them before speaking, "I''ll take care of the arrangements." "Yayyyy!" Emily cheered with excitement and pure joy visible on her face as she gave a quick hug to Shadow and then pulled Kaiden into a tight but also a quick hug. Neither of the men got the chance to figure out what was happening before the girl was already pulling away from them and moving towards the Ice cream booth as she called them to follow her. "Did she just..." A sigh left Kaiden''s lips as he shook his head slightly to pull his thoughts together. He turned to look at Shadow who appeared to be as normal and calm as his usual self. "Shall we?" He asked while offering his arm to the other man as if they were going to a ball. Shadow did not even spare him a single glance as he walked away, following after Emily who had almost disappeared in the crowd. *** Later that evening... "You are not officially together yet, are you?" Rylan asked as he followed his brother into the kitchen. "Why?" Kaiden asked instead of answering as he took out a jug of condensed milk from the fridge. "Bro, what are you trying to do? You guys went out on a date and it went so well then why did you not confess to her? Are you seriously waiting for some other man to snatch her away from you?" Rylan''s questions made Kaiden stop as he was about to start the mixer. He finally looked at his brother as he replied, "I did not confess because I want to take things slow. I want to know if she''s ready for a relationship right now or not. And as for Shadow, then both of us don''t need to worry at all. If he wanted, he had entire four years to snatch her away but he didn''t. Even though there are ninety-nine percent chances that he likes her more than just a friend, he would never come between both of us. So stop suspecting him." Chapter 171 - Really? "Ry, are you alright?" Emily asked as she looked at her best friend with worry clearly visible on her face. He was still glaring at the door through which Leo had just walked out after a heated argument that went completely over her head. One moment her youngest brother was happily talking to her and as soon as Rylan appeared in the room and the two of them looked at each other, it was like sparks were flying all over the room. It''s been over five years and she still had no idea why these two despised each other as much as that they could hardly handle each other''s presence in the same room. Neither Leo nor Rylan ever answered her questions whenever she tried to find out the story behind their cold attitudes towards each other. And when she asked the others, they all appeared to be as clueless as her. "Yeah.....I just want to be alone for a while." Rylan replied with a sigh as he tried to control his emotions that were all over the place. Emily was silent for the next few moments as she observed him but then eventually nodded her head while saying, "Alright. I''m going to see the rest of the preparations. Find me when you are ready." Rylan gave her a grateful smile and watched her walking out of the Sports Lab of the Supernatural Academy. For the past few days, he had been continuously searching for the person who was destined to complete him. That one person who would finally be able to tame his wolf and fill his incomplete soul bond with completeness. But he never would have guessed for that person to be none other than Leo. He still could not believe that his mate had always been so close to him and he never recognized him. They had known each other for over one and a half decades, being completely oblivious to the fact that they were bound together by their destinies. *** "Why it looks like that you are not paying any attention to the decorations at all? I called you, Shane, and Rylan here today to help me with the decorations for the upcoming party. Little did I know that you guys would stand me up like this." Olivia complained as she pouted with a sad expression on her cute chubby face. Her black curls were pulled up in a high bun and her make-up was top-notch as usual. Her tanned skin glowed in the lights of the chandeliers, making her appear like the angel that she was. Olivia Rodrigo was one of the closest friends that Emily found in the Nightfall Academy. The girl succeeded in attracting Emily''s attention from their very first meeting. She was the polar opposite of Emily. She was not from a wealthy family. She was kind, humble, full of fun, and excitement, but also sharp and powerful. No one dared to bully her at the Academy and most importantly, she was Emily''s roommate. Their four years together in the Academy, really brought them closer to each other. "I don''t know what''s wrong with those two nowadays. They have been acting weird recently. I''m just waiting for them to get tired of storing everything inside their hearts and finally reveal everything to me. I''m sure it''s going to happen soon enough. That''s how these two idiots are." Emily replied to her friend''s accusations as she looked around the hallway to observe the decorations. "Let''s not talk about those two. Please help me supervise the decorations. This is my first time working for such a big and powerful person. I don''t wanna screw up. I have heard that Mr. Sullivan is a cold-hearted monster who doesn''t spare anyone when it comes to his business. I seriously don''t want to be at the receiving end of his wrath." Olivia said in a whispered tone as she clung to one of Emily''s arms. Emily chuckled at her friend''s words as she recalled those moments when she also considered Kaiden as a cold-blooded monster who knew nothing about being soft and kind. Not like he was ever cold towards her but that did not mean she was not aware of the rumors that were spread all over the place about how ruthless he was. And in some manners, those rumors were the actual truths. "You are absolutely right. Let me warn you. Those rumors are actually true. The First Young Master of Sullivan Empire is really not a kind and forgiving person. You better do your best today." Emily teased her friend who appeared to become even more scared than she already was. Emily once again burst out into giggles as she watched the horrified expression on Olivia''s face. She was about to tell the girl to calm down when she heard him. "Really? Am I really that cold-hearted, sweetheart?" Emily felt her breathing stopping as her heart rate immediately picked up. Her hands folded into fists as she clutched her summer dress tightly between her fingers. She felt his presence just behind her. He was so close but at the same time not close enough. As usual, no words came out of her mouth as she tried to explain herself. Her eyes hurriedly moved towards her friend for help but Olivia was already walking out of the door with the rest of her team for the lunch break. Kaiden did not move, nor spoke as he wanted for her to speak or move first. He just stood behind her silently with a slight twitch on his lips. Emily had no idea how long it took her to finally pull herself together as she turned around to face the man who was looking ethereal as usual in black office attire. "I was just teasing her." She finally answered as she looked directly into his deep blue eyes. "So you don''t think that I''m a cold-blooded monster?" Kaiden asked as he raised his eyebrows while trying to stop the smile that was threatening to spill on his lips. Emily immediately shook her head as she replied, "Of course, not! My boyfriend is not cold-blooded at all. And he''s too handsome to be a monster." Chapter 172 - Need Permission Kaiden stared at the girl in front of him as he tried to wrap his mind around the fact that she just called him her boyfriend. To say that his wolf was freaking out due to over-excitement would be an understatement. It felt like he was flying over the clouds, surrounded by feelings of utter joy and satisfaction. "Boyfriend..." It did not sound like a question as he wanted but still, it was enough to freeze his mate for a mere second. Her reaction made him realize that she herself had no idea of what she had just spoken. Just when he was ready to see her pretend like she did not know what he was talking about, he found himself getting surprised once again when a big smile bloomed on her lips, making her look like an angel. He loved her smile. Whenever she smiled, it was like all the darkness and bad things disappeared, leaving only light and happiness around. While he was busy praising and gawking at his girl with lovesick eyes, Emily''s mind was filled with a new type of thrill that she had never experienced before in her life. She quickly looked around the hall to make sure that no one was present there except for her and Kaiden before she closed the gap between the two of them and wrapped her hands around his nape as she spoke, "En! Boyfriend. Or....are we still considered friends?" She had no idea what suddenly took over her and why was she suddenly being so bold but one thing she knew for sure - she''s ready to be his girlfriend. She was aware that she was attracted towards him, not only because of their bond but also because she liked him as a man. After so many years, she still had to find a single thing about him that she did not like. He was smart, handsome, successful, caring, and kind towards her. He respected her and never failed to make her feel special. So far, he was perfect for her. Emily knew that she was finally ready to take a step forward in her life and their relationship. She was ready to welcome him into her life and learn more about him and his life. "No! We are no longer just friends." Kaiden immediately replied as he finally let his hands wrap around her small waist, pulling her soft body closer to his own. "I wanted to wait and give you enough time to settle down here and get everything sorted between you and your brothers. But if you are ready then I''m more than eager to become your boyfriend. Let''s announce our status as a couple." His eyes were filled with excitement and hope for their bright future together as he looked into her eyes, waiting for her reply. Emily was silent for a few seconds as she observed the man. She tightened her arms around him as she replied, "I don''t have a problem with that but we still can''t be a couple." Kaiden felt like someone chopped his wings off while he was flying over the clouds, making him land on the hard ground. "But why?" He asked as he tried to observe her eyes. He wanted to know if she was teasing him or something? "Mr. Kaiden Sullivan, let me tell you something very important and confidential. Even though I''m over twenty-two and mature enough to make my own decisions about my life, I''m pretty sure that you will need my brothers'' permission to become my boyfriend. So before you get a ''Yes'' from all six of them...., I can''t accept your proposal." Emily explained calmly as she watched a soft smile breaking on his lips as he heard her words. Kaiden pulled the girl tightly against his chest as he let his forehead fall on her shoulder, installing her familiar intoxicating scent as he softly nuzzled the crook of her shoulder before speaking, "You almost scared me, angel." Emily let her hands snake around his waist as she asked, "Does that mean the thought of facing my brothers to ask for their permission to date me isn''t scary to you at all?" She genuinely sounded curious as she asked the question, making Kaiden chuckle against her sensitive skin which immediately made her shiver slightly. He pulled his face away from her neck to look into her eyes as he answered, "It''s indeed scary to face not one but six overprotective brothers of yours. But I''m ready to do anything for you and us. Besides, I''m confident that they will allow me to be your boyfriend." He looked confident as he spoke the last sentence, making Emily giggle softly as she let her head rest against his left shoulder. "Then I''ll wait for that happy moment when I can officially become the girlfriend of the one and only Mr. Kaiden Sullivan. Maybe it''s kinda stupid but I''m so eager to start this new journey with you," Emily told him as she played with the button of his white shirt. "Angel..." Kaiden''s voice came out low and raspy as he pulled her face up and planted a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth before planting another kiss on her forehead. Emily''s eyes were closed as she basked in the pure sensations of happiness that were filling her heart and soul as her mate showered her in soft feathery kisses. "I love it when you speak up your mind and let me take a clear look at your thoughts. It''s a pleasure to know that you are just as eager to be with me as I am to be with you. I hope we will always stay this open to each other." Kaiden looked into her twinkling emerald eyes and smiled when she nodded her head in acknowledgment of his thoughts. He planted another kiss on her forehead and cheeks before he finally pulled away. Only he knew how hard it was for him to not give in to his yearning and capture her beautiful rosy lips in a hot deep kiss. But he had plans! Their first kiss was memorable and he wanted to make their second one just as memorable for her as the first one. The night that was approaching in a few more hours, was filled with so many surprises and news. But were all of them good? Or something bad was hidden in their midst? Only time would tell! Chapter 173 - Eighteenth Birthday Flashback~ Four years ago... - The clock showed that there were still nearly twenty minutes left before midnight. A sigh escaped her lips as Emily emptied the glass of cold water that was sitting on her bedside table. It had been almost over three weeks since she left City A and came to study at the Nightfall Academy with Shane, Rylan, and Shadow. Her current dorm was a four-room apartment with two bathrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. While she and Shadow were living in the two rooms on the East side, Olivia and her familiar were staying in the rooms opposite to theirs. Her university life had just started a few days ago and she was grateful about that because now she finally had other things to focus on rather than dwelling on her sad life. Even though it was barely the beginning of the term, she could already tell that nothing was normal about Nightfall Academy. Nearly sixty-five percent of the people in the Academy were supernatural while the rest were humans. The timetable was packed from dawn to dusk and only weekends were left for the students to rest. "Why are you still awake?" Her train of thoughts was stirred when Shadow appeared in her room with a small gift box in his hands. A small smile appeared on Emily''s lips as she watched him coming closer before he settled down beside her on the bed. "Were you going to leave it here while I would be sleeping?" She asked as she signaled towards the gift box that he was holding. Shadow brought the box in front of her before his eyes landed on the clock that showed that there were still fifteen minutes left before her eighteenth birthday. "Well, my initial plan was to do exactly that. But since you are still awake, it''s no longer sounds like a good plan to me. By the way, why are you not sleeping yet? You have classes tomorrow." He asked while reminding her that her schedule was packed for her birthday. "I couldn''t sleep no matter how hard I tried. So I just gave up and decided to wait for midnight," she replied as she lightly rubbed her right shoulder unconsciously. Shadow immediately noticed her movement and the next thing she knew, he was holding both of her hands while keenly observing something that she failed to see. "What''s wrong?" She asked as she too looked at her hands but the sight that greeted her eyes made her breathing stop for the next few seconds as she was shocked to her core. "W-what''s..... happening?" Her voice was filled with confusion, uncertainty, and a little bit of fear as she tried to pull her hands away from his hold. However, Shadow refused to let go of her and tightened his hold on her hands. He moved his eyes up to look at her face and found her staring back at him with fear in her emerald eyes. "What''s happening to me, Shadow?" She asked him as she once again looked at her hands which were covered in sparkly blue-colored veins like things. "Princess, it''s alright. I''m here with you. Just try to relax and let me help you. Okay?" He asked as he looked at her, waiting for her reply and he felt himself relax a little bit when she eventually nodded her head, accepting his comfort and help. "You are not in pain, right?" He asked as he settled on her bed with crossed legs and signaled her to follow him. Emily immediately shook her head in denial as she could not feel any kind of pain. Actually, except for those weird blue veins that were covering her hands, there was nothing abnormal about her body. Or maybe there was but she had not noticed it yet. "Good. Your powers were supposed to break through on your twenty-first birthday. I don''t know what exactly triggered it to appear early than it was supposed to," said Shadow as he moved his palms above her hands and channeled his inner energy into her body, trying to find out exactly what''s happening with her. "P-power?" Emily could hardly believe what she was hearing. What kind of power he was talking about? She was a normal human, wasn''t she? Both her parents were mortals, her brothers were also humans then how could she have any kind of power? Her head was filling up dozens of questions but there were no answers. She could feel herself panicking even though she wanted to stay calm and give Shadow a chance to tell her about whatever was happening with her because it seemed like he knew something about her that she did not know. "Princess, I know that you are confused and even afraid right now. But listen to me, everything is going to be fine. We did not tell you anything before because none of us wanted to increase your problems when you have your struggles and a dark past to sort out. We all thought that we still have time. But it seems like the recent incidents have triggered your sleeping powers to break through the seal that''s binding them. I''m sorry. I failed you....but I won''t let anything happen to you. I promise." Shadow''s words only made Emily''s confusion deepen. She could hardly wrap her mind around whatever he was speaking. "Shadow.....w-what are you talking about? What powers? I''m just a mere human? How can I have any sort of power? You are not making any sense." The worry, confusion, tension, and unspoken questions were filling her eyes as she looked at the man whom she trusted the most at the moment. Shadow let one of his hands move to cup her face as he showed her the blue veins that had started to move like waves all over her hands. "You are wrong, Princess. Indeed, you are the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alessandro. Your entire family is mortal, including your parents and brothers...but you...........you were never a mortal. You are not a mere human, Princess..." *** [A/N: What do you guys think? What is Emily? Is she also a supernatural? And if yes, then what kind of supernatural do you all want her to be?] Chapter 174 - Burning And Freezing [Flashback continued...] - "Are you feeling better now?" asked Shane as he joined Emily on the bed and placed a cup of hot chocolate in her freezing hands. The girl immediately shook her head in denial before indulging herself in the hot chocolate that she was holding in her hands. She needed something to distract herself and it would be an understatement to say that she was tired beyond words. The current state of her body was like that of a dead body. It was refusing to function at all just like her mind which was completely burnt out at the moment. It was half-past five in the morning and her body still refused to give her a break. Five minutes before her birthday, she was listening to Shadow talk about her not being a human unlike the rest of her family members. And then two minutes past midnight, she was whimpering as an agonizing pain took over her body. The pain did not leave as quickly as it came. Rather, it stayed with her for hours, nearly four hours or so. Even she had no idea how she survived those four hours. Every single second of those four hours was filled with pain, discomfort, and dizziness that refused to let her close her eyes and just succumb to the darkness. Her body was like on fire, or maybe she just took a detour through the fiery pits of hell itself. Sometimes it felt like her cells were falling apart and being jammed back together the very next second. It was like something suddenly broke out in her body and started tearing apart everything inside her and then fixed it after satisfying its curiosity. Never in her life, Emily felt so much pain. Even though Shadow tried his best to provide some comfort to her but he could not do much in her situation. According to his words, "It was her newly awakened powers that were binding themselves with every single fiber of her body." If receiving supernatural powers meant she would have to go through so much pain and suffering then she wanted to stay a mortal for the rest of her life. Emily''s train of thoughts was disturbed when her ear registered the opening of her bedroom door and she watched as Rylan and Shadow s stepped inside. Rylan walked towards the other side of her bed and took a seat next to where she was bundled up in blankets in the center of the bed. He placed his palm against her forehead to check her temperature and immediately regretted it as a yelp escaped his lips. "Why she''s freezing like ice? She''s too cold to be possible!" The panic in his tone was clear. He rubbed his hands together to warm them up before he took my hands in his and started rubbing them. He and Shane had bombarded into my dorm room just a few minutes after my body was hit with the sudden and dreadful pain. It was because he probably sensed my discomfort through our bond. Along with Shadow, Rylan and Shane had too spent hours watching the girl writhing in pain as she suffered through the unknown. When those four hours finally passed and her cries ceased, they were finally able to relax a little, seeing that her body that was too hot to even touch her for a second, was finally cooling down. But then they were once again facing another weird situation when her temperature kept decreasing. Just like a few hours ago, she was burning, now her body was freezing. And once the three of them could do nothing but just watch her suffer. "We have applied for the leave for you today. Now stop thinking about how you are supposed to attend your classes in the next few hours and focus on getting better as soon as possible. You need to fight through it, Em. Or it will make you suffer just as much as it wants," Rylan told her as he kept rubbing her hands. He wasn''t sure if her hands were getting any warmer or not but his hands had definitely started to freeze a little. "Am I.....g-going....to....to die.....?" Emily asked through her chattering teeth. Her voice was barely audible but the good thing was that all three men had supernatural hearing senses. They still managed to clearly hear her words even when they were spoken almost in a whisper. "No dummy, you are not going to die. Rather, you should consider this as your new birth. Because in many senses, it''s indeed a new birth for you. You need to take it positively to make it positive. If you filled your little brain with stupid negative thoughts, then trust me, you will never found the new you as accepting as it should be." For the very first time in over a year, Emily had found Rylan talking about something so serious and deep. She was so used to his constant nonsense talks that she could hardly believe that these words were coming out of his mouth. "Alright, boys. It''s about to approach six o''clock in the morning. You two should leave and continue with your day. I''ll be here to take care of her and I''ll keep updating you about her condition. By the time you will return in the evening, she will be back to normal. Now, hurry up!" Shadow suddenly sounded like a big brother as he ordered Rylan and Shane to not skip their classes. "Inform us if anything goes wrong," reminded Shane as he stood up from the bed but not before giving his shivering friend a tight hug. "I promise. And you really don''t have to worry. In a few hours, she will start getting normal. There''s a little chance for a fever but otherwise, I think she will be alright by noon." Shadow told them as he moved towards the door of the bedroom. "We will visit you during the lunch break. Fighting! Don''t let the pain win." Rylan whispered to her before he gave a nod to Shadow and then after a final look in her direction, he and Shane left. Though the thought of becoming normal by noon sounded great to Emily but to her utter dismay, there were still hours of suffering and pain were left for her to battle through. Chapter 175 - The Box Of Answers [Flashback continued...] - "It...f-feels like I''m....going....to freeze....t-to....d-death....." Emily said as she tightened her arms around her body to save herself from the cold that was making her feel like she was a piece of an iceberg rather than a human. Shadow stopped fixing the contents on her study table and finally turned to look at her. Ever since Rylan and Shane showed up, he had been keeping his distance from her. He still answered their questions, helped when they were trying to help her with the pain, but when he was not doing that, he was wandering around her room cleaning and organizing everything. "C-can...can''t you c-come....here.....a-and.....help me...? I''m....really....abo-about....to...freeze...to d-death..." She once again spoke in her whispering voice as she fought to even open her mouth properly. The darkness was once again looming in front of her eyes but still not close enough for her to finally close her eyes and give in to its alluring call. Emily felt movements beside her and before she could move her eyes to see exactly what was going on, she felt a pair of arms pulling her in a warm embrace as Shadow settled beside her on the bed. The instant warmth that his body brought made her snuggle closer to him. However, she soon realized that even his warmth was not enough to keep her from freezing. Shadow moved one of his hands to her forehead, feeling her temperature as if he was unable to comprehend her situation even after holding her in his arms. Or maybe he was not checking her temperature at all because a few seconds later, Emily felt a warm feeling emerging from inside her and started spreading all over her body. "W-what....is...it?" she asked as she rested her against his shoulder and closed her eyes when she found that even though that warm energy failed to defend her from freezing but it still kept emerging and spreading all over her body which really helped her mentally. "It''s your little treasures. They are spreading their warmth all over your body from inside. You are in this state not because of an outside factor but because it''s happening inside you. Unless something is fighting this cold inside your body, no matter how warm we try to make you from outside, it won''t work," Shadow explained as he pulled away from her and stood up. Emily watched as he slipped out of his shoes, socks, coat, and watch before he closed his eyes, and the next second, she was looking at a very familiar lion. The good thing was that it was smaller in size than the last time, almost two-foot or something. The lion/Shadow jumped on her bed and laid on it beside her, looking at her with its beautiful eyes. A weak smile appeared on Emily''s lips as she struggled to move but eventually succeeded in snuggling in the warmth of her friend. His lion was way warmer than him. His soft skin and silky hair made her relax even more. After hours of torture, she finally found her body relaxing. The warmth that her three little treasures were generating inside her was slowly making her body capable enough to withstand the cold. She was so relaxed and tired that it did not take her even a few minutes to close her eyes and get lost in the abyss. But the good thing was, she finally got to sleep this time. *** 6:15 pm - "Goodness! After this, you are forbidden from scaring us like this ever. I could hardly concentrate on anything that the teachers were teaching as I was too busy worrying about you." Shane complained as he pinched her cheeks softly, making sure to not hurt her. Emily just remained silent as she watched the cartoon on Rylan''s laptop. "What''s wrong with her?" asked Rylan as he looked at Shadow with inquiring eyes. "She slept through the entire day and just woke up around forty minutes ago. Since her body was completely back to normal, I told her to take a bath. Before entering the bathroom she was silent since she was still sleepy but after coming out of it, she''s being like this," Shadow told them genuinely as he too had no idea why she suddenly having mood swings. "Guys...." Emily called her friends in a tired but firm voice and when she had their attention, she continued, "I''m hungry. I wanna eat something spicy." "Yes, Mam! Give me some time, I''ll go and get us dinner and I''ll bring something spicy for you especially," Rylan told her as he picked up his phone and headed towards the door. "Let me come with you," Shane shouted as he fumbled with the blankets. "Finish this cartoon and then we will eat dinner. We will be quick," he told Emily before scurrying after his friend. "Are you alright?" Shadow asked as soon as both the boys were out of the dorm. "En! Just feeling emotionally unbalanced a little bit. I just wanna be lazy for today," Emily replied with a smile on her face as she looked at the man who had taken out a wooden box from somewhere. "What is it?" She asked as she looked curiously at the box before moving her eyes to his face as she waited for his reply. Shadow moved to sit at the edge of the bed as he contemplated his words. "I know that you have a lot of questions about everything that just happened and it''s time that you will get answers. This box...it holds those answers. The truth of your real identity." He was silent for a few minutes before he spoke again, "But.....let me warn you. What you will find inside it is even more shocking than what you experienced today. I''ll advise you to only open it when you are mentally prepared. I want you to decide this time.....and I hope that you will choose wisely." Chapter 176 - We All Missed You Present... - "Look at that girl in the bright red gown. She''s just like the one in the green tulle dress. Maybe these two are even besties and have come here to....oomph!" Olivia did not get the chance to finish her analysis on the young women who had appeared at the banquet as if they were invited to a prom party. She turned her eyes to glare at her friend as she chewed on the marshmallow that Emilia had shoved into her mouth to make her shut up. "Stop pointing at them. You are being rude," Emily told her friend with a shake of her head as she took a sip of her juice. Unlike most of the ladies present at the banquet, she was not wearing a gown. Rather, she was wearing a white knee-length dress with deep blue colored prints on it. Her hair was falling on her back in waves. The only accessories that she was wearing were a white hair clip, rings, bracelets, and long dangling earrings. Once again she was wearing barely any makeup but her natural beauty and elegance still made her stood out in the hall filled with people of power and class. "I''m just being truthful. They can''t hide their true colors from my detective gaze." Olivia responded after finishing chewing her marshmallow. Emily just shook her head as she smiled at her friend. Because of Olivia, she and Shadow had arrived a little earlier than her brothers, Sullivans, and the Evans family. Even not a single member from the Supernatural Council had arrived so far. The people who were present at the banquet currently were mostly the senior students of the Academy or the staff members. "Let''s take a seat. My feet are starting to ache," she advised, and then both the young women settled down on the sofas that were placed in the VVIP section next to the podium. They did not wait for too long when the huge door of the hall opened and three familiar figures stepped inside. Suddenly everyone''s attention was fixed on the entrance as the important guests of the night finally started showing up. "Isn''t that Mr. Evans?" Olivia asked as she too stared at the entrance along with the rest of the people present there. "Mmhmm," Emily replied positively with a little nod of her head as she played with the emerald ring on the index finger of her right hand. "Oh! Then the man beside him should be Mr. Hart. But who''s this beautiful woman? She looks so elegant, not fake like most of the women present here. She''s probably like you - rich but humble, beautiful and ki...Wait! Why are they coming over here?" Olivia hurriedly looked around and then realized that the three of them were probably heading towards the VVIP seats next to them. After all, there were only three VVIPs in the entire city and Evans were one of them. "Oh right! How can I forget this? Evans are best friends of your family. I''m seriously not used to your identity as the Alessandro Princess," the girl muttered as she gave her friend a pouty look. "The only thing that you need to remember is that we are friends. The rest doesn''t matter," Emily told her before she stood up and faced the grinning Bianca who had finally approached her along with Sam and Jackson following behind her. The woman did not speak at all and just spread her arms wide as she looked at Emily with emotions swirling in her eyes. Emily did not waste much time as she jumped into Bianca''s arms and engulfed the woman in a tight hug. "My baby is back," Bianca whispered in a joyful tone as she pulled the girl in a tight hug. "Come, let me look at you," she said and stepped back to look at Emily from head to toe, observing her just like a mother who was seeing her daughter after a very long time. "Oh my! Look at how beautiful you are. My little girl has grown up into such a beautiful young lady. I''m so proud." Bianca could hardly control her emotions as she again pulled Emily in another tight hug. "I missed you so much, Em!" It was getting so hard for Emily to keep her tears from spilling. She wanted to just let go of her emotions and cry her heart out in Bianca''s arms. The warmth and attention that she received from this woman, always reminded her of the good memories that she shared with her mother before everything went downhill. "Darling, you are making her emotional. Let''s not be the reason for her crying her eyes out here in public. Her brothers won''t be too happy after seeing their sister crying." Jackson decided to come to her aid as he pulled away Bianca from her. "Well, kiddo. Your teacher also missed you a lot," He said as he pulled Emily in a soft hug and patted her head lightly before stepping back. Emily smiled as she gave Jackson a grateful look before turning her attention towards Sam who also moved closer to give her a quick warm hug like Jackson and Bianca. "We all missed you, Em, and we are happy to see you here. Don''t disappear like that again," said Sam as he moved to stand next to his mate. Emily hurriedly nodded her head without missing a beat. She had no plans of repeating her mistake ever again. "En! Sullivans and your brothers are here," Jackson announced as he nodded towards the entrance where Kaiden and Domenic were standing as they talked about something in whispers. Her eyes took in the handsome men who were suddenly capturing the attention of every single person present in the room. Her brothers looked as powerful and handsome as usual. On the other hand, she could barely find any words to describe how ethereal Kaiden was looking. Whenever she looked at him, it felt like her eyes were only made to worship his beauty, and she was more than happy to do that. It was like he felt her eyes on him because the next second he moved his eyes towards her, making her gasp at the sudden electric tingles that erupted in her body as their gazes locked on each other. Chapter 177 - Wheres My Hug "I swear that man loves you like there''s no tomorrow. Just look at those eyes which are filled with unending affection and warmth for you. I won''t lie, Em, I''m jealous. Why I can''t seem to find someone who will love me even half of how much Mr. Sullivan loves you?" Emily''s attention was pulled away from her mate when Olivia whispered next to her ear while nodding towards Kaiden as she spoke. "Oli....." Emily''s voice sounded a little bit desperate as she looked at her friend with pleading eyes. Olivia was confused at first as she could not understand what was wrong with her friend but when she noticed that there was a big smile blooming on Mr. Sullivan''s lips as he returned his attention towards Mr. Alessandro, she finally understood. Of course, the man heard every single word that she just spoke. "You don''t want me to boost your man''s ego, am I right, my love?" She asked her friend as she looked at her with a teasing smile. Not knowing how to deal with Olivia''s teasing, Emily once again picked up a marshmallow and stuffed it in her friend''s mouth who gifted her with another glare. "If you dared to tease me once again then I''ll make sure to tell your future boyfriend or potential husband about all your popular rumors at the Nightfall," She threatened her friend who gave her a sad pout but thankfully stopped teasing her. Emily and Olivia once again settled down in their seats along with Bianca and Jackson while Sam left to talk with Kaiden, Domenic, and a few of the Council members who were standing at the other side of the hall. "Em..." "Huh?" Emily looked at Bianca to see why the woman was calling her in such a hushed tone. But when she turned towards her, she found the woman pointing towards something with her eyes. She turned to look at whatever Bianca was pointing out and found Leo staring directly at her. Her brother gave her a quick look before he disappeared into the crowd and a few seconds later, she noticed him walking out of the back door of the ballroom. Emily turned to look at Bianca as she asked, "Should I follow him?" "Of course, child. That''s exactly what he wants," Bianca told her with a soft smile and a slight shake of her head which made her blonde hair bounce. Emily did not waste another second as she hurriedly rose from her seat and made her way towards the direction of the back door. - "Wh.....oof...!" Emily stared at the stairs leading towards the upper floors in pure shock. Her mouth was left open as she still was trying to process the fact that the moment she stepped out in the back hallway, her youngest brother had pulled her in a tight warm hug. As seconds passed, a weak smile finally started making its way to her lips. She moved her hands to wrap them around her brother as she spoke, "I thought you were angry at me." Leo was silent for a while as he kept hugging his little sister. Though she was no longer a kid, she was still his baby sister and he had missed her a lot in the past four years. "I was," he finally replied and pulled away from the hug slightly to look at her face. She looked just like the little angel that he saw for the very first time twenty-two years ago, just a little bit taller and more beautiful. "I was also angry and hurt just like the others. But in the past few days, I realized that we are just wasting these precious moments. I have already spent so many years yearning for my baby sister and now when you are finally back, should not I be an idiot to waste this time if I kept holding a grudge? I don''t want that Emmy. I want to spend family time with you and others. I want us to be as happy and complete as we were before you....you left." Leo stopped speaking and smiled softly when he saw his sister crying as she stared back at him with an apology written all over her face. He was well aware that she had accepted her mistakes and he also knew that she was sincerely apologetic about her actions. He cupped her face in her hands and brushed away her tears as he spoke, "I knew that you are going to cry, that''s why I decided to talk to you here instead of back there in front of everyone. I''m a thoughtful brother, right?" Emily hurriedly nodded her head as she again broke out into tears. Looked like recently she had been crying a lot but thankfully, it was not because of something bad. Rather, it was because good things kept happening without any indication. She would have never thought that Leo would forgive her so easily but here they were. "I''m so sorry, Leo....I''m really sorry," she apologized as she looked at her brother with her tear-filled eyes. "It''s alright. I forgive you, Emmy, and it''s because this was the first time you hurt us, and that too unintentionally. I love you too much to keep ignoring you," Leo said as he pulled her in another hug and rubbed her head tenderly. As Emily tightened her arms around Leo, her teary eyes landed on another familiar figure standing next to the back door leading into the ballroom. "Daniel..." Leo pulled away when he heard her calling their Second brother''s name. He also turned to look at where Emily was staring. Daniel watched his two younger siblings with warmth filling his emerald eyes. He could never have guessed that out of all his brothers, Leo would be the most sensible one. But it was good to see that his youngest brother was becoming mature with time and he knew the importance of family. His eyes then moved towards the young lady who looked as beautiful as he had seen in pictures and videos. This was the first time he was seeing her for real after the past four years. "Where''s my hug, Sorellina?" Chapter 178 - The Hidden Weapon "Now you are looking perfect," Leo commented as he helped her to adjust her hair. The girl had cried her eyes out in the last few minutes, making them puffy and swollen. The good thing was that Shadow appeared at the right moment and helped her adjust her appearance before the man disappeared once again. "So when are you planning to return to the mansion?" Daniel asked as he offered his arm to his sister who immediately accepted it. Leo was also quick to grasp her other arm and finally, the three of them decided to return to the party. "At the moment, I''m planning for a camping trip with you guys with the hope that things will sort out between me and the others. Since you two have already forgiven me, it''s a great starting. Let''s hope everything goes according to my plans and then I''ll return to home," answered Emily as she gave both of her brothers a soft confident smile. "Don''t worry, Sorellina. They all love you too much to stay angry at you for a long time." Daniel said with an assuring look in his eyes before he turned his gaze towards the section where Mark, Simon, and Crist were standing. The trio immediately looked away as they found him looking at them, pretending like their entire focus was not trained on Emily just a few seconds before. "I''m really looking forward to this camping trip. Let''s have a lot of fun," Leo said in a cheerful tone. Emily nodded her head in approval before she too found her attention drifting towards the rest of her brothers. Once again they were lost in their own world as they talked with the other guests that had appeared at the party. A sigh escaped her lips as she tore her gaze away from them and tried to pinpoint the location of her friends. "You don''t have to worry too much. After all, you are not alone now. I''ll help you with all my heart. Let me give you advice. Starting with Crist, that man is just pretending. Ignore him for a while and he will be the one running after you to sort out everything," Leo whispered next to her ear as he dragged her towards their seats in the VVIP section. Emily gave a quick look towards Crist and after thinking for a few silent seconds, she nodded her head in understanding. She too had a feeling that Crist was not as much angry at her as he had been showing around the past several days. "Good. Then let''s move on to Simon. He''s a tough guy and he''s not pretending at all. But you know what, recall those days when he was hellbent on ignoring you all the time when you first came to live with us. Little by little, you made him open up and accept you. All you need to do is just stick to him like a Koala." Leo''s words made Emily recall the memory where Simon had also told her to stick to him like a koala. That was the first time he showed any concern towards her. A smile bloomed on her lips as she once again nodded her head. She waited for Leo to continue but when her brother did not speak even after they all settled down in their seats, she turned to look at him with questioning eyes. Leo looked at his sister''s impatient eyes as she waited for him to speak. He knew that she was waiting for Mark''s turn. "He''s really hurt, Em," Leo went silent as he let just words sank into Emily''s mind before he continued, "He''s back to his cold and indifferent self. He never listens to Dom and mostly ends up creating scenes. We barely got to see him at home. He..." Daniel patted his brother''s shoulder as he kept his eyes fixed on Emily. He could tell that she was already aware of what Leo had just revealed. While most of them were ready to forgive her, Mark was not the same. Not because he did not love her anymore, rather, it was because of the love that he had for her which was making him afraid of forgiving her. He was afraid of getting hurt a third time. He was afraid of losing her for the third time. "Sorellina..." Emily looked up towards Daniel who was now sitting beside her as he took both of her hands in his own before he started speaking. "Don''t worry too much about it. You need to take baby steps. Once you have five of us in your team, it won''t be too hard to pull him out of his Ice Cave. You just need to try your best and even if it all seemed to not work in the end...remember that you have a secret weapon that can sort out everything." A frown appeared on Emily''s face as she tried to recall the secret weapon that Daniel was pointing at. However, she could not seem to understand exactly what he was trying to tell her. Before she could voice out her confusion, Daniel inched his face closer to her ear and whispered something that made a weak smile appeared on her lips. "Are you sure it will work?" She asked him with uncertainty filling her voice. "Trust me. It''s the best weapon that you possess against all of us. All you need to do is use it and we all will do anything to make you happy. But remember to only use it as a last resort," Daniel instructed her as he turned to look at his brothers who were finally heading towards the sitting area. "What kind of weapon are you guys talking about?" Leo asked excitedly as he looked at the two of them. "You don''t have to know about it because it won''t be of any use to you. Even though you too possess this secret weapon but yours is just useless. It would never help you in any condition." It was Shadow who replied to Leo. The man had appeared out of the blue and was standing right in front of them though his eyes were fixed on Domenic. "You...." Leo wanted to say something unpleasant to Shadow but recalling that it would just be a waste of his energy, he turned his attention towards his sister before he complained, "Emmy, your friend is a bully. I don''t like him at all." Chapter 179 - A Bright And Better Future "Attention Please..." Emily stopped playing ''Rock, Paper, Scissor'' with Leo and turned towards the council member who was standing on the platform with a mike in his hands. Nearly in a few seconds, the hall became silent as everyone waited for the man to continue. "First of all, a warm good evening to all the brilliant people who have joined us this evening to celebrate the 27th anniversary of the Supernatural Academy. We all need to thank Mr. Sullivan and his team who arranged this celebration party." The man spoke in a warm tone and gave a nod towards Kaiden''s direction. The hall erupted with the sound of clappings before once again becoming quiet so that the council member could continue. "This is no longer a mystery that the three leading families of our city are now working together for a better and safe future. And keeping this in mind, the three families and the council has decided to take a big decision. Today, we are going to announce this new change to all our citizens using this opportunity. I would like to call Mr. Domenic Alessandro, Mr. Kaiden Sullivan, Mr. Samuel Evans, and the rest of the Council members, to come forward and sign the new treaty." The council member announced and waited for the council members to appear on the stage. Emily caught Domenic looking at her as he passed by her side, giving her a small nod of his head before he walked away with Sam. "Do you know what is this new treaty?" She asked Leo who shook his head in denial as he kept his eyes trained on the stage. "Today, on this special occasion, the Council has decided to sign a new treaty. According to this new agreement, the three Supreme families - Sullivans, Alessandros, and Evans, have agreed to no longer segregate the City in two different provisions." The man''s words were followed by dead silence as everyone tried to wrap their brains around what they were hearing. Soon enough, whispers started making their way throughout the hall as no one seemed to believe what they were hearing. "The two provisions will keep working as they used to. The three families will keep working as they used to. The only thing that will change from tonight is that the citizens of both the provinces are no longer confined to only their side of the city. After tonight, City A will work as one." At the time, the hall was filled with the thunderous sound of clapping as everyone cheered with joy. No one was prepared for such a surprise but this new change was accepted by everyone with equal happiness. Emily found a smile making its way to her lips as she too felt happy for the citizens. She watched as one by one, Nick, Kaiden, and Sam signed on the agreement followed by an official stamp from the council. "They sure took their time," Shadow commented as he shook his head before closing his eyes and relaxing in his seat. The man appeared to be bored to death even though there was such a happy event going on. But again, he had nothing to do with whatever went on in City A. "We should be happy that even though it took a lot of time but they finally decided to work together despite their differences. It''s a new beginning...for a bright and better future." Emily responded as she looked at Nick, Kaiden, and Sam with proud eyes. "Maybe...." That''s all he, Shadow, said before he became silent. The council members were giving speeches but Emily''s attention was fixed on Shadow who, for some reason, wasn''t looking like his usual self. "Shadow, are you alright?" She asked as she put her palm against his forehead to check his temperature only to find that he had no fever. "I''m alright, Princess. Just not really excited about joining this party," Shadow replied as he pulled her hand away from his forehead but kept holding it for a while in his lap. Emily chewed on her lower lip as she could not pinpoint exactly what was wrong with him. In the five years that they had spent together, she had never seen him in a bad health. He never fell ill or got injured. That''s why she was suddenly feeling overwhelmed after seeing his current state. "Is something wrong?" Daniel asked when he finally noticed his sister''s worried expression. "It''s Shadow. I think he''s not feeling good. Just look at him, something''s not right." Daniel could hear the worry in her tone and as he moved to check up on Shadow, who appeared to be sleeping, he barely noticed anything unusual. Still, he did not question Emily''s judgment. After all, she''s the only one who knew Shadow the best among all of them and they all knew how close the man was to their sister. If she really thought something was wrong then there''s probably something wrong with the man. "Don''t worry too much. We will ask Sam to take a look once he''s back after his speech," Daniel told her and found her relaxing as she nodded her head. The speeches finally came to an end, following by another huge round of applause. As Emily waited for Sam to finally approach their seats, she failed to notice that one person had stayed on the stage while the rest returned to their seats. She was about to speak to Sam when that person decided to speak too, pulling hers and everyone''s attention towards him. "Since today is such a happy occasion and we have received such good news, I would also like to try my luck. Can I have the privilege to call all the members of the Alessandro family here on stage?" "What''s going on?" Leo asked as he stared at the man who had just asked him and his siblings to appear on the stage. In reply to his question, he only received confused and questioning shrugs and nods from his siblings. They all turned their attention towards Domenic who slowly nodded his head and stood up to join Kaiden on the stage. Just what was the Young Master of the Sullivan Empire planning to do? Chapter 180 - Nervous, Nervous, And Nervous Barely in a minute, all seven Alessandro siblings were standing on the stage as they all stared at Kaiden while patiently waiting for the man to start speaking. Emily chewed on her lower lip as she stared at the handsome man in front of her. For some reason, her heart had suddenly started racing as she waited for him to speak. The man did not spare her even a single glance even when she knew that he could feel her gaze on him. His attention was fixed on Domenic and the rest of her brothers. What happened next left everyone shocked to their cores. They all watched with dumbfounded expressions on their faces as the great Kaiden Sullivan dropped on his knees in front of Domenic. "Oh no! Is he going to propose to Dom?" Leo hurriedly voiced out the stupid thought that popped up in his mind and as a gift, he only received glares from his siblings. Kaiden flicked his sleeve, silencing the whispers that were running throughout the hall. His beautiful cerulean eyes finally moved to look directly at Emily as he started speaking, "Five years ago, she came to City A for the very first time. At that time, I would have never guessed that my life was planning such a beautiful gift for me." Emily felt her breath getting caught in her throat as she heard his words. It was clear that he was talking about her. She did not know if she was supposed to feel excited or nervous but she sure was having a hard time breathing. "When I first time smelled her scent, I just knew that she''s someone special. I still remember the day when I saw her for the first time. She looked so small and gentle. When I held her in my arms for the very first time, it felt so right. It was like we were meant to be together. And then I received her mark..." As Kaiden spoke the last sentence, one of his hands moved to cover the left side of his chest. A small smile appeared on his lips as he realized that his mate had yet to see her mark on him. Emily started clenching and unclenching her fingers. While she was clearly feeling deeply touched by his confession, she could not help but feel nervous as she felt her brothers'' gazes fixed on her. Unlike the other guests at the party who were still trying to wrap their brains around what Young Master Sullivan was suddenly talking about, her brothers were clearly aware that Kaiden was talking about none other than their precious little sister. The man was really brave. Did he seriously think that they won''t dare to hurt him just because he had chosen a crowded place to reveal his sins? "She''s like an angel full of brightness and joy. Since the day she appeared in my life, I finally found a new reason to live. I like everything about her. She''s kind, humble, soft-hearted, but also brave and childish. She knows how to enjoy her life and she also knows how to love." Kaiden continued to confess his deep and sincere feelings and no one dared to make any noise as they all wanted to hear what he was going to say next. "She''s light to my darkness, joy to my sorrow, and the other half of my soul. She''s my mate, my second chance, and the person whom I love with all my heart." His voice was filled with so many emotions as his eyes kept fixed on his angel. Emily had almost forgotten that she needed to breathe and it was only when she heard a familiar voice whispering into her ear to relax and take a deep breath, did she finally inhaled the much-needed oxygen. "Today, I want to use this occasion to ask for permission from all the Young Masters of the Alessandro Empire......... Can I have the privilege to court your dear sister? I promise to keep her happy. I will always protect her and support her. I will never hurt her or let anyone else hurt her. I promise to always be there for her. If the Young Masters think that I''m qualified enough for their sister, I''m willing to prove my worth and my love for her. All I need is your permission and......my angel''s support." At this point, Emily could not even dare to breathe anymore. She was just too nervous to do that. The fact that her and Kaiden''s future as a couple was now in her brothers'' hands, did absolutely nothing to calm her down. She suddenly felt like every single pair of eyes in the hall was now trained on her, including her brothers. "Em, breathe. You are going to pass out at this rate." She once again heard a familiar voice whispering into her ear and as she finally turned to look at the man standing slightly behind her, her eyes landed on Simon. One of her brother''s hands was placed on her shoulder and he was slightly massaging her muscles to help her relax. If it had been some other situation, she would have been super happy to see Simon caring about her but her current situation did not allow her to enjoy anything. She suddenly felt a cold gaze landing on her which made her shiver. Her eyes immediately turned to look at Domenic who was also looking right back at her with unreadable eyes. "Emilia, come here." His voice too sounded void of any kind of emotions and it only made her panic more. Her legs refused to move as she suddenly had a strong urge to smack the stupid Young Master Sullivan for creating such a scene. She did not spare the man a single glance, she dared not! She just wanted to somehow survive the current situation. "Emily" Daniel softly called her name when he saw that she was rooted to her place and refused to move. Emily felt Simon and Leo giving her a soft push from behind which finally helped her moving a few steps closer to Domenic but then she again found it hard to move any further. And that was when Domenic finally lost his calm....! Chapter 181 - Approvals Emily bit on her lower lip as she watched Domenic coming towards her. She could feel his cold and overbearing aura radiating throughout the hall. As soon as he approached her, he grasped one of her hands in a loose grip before pulling her towards Kaiden who was still kneeling on the floor. "Nick..." She whispered his name in a barely audible tone but as her brother turned his attention to her, it was clear that he heard her. She took a deep breath to calm herself down a little bit before speaking, "It was me who told him to seek your and others'' permission. But I have no idea that he''s going to do it here in front of....." "Do you like him?" His sudden question made Emily shut up as she stared at her eldest brother with a dumbfounded expression on her face. "I''m asking you, Emilia, do you like Kaiden?" Domenic repeated his question as he kept his eyes trained on her face. He could see how nervous she was but since Kaiden had already created a scene in front of so many people, this was the best way to deal with the situation. Emily was silent as she could not help but turn her angry gaze towards the stupid Young Master Sullivan who was staring back at her with affection-filled eyes. At that moment, she wanted to punish him by making him kneel until he was no longer able to keep his eyes open. Seeing that her anger was doing nothing to change the smirk on the stupid man''s face, she decided to deal with him later. Taking another deep breath, she collected her emotions and looked at Nick as she replied, "I think he''s not that bad. Just need a little bit of supervision and I''m sure he will be perfect." She watched as a frown appeared on Kaiden''s handsome face while a small smile finally bloomed on Domenic''s lips. "Alright! Since my sister thinks that you deserve a chance, I will allow you that chance. But let me make one thing very clear. Though you are my first choice for her ideal life partner, unfortunately, you are not the only one. If due to your bad luck you failed in proving yourself a worthy candidate for her life partner, I won''t think twice before kicking you out of the list." Domenic''s voice boomed throughout the hall, making sure that every single person present there would be able to listen to his words. Daniel walked closer to stand next to Nick as he spoke, "As long as Sorellina is happy, I don''t have a problem with you. Also, in the past few years, I have come to know you on a deeper and personal level and I can tell that you are really a good person in and out. I''m sure you will keep her happy." The smile on his face and the warmth that was present in his eyes was a clear sign that he was actually happy at the moment. He had long guessed that Emily was Kaiden''s mate but he never got the proof to confirm it. According to Daniel, Kaiden was really a qualified man to become his sister''s mate or life partner, especially since she also liked him. "I''m definitely not a big fan of yours but I''ll give you a chance considering that you are Emmy''s mate. Just don''t let me catch you making her upset. You won''t like the consequences." Leo threatened the man who was not only a hundred times stronger than him but also as crafty as Domenic. However, the boy was ready to act like a big and strong man for the sake of his little sister. The next person standing in the line was Simon who just nodded his head in approval. Though he did not speak, the good thing was that he approved. "I think he''s not too bad," Crist said with a light shrug as he gave a quick look to his sister whom he wanted to pull in a tight warm hug but was unable to do so because of his stupid bet with Mark. After five out of six brothers showed their approval, all the eyes turned towards Mark who had been silently observing everything. As he realized that it was finally his turn to speak, he just let out a sigh and moved his gaze towards his brand new leather boots to admire their good quality. His actions made everyone puzzled as they could not decide if he was thinking about the matter or was rejecting Kaiden as his sister''s boyfriend. "No need to rack your brains to understand his actions. The fact that he has not clearly stated his disapproval and he''s still standing here, means that he also accepts Kaiden request. Now, you have approvals from all six of us." The last sentence was directed at Kaiden as Daniel gave the man a soft pat on the shoulder after helping him to stand up. The very next second, all the guests who had appeared at the celebration party, started congratulating and clapping as they all witnessed such a rare and happy episode. Who would have thought that the actual reason behind the happy collaboration of the Sullivans and the Alessandros and Evans, was none other than the young Princess of the Alessandro Empire? Emily felt her heart filling with warmth as she looked at her brothers who had so easily accepted Kaiden just because they wanted to see her happy. "Thank you. I promise that I won''t let you down. I won''t let her down." Kaiden announced as his eyes moved towards his angel who was securely wrapped in Leo''s arms as he whispered something in her ear which made her chuckle softly. The urge of pulling the girl in his arms and finally claiming her as his girlfriend was making his heart flutter. However, he was aware that his soon-to-be brothers-in-laws would definitely not appreciate his actions. Looked like he still needed to wait for a little bit...! Chapter 182 - Happiness Before The End A woman in long white robes suddenly appeared on the terrace attached to the ballroom on the fifth floor of the Academy where the celebration party of the twenty-seventh anniversary of the Supernatural Academy was going on at the moment. "Sire!" She bowed to her master who was standing there alone in silence. Even though the lightning was dim there, her sharp vampire eyes could clearly see the discomfort that her master was suffering from. His face was pale, his breathing was unsteady just like his heartbeat and his soul was suffering because of his actions. "Why are you here?" Shadow asked in a sharp tone while he kept his gaze fixed on the view of the Academy grounds in front of him. The woman hurriedly bowed as she replied, "Master, please punish me for being inconsiderate but when I felt the disturbance in your energy levels, I could not...." The woman trailed off as suddenly the ballroom was filled with the sound of clappings. People were congratulating someone as they all cheered happily. Her eyes landed on a familiar figure among the dozens of people who were present inside the hall. The girl looked even more beautiful and lovely than she was five years ago. A sad smile appeared on the woman''s lips as she realized that Emily and Kaiden were officially starting their relationship with the blessings and approvals of their family and friends and also in the presence of all the big names of the city. Her attention returned to her Master who appeared to be even more broken than he had ever been in his Immortal life of almost two thousand years. "Sire, why don''t you take a break tonight. I and Ralph will look after Miss Alessandro and her family. We will make sure that she''s safe and sound." The woman suggested even though she knew better than anyone else that her Master would not leave Miss Alessandro''s side unless his task was completed. In the beginning, they all used to think that the cold-blooded, monstrous and unforgiving nature was the worst side of the Supreme Sire''s personality but slowly they all came to learn that behind his devil appearance there was a kind heart that was fighting for peace of the human and supernatural races. They accompanied him through thick and thin, ups and downs, and watched as the darkness of this wretched world started targeting him. They were helpless when he was suffering through immense pain and they were also helpless when the darkness took away every ounce of his willpower to stand against his enemies. They all watched helplessly as their once powerful and undefeated master fell into the depth of the darkness and became insane, finding ways to end his suffering only to fail again and again. If not for the Master Oracle who appeared over a century ago to tell Shadow that Emily was his key to salvation, who knew what would have happened to him in his struggle of getting free from his Immortal life. But that day, Master Oracle forgot to tell him another important fact, one that he only got to know when he saw Emily for the first time a few months before Domenic found her and brought her to City A. Fate wanted to tease him one last time before finally releasing him from his endless suffering. However, the pain that he was going through at the moment was clearly hundred and thousands of times worse than what he had experienced before. And once again, they all could do absolutely nothing but watch helplessly as their Master suffered every single day and minute just to protect and help the person who had successfully become the most important in his Immortal life. "Irene, I''ve personally trained you, Lauren, and Ralph since the day I turned you three into Vampires. The three of you are my most trusted people. The day I''ll finally leave this world, it will officially be the duty of you three to keep her safe and happy. But for now... I want to be here for her." Shadow spoke the last sentence as he turned to briefly look at Emily who was smiling at something that Leo was telling her. How come Irene could not sense his feelings given that he was her sire and she had spent over four centuries in his care? Though he was suffering, he was also happy at the same time. Happy because he got to spend his days in Emily''s company as her best and closest friend. Happy because he was one of those few people whom she trusted with her eyes closed. He was happy because he was being able to keep her happy, healthy, and safe and had been doing that for years. They had not seen him this happy ever in their lives. They never saw him caring for someone with all his heart, and enjoying every moment of his life that he was spending with her. There was no doubt that this happiness was short-lived and it would only end in pain, tears, and regrets. But if he could finally live a few beautiful moments in his life while being happy from the bottom of his dead and cold heart, then they all were more than happy to follow his every decision. "If this is what Master wants, we will respect your decision," Irene answered with a slight bow before she too turned her attention towards Emily who was now dancing with one of her friends. Her eyes finally roamed a little further and landed on another familiar figure. Another small smile appeared on her lips as she spoke, "Master Kaiden is truly the best person to accompany Miss Alessandro for the rest of her life as her companion and mate. Master has chosen the right person for the young princess." If it had been some other time, she would have never dared to speak such words in front of her master. But at the moment, she knew that no matter how hurtful the words were deemed to be, they were exactly what Shadow wanted to hear. He wanted confirmation that he did the right thing by choosing Kaiden as Emily''s soulmate! *** Do you think soulmates are chosen by fate? Or is it one''s soul that finds its other half? Some things are too strange and strong to be just coincidences - Chapter 183 - Illusion Kaiden''s eyes refused to leave the girl who was too busy talking with her friends that she did not even spare him a single glance ever since they walked down the stage. He could feel his wolf complaining as they both watched her dancing with other men present at the party except for him. "How long are you planning to stand here staring at those men? Your jealousy is making this entire hall stink!" Rylan commented in a whispered tone as he walked to stand next to his brother. Kaiden turned his face to look at his brother while arching his eyebrows as a small twitch appeared on his lips. "My dear little brother, you should pay attention to your mate. I''ll handle mine." Rylan appeared to be taken aback but he hurriedly neutralized his expressions as he asked, "H-how do you know?" He could not stop his eyes from taking a glance at Leo who was sitting just beside Emily. Kaiden let a small smile appear on his lips as he replied while returning his attention to his mate, "You are my brother, Ry. I don''t need you to speak the words for me to understand. The way you kept looking at him ever since we entered the hall, it''s obvious that he''s the one for you." Rylan stayed silent for a while but then finally asked, "What should I do? He''s been ignoring me all the time and I''ve no idea about how should I handle this situation." There was something in his tone that made Kaiden return his attention to his brother. The way Rylan was staring at him with hopeful eyes made him pat his brother''s head with adoration. "Things won''t sort out on their own. You need to talk to him and if he''s not giving you the chance then you need to create that chance. It''s been over six years since the two of you have created this distance and tension. You need to first sort out the past to start your present with him." Rylan once again looked at Leo and realized his brother was right. Nothing would be in his favor if he did not find a chance to fix the things that happened in the past between the two of them. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he turned to look at Kaiden while nodding his head in understanding. He''s going to find a chance to talk to Leo. *** "Why are you guys doing this to him?" Emily could not help but ask when once again Crist stopped Kaiden from asking her for a dance. It was already half-past eleven and the party was almost about to end. Throughout the party, Kaiden tried countless times to approach her either for talking or asking for a dance but her brothers were determined to torture the poor guy. "Why? Are you feeling sorry for your boyfriend?" Leo asked in a teasing tone while giving her a playful look. She was smart enough to know that siding with Kaiden won''t lead to anything good in her favor. Therefore, she immediately shook her head in denial as she replied, "Why would I feel sorry for him? I''m just curious, that''s all." Daniel smiled softly after listening to her reply but thankfully did not comment and let Leo handle the situation. "Good. You should know that he doesn''t deserve your pity. We just want him to realize that by becoming your boyfriend, he''s not getting a free reign of being close to you." Leo told her as he helped her to adjust the overcoat that she was now wearing over her dress. Emily immediately nodded her head as she followed her brothers towards the center of the hall. They were about to leave in a few minutes. "Let me go and call Shadow. I think he''s on the terrace." She told Daniel who nodded his head in reply and watched her making her way towards the wooden door at the side of the hall which was left slightly ajar. - Shadow''s eyes flew open as soon as he felt her presence beside him. "Still not feeling good?" She asked while raising her hand to touch his forehead so that she could check his temperature. However, before her palm could make contact with his skin, he caught her small slender hand in his large one and lowered it to his lap as he spoke, "I''m alright, Princess. No need to worry." Emily stared at him in silence for a couple of seconds before she hurriedly placed her free hand against his forehead before he could react. "Why are you so cold? You are almost freezing. Let''s go. We are going to let Sam take a look at you," she said in a hurry as she tried to pull him down the railing where he had been sitting. "It''s nothing serious. There''s no need for you to worry so much and let''s not disturb Sam for such a small matter. I''m going to be fine," Shadow said as he stopped her from walking away and pulling him with her. A sigh escaped Emily''s lips as she turned to stare at the man. She hated the idea of forcing him to do something that he clearly did not want to do but at the same time, she just could not help but worry about him as this was the first time when his health was not in perfect condition. Shadow could see the concern in her eyes which made him pull her a little closer as he rubbed her head softly before speaking, "My body is just in need of some blood. It''s been over a year since I last consumed blood. I''ll be fine as long as I can feed and I''ll do that after returning to the apartment. Now stop worrying." Emily felt herself relaxing at his words. Her head fell against his shoulder as she closed her eyes to take a few seconds to pull herself together. Shadow was one of those people whom she was really afraid of losing and for some weird reasons, she had been feeling like he was slipping away from her. She just hoped that it was just her illusion and nothing more. Chapter 184 - Rejected Shadow followed Emily and her brothers as they all walked out of the Academy building. Most of the guests had already left and they were one of those who had stayed till late and were now finally taking their leaves. "There are only two minutes left before the clock will hit twelve and once it''s midnight, there won''t be any more restrictions on us from entering your side of the city, right?" Rylan suddenly questioned as he looked at Domenic, patiently waiting for his response. Emily watched as her brother slowly nodded his head and hmmed a ''yes'' in reply while he looked at the Second Young Master Sullivan with a little bit of curiosity visible in his emerald eyes. "Good." That''s all Rylan spoke next before he suddenly took hold of Leo''s hand and dragged her baffled youngest brother towards one of the black SUVs that were parked on the opposite side of the lawn. "What the h-" "Don''t!" Emily immediately stopped Crist from chasing after Rylan who had successfully made Leo sit inside his car. Crist turned to look at her with confused eyes but then realized that Dom and Daniel were also looking calm about the entire situation. Was no one worried that Rylan could have possibly kidnapped Leo? There was a frown on Simon''s face while Mark was staring at his shoes which succeeded in hiding his expression. "Why?" He questioned Daniel, making sure to not talk to Emily even by mistake. There was no way he would be losing the bet after torturing himself for the past several days by keeping his distance from her. Since he had already succeeded in staying ignorant towards her for so many days, he would better not give up until the end. "Why are you acting like he just kidnapped Leo? Rylan just wants to look at your side of the city and he probably needs someone to guide him. What''s the need for overreacting like this?" Shane was the one who responded with an eye roll to emphasize exactly how stupid Crist was acting. The young man waved his hand in Emily''s direction before making his way towards his car. Crist wanted to point out that the boy could have waited till morning and he could always have asked Emily to accompany him considering they were best friends unlike Leo could not even stand Rylan''s presence in the same room. However, before he could have the chance to speak, Kaiden had successfully pulled everyone''s attention towards him. Emily looked up at the handsome man in front of her who was clearly not happy to see her brothers giving him a hard time. "Is it alright if I drop her at her apartment?" The question was undoubtedly directed towards her brothers. "Sure, why not!" Crist replied with a sweet tone as he turned to give his brothers a known look which only made Domenic shake his head before he walked away towards his car. The smile that immediately bloomed on Kaiden''s lips also made Emily shook her head with pity for the poor man. He really wasn''t aware of how cruel her brothers could be. She noticed Simon walking towards her and the next thing she knew she was sitting in the back seat of Mark''s car along with Shadow, Simon, and of course, Mark. "Wait! Didn''t you just say that I can drop her off? Then why are they..." Kaiden was clearly confused and also a little bit irritated though he tried to hide the latter emotion. "Yes, you can always follow their car and make sure that she''s safely inside her apartment. We won''t stop you at all in that matter." Crist replied with a huge smirk on his lips before hurriedly moving towards Daniel''s car and hoping inside. Emily watched as Kaiden stood there with a shocked expression on his face while all their vehicles started moving towards the main gate of the academy. Though she was feeling a little bit bad for him, she knew that he deserved all this for creating the scene at the party. He purposely created a situation where there were so many people as witnesses. Also, the fact that there was no guarantee that her brothers would have agreed to his proposal in the first place, only worsened his timing and choice of place. The only good thing according to her that was happening at the moment was that because of Kaiden''s stupid idea, Mark, Crist, and Simon were now finally giving her a little bit of their attention. She was already happy and feeling contended at the moment. She had a great feeling that the camping trip on the coming weekend would help her in having a great time with her family and friends. *** The silence inside the car had started to suffocate Leo but he tried to stay still and not jump out of the car. Their car was parked at the entrance of the Residential Estate where the Alessandro Mansion was located and the two of them had been sitting inside the car in silence for nearly last ten minutes or so. Leo kept his eyes trained on the huge Iron gates ahead and tried his best to keep himself calm and collected which was definitely proving a difficult job as he could feel Rylan''s gaze fixed on him. Another couple of minutes passed in that same awkward silence and it was finally too much for Leo to bear. "If you have satisfied your curiosity, I would love to take my leave. I''m too tired to accompany you any longer." His voice came out too low to sound demanding or anywhere near it. This only made Leo curse himself inwardly. His attention was suddenly grabbed by the man sitting beside him on the driver''s seat when he heard him taking off his seat belt before turning his body to face him. "Leo..." Rylan called out his mate''s name and felt his wolf enjoying the way it sounded like beautiful music to his ears. Leo immediately took off his seatbelt and moved to open the car door but Rylan''s sudden tight grip on his arm stopped him. "Stop! You are not allowed to leave yet. We need to talk about it. About us and... about what happened back then." Rylan spoke as he kept his hold on his mate''s arm, once again feeling extremely happy to find himself so much closer to him. A small smirk appeared on Leo''s lips but it was deprived of any kind of true humor as he spoke, "There''s nothing for us to talk about. There''s no us since you have already rejected me six years ago." Chapter 185 - Their Past The silence that followed Leo''s words was even more awkward than before. Rylan opened his mouth to speak but no words seemed to come out in his defense. With a soft sigh that was filled with disappointment and a little bit of sadness that he tried his best to hide, Leo again moved to open the car door. He had no idea about what he was really expecting with their meeting but it was definitely not the two of them being awkward and staying silent without speaking anything. "Leo..." Rylan once again stopped his mate from climbing out of the car and leaving him alone. It had taken a lot of courage for him to face Leo and talk to him about their situation, he could not let the chance go waste just like that. "I... I did not... reject you that day..." He started speaking but then stopped when he felt Leo stiffening beside him. His eyes moved to look at the handsome face of his mate but Leo was looking out of the window, hiding his face and expressions from him. With a deep breath, Rylan decided to continue, "Ever since I joined the High School, the two of us were unable to become friends because of our family backgrounds but we were never enemies. We used to tease each other, challenge each other and even... support each other on some rare occasions." He stopped for a second to tighten his hold on Leo''s hand before speaking, "You always used to find reasons to boss me around since you were my senior and also an Alessandro... I... I remember how we grew closer but kept acting like we still despised each other in front of others. That day... when you... I - I didn''t reject you! At least that was not my intention..." - [Flashback - ] "You are finally here!" Rylan whispered as he pulled Leo behind the large black screen that was hiding them from the prying eyes of the captain of the Football team. The two of them had successfully irritated the young blonde to such a length that he was dying for revenge. At the moment, he barely cared that his opponents were the Young Masters of the two very powerful families. He just wanted to vent out his anger and frustration. Leo hurriedly nodded his head while he tried to grasp some much-needed oxygen. As soon as he found out that Rylan was trapped inside the auditorium with Max, the Football team captain, he immediately ran to save his secret friend. The two of them watched as Max gave a final look around the back room before he finally gave up and left the hall, making the boys let out deep sighs as they relaxed against the wall where they had been hiding behind the screen. "It''s weird. I''m feeling like he gave up too easily." Leo muttered as he looked at his friend with raised eyebrows. Rylan smirked in reply before he opened his palm and showed a concealment spell that was slowly fading away. Leo shook his head as he stared at the silver-haired boy with blue-grey eyes in front of him. His natural silver hair and beautiful eyes were the first things that had caught Leo''s attention when they first met. He noticed that his heart was still beating rapidly and his breathing wasn''t calming down at all. But this time, the reason behind his adrenaline rush was not running but the young handsome boy in front of him. He was so lost in gazing into Rylan''s beautiful eyes that he did not even realize that one of his hands had moved to rest on Rylan''s left thigh. The way Second Young Master Sullivan was staring back at him made Leo bit his lower lip as he moved his face closer to him. Leo felt his breathing escalating as he realized what he was about to do, what he wanted to do. Their faces were so close that he could feel Rylan''s warm breath fanning his face. He moved to close the mere centimeters of distance that was left between their faces but just when his lips were about to touch Rylan''s soft and pink lips, the boy suddenly moved his face away, stopping Leo in his tracks. The push that followed next not only made Leo lose his balance as he fell on the hard cold floor but it also pulled him out of the sweet dream that he had been dreaming. Guilt, embarrassment, sadness, and humiliation took over him as he found Rylan staring back at him with an unreadable expression on his face. He wanted to speak, to say something but had no idea what he was supposed to say. Words refused to come out of his mouth and the next thing he knew, Rylan was running out of the hall, leaving him behind in the dark and cold auditorium. Everything changed after that incident. The two of them returned to ignoring each other as neither of them was able to face the other person. They kept avoiding each other as they were not sure of what else they were supposed to do. And the worst part was that only one month later, Leo completed his senior year and left the high school, creating even more distance between the two of them. - Present - "That day I moved away because I was surprised and... probably not prepared, not because I was horrified or disgusted. It''s not like I never felt attracted to you." There it was, he finally confessed that he too had feelings for Leo back then, and suddenly, Rylan felt like a weight had lifted off his shoulder. Leo finally turned to face Rylan as he could not believe his ears. But looking into his blue-grey eyes, there was no doubt that he was speaking the truth. "Are you... you are not saying that you..." It appeared like he was unable to find the right words to ask what he wanted to know. "That''s right, Leo. Back then, you were not the only one who fell for someone who was your opponent, I was also not safe from your charms." Chapter 186 - Alessandros Tortures The Sullivans Rylan''s confession was too much for Leo to take in. Though he wanted to ask the reason for which he, Rylan, acted like that way back then, in the end, he decided to remain silent. "Why are you not asking?" "Huh?" Leo was pulled out of his thoughts when Rylan suddenly asked a question that he failed to understand. "I mean... about why I... It was not because I was disgusted or anything... I... I was actually shocked. I was panicking inside and did not how to respond or what to do. In the end, I just messed up everything and caused both of us pain and sadness. I''m sorry, Leo." Rylan looked so miserable and sincere as he apologized. His beautiful eyes were shining with the emotion of guilt but there was also a ray of hope hidden in them. "It''s not all your fault. We both were just teenagers back then who were struggling with our feelings... I did not even realize that I''m your mate until a few months after my eighteenth birthday but back then I was too busy taking care of my broken sister to pay any attention to you." Leo replied as he fixed his eyes on the tall trees up ahead that were surrounding the perimeter of the estate. "Can''t we start all over?" Rylan suddenly asked as he turned his entire attention towards the man sitting beside him on the passenger seat. Though they both were already in their early twenties, the current situation was making them feel like teenagers who were crushing over each other. It was not until another few silent minutes passed between the two of them before Leo finally decided to speak, "I... It''s too much for me. I... I need time." He was suddenly feeling exhausted, not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. He just wanted to close his eyes and sleep, forgetting about everything else. "Alright! There''s no rush. We''ll take this slow. I just want you to not avoid me all the time. Now go and get some rest. I''ll see you at the camping site the day after tomorrow," Rylan said as he patted Leo softly on his back before reluctantly retrieving his hand. Leo did not waste more time as he hurriedly jumped out of the car and ran away but not before taking a quick look in Rylan''s direction. He had no plans of rejecting Rylan as his mate but he also had no plans for making everything smoother for the man. It was time for him to take a little revenge for all that he had suffered through in the past half a decade just because of the Second Young Master Sullivan. *** Emily stared down at the black car which was still parked in front of her apartment building. A sigh escaped her lips as she realized that Kaiden really won''t be going away unless she would go downstairs and meet him. She once again looked at the message that she received around half an hour ago. It was already past one o''clock and she was really tired. A voice inside her head was telling her to just let the man stay outside and self-analyze his mistake while she should retire to bed for the much-needed sleep. "Just go and meet him quickly. Stop torturing both yourself and him," said Shadow as he pulled the covers closer, hiding his entire body under it. Emily moved away from the window after closing it and adjusting the curtains before she walked towards the bed. Two empty plastic bags of O-positive blood were resting on the bedside table, she picked them up and dumped them into the dustbin before taking a seat beside him on the bed. "You should sleep. You are even in a worse condition than me." She instructed him while checking his temperature with her palm pressed against his forehead. He was no longer freezing and his cheeks were adorned with a light pink tinge because of the blood that he had just consumed. There was a time when the mere sight of blood used to awake her dark memories and made her revisit her miserable past again and again. But she was now past that point. She no longer felt nauseous even when watching Shadow drinking blood, though it''s a very rare sight because he barely fed once in a year. The man observed the small frown that was decorating her beautiful face. He slowly nodded his head in agreement before closing his eyes to rest. He always used to avoid sleeping because of the dreams that used to haunt him and also because he wanted to protect her 24/7, but today he really wanted to sleep for a while. He felt her hand caressing his black strands which made him relax and let the world of sleep pull him into its endless abyss. - After making sure that Shadow was fast asleep, Emily finally left his room and made her way downstairs. Since her apartment was located on the third floor, it did not take her too long to reach the ground floor. The sky was covered with dark clouds and her eyes noticed the lightning that was visible on the north side of the city. The wind was chilly and it made her fasten her steps. Within a few seconds, she was opening the passenger side door of Kaiden''s car as she slipped inside. The warm interior of the car immediately made her relax and she turned her attention to the man who was fast asleep in the driver''s seat. They all were pretty exhausted after staying up so late and attending the party where they danced and talked none stop. But to see someone like Kaiden in such a vulnerable state, Emily was definitely surprised. Kaiden had taken off his blazer and his necktie. The top two buttons of his shirt were left open, making a decent amount of his collarbone visible to her eyes. He had also rolled up his sleeves and his previously perfectly combed hair was now looking disheveled but it only made him appear sexier and more handsome. "Am I that good looking?" Chapter 187 - Its Not For You "You... I thought you were sleeping," Emily hurriedly said in an accusing tone as she looked away to hide the blush that was decorating her cheeks. "I was but... couldn''t anymore as you are finally here," Kaiden replied as he gave her a small smile. He took hold of her right hand and brought it close to his lips before planting a soft kiss on her knuckles. Though Emily was feeling funny tingles running all over her body which were making her heart go soft for the man in front of her, she did not forget that they were being watched. "If they ended up sending a picture of this to my brothers you won''t be able to hold my hand for a long long time." She reminded him before slowly retracting her hand. Kaiden immediately let out a frustrated groan as his eyes landed on the group of bodyguards that were positioned around the apartment complex especially to keep him at a proper distance from Emily. "Your brothers are cruel," He said in an unhappy tone while turning his face to look at her. She was so close to him but he was still unable to pull her in his arms like he wanted to. He watched as a small smile bloomed on her punk lips as she replied, "You only have yourself to blame. You are reaping exactly what you sow. Don''t pretend like you don''t deserve this." "You are just as heartless as them." He could not stop himself from voicing out the complaints of his broken heart. "Unfortunately, you are stuck with a heartless mate and her heartless family for the time being." Emily countered with a beautiful smile on her face that was making her eyes twinkle. Kaiden stared at her in silence for a couple of seconds, taking in her angelic beauty and the warmth that she was radiating. His hands started to itch to pull her into his arms and it took all his self-control to not do so. "Am I going to be tortured at the camping site too? They won''t allow me anywhere near you, right?" He already knew the answers to his questions but still ended up asking anyway. There was a tiny little stupid part of his heart that was expecting a miracle. "It''s alright. Fighting!" Emily patted his shoulder lightly as she encouraged him to go through the difficult time. Kaiden groaned again as he turned his face away to avoid looking at her teasing expressions. She was enjoying the torture that her brothers were inflicting on him. He promised himself to get even with her in the future. For a moment, he wanted to not go camping so that he could save himself from the torture of staying away from her for nearly forty hours but then the thought of missing the chance of spending some time with her made him stop. Even though he won''t be allowed to touch her or hug her but at least, he won''t be forbidden from talking to her. The camping trip was a great chance for him to see her having fun and enjoying her time with her family and friends. He took a deep breath to calm himself down before returning his attention to the girl who was now busy playing with the little rabbit plushie that Mr. Kim had placed in his car that very morning. As soon as he recalled that the plushie belonged to his Secretary, Kaiden immediately pulled it out of her hands and threw it on the back seat. "What''s wrong?" Emily asked with a confused look on her face as she first looked at the poor plushie and then at the weird man sitting beside her. "I''ll buy you a new one. A better version of this one. If you want I''ll buy hundreds of them for you but you are not allowed to touch this one. It''s dirty," Kaiden said in a hurry as he stopped her from reaching out to pick up the plushie from the back seat. "What''s wrong with you? It''s not dirty at all and it''s so cute. I don''t want a new one, I''m happy with this one." Emily responded with a frown before she again started moving to get her hands on the plushie but unfortunately, she was stopped by the stupid person sitting on the driver''s seat. "You are not allowed to have it. This one is not for you." Kaiden shouted as he tried to pull her back to her seat. Emily finally stopped and settled down on her seat before she looked at the man with dead serious eyes as she questioned, "Really? Then for whom is it?" She was now really curious to know why he was so against her touching the cute little bunny plushie. "It''s for my Secretary," Kaiden replied in a rush as he climbed out of the car and moved to open the passenger side door to pull her out. "Mr. Kim?" asked Emily in a surprised tone as she tried to cope up with the sudden chilly wind that had started attacking her as soon as she stepped out of the car. "Is it for his birthday? Or another special occasion? Should I buy something for him too then?" She asked again as they finally reached the sliding doors of her apartment building. "No! It''s not his birthday and no special occasion either. He just did well in today''s meeting and I wanted to reward him. Also, there''s no need for you to buy any presents for him ever. After all, you don''t know about the taste of that old man. So, I''ll be the one to take care of such things. Now you should return to your room. Good night." Kaiden did not give her a single second to respond. He made sure that she was securely inside the building and safe from the chilly wind and immediately made his way towards his car. Emily watched with a dumbfounded expression on her face as the man left her confused and just disappeared in the darkness. What was wrong with him? Chapter 188 - Private Classes [Flashback -] Nightfall Academy, Four years ago - - Emily moved through the empty hallway on the seventh floor of the East Tower where her evening classes were supposed to take place. It had been a week since her eighteenth birthday and the painful incident when she found out that even though her body was that of a normal mortal, her soul was way powerful than any supernatural that had ever existed on the planet. She still had not opened the box that Shadow gave her that day. She was afraid of finding out the truth about her real identity. She was afraid of the secrets that were trapped inside that box and her heart was too coward to open the box and face those secrets. She took in a deep breath to calm down her racing heart. It was her first time stepping inside the East tower, one of the two mysterious and prohibited areas of the Academy where only the selected students and staff were allowed to enter. It was not until a day ago when she got to know that these two towers were specially designed to conduct the classes of supernatural students. It was the place where these students with special powers learned to control their powers. Though it was completely normal for humans and supernaturals to mingle on daily basis, the latter still preferred to not use their powers too often in front of the former. One of the main reasons behind this was because they did not want to scare away the humans with their powers. The East Tower held classes for the first and second-year students while the West tower held classes for the third and final-year students. Today was Emily''s first-class with the supernatural teachers and fellow students. Not only Shadow refused to accompany her but he even stopped Rylan and Shane from coming with her because according to him - ''It''s time for her to start doing what she came here to do. She wants to grow stronger and independent then let this be her first test.'' Emily was so nervous and lost in her thoughts that she did not notice the girl who suddenly walked out of one of the classrooms on her left, causing the two of them to bump into each other. "Ouch!" "Aah... I... I''m sorry... sorry... " the girl kept apologizing as she hurriedly collected her backpack that had slipped from her hand when they collided. "No, it''s okay. I was so lost in my thoughts that I completely forget where I was going. I''m sorry too. Are you alright?" Emily asked with a polite smile on her face. The girl was giving her positive vibes which helped her calm down a little bit. She watched as the girl adjusted her round glasses before she finally replied, "I''m alright. Thank you. Don''t get late for your class by the way. It''s almost time for the first lesson." Damn! Emily hurriedly checked her watch to see that only two minutes were left. She bid goodbye to the girl and made her way to Mr. Wandler''s office. The only good thing about her new classes was that she won''t be taking the practical lessons with the rest of the first-year students. The headmaster of the Academy had allowed her taking one on one personal sessions for the next month and only after that would she join the others. However, she would still have to join the others for the theoretical studies but she did not mind at all. She knew that she got the privilege only because of Shadow and she was more than thankful. The embarrassment that she would have felt while failing in the practical classes in front of the entire class, she felt chills running down her spine just at the mere thought. She knocked on the office door and opened it after she heard a gloomy voice allowing her to enter. As she walked inside the office and closed the door behind her, she hurriedly inspected the small room. She did not know what she was expecting but due to some weird reasons, she felt dissatisfied after finding that the office looked just like a normal office of a teacher. "It looks like you are not that happy with my office''s setup, are you?" An old man in his early fifties appeared in front of her sight as he confronted her with a soft smile on his lips. "Good evening, Professor Wandler." Emily bowed her head in greetings. "I don''t know exactly what I was expecting but I do feel like this is not the one I was looking forward to," She replied to his question sincerely with a small smile. To her surprise, the professor chuckled at her response before he signaled her to take a seat opposite to him. Emily settled down on one of the two chairs and nervously anticipated whatever was coming next. To be honest, she was actually excited about learning magic but at the same time, she was also nervous. Professor Wandler checked her pulse and started noting down something in his diary. After a few minutes, he finally put away his diary before he faced her. "You are one of the rare cases among our race. Your inner core has opened up on your birthday, meaning that you can use the magical energy that''s present in this world and use it according to your wish. It''s up to your capability about how many spells and charms you can control. As for your real power... it''s still sleeping inside you. Let''s see if it will open up around your twenty-first birthday." Emily nodded her head as the professor recited the same words that Shadow had told her. "Actually, it''s a good thing that your own powers are still sleeping. It won''t be easy for you to handle the outer and inner magical energy at the same time. Now you have almost three years to learn how to control the outer magical energy and catch up with the other students." Emily again nodded her head in understanding. It was really good for her that her inner magical energy was still sleeping. Not only because of what the professor had told her but also because it meant that her true identity was still a secret. Because according to Shadow - No one at the Academy was allowed to find out that she was not one of the supernaturals! Chapter 189 - The Bet "My sister is pretty rich!" Leo commented as he finished his survey of the camping van and finally settled down on the empty seat beside Mark. It was currently twelve minutes past nine o''clock in the early Saturday morning and they all were heading to the campsite which was located at the west end of the city near the mountains. "She''s the CEO of the AIL-Labels. She should be rich." Daniel responded as he smiled proudly at his little sister. "It''s true. I''m earning pretty well. Also, Nick and Danny still give me pocket money every month. So, I''m leaving a lavish life without any monetary problems." Emily told her youngest brother who suddenly appeared to be curious. "Pocket money? How much?" Leo asked excitedly. "Seven and five," Emily replied as she pointed first at Domenic and then at Daniel. Leo was silent for a while as he tried to read his sister''s expression and then looked at Dom and Danny to see if he could see something in their expressions. It was not surprising for him that Domenic was giving their little sister the so-called pocket money. As far as he knew all his brothers had been receiving their shares of pocket money even though they all were too old for that. But finding out that even Daniel had started providing pocket money was surprising because as far as he could tell, Emily was the only one receiving this privilege. Another few moments of complete silence passed before he finally dared to speak, "Million?" It sounded like a question but he already knew the answer. There was no question that those two filthy rich brothers of his would be giving anything less than a few million to her, and as he watched Emily nodding her head in response, a deep sigh escaped his lips. He knew it! His brothers were trying to stock up her bank accounts but that was not a bad thing, at least, now he could rely on his little sister too since she was wealthier than him. "But I''m still waiting..." Emily suddenly spoke in a little disappointed voice which made almost all of her brothers turn their attention towards her except for Mark who was pretending to be asleep. "Waiting for what?" Leo asked as he looked at her with questioning eyes. A beautiful smile bloomed on her lips as she replied in a low tone, "Waiting for the rest of you to start giving me pocket money too. After all, I''m your only little sister. You all need to provide for me." Her eyes sparkled with mischief and happiness as she looked at her brothers who were either shaking their heads or sighing after hearing her words. Leo stared at his sister with a surprised look on his face. According to him, he and Crist were supposed to be the most shameless ones in the family but looking at his sister, he finally realized that she was just as shameless and crafty as the two of them. Did she learn these traits from him and Crist? That could not be possible, right? "My dear sister, I''m poor. Don''t raise your hopes with me. On the other hand, you better keep your credit cards safe from me cause my hands are suddenly itching to use them." He responded with an evil smile on his face while he showed her his hands. They kept joking and teasing each other and the atmosphere inside the van became happy and cozy just like that. - Crist was in the middle of taking over the second tower in the game that he was playing on his phone when a message alert distracted him. One look at the ID of the person who had sent the message and his eyes immediately moved to look in the direction where Emily was snuggled into Leo as they both giggled softly. The good thing was that he was sitting all alone in the back of the van and there was no one around him. He tapped the message box and read the message that his sister had sent. [How much you have put in the bet?] His eyes once again landed on the duo of his two youngest siblings. He did not doubt that it was Leo who told her about the bet. [Whoever will lose have to take on the household duties for half a year.] Crist hurriedly typed back the reply with a crying emoji at the end of the message. If it had been only about the money, he would not have thought too much about breaking or not breaking the bet. But the mere thought of spending hours every week to help with the household works for not one, two, or three but full six months made him regret his impulse which made him place the bet in the first place. He waited patiently for the next message from his sister as he looked over in her direction once again. The good thing was that neither she nor Leo turned their attention towards him for even a second, otherwise, there were chances that Mark would have ended up noticing them since they were sitting directly in front of him. Another message alert on his phone made him open the message - [I''ll help you to win this bet] Crist raised his eyebrows as he read the message and it took quite a bit of his self-control to not again look in her direction. [How?] He sent and waited for her reply. [I''ll make sure that Mark will be the one to speak to me first. Just make sure to help me with the plan. We are siblings, we should be helping each other.] He could not stop the smile that made its way to his lips as he slightly shook his face. His sister had become way smarter than she used to be a few years ago. He had a feeling that if she joined his and Leo''s chaotic group then the three of them would keep the chaos sailing smoothly through the Alessandro mansion all the time. With that beautiful and alluring thought in his mind, he typed the reply and sent it. [Okay. I''ll follow your lead.] Chapter 190 - The Scary Sister "This place is so beautiful," said Daniel as he looked around the camping site. The grassy land was located at the bank of a stream and tall trees were standing on the other side. The high peaks of the mountains were visible over the treetops and the most beautiful sight out of them all was the flower beds that were planted around the clearing. "I never knew that the Warner Group was hiding such a beautiful place," Leo commented as he also surveyed the area. His eyes sparkled after seeing the mesmerizing scenery in front of him. "What do you mean by hiding? This is one of the official campsites on their website. You did not know about this because you guys are just too boring to enjoy your lives," Emily immediately taunted her brother as she brushed past him with a box of snacks in her hands. "This little brat..." "I''m twenty-two already. Stop calling me little!" Emily shouted over her shoulder, silencing Leo who just rolled his eyes in response. Daniel chuckled beside him before he returned to help Mark and Simon who were collecting the boxes of food and other items from the van. "Who''s going to set up the tent?" Emily asked as she placed her box on the chair that Leo had pulled out from the van. Her brother glared at her in response before he spoke through gritted teeth, "This chair was for me to sit and relax." Emily arched one of her eyebrows in question as she asked, "Why? Haven''t you just spent over an hour sitting inside the van? Don''t be so lazy, alright? Go and help others." Leo looked at his sister with a skeptical expression on his face as he watched her pick up a candy from her box of snacks before she gave him a fake and mocking smile and walked away. His hands automatically moved towards the candy jar that was left open in the box. He also needed a candy to soothe himself down. But before his fingers could make contact with the candies, Shadow suddenly appeared in front of him and stopped his hand from touching the jar. "Don''t touch her snacks without her permission. She will make you suffer like you are her enemy from the previous life." He sounded so calm but serious that his words caused a shiver to erupt all over Leo''s body. "She... has become that... scary?" He asked with a whispered tone only to find Shadow nodding his head in affirmative before the man walked away. "Geez...!" Leo felt like he was suddenly surrounded by the dark energy which made him stare at the box of snacks with a resentful look in his eyes. He no longer craved the taste of a candy! *** City N, Death Valley - "Master, another group of our men has gone missing while searching for the item. If we kept going there are high chances that..." The poor soul did not get the chance to complete his sentence as the said master silenced him with a single flick of his sleeve. The other five men present in the darkroom started shivering as they watched the body of one of their own dropping on the with a loud thud. As they all kept kneeling on the cold wet ground with their heads bowed, none of them dared to look up at the man covered in the crimson cloak. "Keep searching." His voice came out low but full of darkness that reminded them that other than obeying his orders they did not have any other choice. Just in the span of a few months, they all had become pitiful. If they continued to search for that cursed item then just like the other three groups, they would also end disappearing all of a sudden but if they refused to search for that item then the evil man in the crimson cloak would kill them one by one with his bare hands. A humorless smirk appeared on the lips of the man in the crimson cloak as he looked at the pathetic humans who were kneeling in front of him. The scent of fear and desperation that lingered in the air made him feel energetic. He gave a last look in their direction before his silhouette disappeared from the cave and appeared in a completely different place. He took off the hood of his cloak, letting his face become visible to the woman who was arranging his study table. "Master." She greeted him and then left the room to give him the peace that he was searching for. He did not give her a second glance and walked closer towards the display board that was hanging behind his study table. In the center of the board was a photo of a girl who was smiling like a fairy. He remembered the day a year ago when he took a picture of her photo frame that was sitting on his boss'' study table in the Greenwood Manor. Ever since he started working for his boss thirty years ago, he had known that his boss was desperately searching for someone, a girl with a special and unique identity. It was not until six years ago when his boss finally called him and assigned him with the task of bringing the girl safely to him. Unfortunately, all his attempts of capturing her were futile as it turned out that her identity as the Alessandro Princess was keeping her safe and sound. His boss asked him to stop when they found out that she was going to attend the Nightfall Academy. The magical academy was the only place in the world that was out of their radar. Even if they wanted they could not have succeeded in their mission. In the past five years, he tried his best to find out exactly why his boss was after the Alessandro Princess but he found nothing except for the secret that she was not what she appeared to be. So many years had passed and she had finally returned. It was time for him to finish the mission that his boss gave him back then...! Chapter 191 - Hiking "You finally decided to take a break from your girlfriend?" Emily asked in a teasing tone as she approached Domenic who had finally stopped working on his laptop. Her brother looked at her with arched eyebrows and she just shrugged in response before she too turned towards the beautiful view of the stream and the fresh running water. The two stood there in silence for a while but soon their attention was pulled towards the van that was approaching the location. "They are finally here." Emily heard Crist speaking as he moved to help the Sullivans. Her eyes landed on Kaiden who was wearing a black see-through satin shirt with black jeans, a color in direct contrast to his long silver hair which was left open. Was the man trying to seduce her? Emily thought as she tried her best to not check out his well-built upper body that his shirt failed to protect from prying eyes. He was looking so different than usual but still as handsome and ethereal as always. His icy blue eyes landed on her for a mere second before he turned away to talk with Daniel. But Emily caught the small smirk that had appeared on his lips. "The rest of your brothers won''t be giving him a break on this trip," Nick told her as he noticed the yearning look in her eyes as she observed her mate from the distance. Emily took a deep breath and then slowly nodded her head in acknowledgment before speaking, "He will have to win them over. There''s no other choice. Let this trip be a test of his abilities to impress and turn the tides in his favor." A small smile appeared on Nick''s lips as he looked at his sister. It was clear that she had already started to feel bad for Kaiden but the fact that she still chose to stand beside her brothers, warmed his heart. Emily turned to look at Domenic when she felt his gaze on her. "What about you?" She asked and then waited with a racing heart to hear his response. She knew that Leo and Crist were mostly playing around with Kaiden while Mark was being grumpy because he was still angry with her, so he was giving the same treatment to Kaiden. Simon was just being protective and Daniel was only helping his annoying younger brothers. Her brothers were no longer angry at Kaiden. Their anger had already evaporated with the disappearance of the previous night. They still were bothering him because they were enjoying it. But Domenic was different. Though he had acknowledged their bond, she still wanted to know his thoughts because they mattered a lot to her. Domenic remained silent for a while as he observed his sister who had grown up into a strong and beautiful young woman. "If I have a problem with him, I would have rejected his proposal last night without a second thought." That''s all he said in response to her question but it was enough to evaporate all of Emily''s worries. She smiled softly at her brother but it was a sincere smile filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Nick." She whispered and closed her eyes when she felt her brother softly patting her head. The two of them soon returned to where the others were setting up the tents. While Domenic started helping them to set up everything properly, Emily settled down on a chair with a packet of chips in her hands. A few seconds later, Shadow approached her with another chair and settled down beside her. "Why are you sitting there? Come here and help us!" Leo immediately fired as he saw another person being lazy and not helping with the work. Shadow did not reply to Leo. Rather, he turned his attention towards Emily and whispered in a calm tone, "I wanna rest for a while." "Sure. Go on, rest here. I''ll handle him." Emily hurriedly nodded her head in approval with a warm smile on her lips before she turned to glare at Leo. "There are so many of you. Do you want me to call a special team to help you out?" She asked or more like reprimanded her brother who scoffed in response but fortunately returned to working on the tent that he and Simon were settling up. Soon enough, the team of handsome men finished setting up the tents and other stuff. The campervans were parked on either side of tents and a huge space was left between the vans and in front of the tents. Mark and Rylan opened up the side roofs of the vans while Daniel and Kaiden laid out blankets and tables. By the time they finished, it was already past eleven o''clock. "Since you guys are finally free now, let''s go hiking in the mountains. There''s a trail on the south end to the first peak that''s not too long and we would be back in two and half hours." Emily excitedly suggested only to find her brothers and Rylan groaning in response. Only Domenic and Kaiden did not show any reaction. "Seriously? We are here to have some fun. I''ll give you guys only two minutes to grab whatever you want to carry along and then we will set off. No negotiations." Her voice came out sharp and demanding which surprised even her. It was not like she could do anything if they refused to agree with her. She could only get angry and throw a fit but that was all she was capable of doing against her brothers. But fortunately, her brothers decided to take her words seriously as they all hurriedly grabbed their phones and some snacks and drinks from the refrigerators. Even Mark did not try to reject her idea as he too picked up his small backpack. "You can stay here and rest for a while. I''ll be safe with so many people around." Emily told Shadow who was about to shake his head in disapproval but then his eyes landed on someone behind her and he stopped. Emily looked over her shoulder and found Kaiden standing behind her as he and Rylan whispered about something to each other. "Is everything alright?" She asked Shadow in a worried tone and immediately relaxed when the man nodded his head with a small smile on his lips. "I''m alright. Make sure to stay closer to either him or Rylan and no matter what, don''t wander around." He instructed, making Emily smile as she nodded her head in agreement before leaving with the others. Chapter 192 - Muddy Pit And Mark "Did you find it?" Simon asked as he tried to look down the slope where Mark had just disappeared to retrieve Leo''s phone that the latter somehow succeeded in throwing away. "I can''t see it yet!" Mark shouted back in reply. His voice sounded even farther than before as he was probably walking lower down the slope in his search. "Is it even possible to find that phone? Who knows how far down it has landed? We are just wasting time and risking his safety." Crist murmured as he glared at Leo who immediately moved to hide behind Rylan. Emily sighed as she returned her attention towards the direction where Mark had disappeared. The only good thing about the situation was that the slope wasn''t steep, otherwise, it would have been really dangerous for Mark to go down in without any safety equipment. "Let''s call him back. Leo can always buy a new phone. This is seriously too dangerous." She said as she kept searching for any trace of Mark. "She''s right. Let''s not waste any more time here." Daniel approved her idea immediately and turned to look at Domenic who also nodded his head in response. As soon as she saw Nick agreeing with them, she turned in the direction where Mark had gone and shouted, "Mark, let''s not search for the phone anymore. Come back!" They all waited patiently for a few seconds but got no response from him. "Is he ignoring me? Why don''t you try calling him?" She asked Simon who nodded his head and then shouted the same words as her, telling Mark to return. But once again there was no reply. "What''s wrong?" Leo asked as he looked down the cliff to see his brother. "Does something happened to him? He would have replied otherwise." Daniel also looked a little bit disturbed by the current situation. "I''ll go and check." Kaiden suddenly spoke as he moved forward towards the edge of the cliff but then suddenly stopped. Emily followed the direction in which he was staring and found Mark appearing from behind large bushes. He was covered in mud from head to toe. "What the heck?" Rylan muttered as he stared at the mud-covered Mark whom Simon and Crist were pulling up. As soon as he was back to safety, Mark threw the lost phone at Leo who immediately grabbed it. The phone was also covered in mud and the awful look on Leo''s face as he stared at his phone was too comical. "What happened to you?" Domenic asked as he passed a water bottle to Mark so that he could at least wash his face and hands. Mark was silent as he hurriedly washed his face and hands before using Daniel''s sweater to wipe away the water. "I slipped and landed in a muddy pit." He finally answered the question with a shiver as if recalling the experience was too terrifying. "As long as you are safe. Let''s head back now. I think this much adventure is enough today." Kaiden suggested and almost everyone agreed. Since they had nearly completed the entire track, Emily was not too disappointed about returning to the campsite. -- After everyone had taken a quick shower, they had a late lunch in the sunny afternoon. They all joked about certain things and even though Mark, Crist, and even Simon did not speak with Emily, the atmosphere stayed light and happy. Emily somehow succeeded in making her brothers agree to play some random word games and then they even played a few board games. By the time she finally allowed them to take a rest, it was already past six o''clock in the evening. The sun was already at the horizon, creating a beautiful and mesmerizing view. "I''m going to prepare for the barbecue. Anyone and everyone are welcome to help me." Daniel told them with a quick wink before he walked away to collect the ingredients from the vans. Domenic, Simon, and Crist moved to help Daniel while Mark disappeared inside his tent to finally take a small break. Rylan and Leo moved to decorate the area with lights and Kaiden was the only one left by her side at the end. "Angel, when was the last time you used your powers after leaving the Nightfall Academy?" He asked as soon as everyone moved away. Emily was confused by his question but she still replied, "Shadow doesn''t allow me to use my powers unless it''s an emergency and he''s not by my side. I haven''t used any of my powers since I left the academy but I used teleportation on the day when I came back to the city." She watched as his shoulders relaxed a little. His beautiful cerulean eyes were filled with an unreadable expression but she could tell that he was worried about something - something that was related to her. "Is something wrong?" She asked when he did not speak for a few moments, making her worry. A sigh escaped Kaiden''s mouth as he noticed the worried look on her face. He could not stop in time as his hands reached out to grab her smaller hands as he replied, "It''s just an intuition but I don''t want to take any risk. Let''s not worry about it. Both Shadow and I are here. I''m sure we will be able to handle even if something happened. Just make sure to not use your powers, especially here in the middle of the wilderness." Emily nodded her head and squeezed his hand to ease him down a little bit. As much as her heart warmed after knowing that he was worried about her, she also felt bad for making him worry about her when he was supposed to enjoy his free time. Shadow worrying about her all the time was already hard enough for her to take in. She did not want anyone else to start doing the same. "Stop pestering my sister. Come here and help us!" Leo''s loud shout immediately made Emily pull away her hand from Kaiden''s grasp as she tried to control her giggle while watching him trying his best not to glare at her brother. Chapter 193 - Why Now "The sky looks so pretty," Emily whispered to mostly herself as she stared at the night sky which was filled with countless shining stars. "But there''s no moon." She heard Rylan complaining beside her. A small smile appeared on her lips as she recalled how much he loved the sight of the moon. "It will appear in an hour or so," Kaiden informed his brother before his eyes traveled towards the girl who was staring at the night sky in fascination. They had already finished their dinner an hour ago and now they were sitting outside their tents to enjoy the light breeze and the beautiful view of the sky. "Should we play another game?" Emily suddenly asked with excitement twinkling in her eyes which immediately dimmed when everyone shouted back a loud ''No''. She glared at her brothers first and then turned her fiery eyes at the Sullivans before she muttered with a scoff, "Boring!" She really was missing Bianca. The woman would have played all the exciting games with Emily and she would definitely have been more fun to be around compared to her boring companions. Unfortunately, none of the Evans joined them on the trip. Since both the Alessandro and Sullivan families were out of the city, it was not a good idea to leave the city completely defenseless. That''s why Sam, Jackson, and Bianca stayed behind to make sure that no one would take advantage of the situation. On the other hand, Shane did not join them because he finally succeeded in inviting his mate on their first date. Though they were only friends for the time being, that was still a good start. A soft sigh escaped Emily''s lips as she realized that it was finally time to take a break for the day. Her brothers were already moving around, grabbing their jackets and phones before they headed towards their tents or the vans. She felt a few pats on her head while they muttered a sweet good night before walking away. "Don''t stay out here for long. Go to sleep early." Domenic told her and she nodded her head immediately in response. It was not until a few minutes later when she moved her head to look if everyone had already left, did she notice Kaiden and Shadow sitting right behind her. "Are you guys not going to sleep?" Her question was more for Kaiden as she already knew that Shadow won''t be sleeping. The man hated sleeping. In the past years, she had seen him either reading or painting during the night times. Sometimes he spent the nights training and working out. "I''m going to take a look around the area just in case and my muscles also need some stretching," Shadow told them and immediately scurried away into the darkness of the night. "Did he really think that we don''t know he is trying to give us some alone time?" Emily asked with a scoff as she stared at the direction in which Shadow had disappeared. "He always does that. Sometimes it feels like his wish to see both of us together is even greater than ours," Kaiden said with a soft expression on his face. The more he was learning about Shadow, the more mysterious that man was becoming. Kaiden was not an idiot. He could clearly see the affection and attachment Shadow had towards Emily and it was way deeper than the man was letting anyone see. But then his constant attempts on making sure that he would never be a third wheel between them and his support for their relation almost made no sense to Kaiden. Just when he was lost in his world of thoughts, he felt Emily putting something in his hand, and as his eyes moved to look at the object, he was surprised to find a very familiar-looking pen. His eyes hurriedly moved up to look at the girl who was smiling as she gazed back at him. "Does this mean..." He did not complete his question and watched as Emily started to dismantle the pen that he had given her five years ago as a challenge. Just in a few seconds, he was looking at the tattoo carving of a wolf under a full moon that was engraved on the underside of the metal pen. It was very well hidden under a soft covering of a fine metal wallpaper covered with traditional arts that it was almost impossible for anyone to find unless they already knew about it. "How did you find it?" He asked curiously and watched as the girl shrugged her shoulders as she answered, "It was actually an accident. The metal sheet slipped away when I was searching for some clue and that''s how I found the carving." Kaiden did not speak for a while as he stared at the pen in silence. A small smile was playing on his lips as he thought about how his angel was lucky enough to find the carving. "How long?" He finally asked. "Around a month before I left for Nightfall," Emily answered and saw as a surprised expression took over Kaiden''s handsome face. "That long?" He could hardly believe that she had known about his identity as a werewolf for such a long time. When Emily nodded her head with a proud smile on her face, he could not help but sigh while shaking his head at the absurdity of the situation. "Why now? It''s been years since you find out. Then why did you take so long?" He asked curiously as he turned his entire focus on her. Once again he watched her shrugging her shoulders before she replied, "I was not able to come up with anything that I wanted from you back then, so I decided to keep it for later." "So... have you decided now? What do you want? I''ll try to fulfill it with everything that I have." He asked while promising her and he meant it. "I still can''t think of anything that I want from you... but... can I see your wolf form?" Chapter 194 - Not Yet Her request sounded so innocent and sweet that it made a huge smile appear on Kaiden''s lips. This time, he did not try to stop himself. He just cupped her face with both of his hands and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "Of course, you can. I''m dying for you to meet my wolf. He loves you just as much as me and I''m sure you will love him too." It was getting hard for him to control his excitement as he pictured Emily''s fingers working through the soft silky hair of his wolf. The mere thought made him shiver in anticipation as soft pleasurable tingles started running over his body. "You can take your time and think about whatever wish you want me to grant you. As long as it will be under my capability, I promise to fulfill it." He once again promised her and smiled again when she nodded her head in response. "Let''s go." He told her and hurriedly stood up before offering her his hand which she grabbed and also stood up. Emily was also filled with excitement as she was finally about to see Kaiden in his wolf form. *** [Flashback -] Emily was taking a walk through the secluded Iris garden at the very edge of the Enchanted Forest that stood next to the Academy grounds. It was already mid of the fall season and the garden was covered with colorful fallen leaves of the willow and oak trees that were standing around. Her most favorite part of the garden was the statue of the Goddess that was standing in the center of the garden surrounded by beautiful irises. It had been a few weeks since she started her magic learning classes. Shadow had also started training her and he was way harder and strict with her than Mark. Out of the practice room, he looked after her and made sure that all her cuts and bruises were taken care of and she won''t feel too much pain but once they entered the training ground, he used to become completely merciless. Her days were packed with studies, magical lessons, defense training, and then homework. She barely was getting any chance to rest or think about anything else. The little time that she got here and there, she used it to work on her new story that she was planning to start updating near Halloween as a gift for her fans who had been patient and still sending her a lot of love and support. Emily stopped in front of the small pond that was built in the garden and let out a soft sigh. The words that Shadow told her a few days ago started repeating in her mind as she stared at the still form of the liquid. ''There''s no limit of magic and there''s also no limit of learning. If you have the capability then you can learn all the possible spells out there. All you need is to trust yourself and the magic.'' She closed her eyes and repeated his words again and again in her mind, letting them sink and carve themselves in her brain. With a deep breath, she opened her eyes and let them focus on the water filled in the pond. She recalled the water spell that she had learned in her Element classes a few days ago. Her lips started moving and she chanted the spell with as much accuracy as she could, keeping her eyes focused on the water while creating a small bubble in her mind and letting it float. In less than ten seconds, her spell came to an end but she did not see any form of water bubble forming. Not giving up, she once again recited the spell and created a bubble in her mind but only to end up with the same result. She kept trying, again and again, only to end up with failure every time. The water did not move at all. Emily felt exhausted. After giving the last yearning and sad look at the pond, she turned around to return to her dorm room. She was walking through the empty entryway that led to the Red Tower when she heard the sound of twigs snapping on the outer side of the entrance where a small pavilion was standing. Not seeing anyone there, she was about to walk away when her eyes landed on two figures that just jumped over the high wall of the garden and landed next to the pavilion. Her eyes became huge when she noticed the huge silver wolf with grey patches all over its body and the black wolf who was accompanying it. She felt the memories of her past resurfacing. The wolves, the blood, the pain, darkness, everything started appearing in front of her eyes as her breathing accelerated. She wanted to run away but her legs refused to move at all. She would have lost herself to the darkness at that moment if she would have missed the transformation that took place the very next second. The silver wolf with grey patches turned into Rylan while the black one transformed into Shane. Her legs finally decided to lose their energy and she landed on the hard floor. Her heart was still racing and she was breathing harshly but at least her shock had succeeded in pushing away the bad memories. She knew that they were werewolves but just knowing about it and actually seeing them in that form was too different. "Emy, are you okay?" She heard Rylan shouting in panic as both he and Shane appeared at the entryway and noticed her sitting on the ground. As soon as Rylan was crouching beside her to check if she was alright, Emily pulled the boy in a tight hug. It was to ensure herself that she was actually looking at her friends and not those bad people from her past and also to silently ask for forgiveness for not being able to accept their wolf forms yet. Chapter 195 - Surprise Dream Visit (Part One) Emily turned and tossed around her sleeping bag as she stared at the darkness inside her tent. Midnight was approaching but she still was not able to fall asleep. Her mind recalled the moment of half an hour ago when she was full of excitement to see Kaiden''s wolf form, only to find disappointment waiting for her when he just bid her good night and left. A sigh escaped her lips as she decided to close her eyes and once again try to sleep. After an entire day full of excitement and buzz, she was actually a little bit tired and wanted to rest because one more day of their camping trip was left for her to enjoy and spend with her loved ones. Even though it took a little bit of time, she finally managed to fall asleep. -- Emily felt something soft brushing against her arms as her consciousness was pulled out of the world of sleep. She slowly opened her eyes and let them adjust on the white fluffy creature that was trying to snuggle itself in her arms. A huge smile bloomed on her face as she recognized one of her treasures and soon enough, the other two were also there as they realized that she was finally awake. "Look at you guys. What are you all doing here in my t..." Emily trailed off when her eyes noticed the area around her which looked nothing like her tent. Rather, she was inside the space where her three treasures lived. She also noticed that instead of her night suit, she was now wearing a long light sky blue dress made of chiffon. The neckline wasn''t deep but half of her back was bare, only covered with her long brown hair that was left loose in curls. Surprisingly, she wasn''t wearing any heels, instead, her feet were covered in sneakers which was quite good considering that the ground was covered in a thick layer of snow. Even though the temperature of the space was minus degrees, she was not feeling any cold even in her sleeveless dress. The only jewelry that she still wore was the emerald ring on the index finger of her right hand. She stood up from the place where she had been sleeping under a small cave. Her eyes noticed the soft-looking blanket on which she had been sleeping all this while. The three fox spirits had already run away to play, leaving her alone with tons of questions swarming in her brain. She walked out of the cave and noticed that a light snowfall was still going on but it was the kind of snowfall that she liked to enjoy. Her hands raised on their own accords as she tried to catch the snowflakes. She was so lost in enjoying the snow without feeling any cold that she completely ignored the presence of the person who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and was now approaching her. It was not until she was suddenly pulled into a warm embrace from behind as he wrapped his arms around her waist, did she notice his presence. "What''s with all this?" She asked as she let her body relax in his embrace, letting her soul enjoy his nearness and warmth that had surrounded her the moment he appeared. "I can''t help myself. It''s killing me to keep my distance from you. So, I decided to create a dream to spend some time with you." Kaiden whispered in response. His hot breath fanning her ear before his lips placed a soft kiss on her earlobe, making the girl flush with both pleasure and shyness. "Won''t this make you exhausted? As far as I know, creating a dream with another person takes a lot of energy." Emily was concerned for his health. Though she was happy to see him, she did not want him to risk his health just so that the two of them could spend a dream together. "Don''t look down upon me. A mere spell like this is no big deal for me. Also, you are my energy booster. I will never be drained out of energy as long as you are by my side." Kaiden replied while he nuzzled his face in the crook of her shoulder, inhaling her familiar scent that made him tighten his arms around her. "So cheesy!" Emily scoffed but there was a smile playing on her lips, indicating that she was actually enjoying his cheesiness. "I''m just being serious, angel. You should trust me." Kaiden whispered against the bare skin of her neck, making Emily bit her bottom lip to stop the moan that was ready to escape her mouth. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes to calm down. Only a few seconds later she spoke in a soft voice, "Thanks for the dress. It''s beautiful." Kaiden finally pulled away his face from the crook of her neck as he rested his chin on her shoulder and spoke in a low husky voice, "You always look great no matter what you wear. Everything suits you because you are an angel." Emily chuckled softly as she turned her face to plant a quick soft kiss on his cheek facing her. To say that Kaiden was taken by surprise would be an understatement but he was sure was filled with joy as he smiled like a fool while rocking from left to right with the love of his life secure in his arms. "Sweetheart, thank you for the kiss." He said with a bubbly tone before he too planted a kiss on her cheek, making Emily burst out into giggles. "I love it when you laugh or smiles, especially when it happens because of me. It makes me feel like I''m a great boyfriend." He was not ready to stop yet, nowhere close to it. He kept whispering sweet syrupy words into her ear, making her flush and smile. "Angel, why don''t you turn around and take a look at my clothes? I have specially dressed up for you." Kaiden suggested her after a while and Emily immediately turned around while pulling herself out of his arms to look at his outfit, only to burst out into giggles when she saw what he was wearing. Chapter 196 - Surprise Dream Visit (Part Two) "What''s wrong with you?" Emily asked after she finally succeeded in calming down. Kaiden was wearing a fluffy pajama set which was made of see-through material and huge red flowers were printed on his white clothes. She could clearly see the matching white boxers that he was wearing. Instead of his chiseled body that she always used to picture in her mind seemed like all skins and bones which kind of confused her. But this was not the end. His shoulder-length silver hair was designed into curls, creating a bird''s nest on his head and he had died the end of his hair with rainbow colors. The smile disappeared from her lips when she noticed the frown which was decorating Kaiden''s face. "Why are you reacting like this? What''s wrong with my clothes?" He sounded genuinely confused as he looked at her with a sad expression. Emily recalled that when she had briefly turned her head to look at him when she kissed his cheek, she did not found anything wrong with his hair. She could not recall if his hair was left open or was tied, but she was sure that they definitely did not look like their current appearance. Her hand moved to cast a spell but she stopped when she realized that Shadow had forbidden her from using her powers. "I... I think there''s a spell placed on you that''s making you look funny to me. Your appearance that I''m currently seeing is way shocking and funnier than I would have ever dreamed of." She almost started laughing by the end but somehow controlled herself at the last moment. The frown deepened on Kaiden''s face as he moved his right hand and created a magical mirror to look at himself. The cold and threatening aura that immediately escaped his body made Emily shiver a little even though she knew that his anger wasn''t directed at her. "I''m going to kill whoever dared to place this spell on my clothes." He muttered through gritted teeth as he started taking off his fluffy shirt. As soon as his shirt hit the snow-covered ground, the spell broke and Kaiden returned to look like his original appearance. His hair was once again pure silver and was left loose. His underwear was no longer visible as he was now wearing tight black jeans accompanied by a beautiful shirt in dark purple color with black patterns on it. His sleeves were rolled up while three of the top buttons of the shirt were left open, leaving nearly half of his chiseled chest visible to her eyes. Yep! He no longer looked skinny and full of bones. Instead, he was once again packed with muscles and Emily''s hands were itching to explore the wonders that his shirt was hiding from her. The way she was inspecting him with such eagerness did not skip Kaiden''s attention. He found his anger disappearing as he recognized the look of craving hidden in her eyes as she mapped his upper body. A small smile appeared on his lips as he moved closer to fill the distance between the two of them. Emily was so indulged in checking him out that when he suddenly walked closer to her, her feet automatically moved back, only for her to lose her balance but thankfully she did not land on the ground as Kaiden pulled her towards him before that could happen. One of her hands landed on his shoulder while the other on his chest. She felt her hand burning as her fingers molded themselves into the soft material of his shirt. Kaiden moved his face closer to hers as he whispered into her ear, "You can take it off if you want. I''m all yours." He saw blush covering her cheeks as he pulled back his face to look at her. He wanted to pull her cheeks before planting dozens of kisses on them but he controlled himself since he had a bigger plan to work on at the moment. On the other hand, Emily was finally over her initial flustered state. She shook her head slightly before looking up straight into his eyes as she asked, "Are you saying this because you think I won''t do it?" Her voice came out calm and without any stuttering which immediately made her feel proud of herself. She watched a small twitch appearing on Kaiden''s lips as he pulled her a little bit closer to him before answering in a low voice, "I''m saying this because I really want you to take it off. I have been working out a lot recently just for you. Should not you take a look to see if I''m doing well or not?" Emily could not stop the smile that bloomed on her lips at his cheesiness. The man was being too cheesy for his own good. "I don''t want to make you sad. So I''ll take a peek just to analyze if your workout is paying off or not." She finally decided to stop denying herself the pleasure pot that was offered to her. Her fingers moved to work on the remaining buttons of his shirt while Kaiden helped to slip out the shirt from under his pants. The man was filled with excitement as he impatiently waited for her to get the buttons undone. "You are taking way too long, angel." He complained after merely five seconds causing Emily to arch one of her eyebrows as she responded, "And you are being too impatient." Kaiden decided to stay silent as he did not want her to get mad at him and stop. So he decided to be more patient. Though it barely took a few seconds, it felt like hours had passed before all the buttons were undone and the well-built body of Kaiden Sullivan became visible to Emily''s hungry eyes. She won''t deny the truth that the man had a body that could give the best models in the world a run for their money. His chest muscles, his eight packs, muscular arms, and smooth skin, everything screamed perfection and hotness. Her hands did not stop until the beautiful shirt was also laying on the ground and her eyes were still busy working over the God like body in front of her. Chapter 197 - Surprise Dream Visit (Part Three) Emily felt her throat drying as her eyes roamed over his bare chest. Her hands followed her eyes and without even knowing she started feeling up his muscles and abs. It was not until the fingers of her left hand reached his right nipple that was standing erect, did the man finally thought about stopping her. Before her fingers could move, Kaiden had already captured her hand in his light grip, making her finally tear her eyes away from his body to look up into his eyes, and man... all that she saw in them was a fiery hunger that suddenly made her feel like she had invited a beast whom she was not ready to control yet. "What do you think? Is my working out worth it?" He asked in a low voice as he kept his eyes trained on hers. Emily found herself nodding her head as she answered his question, "I think so." She watched as a beautiful smile appeared on his face, making him look even more handsome than before. He looked adorable when he smiled. Before she knew what she was doing, her lips had already placed a soft kiss at the corner of his mouth, shocking not only herself but Kaiden too. Realizing that her thirsty soul was getting out of control, she hurriedly pulled away with blushing cheeks as she tried to think of something to say. However, she did not get enough time to think because immediately she was pulled back into his arms as Kaiden had finally come out of his initial shock. "Don''t you think it''s unfair? You were planning on running away after molesting me." Kaiden complained in a low husky voice as he looked down at the flushed face of his angel who immediately looked up with a surprised expression on her face. "What do you mean by molesting? I just kissed you and it''s not like you are not enjoying it. How dare you... mmph!" Emily was silenced when the soft lips of her boyfriend landed on hers, engulfing her in a deep kiss that immediately took her breath away. This time, the kiss wasn''t light or soft like the first time and neither was it slow and sensual. Instead, it was deep, fast, and filled with hunger. As Kaiden''s lips moved over her soft warm lips, his hands also moved to pull her body closer to his, and as soon as their bodies came in contact, electric tingles of pleasure erupted all over his body. The softness of her body was completely opposite to his hard abs and muscles but their bodies fit together perfectly as if they were meant to be together. One of his hands moved to slide beneath her long silky hair and as soon as his palm came in contact with the bare skin of her back, her body moved even closer to him, closing the mere centimeter of distance that was previously left. A moan escaped Emily''s mouth as she gripped Kaiden''s shoulders tightly to stop her body from falling. His kiss, his body pressed against hers, his hand against her bare skin, all of this was too much for her to take in, and her legs were ready to give up on their job as they were about to turn into jellies. She somehow succeeded in pulling away from the kiss to grab some much-needed oxygen. Her breath was coming out in short gasps and she could feel the fire running all over her body as it was ready to burn her. Kaiden let his hand move upward from her back as he cupped her nape before he once again placed his lips on hers but this time, he made sure to take it slow and let her enjoy it. Emily was surprised by the softness of the kiss and just a single flick of his tongue against her lips and she was once again ready to give in under the high wave of pleasure that he was creating inside her. She closed her eyes and moved both of her hands to circle his neck before she moved her face to deepen the kiss. Kaiden welcomed her happily and let her take the charge of the kiss. One of his hands was safely wrapped around her waist, making sure that she was not going to fall. A low groan escaped his lips when he felt her hands moving in his hair and gripping them tightly as she tilted his mouth and bit down on his lower lip before pulling away from the kiss. Another groan left his mouth before he pulled the girl into another kiss and turned both of their bodies in an arc. The next moment, he had her pinned against the cave wall safely. His body trapping her in a cage that she was enjoying just as much as him. Emily did not pull away from the kiss, not even when she felt her body getting pressed against a hard stone wall. She just let herself enjoy the beautiful moment that her mate had created. One of her hands moved to cup the left side of his cheek before she let it trail down his jaw and towards his neck and shoulder. It soon was moving down his chest and then found itself feeling his abdomen muscles. She was enjoying the low groans that were coming out of his mouth as her hand kept searching and feeling up his perfect body but she did not get to enjoy teasing him for long as the next thing she knew, his lips were trailing kisses on her cheek before they started going downwards. Kaiden followed the same track as her naughty hand. Starting from her cheek, then her jaw which led to her neck where he showered a lot of kisses and heard her soft moans as she bit down on her lower lip to control the whimpers that were ready to slip out. Emily''s body suddenly jolted awake, if that was even possible seeing that it had been awake ever since he first touched her, when his lips planted a soft kiss on the crook of her neck - the exact place where he was supposed to mark her. Chapter 198 - Surprise Dream Visit (Part Four) Emily felt like she was going to burst because of the excitement and bubble of pleasure that was building inside her. Her fingers gripped his hair tightly as he once again nipped the skin of her neck. There was no doubt that there would be a hickey on her neck after this. "K-Kaiden..." His name slipped out as a moan through her lips. Her eyes flew open when she felt him pulling away. His eyes were like burning fire, filled with powerful blue flames but at the same time, they appeared like the overwhelming high waves of the ocean. "Are you alright?" He asked with worry evident in his eyes as he cupped her face with his hands and looked directly into her eyes to see if he went overboard. Emily smiled warmly at him as she let one of her hands rest on his while the other was still pressed against his left chest. "I''m okay. It''s just..." She was silent for a few seconds as she tried to collect the right words to explain her feelings, "... it''s just... all this is still a... dream... I can''t even see our soul marks..." Kaiden felt his heart tightening when he heard the sadness in her voice and he knew why she was feeling so bad about their current situation. For nearly six years, he had wished to see her soul mark for once. The need to see the mark that proved she was his, had been making him go insane. Undoubtedly, just like him, his angel also wanted to see his mark, and the first chance she got to see it, there was no mark at all. The good thing was that she realized that the absence of the mark was because of the lack of their physical bodies and not because of some other reasons. He immediately pulled her in his arms and started rubbing her back before speaking, "I''m sorry, angel. I should have paid attention to this. I''m really sorry." He then placed her right hand above his left chest where it had been resting just a few seconds ago. "Right here. Your mark is carved over right this place." He told her in a soft voice and smiled when he felt her fingers moving over his skin as if she was picturing the mark. After a short while, Emily finally looked up at him with a bright smile on her face. All the uneasiness that she had been feeling a while ago had already disappeared and she was back to feeling normal. "Let''s go to another date after this." She told him and watched as her mate immediately nodded his head in agreement with a huge smile on his lips. Kaiden placed a soft kiss on her forehead but let out a satisfied gasp when she suddenly pulled his face down to once again claim his lips in a soft kiss. He was more than ready to give her whatever she wanted and since she wanted to kiss him then he was going to let her kiss him to her heart''s content. Their lips moved in sync, tasting and teasing each other, playing around as they both enjoyed the sweet moment. Once again Emily felt soft pleasurable tingles wakening up as they started roaming all over her body and made her press her body against his. Kaiden''s arms immediately wrapped themselves around her in appreciation and also as a protective shield. The girl in his arms was the most precious person in his life other than Rylan and he was ready to protect her and keep her always happy with everything that he had got. He was ready to walk with her as her companion and also to treat her as his equal in their relationship. He was ready to be the one and only Mr. Right for her. After a minute or two, the two of them finally pulled away. This time both of them had beautiful smiles on their faces as they gazed into each other''s eyes. "Every time I see you, it feels like I''m falling for you more and more, again and again. You make me feel like a... like a man who has fallen so deep that he has no other choice but to cling to his girl. Not like I have any other ideas. I''m more than happy to cling to you for the rest of my life." Even Kaiden realized that he sounded too cheesy but the fact was that every single word that he just spoke was nothing but the truth. "It''s good. You should keep falling till you reach the bottom. I''ll be waiting there for you." Emily replied to his remark, receiving another heart-melting smile from him before he pulled her in a warm embrace. "You are a fast learner. Now you have learned the art of cheekiness from me." He whispered as he placed his chin on the crown of her head and watched as his girl pressed her face against his throat and planted a feathery kiss on his adam''s apple. As he inhaled deeply, affected by her sudden action, he felt her lips curling into a smile. She sure was enjoying the moment. He just wished that instead of a dream, all of this would have been real. "Are you free on Monday evening?" He asked her after a while and found her nodding her head after thinking for a few seconds. "Good. I''ll take you somewhere. I want you to meet my wolf so badly. I first thought about letting the two of you meet here but now I don''t think it''s a great idea. The first meeting is so special, so it should happen in the real world and not in a dream." Kaiden told her and watched as she nodded her head in understanding. Though Emily was water to meet his wolf, she also wanted to meet him in the real world and not in a fantasy. Just like Kaiden said - the first meeting was special. Chapter 199 - Hopeless [Flashback - ] Nightfall Academy ~ A frustrated sigh left Emily''s lips as she threw away the pebble that she had been holding in her hand for the past half an hour. "I can''t do this anymore. I''m completely hopeless. It''s been over a month and I''m still unable to perform even a single spell." She felt like throwing a tantrum but unfortunately, she was no longer back at her home with her brothers. "Emy, don''t be so sad. Didn''t I tell you that it took me nearly three weeks to learn my first ever spell? There''s nothing wrong with taking time to learn. Everyone has their own pace. All that you need is to have confidence in yourself." Ava Montero, a friend that Emily had found during her magical theory classes, said as she walked closer to stand next to her. Emily just shook her head as she muttered in a sad tone, "It''s not the same. You were only five years old when you started learning spells. It''s normal for a child to take some time to learn but I''m not a child." Ava sighed softly before she took hold of Emily''s hands as she spoke, "Emy, a beginner is a beginner. Age never matters. Right now you are just as new to spells and charms as I was back then. You are seeing a difference in our situation because that''s what you want to see, not because there''s actually any difference." Emily remained silent as she pondered on what her friend had just said. Somewhere deep down in her heart, she knew that Ava was right but for some stupid reason, she was not ready to believe in it yet. "She''s right. You are doing bad in your classes because that''s what you want to do and not because you are not capable enough." Shadow''s cold voice suddenly disturbed the silence of the empty classroom where Emily and Ava were practicing. As her eyes landed on his familiar figure, she found him staring back with coldness and anger in his eyes. It was clear that he was losing his patience with her. She immediately looked away, not liking his coldness at all. "Shadow...!" She heard Rylan whispering something to Shadow and when she again looked up in their direction, she was surprised to see that Shadow had calmed down a little bit. "You all can leave now. I''ll be with her." He told her friends who immediately left the classroom, leaving her alone with him. Shadow turned to look at the girl who was standing like a statue as she stared at her shoes with great interest. He immediately felt bad for losing his calm in front of her but the current situation was seriously driving him crazy. He started walking towards her and when he finally stood in front of her, he felt the darkness that was surrounding her. He did not like it when her aura turned dark and gloomy. It''s supposed to be full of lights and joy. He held her chin in his hand before making her look up at him as he spoke, "I''m not angry at you, Princess. I was in a bad mood when I came here to meet you and did not even notice that I was not in the right state. I''ll never dare to raise my voice at you. I''m sorry for making you uncomfortable." Emily was surprised by his words. She could feel the sincerity in his voice and she knew that he was really feeling sorry for his actions even though he did nothing wrong. The care that Shadow had been showing her ever since they came to the Nightfall Academy was making her see him in a new light. But what she failed to notice was exactly how much he was risking to keep her safe and happy. Just like how she failed to notice that all the bad feelings that were swarming her mind a few minutes ago, the hopelessness, the sadness, and the exhaustion that she had been experiencing the entire day, had suddenly left her. She failed to notice that the man standing in front of her was not only apologizing but also taking away all the dark and sad aura that had been surrounding her and it was not the first time when he did that. Without her realizing, he had been doing this every time the darkness started getting heavier over her. He took them away only to suffer himself when the darkness inside him started punishing him. "You are hurt... again..." Emily suddenly spoke as she took hold of his hand that was holding her chin. Since she was no longer under the compulsion of the darkness, her mind was once again working properly, finally making her see the bruises that still had to fade from his hand. Shadow immediately tried to pull his hand away but unfortunately, the girl was not letting him away that easily. She rolled up his sleeve only to see bruises and faint lines of cuts over his arm. She hurriedly rolled up his other sleeve and found the same result. "Take off your shirt!" She ordered him in a hard tone. Her hands were clutched into tight fists as she tried to calm down her emotions. "Princess, I am perfectly..." Shadow tried to speak but was silenced when she suddenly pulled on his collar with huge force, tearing down his black shirt as the buttons flee away in all directions. The next thing he knew, his shirt was lying on the floor while his bruised upper body was visible to her. Shadow cursed himself in his mind for being dumb enough to take the risk. He should have waited for his injuries to heal before coming to find her but seeing that he had lost a lot of blood and energy, it probably would have taken him an entire day to heal and it was impossible for him to wait for so long. The moment he felt that the darkness was getting heavier over her, he was there to help her out and take away the evil force. Chapter 200 - Not Allowed [Flashback continued - ] Emily could not find the courage to look at his bruises anymore. She took in a deep breath before fixing her eyes on his face while he tried his best to avoid looking at her. She felt her heart getting heavier as she asked, "How can you even date to say that you are alright? You are not perfectly fine. This is the third time I''ve caught you injured within the past two weeks. Can I ask you exactly what is going on with you? Why are you always hurt? Were you also hurt this badly at those times too? How long are you planning to keep me in the dark? Don''t I deserve to know anything about you?" The tears that she had been trying to keep in check were now freely running down her cheeks as she found nothing but silence in response to her questions. Neither did he look at her nor did he reply to even a single one of her questions. "Shadow..." She called him again, feeling like his silence was crushing something inside her and it was too painful for her to bear. A whispered groan of pain escaped her lips as her hands flew to cover her chest which was suddenly filled with an intense pain that it was becoming impossible for her to breathe properly. Her painful cry finally succeeded in pulling Shadow''s attention towards her and the next moment she was safely wrapped in his arms as he channeled his soul energy into her body to ease the pain. It was probably only a minute but for her, it felt like long painful hours but the good thing was that it disappeared completely just like that without leaving any side effects. "Are you okay?" Shadow asked her in a worried tone and Emily immediately nodded her head to calm him down. She watched as his muscles relaxed while he pulled her in a tight hug while whispering, "You scared me, Princess. You are not allowed to cry for me ever again after today. I''ll tell you everything. Give you all the answers and explanations that you want from me but you have to promise that you will never shed a tear for me." *** [Present - ] Emily woke up as she heard her brothers buzzing like bees outside the tent. She checked the time and found that it was barely six-twelve in the morning. A few minutes later, she walked out of the tent and was immediately greeted by Domenic who was once again busy on his laptop while sipping his coffee. "Do you even know the meaning of taking a break?" She asked him as she looked at his laptop to see what important work he had to take care of this early in the morning. "Good morning to you too, Emilia," Domenic replied calmly while he continued his work. "You are hopeless brother." She muttered with a shake of her head before she left to freshen up and get ready for the day. By the time they all finished eating their breakfast, it was already half-past seven o''clock and Emily was filled with exciting ideas to continue the day. "Are you sure there are fishes in this stream?" Emily asked Leo who immediately shook his head in denial while giving her a sheepish smile. The girl wanted to throw her hands at this point. No one agreed with any of her suggestions and now here she was, trying to catch a fish when she was not even sure if there was any fish in the water or not. "I''m tired. It''s been over an hour and we haven''t caught a single fish. In not doing this anymore." She told her brother and Rylan who was also giving them company or more like he was clinging to Leo like there was no tomorrow. "Are you sure you wanna go?" Leo asked her with an evil smirk on his lips which made her frown as she tried to guess what kind of crafty ideas were floating in his mind. The next moment, both Leo and Rylan shared knowing looks and immediately started attacking her with water splashes, making her squeal as the cold water touched her skin. "Are you guys nuts? Stop it!" She tried to stop them but of course, it was futile. The boys were in no mood of listening to her. "Come on, Em. This is so much fun!" Leo shouted as he picked up his speed and even sent a splash towards Rylan who was definitely not expecting it. Seeing that they were not going to stop until she would be completely drenched, she decided to run away. However, she would have barely taken a few steps when something sharp pierced the skin of her left foot, making her cry out in pain as she lost her balance and landed on her knees which immediately got bruised after coming in contact with the sharp pebbles and rocks that were hidden beneath the water near the side of the stream. "Emily...!" "Em...! Are you okay?" The dumb question was asked by Crist who had appeared beside her as he tried to help her stand with the help of Kaiden and Rylan who were also surrounding her. But the sharp pain in her foot and knees made her again lose her balance. Fortunately, before she could have ended up in the water again, Mark had already picked her up in his arms as he raced towards the tent where Shadow, Domenic, and Simon were waiting with worried expressions covering all of their faces. "Get me a towel and the first aid kit." Mark hurriedly ordered as he placed her on the carpet and crouched down beside her while inspecting her knees and left foot. Through the pain that was making her grit her teeth, Emily succeeded in witnessing the warm moment when she saw the worry in Mark''s eyes. Suddenly, she was no longer feeling bad for getting hurt even though the pain was really too much at the moment for her to handle. "Let me heal her." "I can heal her." Chapter 201 - Double Standards Emily immediately looked up at the two stupid men who decided to be generous at a completely wrong moment. Her eyes glared directly at Kaiden and Shadow as she told them silently to shut up and back off. She was finally receiving the much-needed attention from Mark and the rest of her brothers and these two men were planning on ruining the chance. Kaiden was surprised when he found his angel glaring at him and soon realized that Shadow was receiving the same treatment which immediately made him feel good. He felt someone tapping on his arm and when he turned to look, he found Shadow staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face but his eyes were telling him something that he failed to catch. On the other hand, Emily hurriedly put on a soft expression on her face when she realized that most of her brothers had noticed her glaring at Kaiden and Shadow. Rylan and Crist were even smirking while Domenic just shook his head with a soft sigh. The good thing was that Mark was too busy inspecting her foot that he totally missed the exchanges between her and the others. "Alright. Heal it quickly or it will start to swell." Mark told Kaiden and Shadow as he turned to look at both of them. He did not care which of them was going to heal her as long as they could do the job perfectly. "I''m sensing some kind of energy source in the northeast direction. You take care of her for now. The two of us will go and take a look around the area..." Shadow tried to cook up a story to leave the place and not destroy the plan that Emily had in her mind. However, Mark had his plans because he immediately questioned them in a cold and low voice, "Are you both really thinking about helping her with her stupid idea even if meant that she would be experiencing pain and discomfort all the time?" "Nearly more than four years had passed and she''s still as childish and selfish as before. She had learned nothing at all, still loves to play with others'' emotions, and love. Still loves to destroy others'' trust..." His words were filled with so much sadness and pain that even his brothers were shocked to hear him speak out the hurt that he had been keeping inside him all these years. But to Emily, his words were like slaps on her cheek that finally pulled her out of her misunderstanding that she would be forgiven just by being cute and adorable all the time. With a quick flick of her fingers, she healed her injured foot and knees before standing up hurriedly. "What the heck are you doing, Em? You were not supposed to use your powers. Don''t you know about the troub..." Rylan trailed off when he saw tears rolling down her cheek. His brother was immediately beside her as he put his hand around her shoulder to comfort her but looking at her rigid state, it appeared as if comfort was the last thing that she needed at the moment. Rylan felt his wolf becoming restless as it felt the disturbance in Emily''s soul through their spirit guardian bond. He also noticed the restlessness in his brother whose wolf was definitely experiencing something similar or even more considering that the two of them were joined together at a deeper level. Emily pulled away from Kaiden and gave him a soft assuring smile that was clearly forced. She then turned to look directly at her brothers who seemed to be disturbed but also confused. Her gaze stopped on Mark who still refused to look at her. "I''m sorry... sorry for being selfish... sorry for leaving you guys four years ago all of a sudden... sorry for not keeping in contact after leaving... and... sorry for... trying to keep you guys safe... from me..." Her voice was low but firm as she finally decided to take the chance to speak out the words that had been hiding deep inside her heart for so long. "When I first returned to the mansion five years ago, I was barely invited in the family... but then you all opened up to me and accepted me as your family. You made me come out of my shell and look forward to our happy future together..." "I know that you guys love me so much, that... that you all are trying your best to keep me safe and protected... but what I don''t understand is the double standards that you all have created. If it''s you all trying to keep me safe then it''s fine because as my family and friends, you guys are allowed to do that..." She quieted down for a few seconds to take in a deep breath before she continued, "... but why I''m not allowed to do the same?" Her sudden outburst caused everyone to look at her in surprise. She seemed even more hurt and vulnerable than how Mark seemed just a minute before. "Do I regret leaving for Nightfall Academy? No, I don''t! If given a chance, I will still choose to leave but it''s also true that I regret hurting all of you. If I can really get a second chance, I would have made sure to get permission from all of you. There was not even a si gel day when I did not miss you all. All my birthdays, Halloweens, Christmases, and New Years were spent away from you guys. Except for Shadow, Rylan, and Shane, none of you were there with me." Another tear rolled down her cheek but she hurriedly wiped it away before she looked up to face the men who were looking at her with shocked expressions on their faces. "Why... why I''m not allowed to protect you guys when you have the freedom to protect me? Is it because I''m the youngest or because according to you guys I''m the weakest one here?" Chapter 202 - Wasnt A Happy End "Emily..." Crist called out her name but his voice quivered because of the emotions that had suddenly taken over him. He wasn''t prepared for her questions and explanations and hearing her words was making him feel worse for treating her so coldly just because of the bet. Just because they all were hurt and angry because of her actions, they completely forgot to think about her feelings. They were just angry because she decided to leave but none of them ever tried to find out the actual reason for which she left. And now when it was time for the revelation, he felt like none of them was prepared for it. "What do you mean? Why would you even feel the need of protecting us? And from whom were you trying to protect us?" "ME! I WAS TRYING TO PROTECT YOU GUYS FROM ME!" Emily''s sudden cry silenced Simon as he stared at his sister in surprise. Her words repeating in his brain as he tried to understand exactly what she meant. He watched as Mark finally turned to look at her. His face was carrying the same shocked expression as the rest of his brothers had visible on their faces. Only Kaiden, Rylan, and Shadow seemed to be aware of what she was talking about and probably even Domenic too. "What do you mean, Em? Why are you talking like this? You are our sister. We don''t need to be protected from you." Leo spoke up as he felt his eyes brimming with unshed tears as he saw the pain in his sister''s eyes. Emily started shaking her head as she laughed mockingly at Leo''s words while crying at the same time. "You are wrong, Leo. The person who''s most dangerous for you guys is no one else but me, your own sister. Not the rogues that kept attacking the city and you all because they are unhappy about how they are unable to roam freely around the human societies doing exactly what they desired to do. Not your business and family rivals. Not those mysterious forces who are trying to capture me because of my special powers. No, none of them are powerful enough to hurt you guys but me... I''m the one who''s the most dangerous here because none of you are guarded towards me." "It was true that one of the reasons why I left is because I thought that I was creating unnecessary troubles for you guys. But the main reason was that I knew by staying here, sooner or later I would have ended up giving into my darkness..." "And it''s so scary. My darkness... it''s so scary... It can hurt anyone and everyone... It can hurt you guys..." Emily didn''t even realize that she was shaking. Her body was experiencing the same pain that her heart and brain were experiencing at the moment. Unlike in the past, this time, the darkness did not come out to take over her as she was in a vulnerable state but she could feel it flowing under her skin, mixed with her energy of magic. She had learned to control it for the time being but she still remembered what Professor Terrance had told her on the last day of her final term - ''it''s bound to return.'' The train of her thoughts was disturbed when she felt strong arms pulling her against a warm chest, making her immediately relax a little bit. "Do you want to go home?" He asked her softly while rubbing the crown of her head with pure tenderness. Emily did not waste even a single second before hurriedly nodding her head in response. She felt him nodding his head in acknowledgment of her request before he turned his attention to those who were standing there like statues. He could tell that none of her brothers had any idea about what to do or how to react. They were just too shocked and full of questions that they just kept standing there like statues. Even though they too wanted to hug their sister and tell her that they were there for her, none of them moved. "Take care of her... please." Domenic''s voice sounded like a plea as he looked at the man who was holding his sister with such tenderness and effectiveness in his arms. "I promise. Let''s go." He said with the man standing right beside him after giving his promise to Domenic. The next second, Emily, Kaiden, and Shadow''s silhouette disappeared from there, leaving the others behind. Mark was the first to move but he just fell back on his knees as he burst out into sobs. His heart felt like it had been torn apart and then jammed back into his chest. Every single word that left Emily''s mouth was now haunting him and he felt like he just wanted to curl into a ball and disappear. Daniel crouched down beside his wailing brother and put his arm around him as he tried to comfort him, even though he himself was not in a state to handle his emotions. As soon as Mark started sobbing, Leo too lost his hold over his tears, burying himself in Domenic''s embrace who wrapped his arms tightly around his little brother and rubbed his head. Rylan gave a last look to Leo but seeing Domenic taking care of him, he felt a little bit relieved. Also, he too was overwhelmed by Emily''s words. After all, he was one of those few people who had witnessed her pain and struggles in the past four years. Not wanting to stay at the site any longer, he too decided to leave, not caring about his clothes and the other stuff at the moment. He just wanted to go away. Simon and Crist their brothers breaking down and it took everything in Simon to not let his emotions overpower him. He gave Crist a tight squeeze on his arms before he turned around to start packing up. Their camping trip had finally come to an end... unfortunately... it wasn''t a happy end. Chapter 203 - Embarrassed Shadow looked at the sleeping form of Emily. It had taken a lot of effort from him and Kaiden to calm her down and make her relax enough to fall asleep. After making sure that she was covered properly with the duvet, he left her bedroom and headed towards the living room where Kaiden was sitting. "She will be alright, right?" He asked as soon as he noticed Shadow walking into the living room. The worry and fear in his eyes made Shadow feel bad for the man. It was the first time when he had seen his mate in such an emotionally vulnerable situation in a long time and he sure wasn''t prepared for it. On the other hand, Shadow had always been beside her throughout her journey of struggling with her past and emotional states. He had already seen her in her most vulnerable state and he also knew that she was strong enough to pull herself together and move on. The girl was way stronger than they thought. He took a seat beside Kaiden on the sofa as he replied with a slight nod, "Don''t worry. She''s strong. She will be completely fine by tomorrow. I''m more worried about her brothers." The two of them were silent for the next few moments. Kaiden had clearly relaxed a little bit after knowing that his mate was fine. His mind kept playing the scene of what happened in the morning. He recalled how Emily was looking like she was completely tired of keeping everything hidden inside her, how she was tired of apologizing, and how she was tired of fighting with her past. Both his heart and wolf were crying just recalling the scene where his mate looked like she was so scared... she was scared of herself. Neither he nor his wolf liked the fact that she called herself dangerous. She wasn''t dangerous. She could never be dangerous. "Are you alright?" Shadow could not help but ask as he felt the disturbance in his energy. His emotions were clearly overpowering him at the moment. Kaiden found himself shaking his head in denial and shocked himself when he let his head rest against Shadow''s shoulder. The latter was so shocked that he almost jumped away but Kaiden''s grip on his arm kept him from moving. "What are you doing?" Shadow asked as he tried to slide away from the man who was using his shoulder as a pillow. "She told me that you have the ability of taking away all the worries and sadness of people. That whenever she feels like she can''t handle it anymore, a small warm gesture from you can take away all her negative thoughts. In her description, you sound like a guardian angel." Kaiden spoke in a low voice and relaxed against Shadow who had finally stopped moving. "You are not her." That''s all Shadow said in response but did not try to move away from the man who had fully relaxed against him. "I know. But I''m someone important to her. You should start caring about me too. I think it will make her happy." Kaiden found himself saying as he closed his eyes to take a little rest. On the other hand, Shadow could not help but scoff at the shamelessness of the man but once again he did not move and just let Kaiden relax against him. He had already absorbed a lot of negative energy from Emily to calm her and seeing that Kaiden was also not in a good state, he decided to help the man only once considering that his health was important since he was his Princess'' mate. By the time he finished, his powers were fighting inside him to escape from the darkness. He was surprised that his powers were still trying to not accept the darkness and poison that had been running inside him for years. It had already become a part of him but his saint-like body still refused to accept the bitter truth. He was so tired that he did not even realize that Kaiden''s slow and steady breathing was pulling him into the dark abyss too and soon enough he too had fallen asleep on the sofa with Kaiden sleeping next to him with his head resting against Shadow''s shoulder. That''s how Emily found them after two hours. She woke up feeling thirsty and when she walked out of her bedroom to get a glass of water, she noticed the two men who were fast asleep on the sofa in her living room. The glass of water almost slipped from her hand when she found them. Kaiden was still sleeping soundly with his head resting against Shadow''s shoulder while one of Shadow''s arms was wrapped around Kaiden. She was surprised to see that Shadow didn''t wake up as soon as she entered the living room. His sharp senses always kept him on alert mode and the faintest voice seems to disturb him but not today. She found a small smile making its way to her lips as she observed the two of them with warmth in her eyes. She still could not understand her connection with Shadow. He was not just a friend or someone who had become dear to her in the past years. No! The connection between them felt like it had been there for a long time. What she felt towards him was too powerful and deep for her to express in words. It wasn''t anything similar to what she had with Kaiden but it was also not that kind of affection that she had towards her brothers and friends, it was different but beautiful. Many times she wanted to ask Shadow about their connection but a voice inside her head always stopped her. Something kept telling her to not dig about it, that it was better for her to never find out the answer because she was not prepared. And the truth was - she would never be prepared. No one would be prepared for the revelation. *** After taking a bath, Emily dressed up in normal white shorts and a light green loose shirt with a kitty printed on it. Her waist-length hair was braided loosely and she was finally feeling like her body had got the chance to breathe properly. When she walked out f her room this time and entered the kitchen and living room area, she found both Kaiden and Shadow shuffling in the kitchen as they worked on a late afternoon lunch. It was past three o''clock and her tummy was rumbling as it expressed its unhappiness about the lack of food. Kaiden was the first one who noticed her and just in a blink of an eye, he was beside her. His eyes keenly looking at her to make sure that she was okay. Emily smiled softly at him before she let herself fell into his arms. Her head came to rest against his chest while she moved her hands to wrap around his waist. "Next time don''t harass Shadow. You can come and cuddle with me." She found herself speaking in a low voice but of course, both the men heard her. She noticed the slightest slip of Shadow''s hand as he was moving the spatula but that was all he gave away before he continued as nothing happened. But Kaiden was completely embarrassed by her words. He still had no idea about why he did that. Just recalling the moment when he woke up and found himself sleeping against a fast asleep Shadow, he wanted to erase the last few hours from history. And now listening to his mate''s words and realizing that she too saw them, he was utterly embarrassed. "You could have pretended as you saw nothing." He muttered as he brushed her hair away from her left ear before pulling on her ear lobe slightly with his finger and thumb. "Why should I do that? If you are not embarrassed about harassing him then you should also not be embarrassed about accepting it." Emily told him as she finally pulled away from the hug and moved towards the kitchen aisle. "What do you mean by I harassed him? I did nothing like that. You can ask him. He was totally fine..." "Kaiden, just shut up!" Shadow whispered shouted at the stupid wolf who was only making the situation more awkward. Kaiden immediately quieted down but not before giving the man a sad pouting look which of course did nothing to melt Shadow''s hard cold heart. "Are you hungry?" Shadow asked Emily to change the topic. After seeing her teasing Kaiden and the twinkle that was back in her emerald eyes, he knew that she was emotionally stable at the moment which made him finally relax. Just because he never showed it did not mean that he wasn''t worried too and just because he knew that she would be okay also did not mean that he worried any less. "I am. There are huge cats running around in my stomach at the moment. I want yummy food." Emily responded as she picked up a spoon and moved to taste the chicken soup that Shadow had prepared. Chapter 204 - Forever "Are we going to watch a movie or something?" Emily asked as she took a seat beside Kaiden on the sofa in the living room. "That''s the plan," Shadow replied as he went to choose a movie and ended up selecting a sci-fi movie. Within a minute all three of them were seated on the sofas with snacks and cold drinks filling up the entire coffee table as they waited for the movie to start. Kaiden wrapped one of his arms around her shoulder before he loosened up and started to enjoy the movie which started with a scene of the apocalypse. Emily let her three little treasures came out from their space and the fox spirits were more than happy to accompany their master. One of the fox spirits climbed up into her lap and started rubbing its head against her belly, making her giggle as she rubbed its ears to show her affection. She loved spending her time with the three of them and they too seemed to be more than happy to get some attention from their master. -- It was around six-thirty in the evening when Emily heard the doorbell ringing. "I''ll go and check," Kaiden said as he hurriedly stood up and moved towards the door. A small smile was playing on his lips as he felt the nervousness of those who were standing outside the apartment. Emily waited in the living room and after a few seconds, she watched Mark and Simon walking into the room with Kaiden. Without saying anything, Mark followed Kaiden towards the hallway leading to their bedrooms, while Simon stood rooted to the floor near the entrance. "I''ll go and get ready," Shadow said as he stood up from his seat and after giving her a quick nod he too escaped from the room. But Emily was confused by his choice of words. What did he mean by getting ready? They had no plans of going out, then why he had to get ready? "Em..." Her attention was pulled over to her brother who had finally walked closer to her and was now standing right in front of her. His eyes were filled with so many emotions that Emily was taken aback for a few seconds. Suddenly, she felt very nervous. Recalling how she had reacted towards her brothers in the morning, she was both embarrassed and scared. Embarrassed because she actually ended up losing her calm and scared because she dreaded about what would happen to her relation with her brothers. Unlike how she failed to grasp the many emotions that were swimming through Simon''s eyes, her brother did not fail to see and understand her emotions that were clearly visible on her face. "I... I... T-today... I... I didn''t..." Emily tried to speak but she could barely make a single sensible word come out of her mouth. Her fingers were fidgeting as she grasped the hem of her shirt. The very next second, she found herself surrounded by the familiar warmth that belonged to Simon. His strong muscular arms were wrapped around her as he rubbed her back to calm her down and she indeed felt herself relaxing in his embrace. "Brother..." A low cry escaped her lips as she found her heart crying. She was afraid of losing her brothers but she was also grateful to receive the familiar warmth from one of her brothers. "Sssh...! It''s alright, Em. Everything is alright. I''m here with you and we are here to take you back home. Everyone is waiting for your return." Simon told her in a soft voice as he kept patting her shoulder. "Home?" Emily found herself asking as she pulled away from the hug to look at her brother''s face who nodded his head with a soft smile as he replied, "Yes, home. Our home." The relief and warmth that immediately took over her mind and body almost made her collapse on the floor but Simon hurriedly caught her before she could fall. As she was trying to regain her strength, she felt another set of hands helping her to stand up before his voice entered her ears. "What''s wrong with her? Is she not feeling okay? Is her foot still hurting? But they told me that she..." Mark trailed off when Emily suddenly turned to face him. Her tear-filled eyes looking at him in surprise but also hope. As a tear rolled down her cheek, he found himself brushing it away with his thumb before he cupped one of her cheeks in his hand as he spoke, "Little Star, I''m sorry. I''m sorry for being the worst brother possible. I was so selfish. I only cared about my feelings and neglected yours. I''m sorry for not... for failing to understand you..." His own voice was shaking as he acknowledged his mistakes and shortcomings. It was true that he was really hurt and scared of her decision of leaving the city four years ago but after listening to her in the morning, he realized that the one who''s the most scared was no one else but his little sister. She was the one who''s hurting the most. She was the one who''s scared the most and she was also the one who stayed strongest throughout all her pain and fears. "I''m sorry. To be honest, I don''t know what I''m supposed to do at the moment to make up for our faults... but we really want you to return. That house... it''s just a mansion without you. There''s no feeling of home and warmth in it. The six of us are always incomplete because of your absence. Will you come back with us? Will you return to your home and your brothers? We promise to not repeat the same mistakes." Emily threw her arms around Mark''s neck as she let herself fell into his arms which immediately pulled her securely in his embrace. The two of them were shaking as they cried together in sadness but also happiness. Soon enough, another person joined them and the brother and sister moved to give space to Simon whose eyes were looking red as he tried to be the big brother at the moment and not cry. Their hug lasted for a few minutes before the three of them pulled away with puffy eyes and tear-soaked faces. "Come and help me to pack up. I have a lot of clothes and stuff to take with me." Emily said in a low voice as she tried to wipe her face with her hands but got stopped by Kaiden who took out tissues to help her wipe her face. "It''s already packed. Everything is packed and ready to move." He told her as he finished tidying up her face. Emily frowned as she looked at him with a confused expression. In response to her unasked question, Kaiden tapped her shoulder, and the next second she was dressed in black jeans, a black tank top with a white cardigan. Her hair was pulled back in a high bun while her face was back to normal, free of all the evidence of her crying. Realizing that Kaiden and Shadow had used spells to pack up all the stuff, she nodded her head in understanding before she turned to look at her brothers. "Let''s go. I wanna go back." Her voice still quivered because of emotions but her eyes were filled with sparkles at the thought of returning to her home where the rest of her brothers were waiting. She kept holding her brothers'' hands throughout the drive back to the Alessandro mansion. Her heart was beating rapidly at the thought of returning to her home after so many years. She felt both excited and nervous. "Emy..." "Hmm..." Emily turned to look at Mark who was sitting in her right. His hands were holding her right hand as if he was afraid that she would disappear if he let her go even by an accident. He looked directly into the emerald-like eyes of his sister as he asked, "We can start all over again, right? We can try to learn about each other at a better level. We can learn to respect and value each other. We are going to be together forever, right?" Even he was not aware of how much he needed to hear her replying with a ''yes''. His heart was beating rapidly as he waited for her response. Simon was too looking at his sister as he also waited to hear her response. Just like his brother, he too wanted to hear a positive reply from her. His hands tightened their hold on her small slender hand but made sure to not hurt her. He watched as she turned to look at him with a soft smile playing on her lips. And then, she nodded her head as she replied, "As long as we are together, we can do anything. This time we will make sure to not hurt each other''s feelings and we are going to stay together forever. I promise... I won''t leave you guys ever again. I will always stay with you all unless you guys will become tired of me and kick me out." Her brothers chuckled lightly at her last sentence but they immediately wrapped their arms around her to hug her again. "We will stay together... forever..." Chapter 205 - AIL Labels "Do you like it?" Daniel asked curiously as he watched his sister taking a bite of the apple pie that he had especially prepared for her. Emily hurriedly nodded her head in response as she enjoyed the rich flavor coating her taste buds. She had missed the taste of delicious foods that her Second brother used to cook. "Here''s the wine. It''s one of the expensive ones... from the top shelf." Leo informed Domenic as he returned to the dining hall with a wine bottle. The sheepish grin on his face clearly stated that he was happy to take advantage of the moment to taste such a rare wine. Nick just shook his head with a barely noticeable smile on his lips but did not say anything. It was such a happy occasion where his family had become complete once again. He was just happy and wanted to enjoy the moment. Crist helped Leo to pour the wine into the glasses before handing them over to everyone. Emily''s raised one of her eyebrows when she found them handing a glass to her. It was the first time when she would be drinking with her brothers and the thought excited her. Domenic grabbed everyone''s attention towards him when he stood up while holding the glass of wine. He looked at everyone sitting around the table before he let his eyes settle on his sister. "Today was a really special day. Many things happened... but thankfully... at the end of the day, we are still together as a family. This is to welcome our sister back and also to welcome Shadow... not as Emily''s bodyguard, nor as her close friend but as a family member. He is a family too." Everyone clapped and smiled as they all stood up to cheer. Emily smiled as she looked at Shadow with warmth. The man was taken by surprise as he stared at Domenic and the others with a dumbfounded expression on his face. "I''m hoping that you don''t have any objections. We are more than happy to welcome you as one of us in the family. You will be equal to us but will hold your freedom to do whatever you want." Domenic looked at Shadow, waiting for the man to come out of his shocked state. Emily nudged the man who turned to look at her with questioning eyes. In response, she gave him a warm smile as she said in a soft voice, "Welcome to the family, Shadow." Slowly, his lips twitched as a small smile bloomed on his face. He nodded his head at her before he turned to look at her brothers and raised his wine glass as he thanked everyone. They all cheered with happiness as they enjoyed the warm reunion and welcomed Shadow as a family member. After a long time, the Alessandro mansion was once again filled with the energy of joy and warmth. *** Emily canceled her date with Kaiden that the two had planned for Monday as she wanted to spend a few days with her family. Though Master Sullivan wasn''t too happy, he understood her reasoning and was more than ready to comply as long as it meant she would be happy. After Emily''s return to the mansion, the huge house had once again become a home. They all started having breakfast together and in the evening, they made sure to spend a few hours together either playing games, relaxing after a tiring workday, or watching tv. -- AIL LABELS - Emily climbed out of her car and entered the twelve-storey building that she had recently purchased in the central city to open a branch of her company in City A. The guards and receptionist greeted her as she moved towards the private elevator that led to the upper floors where the head departments and her office were located. Jenna, her secretary, greeted her with a cup of her favorite coffee as soon as she walked out of the elevator. "Boss, Ms. Harris has connected us a few days ago regarding the shipping of the fabrics. Mr. Redley had already checked all the details and he''s ready to accept the deal but he still wants to discuss it with you. He has been waiting for you." Jenna notified her boss as she followed the young lady to the private sitting area where Mr. Redley, Head of the clothing department, was waiting for them. "Redley." Emily greeted her Academy friend with a small smile on her face as she moved to take a seat after signaling him to do the same. "Mam... I mean Emy... I know that you trust me enough to handle my brand and all its important decisions on my own but this is about us partnering up with a new company and it''s a very important decision. I want you to personally take a look at it before permitting me to sign it." Redley told his friend in a serious tone. A sigh left Emily''s mouth as she realized that no matter how hard she would try, he won''t be listening to her and in the end, she would still have to check the partnership situation. Her company, AIL Labels, was an organization of several different divisions, and the head of these divisions were her close friends whom she met with during the past four years. Zara Monroe was the first one who joined hands with her to reunite their small brands together. While Emily had created her own webcomic app, Zara was creating an app for novels. The two worked together as they had a lot in common. The second person who joined her team was Smith Willow. He was introduced to Emily by Shadow and unlike Zara, Smith wasn''t studying at the Academy. Rather, he was a thirty-year-old man who had a small book shop in the town near the Academy. When Emily saw his story drafts, she was immediately impressed. The man had great potential. He joined Zara and the two of them worked together on the writing app. While Emily kept getting help from Erica and her team of experts. During her time in the Academy, Emily met a lot of students who had their ideas and plans for creating or starting their businesses but they were either sort of on confidence or money. Within four years, her initial plan of starting her own writing platform developed into creating a place where young people could come with their dreams. AIL LABELS was now a corporate with a comic and novel writing department, an anime creation department, a clothing brand, a jewelry brand, a cosmetic brand, and a newly created music department. Somehow, all the divisions were doing good on their own, and as the CEO of the company, Emily could not be more proud of how well her and other''s dreams had come true in such a small time. But it was also true that their company was still new and small, and there was too much competition. They needed to work hard to maintain their current position in the market and reach new heights of success. Emily spent the entire day taking care of the important works that were left pending because of her absence during the past few days. By the time it was the end of working hours, she was tired after working continuously for so many hours. A knock on her office door pulled her attention towards Jenna who entered the room with a freshly brewed herbal tea which she placed in front of her. "Boss, this parcel came for you." Her secretary told her before she placed a small box on the table. Emily frowned as she looked at the box. It was packed in a beautiful blue-colored gift wrap with a pink bow on its top. "Thank you, Jenna. You can now leave. Leo will be here in five minutes to pick me up." She told her Secretary who was also looking tired after working with her none stop since the morning. The young woman nodded her head before bidding her goodbye as she left the office to head towards her home. Emily sipped the refreshing tea a few times to calm down her body. She lived how quickly the magical tea took away the tiredness from her body and made her relax. After a while, she pulled the gift box towards her and started taking off the wrap. The box was sealed too perfectly that it took her a lot of effort to take off the wrapper. Inside was a cardboard box with a beautiful peacock design made on the lid. It was painted in bright sparkly colors and the beautiful design made a small smile appear on Emily''s face. She slowly opened the box to look at the surprise that was hidden inside. The first thing that she noticed was the photo card on which a black wolf was printed. She took the photo card and then lifted the small glass frame that was placed beneath it. But as soon as her eyes landed on the surprise hidden beneath the glass frame, a scream full of fear left her lips. Chapter 206 - Bitter And Sour Leo and Daniel were just outside her office when they heard the ear-piercing scream of their sister. The brothers stopped in their tracks as they heard the scream which was filled with fear and pain. With their fast-beating hearts, the two of them hurriedly entered the office and found their sister sobbing hysterically as she was hiding in Shadow''s arms. Her body was shivering as she tried to make herself disappear while she kept sobbing as Shadow tried to calm her down. The man had left barely for five minutes to grab a bar of chocolate for her and he was on his way back when he was alerted by her scream. "What happened?" "Emily..." Both Leo and Daniel hurriedly ran towards their sister and Shadow. Though they felt relieved when they saw Shadow with her, they were still worried about her. As the brothers crouched down next to their sister and Shadow who were sitting on the floor, they noticed Shadow pointing his gaze towards a box that was lying next to the office table. There was a photo card, a shattered glass frame, and a piece of silver chain covered in dried blood. "What the heck? What are these things?" Leo asked as he crouched down next to the box but before his hands could touch any of the things, he was stopped by a hand that was gripping his arm tightly. "Don''t touch anything... please..." Leo was surprised to see his sister whose puffy red eyes were staring at him and pleading to do as she was saying. He found himself nodding his head before he stood up and immediately wrapped his hand around his sister who instantly melted into his embrace, hiding her face against his shoulder as she found comfort. "Let''s head home. We will talk later." Shadow told them as he clicked his fingers and all the materials laying on the floor disappeared into thin air. Daniel and Leo nodded their heads before they followed Shadow out of the office. Emily was holding Leo''s arms so tightly with both of her hands as if she was afraid of letting him go even by mistake. They quickly made their way towards the car parked in front of the building and hopped inside. Shadow took the driver''s seat and they set off towards the Alessandro mansion. *** Emily was wrapped up in a thin blanket as she set on the huge sofa all alone. Her eyes were fixed on the candy box that was sitting on the coffee table in front of her. Though she had developed a special love towards sweets in the past five years, currently, those candies appeared like they would taste bitter and sour if she tried to eat them. "She has not spoken a single word since you all returned," Crist whispered to Rylan who was sitting next to him. Both of them were looking at the girl with worry clearly visible in their eyes. Emily heard him but still refused to speak. She had no idea what she was supposed to say, especially when everyone was waiting for her to explain what happened to her and what was in the box. She had kept this darkest part of her life hidden from everyone for almost a decade but should she still kept it a secret, particularly from her family who had given her the strength to fight that darkness. It took her so many years to finally come out of her past but just when she thought that she had successfully defeated those dark memories, reality pulled her out of her dream with a powerful slap. Just one look... all that took was just one glance at that blood-covered silver chain and all her confidence got crushed. It was true that she did not end up having an episode, she also did not felt the dark energy overpowering her but the fear... it was still there. Just how long it was going to take her to finally overcome her past? Or would she even be able to overcome it? Her train of thoughts was stopped when she felt the warm touch of Kaiden''s hand which came to rest on the crown of her head. She moved her head to look at the man standing behind her and just one look at him made her relax. He smiled softly at her before he made her face the front again and started massaging her head with his fingers. After massaging her head for a while, his hands moved to rub her shoulders. Emily felt herself relaxing even more as her taut muscles finally decided to loosen up. No one tried to disturb them as almost everyone was thankful towards Kaiden for helping her relax. She had been on the edge ever since the incident in her office around an hour ago. After a long while, Emily finally stopped him and signaled him to take a seat which he immediately did, settling beside her on the sofa. Looking at her it was clear that she was finally ready to speak. Shadow decided to stay closer to her just in case and took a seat on the floor near her legs, resting his back against the sofa. Emily was really grateful to have both shadow and Kaiden near her. She knew that the two of them would be able to control her if something went wrong. She tapped Shadow on his shoulder and the man immediately understood as if he had read her mind. He clicked his fingers and the box with the photo card, the broken frame, and the silver chain appeared on the coffee table. Everyone waited patiently for her to explain exactly what did the box and the things inside it meant. Before Emily could start speaking, she found Domenic moving towards her as her brother came to crouch in front of her beside Shadow who had his amber eyes fixed on the silver chain. "Emily, remember to tell only what you are comfortable of revealing at the moment. There''s no pressure. None of us will blame you if you decided to not tell us anything today... though we all really want to know. But you have to keep in mind to not push yourself too much. Alright?" Emily nodded her head as she smiled softly at her brother. Nick''s words had made her relax even more and she finally felt like she was ready to speak and answer at least a few of their questions. She took a deep breath before she spoke, "Someone sent this box today for me, wrapped beautifully... I did not know that inside such a beautiful box was hiding such a dark memory of my past." She stopped to let her words sank into everyone around her who was looking at her and the box with confused expressions. "Remember that day four years ago when we talked about how I used to always flee from my foster homes because almost none of those families treated me like a human... the memory hiding in this box belonged to that time." She told them as her eyes looked locked on the box sitting on the coffee table. No one spoke as they all waited for her to continue. Almost every single one of them was nervous about what was coming next. The mere fact that she called it the darkest memory of her past, scared everyone. They wanted to know and also not to know at the same time. "I was thirteen and it was early September when I flee from the couple who had recently adopted me. They were nearly the worst people I had met through the years that I spent as an orphan. On the first day, I moved into their house, I got to know that rather than a child, they wanted a slave to torture and ruin. It barely took them forty-eight hours to drive me crazy. By the time I fled from their house, I was not even in the condition of properly walking... and maybe that''s how I ended up in the hands of a rogue group of supernaturals who were trafficking humans from the city." Emily could sense the shock and anger that immediately erupted in her brothers. Kaiden and Shadow also stiffened, while Rylan had left his seat as he moved to stand next to the sofa where she was sitting. Though they all were left disturbed by her words, none of them said anything as they did their best to keep themselves calm for the moment. A sigh escaped Emily''s lips as she realized that one of the reasons why she kept hiding this memory from these people was because she knew that they won''t be able to take it all. But the sad truth was that there was nothing that they or their anger could do to change her past. That''s why she had decided to keep the torture that she experienced to be as vague in her words as possible. The less they knew, the better it was for them. She alone was enough to suffer through those memories. Chapter 207 - Silver Chains "Back at that time, I had no idea that the people who had kidnapped were not humans..." Emily smiled bitterly at the memory as she continued, "... my first encounter with the Supernatural races wasn''t really a good one. I did not get to see their monstrous side until the third night when I decided to flee from the dungeons where I was locked with many others. They caught me... and brought me back to a hell that refused to let me go no matter how much I cried or pleaded." She felt one of Shadow''s hands on her right foot as he squeezed it lightly, not sure whether to comfort her or himself. "Did they... did they t-tor-tor.....t-tor..." "Tortured me?" Emily asked, voicing out the question that Leo was having a hard time asking. The bittersweet smile on her face made everyone fear the answer, not like they already did not know. They were just reluctant to accept it. But if Emily answered the question, they would no longer be able to fight the truth. Emily could read their expressions, the reluctance in their eyes but this was what they were dying to know and she was finally ready to reveal. She took a deep breath before replying in a low voice, "What else they were supposed to do? Praise me for trying to escape? Of course, they tortured me. But their main torture started when they failed to compel me into an obedient slave and I ended up meeting the man who was controlling the entire human trafficking system in City X." Once again she felt all of the men around her stiffening at her words but no one spoke, probably because they had no words to say at the moment. "I hate him... Everyone used to call him Fifth Sire, so I never got to know his real name, and because he always used to wear a mask, I also did not see his face. In short, I don''t know anything about him... but he''s the only person whom I hate... really hate..." She felt nine pairs of eyes trained on her but the one which made her react was Shadow''s piercing gaze as he looked at her in surprise. Kaiden felt his fingers twitching and he curled them into tight fists to control himself and his wolf that was ready to destroy everything at the moment. Hate... It was the first time he had heard his angel saying those words and the fact that she confessed about hating someone, scared him more than he wanted to agree. She was such a person who would not hate even her worst enemies but here she was, accepting that there was indeed someone in the world whom she hated... hated enough to destroy him. Kaiden could see that in her beautiful eyes. What he would have done to her to make her hate him so much? This question was ringing in not only his mind but almost in everyone''s mind. But no one found the courage of asking the question. "Don''t you guys wanna know why I hate him... especially when he never hurt me?" Emily''s sudden question made everyone look at her in confusion. It was Simon who finally divided to ask, "He didn''t?" Emily slowly shook her head in denial before she spoke, "He didn''t... but he also didn''t stop his lackeys from torturing me. The only thing that he did in my favor was to warn his men from ever touching me in the wrong way... but it was also because he wanted me for himself..." This time, none of the men sitting around her seemed to control their anger. The growl that escaped Kaiden''s lips was filled with anger and warning while she felt Shadow stiffening even more. Mark was already out of his seat while Rylan was trying to stop Simon from punching someone or something. "Don''t worry. He also never touched me in the wrong way. Luckily he was not impressed with my underdeveloped thirteen-year-old body and wanted to wait for a few years while training me, in the meantime, to become his perfect slave." Emily told the men but realized that none of them seemed to calm down at all. "Because they failed to compel me or read my mind again and again, they started doubting my identity as a human and to make my true self come out, they made me experience the worst of that hell." She stopped when suddenly her eyes landed on the silver chain that was sitting inside the box. "That chain... they used to bind some of the humans with silver chains and those people mostly received the worst tortures. It took me a few months to realize that those people were also not humans... there were supernaturals hostages. And just like them, I was also tied with these silver chains that cut..." Emily suddenly stopped, not wanting to tell them how she was tortured by those silver chains and how she watched the other captives also getting tortured. "Well... let just say that I experienced the worst in those eight months that I spent in the dark and cold dungeons. Either I was being tortured or I was made to see others getting tortured. That''s why I hate him. Not only because of what he did to me but also because of what he did with the others." Emily felt her voice wavering when the bloody and sad scenes of the day when she earned her freedom from that hell, suddenly started appearing in front of her eyes. A very familiar face also appeared, still full of life and warmth even though she was on the verge of dying. Emily recalled the memory of how she watched the beautiful girl dying in front of her very eyes with a silver bullet that entered her heart from the back. She recalled how the brightness of those beautiful eyes dimmed before they became lifeless... She felt her vision blurring as the memory of the beautiful girl made tears welled up in her eyes. One of the things that she had regretted was not trusting that girl and never giving her a single chance to complete whatever she wanted to tell her from the very first day the two of them came across each other in the fourth month after Emily got captured. Chapter 208 - Group Hug Emily shook her head to get rid of her thoughts. There was no point in regretting the past anymore. She could no longer do anything to save that girl or her companions. Back then, she was a coward who only wanted to free herself from the torture and cared less about the others. Not like she could have anything to save the others even if she was brave and kind enough to think about others. "During the ninth month, an incident happened there. A group of captives revolted and tried to take over the limited guards that were stationed there on that day. It was one of those few days when the Fifth Sire left the dungeons with most of his men for a few hours. So many people died that day. It was the first time I saw someone dying in front of me..." Once again the image of that girl appeared in her mind but she hurriedly shook it away before she continued. "Somehow I ended up among those people who succeeded in escaping from that hell on that fateful day... all thanks to those who fought and lost their lives. I escaped..." Emily finished. While it was clear that she kept a lot of things hidden in her heart but all of them were about the torture that she went through or the girl. "Did you ever feel like that Fifth Sire was aware of your hidden powers? Like he was particularly trying to find your inner self?" Shadow asked as he looked at her with worry. Of course, he was the first one among everyone to pull himself together and think practically about the situation. Emily immediately shook her head in denial as she replied, "I have already thought about this possibility. But as far as I can tell, he probably had no inkling about my true identity. He was just intrigued by my ability to resist completion and their mind-reading trials. They just seemed to be curious to know what kind of supernatural I was. At least, I never felt like he knew anything about my powers or..." Emily watched as Shadow got lost deep in his thoughts. Her eyes wander around the room, looking at her brothers who looked nowhere near calm, and Rylan who was just as unsettled as the others. She finally looked at Kaiden whose knuckles had turned white because of how hard he was clenching his palms. She let one of her hands cover his left fist and she felt him letting out a deep sigh before he grasped her hand between both of his hands tightly. His eyes were closed and she could tell that he was trying to pull himself together. "Guys... please don''t be like this. I really hope that nothing is going to change between us after this revelation. Just like the time when I revealed about mother... this time I also don''t wish you guys to treat me like a broken doll." Emily found herself saying while she looked at everyone. The first one to react was Rylan who immediately jumped to run towards her before pulling in a tight hug as he said, "I know my best friend is strong and I also know that you can fight with this. Nothing is going to change between us. I promise. We will stay just like we were." He turned to look at Leo who was giving him a grateful look. A small smile appeared on Rylan''s face as he spoke in a confident voice, "Trust me, Em. None of your brothers are going to react differently after this. Maybe they will become a little bit nicer after this but they will keep treating you like their precious little sister and not as a broken doll. Right guys?" Emily also looked at her brothers to see what they were going to say and a beautiful and sincere smile appeared on her lips when she saw all of them nodding their heads in agreement. "It''s a promise. Nothing is going to change between us." Daniel said as he returned the smile. He was feeling proud to see exactly how strong his Sorellina was. "Yes, Emy. We promise." Simon said as he too smiled at his sister. Emily''s eyes finally landed on the person who was too quiet for her liking. As soon as Domenic felt her eyes on him, he looked up at her with sadness filling his beautiful eyes. But Emily knew, the sadness and guilt in his eyes were directed towards himself and not her. She felt her heart filling with pain as she watched her brother in such a state. "Emilia, child come here," Domenic called her in a soft voice as he raised one of his arms out towards in her direction. Every time he used to call her child, Emily literally started feeling like a child but she loved that feeling. It almost made her think that just like a father, her eldest brother was always ready to sacrifice everything just to keep her safe and happy. She hurriedly stood up and went towards him, placing her hand in his palm which folded itself around her small and soft hand. Domenic kept rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb for a while as he thought about something. It was not until his sister cupped his face with her other hand, did he came out of his thoughts and looked at her. The next moment, Emily did something that surprised everyone but they were also happy to see such a warm moment between the pair of brother and sister. Domenic closed his eyes as he felt the soft kiss landing on his forehead before his sister pulled his head to rest against her shoulder. "Don''t blame yourself, Nick. If not for you, I would have never found so much happiness and love in my life. You are the best just as you are. You don''t have to change my past for that. All I want from you all is to never blame yourself and to always love me as much as I love you. Can you do that, brother?" She whispered in his ear and waited for his reply. It took a few moments before she found him nodding his head before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her together into the hug. And soon enough, the rest of the men joined them in a tight warm group hug. Chapter 209 - Im Not A Human "Are you really leaving?" Emily asked for the hundredth time but still received a calm ''hmm'' in response. For some weird reason, she was not liking the calm and collected attitude of the man. It just made her realize how much he was lacking in terms of emotions. "Are you not tired of listening to the same question since morning?" She asked again as she repositioned her elbows on the back of the desk chair on which she was sitting. "No." The man once again replied in a calm tone which only made Emily pout in unhappiness. "Do you have to leave right now? Can I really not come with you?" She asked while looking at the man who was stuffing a small backpack with his favorite set of weapons. "The sooner the better. And Night Valley isn''t a place for humans." Shadow replied to her questions as he zipped his bag and placed it on his study desk. "I''m not a human." His hands stopped in their movements as he heard her muttering those words under her breath but of course, he heard her. A soft sigh escaped his lips before he turned to look at the girl as he spoke, "And that''s the main reason why you can''t come with me. Your special identity needs special protection. Stay here and wait for my return. I''ll be back in just two days." Emily let out a frustrated sigh before she stretched her hand towards the man and gripped his shirt with her fingers, pulling him closer to her chair. Shadow watched the unhappiness that was covering her beautiful face and he felt his heart clenching in pain. He hated seeing her like this. The only thing that he wanted in his life was to see her happy and safe, and somehow... she wasn''t either. Neither her life was full of warmth and happiness, nor was she safe. Her enemies had once again started targeting her and this time they were definitely more prepared than before. He needed to take action before it would be too late. "What''s wrong, Princess?" Shadow asked in a soft voice as he felt the disturbance in her energy levels. Whatever thoughts were swimming through her mind were definitely not happy or normal ones. Emily found herself shaking her head in response to his question. Even she had no idea what was wrong with her. She was just reluctant about Shadow leaving her. For nearly past five years there had not been a single day when he was not there for her. She had become used to seeing him every morning after waking up and also before sleeping every night. Suddenly seen him going away, even though it was for only two days, seemed to unsettle her. What she failed to understand was whether she refused to let him go because of herself or because she was worried about his safety. After finding out his identity as the Supreme Sire, she was aware of the fact that he was the most powerful supernatural in the world but still something kept telling her that he was no longer invincible. He was probably in even more danger than her. The unsettling feelings inside her only increased as her thoughts take a negative turn. Her fingers tightened their hold on his shirt as she looked up at him with a desperate look on her face. "Shadow, can you not go? Or maybe you can send someone else? I just... I don''t want you to... leave... " The man smiled at her softly as he kneeled in front of her on the floor while taking both of her hands in his own. "You know, Princess... you are the only person who has accepted me with such a sincere heart. I''m still not used to someone worrying about me or being so reluctant to leave me. You really surprise me. I''m just so lucky to found you. I wish I could... " Shadow trailed off and became quiet as he tried to pull himself together. It was not like him to become emotional but his Princess was the only exception. She had made him feel many more emotions in the past five years than he had felt in his entire Immortal life. If given another chance, he would probably choose to accompany her for the rest of his life but it was already too late for him to regret his decisions and the fact was that even though he was hurting inside, he was still more than happy to see her happy in her life. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt soft fingers grazing his left cheek. His eyes moved to look into her emerald ones and he found himself relaxing. He took hold of her fingers which were still touching his cheeks and brought them in her lap as he spoke in a determined tone, "Stop worrying about me. I''m only leaving for two days. These two days will pass even before you can notice my absence. I promise to return safe and sound and as soon as possible." He watched as the girl remained silent for a few moments before she shook her head in denial while muttering, "I don''t trust in promises. They are meant to be broken." Shadow bit down on his lower lip as he tried to find a way to make her understand that he won''t be breaking his promise, at least not this time. "Let''s put it like this. If you let me go like the good girl that you are, I''ll fulfill one of your wishes... no matter whatever you want. As long as you will demand something, I''ll do it for you." His words sounded like a magical promise, or almost like an oath. Emily frowned at him and was ready to once again shook her head in denial when Shadow suddenly cupped her face with both of his hands to stop her before she could get the chance. "What are you doing?" She asked him as she stared at him, her frown deepening. "You are being naughty. How dare you insult me like this? I just made such a big statement of fulfilling your one wish no matter whatever it is and you still dared to treat it as nothing." Shadow answered in an unhappy tone. His expression was that of a little child who was about to throw a tantrum but was also trying to control himself at the same time. "Nonsense!" Emily muttered as she tried to shake his hands away but failed bitterly. "Can you stop squeezing my face?" She asked him with a glare but the man only tightened his hold, squeezing her cheeks even more. Before Emily knew what she was doing, her hands were already in action. They moved towards his chest and before Shadow could get the chance to react, her thumbs and fingers pinched both of his nipples tightly, making the man yelp in surprise and pain as he hurriedly let her go. Shadow frantically massaged his molested nipples with his hands while he glared at the girl with a surprised look in his eyes. "Did you just...? How can you be so...? Pervert!" He almost shouted the last part but managed to keep the volume of his voice in check. The atmosphere had suddenly lightened and he felt the bad energy disappearing with it. "Fine! You can go but make sure to stay safe. You are not allowed to get hurt at all." Emily suddenly decided to gave in, probably because the bad feelings inside her head had suddenly disappeared and she realized exactly how childish she had been acting. Shadow was the Supreme Sire, the man who was like an Emperor in the Supernatural World. He was the last person anyone wanted to offend. He was meant to protect others but it was also true that in a way... he was also the person who needed the most protection. Shadow smiled as he looked at the girl with a soft expression on his face. He raised her hands and rested his forehead against them. Another sigh left his lips as he tried not to pull the girl in his arms and give his soul the relief that it needed. "Are you okay?" Emily asked as she looked down at his dark silky hair. Shadow was silent for a moment before he pulled away and let go of her hands while holding his head with a small smile playing on his lips. "I''m perfectly fine. It''s time for me to leave. Irene will stay here to look after you in my absence but she won''t disturb your privacy. So don''t worry too much about her. I''ll be back soon and then I''ll fulfill my promise of giving you whatever you will demand. Alright?" Emily slowly nodded her head, accepting all his terms. She noticed how his stiff body relaxed immediately at her approval. "Bye, Princess." She watched silently as the man bid her goodbye before he stood up and picked his backpack before disappearing from the room within the blink of an eye. Chapter 210 - Blood Guards Night Valley, Blood Mansion - "Sire, the Secret Guards are waiting for you in the hall." Ralph notified his Master as he entered the dimly lit study room. While Irene stayed behind in City - A to look after Miss Alessandro, Ralph and Lauren had followed their Sire back to the Night Valley. Looking at the serious expression on their Sire''s face, everyone in the Blood Mansion was aware that whatever their Lord was planning, he was dead serious about it. "Let''s go," Shadow said as he put away the ancient book of spells that he had been reading. The two men walked out of the study and made their way towards the underground tunnels that eventually led to the cold and dingy hall room where three hundred special trained secret guards of the Blood Mansion were waiting for them. The Secret Guards, also known as the Blood Guards, was a team of supernaturals who had spent over a hundred years in the training grounds where only the best out of bests were allowed to live, and they were loyal to only one man - the Supreme Sire. As soon as Shadow stepped inside the hall, all the guards kneeled on the floor to greet their Sire. Their heads were bowed in respect to the man who could rule the entire world of supernaturals if he wanted. "You all can rise," Shadow told them and watched silently as all the guards stood up before putting their entire focus on him. "Today, I have called you all here because it''s finally the time that you all should put your hundred years of training into practice. Your task is very simple, spread around the globe and collect all the information about the current activities of the rogue groups." "Find out how many humans or human governments are helping them. Which of the Supernatural councils are also mixed in the web and which are the main locations of their activities. You need to find every single and minor detail without leaving out everything." "Your task is to collect this information safely and pass it to Ralph and his team. They will take over from there and simple out the information retrieved by you all." Shadow addressed the guards and briefly explained the mission to them. He had already discussed all the details with Ralph and his team. If everything went according to the plan then within two months, he would have all the required information in his hands. The meeting went on for nearly half an hour where they discussed how the teams would be divided and which team would be taking over which city or region. - "Sire, Lauren, and Corey are here." Ralph notified his master as he entered the room where Shadow was currently working on a few documents. Shadow didn''t speak for the next few minutes as he continued to work on the important documents and account books that his butler had smartly placed in front of him as soon as he found him free. The three men stood silently against the wall near the entrance as they waited for their master to complete his work. After ten minutes or so, Shadow finally finished his work and after closing the last file, he focused on his men. "Lauren and Corey, I have very important jobs for the two of you. Let''s start with Corey." Shadow said as he signaled towards the Fae who moved forward to stand in front of his desk. "Master." The fae said while bowing his head and waited for his Sire to speak. "You will be heading to the Royal Court of Faes. I want you to bring this letter to your Crown Prince. Tell him that it''s time for him to repay what he owes to me and there are no negotiations this time." Shadow told Corey as he pushed an envelope towards the man who received it and after giving another bow, returned to stand next to Ralph against the wall. Lauren moved forward to stand in front of the desk as he bowed to greet his master and waited to hear the mission that he had to carry on. "Head to City-X and see who is ruling the slave market there. Most importantly, I want you to find out about the ranked masters who were sent to look after the slave market around nine years ago. Find out everything about the person who was given the rank of the Fifth Master at that time. Don''t miss out on anything. Every single detail is important." Shadow sounded even more serious this time as he informed Lauren about his task. The seven hundred-year-old vampire bowed his head and was ready to return to his position against the wall when he was stopped in his tracks by the next words that came out from his Sire''s mouth. "Don''t return if you failed." "Yes, Master!" Lauren accepted and went back to his position. "You all can leave now. Prepare to leave for your missions by the end of the day." Shadow told his men who immediately bowed and left the room, leaving him alone with the silence and darkness. "Sire, you have been staying away from all these matters for the past few hundred years. Are you sure you want to do this? It will probably bring a lot of unwanted problems to the Blood Mansion and the Night Valley." A silhouette appeared in the room, reminding Shadow of the consequences that his actions would bring. "There is no other option anymore. I''m not afraid of anything as long as I can protect her." Shadow answered in an indifferent tone as he stared at the woman who was inspecting the shelves lined against the wall. She stopped in her tracks, probably surprised by his answer. A small smile appeared on her lips as she turned to face her master. "If that''s what Master wants, then I''ll follow your command. I''ll start the preparation for tonight''s meeting. I just hope that whatever decision you will take tonight, it won''t be based solely on her." Saying that she bowed her head and left the room. The woman was completely oblivious to the surprises that were waiting for her. Chapter 211 - Shameless "Are you ready?" Kaiden asked as soon as he saw Emily appearing in the living room with her backpack. The girl nodded her head in reply while she let him take her backpack. Her eyes settled down on her brothers who were also present in the living room but except for Domenic, none of them looked too happy at the moment. "Rylan and Leo have already left for a movie date and now you are taking her away for two entire days. I still don''t know why this is a good idea. If you want to give her company, you can always stay here and do that. Why do you have to take her away from here?" Crist questioned as he glared at Kaiden with an unhappy look in his eyes. "Don''t mind him and the others. They are just worrying for her. You guys should leave early." Domenic told Kaiden while dismissing the disappointed looks from his brothers. He smiled softly at Emily who still looked a little dull. She had barely smiled ever since Shadow left a few hours ago. "We will be leaving then," Kaiden told her brothers before he took hold of one of her hands and after giving a quick nod to Domenic, walked out of the room with his silent mate. He could still hear his brother-in-laws complaining but it only made him smile softly as he walked out of the mansion and headed towards the long stairways that led downstairs where his car was parked. -- Within twenty minutes, Emily found herself walking inside the familiar apartment of Kaiden that was located in the central area of the city. The first and last time when she came to his apartment was four years ago and after so many years, she was once again standing in the same hallway. "Let me show you the guest room. You can freshen up while I''ll prepare a late dinner for us." Kaiden told her with a soft smile as he offered her a pair of fluffy indoor slippers. "Kaiden, let''s just order food tonight. It''s so late and you are probably tired. Don''t over-exhaust yourself." Emily tried to stop the man but only received a warm smile from him in return. "I''m not tired at all. Just your mere presence here is filling me with immense energy. Please let me cook for you." His eyes were almost pleading with her to approve his request and seeing those mesmerizing cerulean eyes, she could not find the heart to say no anymore. As soon as Kaiden saw her nodding her head, he beamed happily at her as both he and his wolf were excited to once again cook for their mate. "Come. Let me show you the room." He said while once again taking hold of her hand before he started climbing the stairs. He pulled her towards the room located next to the master bedroom and opened the door to let both of them inside. ''Here. Take your time and let yourself relax. I''ll be waiting for you downstairs." He told the girl in a warm tone as he gave her head a small pat before walking out of the room. Emily did not take too long to shower and dress up in a simple lemon green night suit. She fixed her long hair in a loose bun before she made her way downstairs. On her way to the kitchen, she left a message in the family group, wishing her brothers and Shadow ''good night''. The delicious smell that was filling the apartment made her mouth water. From her past experience, she was aware that Kaiden''s cooking skills were really great, and just by thinking about the last time, she felt her tastebuds awakening for another taste. She found Kaiden in the Kitchen where he was busy cutting the steak into small slices. He looked so different from his usual self. He was no longer the young CEO of the Sullivan Enterprise, at that moment, he was just her Kaiden. "Am I that handsome? You can''t even make your eyes look anywhere else other than my face." He commented while he kept his attention on his work, not looking up even once to see the young lady scoffing at his shamelessness. Emily walked closer to her mate, close enough to invade his personal space. She watched him silently for a few seconds before she suddenly wrapped her arms around his slim waist, plastering herself against his back. Kaiden stopped slicing the steak as a small smile appeared on his lips. He cleared his throat before speaking, "I love it when you take the initiative between us. It helps me to understand that I''m not moving too fast." He turned around to pull her into his arms before planting a soft kiss on her temple. He was too happy to see her in his home. Even though it was just his apartment and not the mansion, it was still a step forward in their relationship. "It feels so good to hug you," Emily whispered against his shoulder as she tightened her arms around his waist. Kaiden chuckled softly as he patted her head with affection before speaking, "You can hug me all you want. But first, let''s have dinner." Emily pouted but eventually let go of him. The two of them shifted the cooked food on the dining table before they sat down to enjoy the meal. The two of them enjoyed the food and Emily did not forget to praise him for his amazing cooking skills. The atmosphere was light and filled with happiness. After dinner, the two of them moved to the living room where Kaiden settled down on the huge sofa placed next to the glass window before he pulled his girl in his arms. "Here you go. Now, you can hug me as much as you want. If you want, I will stay here with you the entire night so that you can hug me. Does that sound like a good idea?" He asked while brushing away the loose strands of her hair from her face. "You are really shameless," Emily whispered in response but still wrapped her hands around him, letting herself relax and enjoy the warmth and security that he brought to her. Chapter 212 - Sister-In-laws Mark''s attention was pulled towards his youngest brother who silently entered the living room and without even looking in their direction, disappeared into the kitchen. "This brat is finally home. He''s lucky that he returned before eleven o''clock." Crist murmured as he closed the magazine that he had been reading. "Good. Since he''s safely back, now we all can retire for the night." Daniel spoke as he stood up from his seat, stretching his muscles while letting out a yawn. "I''m just happy that there are only two Sullivan siblings. Who knows what would have happened if there were more than just these two." Crist commented as he let out a sigh of relief. "You are right. It''s still hard to believe that Rylan and Leo are mates. First our baby sister and now our baby brother too. Dom, you were the first one who noticed both Em and Leo''s bonds with the Sullivans. How come we never grasp that?" Daniel questioned his brother. He was really curious about how their big brother always ended up recognizing the bonds first. Domenic, who was relaxing on the couch with his eyes closed, slowly opened his eyes as he looked at the curious expression on his brothers'' faces. "I''m not sure too. Maybe it''s the way they interact with each other or maybe the way they look at each other. I have no idea, to be honest. I just seem to know it." He sounded just as confused as his answer was. The truth was, he had never thought about this before. It was indeed true that he seemed to be the first one in their family to recognize both Emily and Leo''s bonds but he did not why and how did he recognize it. "Alright. Let''s not dwell on this matter anymore. Tomorrow is an important day. We have to be fully charged for the conference. Let''s head to bed now." Daniel hurriedly reminded everyone about the upcoming meeting as he helped Domenic to collect all his files and laptop from the coffee table. The men bid each other good night before they retired to bed for the night. The coming morning was bringing some surprises for them. *** "Are you sure you want to do this?" Kaiden asked as he looked at the girl in his arms with a questioning gaze. Only now was he realizing exactly how crafty and mischievous his mate was. "Of course, if I won''t do it, I''m afraid I''ll never get to see a sister-in-law in the future. My brothers are more than happy to spend the rest of their lives alone without a companion. It''s time for me to help them find their destined ones." Emily answered his question as she kept looking through the photos that her secretary had sent her the previous night. A small twitch appeared on Kaiden''s lips as he heard her words. "Looking at these photos and the information files attached to them, it looks like you have been planning this for quite a while." He commented as he brushed away the loose strands of hair from her face. Emily nodded her head slightly as she replied, "Yep! It''s been a while. Now, I''m finally getting the chance to put forward this plan in action." Kaiden remained silent as he watched her work. He could not stop the smile that bloomed on his lips as he thought about her brothers'' reactions. "Look. I''ve selected these five candidates for Nick. He''s already thirty-three. He''s my first priority along with Danny. I think if the others saw me setting these two ups, they will be scared enough to find their own girlfriends or boyfriends. That way, I won''t have to work too hard. Right... I like this plan. What do you think?" Emily turned her face to look at the man who smiled warmly at her before hurriedly nodding his head. "As long as you think it will work. You have my full support." She smiled as she poked his left cheek lightly with the tip of her index finger, only to see him grasping her finger as he planted a soft kiss on it. She could not help but feel the little butterflies fluttering their wings inside her belly as she felt the soft warm lips of her man touching her skin. To pull herself out of the distracting thoughts, she pushed her phone against his chest as she spoke, "Come on, take a look at these pictures and tell me what you think about these ladies." She was eager to hear his opinion but unfortunately, Kaiden only took her phone to place it on the small wooden table next to the couch. "What are you doing?" She asked him with a confusing look decorating her face. Kaiden turned his attention to the girl in his arms as he replied to her question, "I want to look only at you. I don''t have time to look at the photos of any other women. So... let me look at you." Emily failed to stop the smile that immediately appeared on her lips. Though she accepted that this man was too cheesy, it was also true that she loved his cheesiness. "You really know how to use your pretty brain. I''m impressed by your answer. Though I would have appreciated your opinion." She told him as she brushed away the hair that kept sticking to her face. Her hands stopped fixing her hair when she felt his warm breath fanning the side of her neck. His movements were so quick that she completely failed to notice when he moved his face closer to hers. "I''m also good with my mouth... you know... my lips... my tongue or maybe even teeth... my hands too... and... " Emily felt her breathing increasing in speed as she listened to the words that he was whispering next to her ear. She felt one of his hands moving around her waist before it slipped under her shirt, coming in contact with the bare skin on her belly. The small gasp that left her lips made a small smile appear on Kaiden''s lips. He moved his face even closer to her neck. His nose was almost brushing against her skin. This time he did not hold back as he let his lips came in contact with the skin of her neck. He placed a soft kiss there and heard her gasp again and when he heard no sound of protest coming from her, he again placed his lips against her skin to leave another kiss. Emily didn''t even realize that she had closed her eyes at some point. She was too occupied in dealing with the tingles of pleasure that were running all over her body to pay attention to anything else. She once again felt his hand moving against the bare skin of her belly but he did not do anything more than just rubbing small circles over her tummy which actually made her suppress a smile. "Angel..." Kaiden groaned against her shoulder as he planted soft kisses over the smooth skin. His other arm had tightened its hold around her as he pulled her even closer to his body, erasing even the small space that was present between their bodies a few seconds ago. Emily turned her body once again to properly face the man. Her knees came to rest on either side of his thighs as she sat on his lap while facing him. His hand which was previously resting against her belly was now placed against the small of her back and it felt even warmer against her bare skin than it was feeling just a moment before. She raised her hands to cup his face before she moved her face closer to his and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. But for Kaiden''s happiness, she did not stop there. Her next kiss landed on his left eye and then on the right one. She then placed a kiss on the tip of his nose before softly brushing/rubbing their noses against each other. By the time her lips reached the corner of his mouth after planning kisses on both of his cheeks and jaw, he and his wolf were going insane to taste her luscious lips. Before Emily could pull away after planting the last kiss on the corner of his lips, a hand on her nape stopped her from moving her head, and then her lips were sealed in a passionate deep kiss. A soft sigh escaped her mouth as she let herself enjoy the beautiful moment. Her hands went to circle his shoulders while she let her body rest against his chest. The kiss lasted for nearly a minute before Kaiden pulled away to look at the mesmerizing flushed face of his mate. He took hold of one of her hands and brought it near to his mouth before placing a kiss on her palm. His eyes were filled with affection and warmth as he looked at her with fondness. "Angel... I Love You..." Chapter 213 - Beauty Of Nature [Flashback - ] Nightfall Academy - Emily was still struggling to control the fire spirit that had been trying to burst out from the protective shield. As sweat dripped down her face and neck, she realized that controlling the fire spirit was taking even more time and energy than the wind spirit. She started mastering the elemental powers in the third month of the first semester and it took her nearly four months to master all five levels of Wind Spirit. After the wind, Shadow gave her fire as her next target. However, even though she had been trying her best for over a month by now, she had not mastered even the first level of Fire Spirit. Since she was distracted by her thoughts, her control over the struggling Spirit and received a powerful push that made her lose her balance. Thankfully, Shane was there to catch her before she could have landed against the cold hard wall. "Why are you distracted?" Rylan asked while passing her a water bottle. Her two friends always made sure to spend at least an hour every evening with her to observe and help her with her practices. Emily sighed as she took a seat on the bench before taking a huge sip of the chilled water. Her eyes were looking at the statue of the Goddess as she answered, "I have no idea what I''m doing wrong this time. I''m following the same steps that Professor Trix taught me but..." The rest of the words did not make their way through her lips as she once again got lost in her thoughts. A sharp cry of pain escaped her mouth when Rylan suddenly flicked her on her forehead, making her glare at him in anger and distrust. "What was that for? Cruel...!" She commented with a huff as she slowly rubbed her forehead to ease down the pain. "You keep getting lost in your thoughts and you still have the face to ask about what is wrong with your method of practicing the spells. You are really something." Rylan reprimanded her with a shake of his head, making Emily pout in response to his accusations. "He''s right. Seeing you losing control over your thoughts so easily while practicing, I''m quite surprised that you ended up mastering the Wind Spirit in the first place. What''s the point of following all the steps correctly when you are forgetting to implement the first and most important step - to keep your mind blank and focused?" Shane questioned her while arching his eyebrows as he looked at her to hear her response. But Emily had no words to say in response. She knew that he was stating the facts. She was aware that she kept getting lost in her thoughts frequently nowadays but that was because there was so much going on around her and she barely had time to sit down and think about it all. There were still two months left before the end of her first academic year but she already was feeling like both her body and mind were unable to take the burden. Ever since she left City-A, she had become a slave of her life. She not only needed to study business but she also had to take special classes for magic. She had to finish homework for both streams. She needed to practice for hours to learn spells and charms while her defense classes with Shadow were still giving her sour muscles. And as if this was not enough, she had her newly formed business to take care of. Nowadays, she barely had the time to either sleep or eat properly, relaxing was not even an option in her schedule. She had started to feel like a robot whose only function was to perform the daily tasks without any break. "Look at you. Again lost in your thoughts." Emily heard Rylan again reprimanding her and as she shook her head to get rid of her thoughts, she realized that Shadow had finally appeared in the garden. "Don''t be too hard on her. You guys can take a break now. I''ll take over from here." The man told her best friends as he approached the bench where they were sitting. "Hey! That''s not right, Shadow. You are making it sound like we are bullying her but the truth is we are only following your orders. Why you are acting as a fairy in disguise?" Shane questioned as he looked at Shadow with a question expression. "I have no idea what you are talking about. Don''t throw mud at me." Shadow was just as shameless as a person could ever be. There was no way he would ever let anyone ruin his perfect image in front of his Princess. Emily smiled as she watched Rylan, Shane, and Shadow bicker sweetly. The three of them had grown closer during the past eight months and she could tell that Shadow was letting a few of his guards down around the boys. She waved her hand as both Rylan and Shane left after a few minutes, heading back to their dorm room to finish their homework. "Are you tired?" Shadow asked as he took a seat beside her on the bench and placed his palm against her forehead to check her temperature. "Kind of," Emily replied sincerely, not even trying to pretend that she was alright. There was no point, the man seemed to be able to read her like an open book. It was impossible for her to lie to him. "Come on, I''ll take you somewhere nice." He suddenly spoke as he stood up and took hold of her hand to pull her on her feet. Emily silently followed him, not knowing what place he would be taking her. Once a student or their companions entered the Academy grounds, they were not allowed to leave the premises until they finish their academy years. The wards around the Academy were so strong and ancient that they made it impossible for anyone to disobey the rule. These wards were the main reason why none of her brothers or even her enemies got the chance to contact her through her four years in the Academy. The academy was really the safest place for anyone in their world but it was also one of the most dangerous places too. -- "Are you sure we are doing this?" Emily asked as she looked around the yard to confirm if they were really alone or not. Her heart was beating at such a rapid speed that she feared it would pop out of her chest at any minute. Her hands were sweating as she continuously rubbed them against her jeans to calm herself down. "Trust me," Shadow said those two magic words but Emily just smiled weaker at him. She did trust him but the same could not be said about her lick and the patrol team of the academy guards. She did not even want to imagine the punishment that she would receive after getting caught by the guards or any staff of the academy. "You are trembling, Princess," Shadow commented as he took hold of her hand and started walking towards the portal that he had opened in the old oak tree. "That''s because I''m scared." She whispered in response as she clutched his arm with her other hand and followed closely behind him. The electric sensations swarmed over her entire body as she stepped into the portal. The world of darkness greeted her for a mere second before she was standing on the other side of the portal. A place out of a beautiful world was waiting for her as she took in the mesmerizing scenery in front of her eyes. It took her a few seconds to realize that she was bare feet and standing on the cool surface of a lake. The water kept brushing against her feet, making her feet calm and relaxed. Her eyes once again shifted back to the garden on the other end of the lake. It was filled with different colored flowers which were filling the air with their floral scent. Her eyes traveled towards the tall green trees that were covered in moss and ivy. A seeing of ivy was also hanging on a lower branch of one of the old trees. She also noticed the beautiful butterflies that were flying over the place as they collected the nectar from various flowers. "This is so beautiful." She could not help but comment as she let her body soak into the warmth of nature. The sunlight that was falling over her body and the area around her seemed to be different from what she was used to in her daily life. Even though it was summertime, the sunlight did not burn her skin. Rather, it felt like a calming balm against her soft smooth skin. A soft breeze was blowing, making her hair ruffle. "The weather... it''s perfect here." She again complimented as she closed her eyes to enjoy the beautiful moment. "It''s good that you like it here. Go on, relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. It has the power of taking away all your worries." Chapter 214 - Handsome Mr. Sullivan "This is..." Emily remained completely silent as she played with her bunny earrings. She did not even pretend to take any interest in the woman sitting opposite to her. She was still having a hard time understanding exactly how she ended up wasting half of her day because of the blind dates. If she had known that those candidates, whom she chose for her brother, were all stupid women who were more interested in the fame and fortune of her family instead of him, she would not have made the mistake of wasting so much of her precious time in personally meeting them. Just thinking about how she had ruined four precious hours that she could have spent with her mate, she felt her heart crying in pain and suffering. She could still hear those beautiful words that Kaiden spoke to her the previous night. They sounded like the most beautiful music to her ears and if she could then she would have recorded it and kept playing it on repeat just to make herself feel good. She was sure to not miss such a great chance again. She would make him confess again to her and would definitely record it to play on repeat later. Emily was so lost in her thoughts that when she heard someone disturbing her beautiful thoughts, she did not find the voice pleasing to her ear at all. "Miss Alessandro, can you please tell me what''s going on here. This was supposed to be my blind date with Mr. Domenic Alessandro, then why it''s you who came here instead of your brother?" The woman, known as Natalie Cooper, asked in a confused plus frustrated tone as she glared at Emily while waiting impatiently to find out exactly what was happening. When she did not receive any response from Emily even after a few seconds, she became even more frustrated and angry. "Are you and your brother trying to trick me? He stood me up, right? I can''t believe this. How dare..." She trailed off when the Young Princess sitting opposite to her, suddenly looked up square into her eyes. The aura surrounding her was just as cold and aloof as her brothers. Emily gave a hard glare to the girl before she let out a soft sigh. "Miss Cooper, I don''t know how you get the wrong impression that this was a blind date between you and my eldest brother... because as far as I know the email that was sent to you clearly stated that you would be meeting me." "..." Natalie opened her mouth to retort but closed it when she recalled that there was indeed no mention in the mail about her meeting with Domenic Alessandro during the meeting. It was her who speculated that since the meeting was about choosing a potential candidate for the position of First Madam of the Alessandro Empire, then the man himself would have attended such an important meeting. A barely noticeable twitch appeared on Emily''s lips as she watched the flustered state of the woman. "Another thing... you won''t probably like to know that you are no longer an option for the position of my future first sister-in-law. Now, I won''t be staying here any longer." Emily said as she stood up and collected her purse. Natalie also jumped up from her seat as she stared at the young woman with an angry and shocked expression on her pretty face. "Miss Alessandro, can I ask why you are treating me like this? Why I can''t be the future first madam of the Alessandro Empire?" The smile that appeared on Emily''s lips this time was filled with pity and mockery. She turned to look at the woman before she folded her hands over her chest and decided to answer Miss Cooper''s questions. "First of all, you are not patient at all and this is one of the most important character traits that are needed for this position. You need to have a lot of patience to deal with my brother... and the rest of my family." "Second... you are not polite and you look down on others. I noticed how you glared at the waiter when he tried to remind you that smoking isn''t allowed inside the cafe, which brings us to our third reason... you are addicted to smoking." Emily became silent for a second before she stepped away from the table. She turned to give a last glance at the woman as she told her the final and most important reason for which she was no longer suitable for Domenic as his life partner. "You know what..., I would have disregarded all the previous points if not for this fourth and final reason..." She could sense the anxiety that was building inside Miss Cooper as the latter waited to hear that last reason. "... I came here to find a wife for Nick... and not the first Madam of the Alessandro Empire." Saying that Emily turned around and walked out of the cafe, heading towards the shopping mall that was located near the junction. She could sense the presence of Irene near her as she moved through the bustling streets of the city. It was almost noon and people were rushing to grab their lunches from the restaurants nearby. She took out her phone and dialed Kaiden''s number as she entered the Mall. "Where are you?" She asked as soon as the man picked up the call. "Right in front of you." The reply was as quick as her question. Emily ended the call as she let her eyes search the area to find the man with long silver hair and dashing looks. It barely took her a few seconds to spot him standing next to a huge white teddy bear that was placed in the center of the hallway, surrounded by many other little dolls and plushies. She found a smile appearing on her lips as she watched him staring back at her, but her smile suddenly came to a freeze when she spotted a group of high school girls surrounding her man all of a sudden. "Oh my God! It''s really him." "Wow! He looks even more handsome in real life!" "Look at his soft silky silver hair. Do you think they will feel just as soft against my fingers as they look from here?" "His eyes... they are so pretty. I want to get lost in them." "Oh my! Should we ask him for an autograph?" "Or maybe a selfie too?" Emily clasped her fingers in tight fists as she heard the chirpy nonsense that those young girls were spouting as they approached Kaiden who was still looking at her but there was confusion written all over his face as he watched her expression changing. Did the man suddenly lose his sense of hearing? How come he was unable to hear his fangirls praising his beauty? Emily could feel something boiling inside her as she noticed the other customers, who were previously busy in their worlds, were now also moving towards Kaiden as they realized that one of the hot big shots of the country was also present there. She noticed how most of the people who have surrounded Kaiden, were women. Ranging from mid-teens to even late forties. She even spotted some grandmas staring at him like he was a rare and expensive candy. Looked like Kaiden finally noticed that something was wrong as his senses returned to function properly. He was too lost in looking at his mate that he completely forgot about where he was standing. "Mr. Sullivan, you are looking so handsome today." One of the ladies in the gathered crowd commented and the rest immediately showed their agreement as they all started raising the handsome man. Kaiden was about to politely excuse himself when a young girl suddenly walked up to him with her mobile phone in her hands. "Mr. Sullivan, can we please take a selfie with you. Please?" Kaiden was surprised to hear her request. Usually, he never came to such places with a large crowd, and even if he needed to come, his secretary and bodyguards always made sure to keep everyone as far away from him as possible. But since he was here today for a movie date with his mate, he did not bring anyone with him. Who would have known that he was making such a huge mistake? He was ready to decline the girl''s request when he noticed his Angel making her way towards him through the crowd. Whatever he was about to say evaporated from his memory as he waited for her to find her way to him. His eyes were fixed on her and he could tell that she was not very happy at the moment. Everyone watched in surprise as a young woman in a black outfit suddenly appeared next to Mr. Sullivan. Her long brown hair was falling on her back in curls while her long diamond bunny earrings were dazzling the eyes of the onlookers. But they all received the biggest shock when the lady suddenly pulled Mr. Sullivan''s tie to bend his face before she planted a kiss on his lips...! Chapter 215 - Dont Like Sharing One moment there was dead silence as everyone struggled to believe what their eyes were seeing and the next second, everyone in the crowd broke out into gasps of shock as whispers started flowing around. "Oh my! What am I seeing?" Someone whispered from the crowd in a tone that sounded like the person was still trying to believe the sight in front of them. "This can''t be real. Someone really dared to ki..." This girl did not even complete her sentence as she hurriedly rubbed her eyes to see if she was dreaming by any chance. "This isn''t a dream, is it?" Another person asked. The shocked reaction of the crowd was both hilarious and understandable. At first, they received the pleasant surprise of seeing the one and only Kaiden Sullivan, and they received another surprise when a bold person emerged out of nowhere and claimed the soft luscious lips of the man who was the dream of millions of women and girls. "Wait! I think this girl looks kind of familiar." Suddenly someone spoke from the crowd, immediately grabbing everyone''s attention. After hearing these words, other people also started to look closely at the girl to see if they had ever seen her before or not. "Oh my! I think you are right." Another person squealed in excitement as they too found the girl''s appearance somewhat familiar. "Who is she?" The question was asked by an old lady in her late fifties who was looking at the girl as if she had robbed something precious from the lady. "I know! She''s the Young Princess of Alessandro Empire!" A young boy shouted as his eyes twinkled while he stared at the woman who was known as the most successful and beautiful woman of City-A. "You are right! She''s Miss Alessandro." "Oh my God! So the rumors are true. They are indeed dating." "Aww, look at them. They look perfect together." Very quickly, the hostile and shocked atmosphere of the crowd turned happy and excited. But while the crowd was struggling to cope up with this new information, Emily and Kaiden were lost in their own little worlds. When Emily first grabbed Kaiden''s tie to pull him closer for a kiss, she just wanted to leave a quick peck on his lips to show everyone that the man belonged to her. However, she completely forgot about the consequences. The moment her lips came in contact with his, her body woke up from its sleep as the familiar sweet sensations started running over her body. Her hold on his tie tightened as she closed her eyes to experience the beautiful moment. Though their lips were just resting against each other and none of them took the initiative to deepen the kiss, it still was enough to make both of them thrive with the need for each other. Who knew how long they stayed in that position before Emily finally decided to pull away. As her eyes opened, they landed on the beautiful cerulean ones that were staring back at her in surprise. Little by little, her ears started grasping the murmurs of the crowd and she finally returned to reality, recalling what just happened and why it happened in the first place. She was about to turn towards the crowd when Kaiden suddenly pulled her in his arms. One of his hands holding her arm while the other moved to cup her nape and before she could even react, her lips were sealed in a kiss. She found herself relaxing in his arms as she let him take charge at the moment. She again closed her eyes and let herself drown in the world of ecstasy but not before listening to shocked gasps and squeals that came out as the crowd''s reaction. The kiss was deep, slow, and full of warmth and affection. Kaiden almost growled as he tasted the sweetness that belonged to his lovely angel. Since she wanted to claim him as hers in front of everyone, he would help her in every way possible. Just thinking about how she reacted so possessively towards him, made him tighten his hold around her. His wolf was happy and so was he. As their lips stayed connected in the passionate kiss and their bodies remained flushed against each other, Kaiden started feeling the desire starting to rise inside him. Realizing that they were in a public place surrounded by dozens of people, he finally ended the kiss with a last soft peck on her slightly swollen lips before pulling away. He smiled warmly at the girl in his arms before planting a soft kiss on her forehead before both of them turned to look at the crowd. "Sorry, everyone. I won''t be able to entertain you all anymore. As you all can see, I''m here with my girlfriend and all my time is booked for her. So, please excuse us." He spoke in a calm and soft tone which was nothing similar to his usual cold and overbearing attitude. "Mr. Sullivan, Miss Alessandro, can we please take a selfie with you both. Please?" One of the girls who initially approached Kaiden and created all the fuss, once again chimed in as she stared at Kaiden with her puppy eyes. This time, Kaiden was ready to decline her immediately but he was stopped by his little mate before he could even open his mouth. He turned his attention to look at his angel and found a small smirk playing on her rosy lips. Realizing that she was plotting something in her mind, he decided to stay silent and let her handle the situation. Emily stretched her right hand out towards the girl while putting her left hand on Kaiden''s arm as she spoke in a soft tone, "Your phone." The girl looked a little surprised but eventually handed her phone to Emily. Everyone watched with hanging jaws as the Alessandro Princess opened the front camera of the phone and took a selfie of herself and Mr. Sullivan. Emily checked the photo and after making sure that it was a good one, she handed the phone back to the girl who looked completely puzzled just like the other people present there. "Miss Alessandro... this..." The girl tried to ask but did not dare to complete her question. Her eyes hurriedly shifted towards Kaiden but the man did not spare her a single glance. From the beginning till now, his eyes were trained on Emily as if she was the only person who existed in his world. Emily smiled softly as she tightened her hold on Kaiden''s arm before replying, "Actually, I don''t like sharing my man... not even in photos." "..." Her words left almost everyone speechless as they stared at the young lady in bewilderment. On the other hand, several people found her words and actions cute and amusing, including Kaiden. The man could hardly control the smile that was threatening to spill on his lips. He was in love with this new possessive and jealous side of his mate. "Well, excuse us." He addressed the crowd before pulling Emily away as he walked towards the elevator. Thankfully, the lift was empty when they entered, and Kaiden immediately pressed the button for the sixth floor before he quickly chanted a spell to keep anyone from disturbing them. When he finally turned towards the back of the elevator to look for his mate, he found her resting against the back wall while she glared at him with her sparkling emerald eyes. He slowly moved to stand in front of her and rested his hands against the back wall, trapping her within his arms. "You are not angry at me, are you?" He asked in a sheepish tone as he tried to look as innocent as he possibly could. Instead of answering his question, Emily stated in a cold tone, "We are going to buy masks and glasses. Let''s head to the third floor." Kaiden looked at her with questioning eyes as he asked, "Why do you need these things?" "They are not for me. You are the one who needs them because as far as I can see, you are the one who is too popular to stand in the middle of the road without creating an uproar. I won''t be able to enjoy a normal date if you keep fooling innocent girls and women with this face of yours." Emily replied as she huffed while crossing her hands over her chest and looking away, only to let out a gasp when Kaiden suddenly placed a peck on the side of her neck. "You...!" She glared at him as she rubbed the spot on her neck with her fingers. She could still feel the warmth and softness of his lips against her sensitive skin. Kaiden smiled like he was filled with immense happiness as he spoke, "I love this side of yours. Before you usually acted like my mate whom I was pursuing but now... now you are acting like my rightful mate and girlfriend. I''m really happy right now." Chapter 216 - Lipsticks "How long are you planning to keep pouting?" Emily asked with a huff as she took a sip of her drink before returning her attention to the box of popcorn. The movie was about to start in a minute or two and she already could not help but attack the snacks that they had bought. When she received no response from the man sitting beside her, she raised her head to look at her right, finding Kaiden slouching in his seat with a displeased expression on his handsome face. She bit lightly on her lower lip to stop the smile that was threatening to bloom on her face. She raised her right hand and softly poked Kaiden''s cheek twice with her index finger. "Stop reading too many romance novels. We can enjoy ourselves here in the mid-row just as much as those people in the back rows." She told him sweetly before she returned her attention to the big screen. Kaiden remained silent for a couple of seconds before he quickly took a glance at his mate before saying in a low tone, "No matter what, the truth is that you ruined my plan. I need compensation." Emily turned towards him with her eyebrows raised high as she asked, "What compensation?" The smile that suddenly appeared on his face made warning bells ring in her head but before she could find a way out of the situation, it was already too late as Kaiden suddenly stole a soft quick kiss from her. The man smiled cheekily at her as he grabbed his own popcorn bucket before turning his attention towards the screen. His face was all smiles as he was now quite pleased after getting the compensation. "You...!" Emily could not find the proper words to reprimand the man so she just decided to let the matter go as she too turned her attention back to the screen. The movie had already started and she wanted to enjoy it. It was around ten or so minutes later when she felt Kaiden moving beside her. He grabbed her arm and snuggled closer to her before resting his head against her shoulder. "What''s up with you?" She asked him as she tried to look at his face. "Don''t mind me. I''m just trying to enjoy this as much as I can." Kaiden muttered in response as he softly rubbed his cheek against her bare shoulder. Since she was wearing an off-shoulder black summer dress, her collarbone and shoulders were completely bare. She was not only being sensitive to his skin against hers but also to his soft silky hair that was rubbing her skin. Kaiden probably noticed her sensitivity because he suddenly moved his face up to look at her square in the eyes before he suddenly placed a soft kiss against the crook of her neck, making Emily gasp. She hurriedly placed her hands over her mouth to stifle her voice before hurriedly looking around to see if anyone had noticed them. Thankfully, everyone was busy enjoying the movie and probably no one noticed Kaiden''s shamelessness. "Kaiden...!" She whispered his name in a warning tone as she glared at him. "Alright! I won''t do it anymore. Let''s enjoy the movie." Kaiden said as he looked at her with a serious expression before once again placing his head against her shoulder. Just when Emily thought that he was being sincere this time, she felt him lightly brushing his fingers against her left wrist, the place where her soul mark was hidden. She hissed lightly which made him stop for a second before he resumed brushing his fingers against her sensitive skin. Right! When it came to his touches, she was always sensitive from head to toe. No matter which part of her body he was touching, she always felt like she was ready to melt in a puddle. After a while, she finally got used to his fingers moving against her skin and relaxed enough to enjoy the movie. The good thing was that Kaiden acted like a decent man after that as he too watched the movie in silence and with great interest. He was finally content with just hugging her arm as if his life depended on it! *** Two and half an hour later... "Angel, I thought you were just joking back then," Kaiden whined like a child as he tugged on his girlfriend''s sleeve while following her into the makeup section. They did buy masks and sunglasses before heading towards the PVR but he thought that she did it because she was a little bit angry back then. Little did he knew that as soon as they came out of the movie hall, he would need to put those things on so that no one would interrupt them anymore. His angel knew how to hold grudges! "Stop whining. And what''s the big deal about wearing a mask?" Emily questioned him as she picked up two light-colored shades of lipstick. "No problem with the mask... but can I take off the glasses? After all, we are inside..." Kaiden trailed off when he noticed the look on his angel''s face. "The answer is no. Your eyes are even more dangerous than your luscious lips. You need to hide them both." She stated in a determined tone before turning towards the mirror. On the other hand, Kaiden found himself smirking after listening to her words. He was suddenly feeling proud of his looks. It''s not like he often got to hear his girlfriend complimenting him for his looks. Now, he was in love with his lips and eyes, they were his precious treasures and he needed to keep them protected for his mate. A frown appeared on Emily''s face as she looked at her lips in the mirror. After thinking for a while, she turned to look at Kaiden with a beautiful smile on her lips. "Here, let me try them on you." She said while taking off his mask. "Huh?" Kaiden looked at her in confusion but then he saw her opening the light pink shade of cream lipstick as she moved closer to him. - Emily chewed on her lower lip as she closely inspected Kaiden''s lips that were now painted in two different shades - light pink and light red. "Why don''t you take a look and tell me which one looks better?" She asked him as she helped him to move towards the mirror so that he could take a look at his lips. However, Kaiden did not follow up as he immediately turned to look at her as he spoke, "Actually, they both look great. Their smell is light and pleasant. And most importantly, they both taste a little like vanilla. I like it." Emily stared at the man with a puzzled expression on her face as she asked, "Why do you care about the taste?" Kaiden''s eyebrows went high as he looked at the girl like he was looking at someone stupid. "What are you talking about, angel? Taste is nearly the most important point that needed to be considered here. What if you bought a lipstick with terrible taste? It will ruin our kiss!" The attendant standing a little away from them could not help herself as she chuckled softly but quickly controlled herself as she turned away to address the other customers. Seeing that they were once again alone, Emily turned to look at Kaiden as she scolded him, "What nonsense are you talking about? Don''t you dare..." "Angel...! I''m being serious. It''s a good thing that so far you have kept using lipsticks with sweet tastes. Otherwise, our kisses won''t be this much... mmph...!" Kaiden was silenced when Emily suddenly covered his mouth with her palm as she glared at him. "That''s enough! You can stop here. Shameless!" She mumbled before taking off her hand from his mouth as she once again made him wear the mask. Without wasting another second, she decided to buy both shades of lipsticks and moved towards the aisle filled with thousands of skincare products. Though she did not like to wear makeup often, she still provided her skin with the care that it needed. She spent quite some time selecting the products from her favorite brands before she finally moved to make the payment. The good thing was, Kaiden remained silent throughout that entire period. As they walked out and headed towards the elevator, Kaiden asked her, "Are you angry that I did not offer to pay for your shopping?" He sounded genuinely curious. Emily stopped in her steps as she turned to face him with a glare. "Do you think it will make you the perfect boyfriend if you will pay for my stuff? Or do you think I''m unable to afford my daily basics?" Kaiden took off his sunglasses as he looked at her with twinkling eyes as he answered, "I''m happy that I did not offer. I''m a smart boyfriend. Let''s go." He took hold of her hand with his free hand, since his other hand was filled with the shopping bags, and pulled her inside the elevator. The soft smile that was playing on Emily''s lips was the proof of how much she enjoyed the date and Kaiden was also happy to see her smile. He loved her smile... he loved her! Chapter 217 - Private Pool After having their lunch in one of the nearby restaurants, Emily and Kaiden spent another hour in the mall where the former bought some stationery products, especially paints for her artworks. By the time they returned to Kaiden''s apartment, Emily''s feet had started to ache because of the high heels that she had been wearing since the morning. "What now?" Kaiden asked as he followed Emily inside her temporary bedroom in his apartment. He watched as she dumped all the shopping bags on the sofa placed near the windows. After that, she hurriedly took off her heels and placed her purse and phone on the bedside table before immediately heading towards her bed. It was around three o''clock in the afternoon and they still had quite a few hours remaining before evening when they were supposed to leave for the Night Market that was located in the Southern part of the city - the area that was under Sullivan''s authority. The Night Market was famous for its cheap but good quality products and also because of the street foods. There were rumors that the Night Market also had an underground secret area where shops for magical stuff were located. Unfortunately, till a few days ago, only the residents of the Southern part of the city were lucky enough to visit the night market and only the special ones could get permission to enter the underground area. Since the gates of the Night Market were now open for almost everyone living in the City-A because of the new peace treaty between all the three leading families of City-A, Emily was now ready to enjoy this experience. She had been constantly begging Kaiden since the previous evening to take her for a tour through the famous Night Market. She was particularly excited about visiting the shops located in the underground area. Emily jumped onto the bed and let her body sink into the soft mattress as she closed her eyes to let them relax a little. "Now, we are going to relax. I''m kind of tired and want to take a bath to relax my body." Emily told him after a few seconds of silence as she slowly opened her eyes and watched the man walking towards the bed before he too settled down beside her. "Do you need my help?" asked Kaiden as he laid beside her and then wrapped one of his hands around her waist and turned onto his side to look at her. Though his question was completely innocent, looking at Emily''s raised eyebrows, it was clear that she did not take it as one. He smiled sheepishly at her for a second before snuggling his face in the crook of her neck. He felt her fingers brushing through his hair as she relaxed against him. "Alright. We will do as you wish. Let''s relax for now." He whispered next to her ear as he kept his eyes closed and inhaled the familiar scent that belonged only to his precious mate. Neither of them realized that they were so relaxed in each other''s company that both of them soon fell asleep. *** "What are we doing here?" Leo asked as he looked around the area, trying to understand exactly what was going on in Rylan''s mind. They were currently at the private pool of the Sunrise Apartments where both Rylan and Shane had recently purchased penthouse suits. "We are here to enjoy the day and relax. Come on! Let''s get changed." Rylan answered as he dragged Leo towards the changing rooms where he handed him one of his newly bought bathing suits. Both of them hurriedly changed their clothes before they once again returned to the pool area. "Do you think I need to work out more?" Rylan suddenly asked after he jumped into the pool and finished his first lap. He started flexing his muscles to Leo who was standing a little farther away with his back resting against the pool wall. A small smile appeared on his lips when he noticed the blush that was covering Leo''s cheeks and the tips of his ear as he tried to not look at the muscled body that belonged to the Second Young Master of the Sullivan Empire. "I... I-I... Maybe..." Leo seemed to be too flustered to find the right words at the moment. He just shook his head before suddenly turning away to look at the opposite side. What he did not expect was for Rylan to suddenly appear behind him, caging him against the pool wall with his body and arms that came to rest against the wall on either side of him. "W... W-what... are you... d-doing?" He asked while pushing his body against the wall to create some distance between him and Rylan. But soon enough he felt Rylan moving closer to him and this time, he did not stop until his chest was pressed against his, Leo''s, back. A shudder immediately shook Leo from head to toe as their bodies came in direct contact. He felt one of Rylan''s hands moving against his waist before it came to rest against his abdomen. He could feel Rylan''s warm breath against his right shoulder and he was forced to bit down on his lower lip to stop the gasp that was ready to escape his mouth as soft tingles of pleasure started running all over his body. "Leo..." Rylan called out his name in a whispered tone as he brushed the fingers of his other hand against his mate''s collarbone, letting them run all over his chest before resting his palm over his chest where he could feel his heart thumping rapidly. "Rylan..." Leo finally let out a moan as he could not stop himself anymore. His body had started to melt against the man standing behind him and he just wanted to get lost in the pleasurable feelings that he was currently experiencing. Rylan moved closer to place a soft kiss on Leo''s earlobe, making the boy moan softly as he bent his head sideways to give more room to his lips. Seeing that his mate was not protesting against his bold actions, Rylan kept moving his lips against the wet skin of Leo''s neck and shoulder, plastering soft kisses all over the skin while his hands started to explore the beautiful body of his mate. He let his tongue slip out and brush against the smooth skin of Leo''s neck before he let his teeth take over as he lightly bit him, making Leo hiss. He hurriedly let his tongue soothe the pain as he licked the skin, again and again, forcing Leo to start moaning as he forgot all about the slight pain that he received just a few seconds ago. After making sure that he would be able to see a hickey on Leo''s neck later, Rylan finally pulled away and made his mate turn around to face him. "I wanna kiss you... Can I?" Rylan asked in a soft voice as he looked directly into the deep green eyes of his mate who seemed to be lost in the world of pleasure. Just thinking about how much more pleasure he could bring to his mate if given a proper chance, brought a huge smile on Rylan''s lips. But while he was busy dreaming about making his mate moan and groan out loudly due to immense pleasure, Leo''s eyes were plastered on his lips that were stretched into a beautiful smile. His eyes grew large when he suddenly felt a force against his face before soft warm lips sealed his lips in a kiss. He stared into Leo''s emerald eyes before they shut close, making him close his eyes too as he let himself enjoy their first kiss. His lips moved slowly against Leo''s soft warm ones as he let his hands move all over his back, pulling him closer to his body before wrapping his arms around Leo''s waist in a tight and protective embrace. Leo moaned softly as he felt Rylan biting his lower lip softly before letting his touch soothe the pain. Their lips moved in sync as they deepened the kiss, enjoying each stroke of their tongues that were playing tango with each other. Leo finally moved his hands that had been loosely hanging by his side, letting them run over Rylan''s abdomen before raising them over his chest, collarbone, and finally broad shoulders. He finally wrapped his arms around Rylan''s shoulders and moved his face a little to deepen the kiss even more. Their kiss continued for a few more minutes before Leo finally pulled away. His breaths were coming in short gasps as his eyes took in the equally flustered state of Rylan. He noticed how Rylan''s lips were swollen because of their kissing and also the flush that was painting his cheeks. Seeing Leo staring at him with those glowing eyes that screamed desire, Rylan could not help but place another kiss on his mate''s already swollen lips. Leo felt a small smile appearing on his lips as he let his head rest against Rylan''s shoulder. Both of them were ready to spend a wonderful afternoon together. Chapter 218 - Elves And Faes [Flashback -] "Are you two alright?" Emily asked worriedly as she stared at her best friends who seemed to be in immense pain at the moment. Both Shane and Rylan were being punished for the chaos that they created in the dining hall during the lunch break, making the mistake of using their powers in front of the mortals. She was not hundred percent sure about what exactly happened that made the two of them lose their calm and do something as stupid as to fight with the fellow students and break the rules of the Academy, but she knew her friends better than anyone and she had a strong feeling that the reason behind their actions was definitely something serious and big. "Well, you guys should be happy to know that the group of those seniors is being punished by Mrs. Whitney. They are probably suffering nearly double of what you guys are going through. Just bear for another hour and the detention time will be over." She notified them in order to cheer them up but only watched Shane grimacing when he tried to open his mouth to speak. "Don''t worry too much about them. The punishment is given according to their endurance levels. Also, more or less... they deserved this." The boy with blonde hair and black raven-like eyes spoke with a huff as he shook his head as if he was unhappy or frustrated about something. He was the one who was assigned the task to look after Shane and Rylan during their punishment hours. No doubt that he was not happy about wasting four hours, especially when the final exams were supposed to begin within the next two days. Emily followed the line of direction in which the boy had been staring for a while by now and noticed a pair of glasses visible under the water that was filling the pond. She raised her right hand and let the combined energy of wind, fire, and earth come out to fetch the item. "What are you doing?" The boy asked her as he noticed her using her power to pick up his glasses that were probably broken. "Ain''t this yours?" Emily asked in response as she offered him the glasses after fixing them up with a simple spell. It had been over nine months since she started learning magical spells and charms. And after such a long time of constant practice, she was finally able to catch up with nearly half of the students of her magical classes. Currently, she loved using her powers whenever she could. It made her feel strong, powerful, and most importantly, it was helping her control her darkness. Besides, Shadow had been recently teaching her some ancient spells to merge the energy of the darkness living inside her with the magical essence to give her spells and charms a boost. "T-thanks..." The boy said as he accepted the glasses and put them on, letting out a sigh of relief immediately. "It''s alright," Emily responded with a soft smile. Soon enough, the silence became a little awkward as none of them spoke for a while. She looked at all the three boys and then let out a deep breath as she noticed the frown on the blonde hair boy''s face. "You are in the second year, right?" She asked him to start a conversation so that he could calm down a little. "Oh... yeah! I''m Ashen Night." The boy introduced himself as he also let a barely noticeable smile appear on his lips. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Night. I''m Emilia Alessandro." Emily heard both Rylan and Shane grunting behind her when she shook hands with Ashen. She turned around to look at her best friends with raised eyebrows but unfortunately, neither of them was in a state to speak at the moment. She just noticed the warning look in Rylan''s eyes. Because of the punishment, Rylan was unable to use his powers including his ability to talk with her through the mind link. That''s why she could not find out exactly what he was trying to tell her. "They are probably in pain," Ashen spoke from behind her as he too observed Rylan and Shane curiously. Emily gave another look in her best friends'' direction before she returned her attention to Ashen and nodded her head slightly. She knew that the boys were trying to tell her something but she did not want to be too obvious about her questions in front of a stranger, so she decided to talk with Rylan and Shane after their punishment. -- Emily entered the infirmary and headed straight towards Rylan and Shane who were signing their papers for discharge. "You two are now looking as good as ever. Nice!" She complimented them after seeing that there seemed to be no trace left of the harsh punishment that they received in the afternoon. Rylan immediately took hold of her arm and dragged her out of the infirmary along with Shane after bidding goodbye to the nurse who was in charge of the place during the nighttime. "What''s wrong?" Emily asked as soon as the three of them stopped next to the stairways that led to the second floor where the classrooms for medical studies were located. "That''s what we want to ask you. What was wrong with you? Why did you talk with that blonde?" Rylan questioned her like a big brother who was having a hard time handling his little sister and her stupidness. "Why can''t I talk to him?" Emily asked in return, raising her eyebrows in question as she stared at the two young men. "Because he''s a fae..." Shane responded in a desperate tone as he slightly shook her by her shoulder as if trying to knock some sense into her. "And...?" Emily was still having a hard time grasping why it mattered if Ashen was a fae or some other supernatural. "Em, are you forgetting about how tricky a fae can be? It''s not good for you to have any sort of contact with them. Just ignore them." Rylan reminded her as he pleaded with her to listen to him. "But I thought that Elves were supposed to be the tricky one," Emily said with a frown as she tried to recall what she had learned so far about these two races. "There''s not any difference between these two races. They both have command of elemental powers and they both are tricksters who enjoyed tricking others. Just stay away from them." Shane told her and watched the girl nodding her head in understanding. Even though Emily agreed to stay away from the Elves and the Faes at that moment, the future was unknown. What if she was bound to end up getting tangled with those two races... more than anyone was prepared for...? Chapter 219 - A Chance Encounter [Daniel] Daniel Alessandro walked out of the private elevator as he ended the call with his Secretary. His head was spinning after hearing the nonstop bickering of the Departmental Heads. Thankfully, Secretary Wang decided to end the meeting before he could lose control and end up getting angry over those stupid people who were more interested in finding faults in each other''s work instead of paying more attention to their own. "Second Master..." Daniel stopped in his tracks when he heard the familiar voice of Manager Williams. The man was in his late fifties and had been taking care of the Grand Diamond Resort ever since it opened nearly twelve years ago. "Second Master, are you feeling alright?" Manager Williams asked as he approached Daniel, noticing the tiredness that was clearly visible in the eyes of the young man. "No need to worry about me. I''ll be fine after resting for a while. Prepare a room for me. I''ll be staying here tonight and will leave tomorrow morning around five o''clock." Daniel informed the man before he walked away, not giving Manager Williams a single chance to speak again. He walked towards the main lobby as he was planning to take a walk in the garden area when suddenly a little girl appeared in front of him. She was barely around five or six years old and her chubby cheeks were stained with the traces of tears that she had been shedding for a while by now. She stared at him with her tear-filled small eyes, the dark brown color of her irises was looking even more pretty because of the unshed tears that she was holding back in her eyes. Daniel looked around to see if he could spot the parents of the kid but found no one as far as his eyes could see. He crouched down in front of the kid who was still sobbing lightly while she kept staring at him as if he intrigued her in some sort of way. "Y-you... you have p-pretty... eyes..." She spoke in a soft voice through her sobs that were making her entire body shake. Daniel found a small smile appearing on his lips as he stretched his arms out towards the girl who looked at them as if she had never seen such strong arms before. "Thank you, little one. But you have the prettiest eyes." Daniel told her as he watched her finally stepping closer to him. She raised her little hands and then suddenly wrapped them around his neck, taking Daniel by complete surprise as he was not expecting something like that. "What...?" "I wanna eat ice cream. Can you find me the uncle who will give me the ice cream? Mom refused to find the uncle." The girl asked him in a sweet voice as she tilted her head sideways to look at him. Daniel chuckled softly as he picked the girl in his arms and stood up before asking, "Should not we find your parents first? They will be worrying about your whereabouts. I''ll then take you to eat ice cream. How does that sound?" The girl immediately shook her head in denial, making her shoulder-length curly black hair bounce. "Nope! Mom is going to be angry. She can be really scary sometimes." "Then what about your dad? Won''t he try to help you out?" Daniel asked as he once again started walking towards the lobby. The girl remained silent for a few seconds before she finally answered in a low voice, "I don''t have one, to begin with." Daniel stopped in his tracks as his ears registered those words. He turned his face to look at her face only to find sadness filling her beautiful eyes. He was silent for a while as he contemplated what to say next. "It''s alright. Having a dad is always not a good thing." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he noticed the tears that started rolling down the kid''s cheeks, making him realize that he probably failed to say the right thing. "Alright! Don''t cry. Let''s go and find your mum. I promise I''ll not let her get angry at you. Them we will get ice creams for you." He tried to calm her down as he took out a tissue from his pocket to wipe her face. "You promise?" She asked softly as she wrapped her little hands around his big one. "I promise," Daniel replied in a similar soft tone as he brought her to the receptionist and asked them to find the mother of the kid. It did not take long before a woman in her late twenties entered the resting area where he was playing with the girl whose name was Claire. Daniel raised his head to look at the entrance of the room and as soon as his eyes landed on the figure of the woman with curly black hair, dark brown eyes, and rose pink lips that were moving as she said something, he found himself losing control over reality. His eyes refused to leave her and he felt something inside him flutter as he watched her run towards her daughter whom she immediately wrapped into her arms. The worry in her eyes seemed to pull some sort of strings inside his heart. "Thank you... Thank you so much..." He seemed to read her lips as she was thanking him. Her eyes were filled with sincerity and gratitude. "Huh?" Daniel finally seemed to come out of the world of thoughts that had sent him to a place where only Claire''s mother seemed to be present other than him. "Sir, are you alright?" The woman asked as she looked at him with worry in her eyes. Her voice... it sounded just as soft and musical as Claire''s. Daniel seemed to be no longer able to think things straight anymore. He shook his head to get rid of the thoughts before he hurriedly nodded his head as he replied, "I... I''m alright. You..." "Thank you again for today. I need to leave now because I''m in a hurry. Here... it''s my card. Please find me later. I''ll make sure to thank you properly today. I''m really sorry. Please excuse me." Before Daniel could say anything else, a card was shoved into his hands and he watched the woman running out of the room with Claire in her arms. The last thing he saw was the sad look on Claire''s beautiful face... he failed to complete his promise...! Chapter 227 - A Spell Gone Wrong [Flashback - ] Nightfall Academy ~ "I don''t think it''s a good idea." Emily could not help but whisper as she tried to keep herself hidden in the shadows. "Em, please stop demotivating us. Even I''m getting scared now." Shane whispered back as he stood right in front of her. "You are scared not because of my words but because you are starting to realize that this idea of yours sucks." She mumbled back as she stared at the emerald ring on her index finger, praying for Shadow to hurriedly return to her from whatever place he had disappeared since the morning. "Guys, calm down!" Rylan whispered shouted from ahead of Shane as he turned back to glare at both of them with an unhappy expression on his face. Both Emily and Shane scoffed at the same time in response which made Rylan let out a sigh as he tried to think of a plan to get all of them out of their current situation.. "Seriously guys, can''t we just return to our dorms? I don''t think it''s a good idea to follow that group of seniors anymore. We don''t even know in which direction they had disappeared." Emily tried to talk some sense into her friends but just one look at Rylan and she knew that the man wasn''t ready to give up yet. She again cursed herself in her heart for even agreeing with their stupid plan in the first place. How could she have known that she would end up in the depths of the Enchanted forest in the middle of the night? After their final exams of the first year two weeks ago, they had received two months'' vacation. However, the students weren''t allowed to return to their homes even during the holidays. Instead, the Academy allowed them to visit the nearby towns and areas to enjoy their free time in whatever way they wanted. They were allowed to enjoy their holidays as long as they followed the Academy''s rules. Since the barriers around the Academy grounds allowed them to enter the Enchanted forest, they were not breaking into any of the forbidden areas of the Academy but the fact that it was the middle of the night, well... that was a different case. Her eyes traveled over her dark surroundings, noticing the weird silence that had descended over the forest. "I''m having a weird feeling about our current situation." She found herself speaking as her eyes returned to her two friends who were standing beside her. "What kind of feeling? Is it a bad premonition?" Shane asked as his eyes also looked around their surroundings to see if he could find something unusual. "I... I am not sure. It''s just a feeling. Not really a bad one, but... as if something is going to happen." She replied while thinking hard but the frown on her face clearly stated that she was having a hard time deciphering the feeling that she was getting at the moment. Both Shane and Rylan shared a look as if to decide what they should do at this point. "How about we teleport back to the Academy?" Shane suggested after a few moments of silence but realized that the idea was not good enough seeing that only he and Rylan had learned the spell of teleportation but even the two of them were currently rookies. But to his surprise, Rylan looked impressed by his suggestion. "I think we can try it." His friend said as he turned to look at Emily who was staring at the two of them with a confused expression on her face. "I know that only the two of us can perform this spell and that too to a certain limit. But our destination isn''t too far away and I''m sure the two of us will be able to take her away if we tried." Rylan explained his idea and waited to see his friends'' reactions. "I... I don''t know to be honest. This seems like a dangerous idea." Shane was first to respond and he genuinely felt that the idea carried too many risks. One wrong movement from them and they would be facing severe consequences. "But we also can''t stay here. Can''t you feel that something is changing here? There''s no breeze, no sound, no moonlight even though we saw a moon before we entered the forest and there''s no cloud to hide it either. Following those seniors, we have ventured too deep into the forest. Do you think we will be able to return to the Academy if we used our feet and sense of direction?" Emily''s questions were met with silence as neither the boys had any proper answer. Of course, they were aware that they no longer had the option of returning to the Academy by walking back. Besides, after Emily pointed it out, they could clearly sense the changes that had appeared in the forest after they entered the wilderness. Why did they even want to follow those stupid seniors in the first place? Their curiosity had landed them in deep troubles. "Let''s try your idea of teleporting back. It''s our best and also... the only option at the moment." Emily told her friends and watched as they slowly nodded their heads in agreement. Still, she could see the reluctance in their eyes. It wasn''t like she was not afraid for their safety but somehow she felt like staying any longer in the forest would lead them to even more dangers. After all, the Enchanted Forest was not a place for enjoyment. It was rumored to be the home of ferocious beasts and mythical creatures. The three of them formed a triangle and joined their hands in tight grips. She almost felt like the boys were going to crack her knuckles if they kept gripping her hands with such force. "Can you guys lose your holds? It''s kinda hurting." She complained ad even after trying, she failed to bear the pain that their grips were causing. "Nope! You need to bear it for a few moments. We can''t take any risk." Rylan informed her and Shane too nodded his head to show his agreement. Emily let out a small sigh but decided to follow their instructions. *** It did not take the boys long to merge their magical energies as they tried to cast a powerful spell to teleport the three of them back to their homes at the Academy. Emily closed her eyes when she started to feel the tingling sensations that suddenly but slowly erupted over her body. She felt the spell working perfectly and her body relax at the realization. She did not open her eyes but she could tell that if she opened them, she would only be able to see darkness and nothingness around them as the three of them traveled through the void. It felt like ages but in truth, barely a few seconds had passed. Everything was going perfect but then a sudden force pushed her body away from her two friends. Her body landed against something hard before she fell on the cold damp ground, a shiver of pain ran all over her body as she found it hard to breathe all of a sudden. Nothing happened after that. She just laid there motionless with her eyes closed as her body and mind tried to process all that happened. Thankfully, the pain did not last for long, and within a few seconds, she was able to breathe normally. Her eyes finally fluttered open, meeting the same darkness of the forest that she had left behind a minute or so before. Her head turned from left to right, assessing her surroundings only to find that she was alone this time and that too in some other part of the forest. For a moment, she thought about calling out to her friends to see if they were also nearby but then the thought of grabbing the attention of the creatures of the forest made her immediately gave up on the idea. She could not take such a risk, especially when there was no confirmation that the boys were actually still in the forest. She stood up and dusted her clothes to get rid of the dirt. She was sure that she no longer looked like the previous little princess of a well-known family. Her white blouse was no longer white and her shoes were covered in dirt. Her hair had come undone and was falling around her face. "I''m sorry, my dear child. I was not thinking properly when I yanked you out of the formation that your friends formed. I hope that you are not hurt." A soft musical female voice made Emily turn to face the lady who was standing a few feet away from her. A black cloak was draped over her body, hiding her face and identity. What Emily could see were the long red curls that were falling around the woman''s shoulders. Somehow, the red color of her hair fitted perfectly with the black of her outfit. "Who are you?" Chapter 228 - Essence Of Elements [Flashback continued - ] "My identity doesn''t matter. I''m here to give you a present that I''m sure you will like." The woman spoke as she raised her right hand in Emily''s direction. A bright light shone over her palm before it disappeared completely, leaving a small ball full of white smoke resting on her palm. Emily watched as the smoke ball suddenly flew towards her, stopping right in front of her. "Accept it. Trust me, you will not regret accepting it." The woman told her but Emily still refused to touch that smoke ball that was still hovering in front of her. "Who are you? And what is this thing?" She questioned again, watching as the woman became silent all of a sudden. "All that I can tell you is that I''m from the Coral Court and that magical ball.... is the spirit ball that contains the essence of the five elements." The woman finally decided to answer her questions. Emily turned her attention to the said spirit ball and was instantly taken aback when she noticed the smoke inside the ball that had started swirling. The first image that appeared in front of her eyes was that of an ocean with high waves. The second image brought a surge of fire while the third was a powerful gust of wind. The fourth one was the earth and lastly, she watched the powerful thunder striking all over the place. When everything ended and the ball was once again looking calm and normal, Emily finally let out the breath that she had been holding. The spirit ball was too much powerful and somehow, she could tell that the essence of the elements was captured in it a long long time ago. "Why are you giving this to me?" She found herself asking as she turned her attention back at the woman who had been silently standing in her original position. "Because if I still keep it in my possession, I''m afraid that Shadow and his Night Court will not let my Coral Court live peacefully. He wants this spirit ball for you. So here I am, giving you the spirit ball willingly. All that I''m asking is for you to ask the Supreme Sire to not hurt my people." Emily felt her head spinning as the woman started talking about things that were making no sense to her. Who was the Supreme Sire? What was the relation between Shadow and the Night Court? Why was Shadow looking for the Spirit ball? And how could she stop the Supreme Sire from hurting the people of the Coral Court? She knew about the twelve royal courts that ruled the supernatural races. While there were Supernatural Councils in almost every state, the royal courts were still the real ones in power. From what she had learned so far, Night Court - the court of Vampires, was the most powerful court of the Supernatural world, followed by Fae Court and then the Shifter Court. She would probably have seen or heard the mention of the title ''Supreme Sire'' but in her current situation, she was having a hard time pinpointing what she knew about that person. "Is Shadow close to the Supreme Sire?" Emily found herself asking as she looked at the mysterious woman in front of her. Seeing that the woman had such a powerful treasure like the Spirit Ball in her possession, it was clear that her position in the Coral Court was not normal. "This... didn''t he tell you anything?" Instead of answering her question, the woman directed her own question at Emily, and she genuinely seemed surprised. By now, Emily had started to feel that something wasn''t right. Listening to the woman''s words, it almost sounded like she was portraying that Shadow had been keeping things from her. What she could not understand was the sudden sadness that took over her heart. It''s not like she had told all her secrets to him. Therefore, him keeping his life affairs secret from her should not be a big deal for her. But at the same time, he was only unaware about a little part of her life while she knew almost nothing about him. The more Emily pondered on the topic, the more sad and depressed she became. Even though she kept telling herself that it really did not matter whether Shadow was keeping things hidden from her, the truth was that it actually mattered. The woman probably noticed the war that was going on inside her head because even Emily knew that her face was portraying everything like a transparent window. Her attention was pulled back at the woman when she heard her cursing under her breath. It looked like the woman was regretting disclosing something that she should not have. "I''m really sorry. I did not mean to create any problem between you guys. I just thought that since you two are so close, he would have told you at least something about his true identity. I did not know that he was keeping things hidden... fro... I... I''m so... so sorry... " The woman trailed off when she realized that in order of apologizing and defending herself, she once again ended up saying things that she should not have said. Her intentions behind meeting the girl were good. She wanted to give the Spirit Ball to her in exchange for a promise that she would keep the Supreme Sire from hurting the Coral Court. However, looking at the current situation, it felt like the Ruler of the Night Court won''t let her and her Coral Court live in peace anymore. "I... I won''t accompany you anymore. It''s getting late. You should return to your dorms and rest. Please try to not think about whatever I said. I will be taking my leave now. Till we meet again." Bidding her farewell, the woman did not stop for a single more second at that place. She hurriedly cast two teleportation spells, bringing herself back to her throne hall in the Coral Court with the help of the first spell while sending Emily back to her dorms with the second spell. Now she just wished that she and her people won''t need to face an angry Supreme Sire because that would only end up in a bloodbath and thousands of deaths. Sadly, she was aware that it would be her people losing their lives. Chapter 229 - Trust [Flasback continued - ] When Shadow returned to Emily''s dorm room, all that he found was pitch darkness and silence. But again, it was already past midnight. The girl was probably fast asleep after the long tiring day. Even though it was currently holiday, Emily still had to find a chance to experience any sort of rest. She still needed to wake up early to train her body. Then she needed to spend hours working on her elemental powers and spell casting. After that, she had to spend some time with her friends with whom she had partnered up to open a business, and lastly, she had her webcomic to focus on. He wanted to go straight to his room and rest for a while since he too had a rough day while searching for clues to find the Spirit Ball. Thirteen hundred years ago when he gave it away to a Serpent shifter, he had no idea that there would be a day when he would need to search for that item that used to be useless for him. If he had known, he would have kept it hidden in his possession and had cherished it like the rare treasure that it truly was. Even though for someone like him that Spirit Ball was really a useless item, but for his Princess, that ball could become a game-changer. Since she was not introduced to the magical elements from an early age, her body wasn''t prepared at all for the immense power that the elements held. Unless she had a vessel inside her body that could observe the extra powers of these elements, it would be impossible for her body to stand the torture. That''s why the Spirit Ball was the best item to be used for this purpose. A small crystal ball forged from the spiritual power and held the ability to keep the purest essence of all the rest of the five elements, there could not be a better treasure than it that could help Emily. Besides, if used correctly then the essence of elemental powers stored inside the Spirit Ball would be able to mix with her elemental powers and would purify it, making it even more powerful than regular elemental power. Shadow was so lost in his thoughts that he did not even realize that instead of his own bedroom, he was standing outside Emily''s bedroom. His body seemed to have its own mind and he was unable to deny that he wanted to see the girl once before taking a break. As his hands turned the doorknob, his ears registered the faintest movements from inside the bedroom. A frown appeared on his face as he let his powers out, searching the area only to feel the power of Spirit Ball coming from inside the bedroom. Without wasting another second, he immediately entered the room and found it filled with darkness. He was about to switch on the lights with a spell when he once again heard the movements on the bed. "Shadow..." Emily''s voice was low and gruff. But what made his heart falter was the sadness in it as she called out his name. The room was suddenly filled with a dim light as she switched on the bedside lamp and the first thing that he noticed was her damp eyes and the pain that she was trying to hide from him. Within a blink of an eye, he was sitting beside her in the bed as he inspected her body with his powers to see if she was hurt. However, she was perfectly fine. Not understanding exactly what was wrong, he decided to ask, "Princess, what happened? Are you alright? Is something wrong?" He watched as the girl shook her head in denial while trying her best to smile but failing poorly. She drew her hands from under the covers before she placed something cold in his right hand. When she drew her hand away, his gaze landed on the familiar sight of the Spirit Ball. "This..." He wanted to ask her where did she found the ball but she already started explaining. "Someone from the Coral Court came to see me today. In exchange for this treasure, they asked me to stop you from hurting their people." A frown appeared on Shadow''s face when he heard those words. When did he ever harm someone from the Coral Court? Did someone come to throw mud at him behind his back? "Wait! Did that person hurt you? Is that why you are upset?" He asked hurriedly. He was more worried about his princess than people ruining his image. He watched as the girl once again shook her head in denial. The more silent she was, the heavier his heart was becoming with every passing second. "Princess, what are you not telling me? What happened after I left?" He asked again as he placed the Spirit Ball beside her on the bed before taking both of her small hands in his big ones. The girl was silent for the next few minutes as she looked right into his eyes. It was like she was searching for something. "Shadow... don''t you trust me?" Her sudden question that came out of the blue took him by surprise. It was the last thing he was expecting her to ask and the fact that her voice quivered as she voiced the question, made his heart hurt inside his chest. "Why would you even ask that, Princess? Of course, I trust you. I trust you more than anyone else in my life at the moment." Emily could hear the sincerity in his voice and it made her heart relax a little. "Then why did you never told me about your relation with the Shadow Court?" Looking at his shocked face, it was clear that just like her previous question, he was not expecting this question either. But what surprised her was the genuine smile that broke onto his lips as he tightened his hold on her hands. "I didn''t mention anything about my true identity because it almost means nothing to me. The true me is the one sitting in front of you and not the one known by others. But if that''s what you want to know then I''ll tell you everything." Chapter 230 - A Message From Shane "I''ll be taking my leave now. You should get some more rest." Kaiden told her as he helped her climb out of his car. They had just reached the Alessandro Mansion and he was preparing to leave for work. Since he had spent the last two days as holidays with her, there would surely be a lot of pending work waiting for him at his company. "Mmhmm, I will. You should pay attention to your work while you will be in the company. Don''t make your employees dislike me for keeping their boss busy all the time." Emily teased him and saw a beautiful smile blooming on his lips. "Don''t worry, angel. No one can dislike you. I''m sure they will like you.... a lot." Their sweet talk was disturbed when they heard someone clearing their throat near them. The two of them turned to face that person and found Simon standing on the last step of the staircases that led to the mansion. "Brother...!" Emily shouted happily as she ran towards Simon and threw herself in his arms, making the man stagger on his feet as he was taken aback for a few seconds. "Little bird, did you miss me that much?" He asked her when she finally pulled back a little but still stayed standing by his side. To both his and Kaiden''s surprise, Emily ended up shaking her head in denial, and when she noticed the looks on their faces, it made her burst into soft giggles. "I think I enjoyed my little vacation too much to miss anyone but now after seeing you, I''m suddenly feeling like I should cling to you." Saying that she wrapped herself around his arm just like she used to do five years back. "You are too honest," Simon commented as he smiled softly at her before turning his attention back to Kaiden who was silently observing them with a smile playing on his lips. Simon could see love, affection, and care swarming in Sullivan''s eyes as he kept his gaze fixed on Emily. He was kind of happy to see that the relationship between his sister and Kaiden was progressing with each passing day and they both were taking time to learn more about each other and were not being hasty to complete their bond. "Are you not leaving?" Emily''s question, which was directed at Kaiden, finally pulled both the men out of their thoughts. "Yeah, I''ll be taking my leave now. See you later." Kaiden gave a warm smile to his mate before he turned towards Simon and gave him a quick nod which the man returned with a very faint smile. Simon and Emily watched as Kaiden slipped inside his car and then drove away, heading to his company. "Let''s go," Simon told his sister as he picked up her small suitcase that was resting on the foot of the steps, and then the two of them made their way towards the grand mansion sitting on the top of the staircases. - - - Emily was sitting on the couch in front of the large tv in the living room as she checked messages on her phone. There were a few messages from her Secretary about the new changes that their webcomic app was preparing to install at the beginning of the second quarter of the year. Emily patiently read through all the data before replying. "I''m leaving now, Em. Make sure to not go out all alone. If you suddenly ended up changing your mind and you wanna go anywhere, feel free to call me anytime. Or you can call your other brothers. Just don''t go out all alone. Alright?" Simon reminded her once again as he returned to the living room but this time wearing a white suit as he was heading to the company. "I know, I know. No need to worry, I won''t go out without informing you guys, and I really don''t have any plans for going out today. I wanna stay home, wait for Shadow, and rest so that I can resume my office work from tomorrow." Emily watched as her promise made her brother relax a little. Simon smiled softly at her as he came closer to place a sweet kiss on her forehead before he bid his goodbye and left for work. "Emily, do you want to have breakfast child?" Mrs. Harris came to ask her about the breakfast but Emily refused as she already had one with Kaiden before they left his apartment. "But... Can you make me a cup of cold coffee please?" She requested with a sweet smile and saw the old woman smiling in return as she nodded her head. "Sure, darling. I''ll be back soon with your cold coffee." Emily watched as Mrs. Harris disappeared into the hall leading to the kitchen and the dining area. Her attention was pulled back to her phone when it pinged with an incoming message. It was a message from Shane. [Morning, Emy. I want your help with something this coming weekend.] Emily raised her eyebrows as she read his message. He barely ever asked for help but she was more than happy to help her best friend. [Morning. What is it?] She hurriedly typed and sent the message. [I want you and Rylan to meet Sera. Can you spare some time for your BFF?] Emily chuckled as she saw the cute emojis that he tagged with the message. Sera was his mate and as far as she knew, they had started dating just recently. That''s why Shane barely seemed to have any spare time to spend with her and Rylan these days. [Sure! Send me the time and location. I''ll be there with Ry.] Emily hit the sent icon and then placed her phone beside her on the couch before switching on the tv. She was looking forward to meeting Sera. Since that girl was Shane''s mate, it meant that she''s also a family now, and Emily wanted to know more about this new family member. Chapter 231 - Shadow And Lies When Shadow appeared in the enormous but cozy living room of the Alessandro Mansion, the first thing he saw was the girl who was laying on the couch curled up under a blanket with a huge pillow tightly clutched in her arms. She was watching an anime series about the University romance between two childhood friends, a topic that she had recently started to like and was considering using as the plotline of her next novel that she wanted to start somewhere near Christmas. He knew all about that because the girl had been constantly talking and discussing with him all the new ideas that she was getting for her new webcomic even before they returned from the Nightfall Academy. He found all the tension, anxiety, and tiredness leaving his body and his soul becoming calm as soon as his eyes landed on her. She was indeed his life source in every way possible. "Master Shadow, you are finally back." It was Mrs. Harris who noticed him first as she entered the living room with a bunch of fresh flowers in her hands. Shadow nodded his head as he greeted the old lady who then disappeared into the hallway leading towards the backdoor. When he again returned his attention towards the couch where Emily was resting, he found the girl looking at him with a warm welcoming smile on her face.. "You are back." She whispered in such a low voice as if she was saying those words to herself. Still, his sharp hearing senses picked up each of her words. He found his legs moving even before he permitted them to do so. He reached the couch where she was sitting before he too settled down next to her. "How have you been?" He asked. But instead of answering his question, Emily''s eyes were fixed on a spot on his neck. She slowly raised her hand and pressed her fingers against the dark purple bruise, instantly hearing a painful groan from the man who had been taken aback by her actions. Slowly, she lowered her hand and let out a small sigh. "You are injured... again." Her voice came out in a whisper but he still clearly heard. "It''s just a minor injury. Don''t worry too much. It will heal within a few hours." Shadow tried to calm the girl but he could feel the tension rising between the two of them, something that he did not like at all. He thought that his injuries would have healed by now that''s why he did not pay any attention to checking for assurance before appearing in front of her. Looked like he was wrong. "You used to get healed just in a few seconds or minutes no matter how big or deep the injury was. Now it''s taking you hours and even... even an entire day to heal..." Emily''s voice quivered as she tried to not let her emotions overpower her. Shadow probably noticed her situation because he immediately turned his body to face her and his hands came forward to hold her hands in his warm palms. "Princess, I''m completely fine. You don''t need to worry about me. I know that..." "Enough, Shadow!" Emily cut him off as she jerked his hands away and stood up, staring down at him as she felt her vision become blurry with unshed tears. "I''m no longer a child. I''m no longer seventeen. You can''t keep me fooling around anymore as you wish. Stop lying to me... I can feel it... I can... I can sense it here..." She pressed her palm over her heart as she tried her best to not cry because once she started, she would be unable to keep her emotions in check, not like she was doing a great job of that at the moment. "... I can sense it... While you are busy finding ways to make all my powers unlock... you... you are becoming weaker yourself... You want to protect me but you are taking risks about your own safety... And I''m... I''m afraid... I''m afraid that in the end... I''ll lose you..." And that''s when she no longer had the energy to keep her emotions in control. As tears started rolling down her cheeks, she found her legs becoming weak. Emily lost all her energy as her legs gave up and she landed on the floor. Her body was trembling as she sobbed her heart out. It was really becoming too much for her, both emotionally and physically. The person who had always been there to hold her up during her worst nightmares was slowly drifting apart from her and she had no idea about what she should do. Shadow found a single tear rolling down his cheek as he looked at Emily''s state. Somehow, even without knowing or meaning it, he was still hurting her and she''s unable to handle it. How much he wanted to take all her suffering and pain away to give her a happy life. If he could, then he was ready to exchange all his wealth, power, fame, and even his life to get the chance of rewriting her fate by himself. He swiped away his tear before crouching down next to the girl who was fighting with an unknown force to keep herself in control. The fear of hurting her all over again was one of the reasons he could not find the courage of telling her the truth about their soulmate bond. He didn''t want to hurt her, neither he wanted to bring any complications to her relationship with Kaiden. "Princess, I promise to look after myself from now on. I''ll listen to you and won''t take risks with my safety. I... I will do whatever you want. Can you... Can you please not cry?" He knew that he was still bad at consoling her, even after so many years. After all, he had not the guts to just pull her in his arms and promise her that he won''t leave her. He could not give her false hope only to break her by breaking his promise in the end. Chapter 232 - Mood Swings "I don''t trust you anymore regarding this topic. You always say that you will not take risks with your safety but you never fulfill it. I''m tired of your lies." Emily was seriously in no mood of believing the lies that this man kept throwing at her. She swiped away her tears and warned herself in her heart to not shed another tear. Since she had already wept like a baby for a few minutes, she was feeling a little better than before and also a little bit less emotional too. She stood up on her wobbly legs before once again sitting on the couch as she petted her cheeks to get rid of the dampness that her tears had left. When she heard no response from the man who was still standing in his place right next to her, she finally raised her head to look at him, only to find a small smile playing on his lips as he looked back at her. A frown appeared on Emily''s face as she noticed his weird behavior. Why was he smiling all of a sudden? Did he think that she''s not being serious enough? "Why are you smiling?" She asked him in a cold tone but it only made him smile even more.. As he noticed her cold glare, he did try to stop himself from smiling like a fool. "Shadow..." Emily''s voice was low but her eyes were filled with warning as she glared at the man who finally stopped smiling as he took a seat next to her on the couch. Instead of paying him any attention, she looked away and fixed her eyes on the huge painting that was decorating one of the walls of the living room. Shadow sat there in silence for a few seconds before he took hold of both of her hands in his as he softly spoke, "I won''t smile. Don''t make that angry face again." Emily didn''t reply. She refused to reply to him and his promises. The man had started to take advantage of her forgiving nature. She was not going to be fooled by his pretty face and honey-like voice anymore. She won''t! "Do you... Do you want me to bring you chocolates, or maybe brown sugar water?" Shadow''s question made her finally turn her attention towards him. While he sounded genuinely concerned, Emily felt like she wanted to bury herself in the ground. She hurriedly pulled out her hands from his hold before burying her face in one of the pillows. "Get lost." That''s all she told him while keeping her face hidden with the pillow. The smile returned to Shadow''s lips as he tried to make her look up at him. "It''s nothing new between us. Why are you being so flustered then? Are you having mood swings again? Feeling grumpy? Come on, tell me. This way I''ll be able to prepare myself." Emily tried to cover her ears but that, of course, didn''t work. So she searched for another pillow before throwing it at the man while shouting, "I said go away!" But Shadow didn''t budge at all from his position. Instead, he chuckled softly as he picked up the blanket and wrapped it around her before adjusting the pillows around her to make space for her to lie down. "Princess..." His voice was soft and filled with warmth and affection, just like his eyes that were gazing at her as she finally found the courage to look up at him. "Is it that obvious?" She asked in a small voice and saw him nodding his head in response to her question which made her scoff. "But I''m really angry at you. Can''t you stop making me worry about you all the time?" "That used to be my line, Princess. You are not allowed to steal my lines to reprimand me. Be creative." Shadow spoke but immediately regretted it when he noticed the scowl on her face. "Alright. Let''s stop talking about it. I have learned my lesson and I promise to not repeat such mistakes in the future. I will try my best to keep myself away from harm''s way." He finally promised and to some extent, he did mean those words. He could not promise her to not risk his life again or to not get into dangerous fights in the future because these situations were inevitable. But he was going to try his best to not get hurt so that she won''t worry too much about him. Feeling the sincerity in his voice and seeing the same in his eyes, Emily finally founded herself relaxing. She let her head fall against his shoulder as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Shadow rubbed her head and felt her energy level decreasing even more. "Are you feeling uncomfortable, Princess?" He asked her and felt her shaking her head in denial. "I''m just feeling empty from inside but I''m gonna be alright since you are here." She mumbled against his shoulder before she pulled her head back to look at him. "I missed you." Shadow smiled softly at the girl. "I''m happy to know that I''m still irreplaceable." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself. "Don''t worry, it''s impossible for anyone to take your place," Emily responded with a smile and watched him returning it. As she once again rested her head against his shoulder, she felt the tension between the two of them disappearing. The two of them had hardly faced any arguments, or at least big arguments, in the years that they spent together. It was almost impossible for them to get angry at each other or to not talk to each other and she wanted it to stay that way. "Shadow..." She slowly called out his name after a few silent minutes and heard him humming in response as he waited for her to speak. "Can you get me a heating bag and some chocolates?" Chapter 233 - Searching For A Spell Emily and Shadow finished their lunch before the two of them headed towards the library on the third floor. "Are you sure that the library is a good place for this? What if we ended up ruining the books, or the shelves, or maybe those historical paintings? Domenic will kill both of us." Emily tried to remind Shadow of the consequences that they would be facing if anything went wrong in the library. "I think your brother should be more worried about the two of us instead of his library just in case something went wrong. As for your first question, the library is just perfect for this situation," answered Shadow as he unlocked the library door and waited for her to enter before following behind her. The two of them made their way to the other side of the huge room where couches were sitting around a small glass table next to a huge window locating under the stairs that led to the upper compartment of the library. Just when Emily was about to sit down, she was stopped by Shadow. "Go and get these books from the upper collections." He told her before handing her a slip with the names of the books written on it. "We have these here?" Emily asked in a surprised tone when she noticed that all the books mentioned in the slip were books containing supernatural knowledge and magical spells. These were definitely the last books she expected to find in her brother''s library. Instead of answering her, Shadow just pointed at the stairs that would lead her to the secret collections of the book that were located in the forbidden compartment built in a secluded corner of the library. Emily didn''t waste any more time and hurried to grab the books. It took her four rounds to get all the mentioned books to the sitting area where Shadow was busy looking through these books as he searched for something. "What are you trying to find?" She asked as she took a seat opposite him and pulled one of the ancient books towards her. "A spell for you to master to help your spirit beasts fuse with elemental magic." "Huh?" Emily''s head jerked up as she stared at Shadow with a dumbfounded expression on her face. She was having a hard time processing whatever he had just said. What spell? What did he mean by fusing elemental magic with her three little treasures? Her surprised reaction made Shadow look up at her. Seeing her questioning look, he locked the door of the library with a spell before he took out the six balls of elemental magic and let them dangle in the air between the two of them. Emily observed the six floating balls that were emitting a powerful aura, reminding her that she had the similar energy before while she was at the Nightfall Academy. "Do these have anything to do with the Spirit ball that I''ve in my possession?" She finally asked after a few minutes of observation. "That''s right. While the Spirit ball contains the spiritual energy that controls the other six elements, these six balls contain the essence of those six elements individually. Since you will be fusing with the Spirit Ball, it''s perfect to let your spirit beasts fuse with these elemental magic." Shadow explained as he flicked his fingers and made the six floating balls disappear. "The fusion spell that I know is too powerful for your spirit beasts to handle. That''s why we need a different spell. That''s the spell I''m searching for." He explained further as he once again returned his attention to the books piled up in front of him. "But I''m still unable to handle the Spirit element. Will it be alright to let little treasures fuse with the other elements right now?" Emily asked in an uncertain voice. She was worried that her lack of control over the spirit element would cause trouble for her spirit beasts. "Don''t worry too much about it. I''ll make sure that the three of them will be alright. As for your control over the spirit element... that also won''t be a problem by the end of the year." Shadow calmly replied but his words only made Emily worried. "Is that what you have been busy doing the past two days? Finding ways to sort out my problems?" She asked him even when she already knew the answer. Shadow didn''t reply. Instead, he kept his entire attention focused on his books which made Emily scoff but she decided to drop the topic. The best she could do at the moment was to try her very best and not disappoint him after all the hard work he was putting into her. She too tried to look through the old pages of the books to see if she could find any spell related to the fusion of the soul and essence of elements. Unfortunately, most of the books were written in the ancient language of the elves and she had very limited knowledge about it. Soon enough, she got bored and decided to let Shadow handle the work since she was unable to provide any help. She watched as Shadow suddenly drew her tablet with a simple spell and handed it to her. "You can work on your comic if you want." He told her before he resumed his search. A small smile made its way to Emily''s lips as she thanked him and accepted the tab. She immediately opened her comic site to see the new comments and reviews that her readers had left on her latest update. "How long before you will be able to end this story?" Shadow asked when he noticed her drawing a rough sketch of the new chapter. "I''m almost on the last arc of the story. I think I''ll be able to end it before winter." Emily replied as she started adding little details to the background of the sketch. Shadow nodded his head while he recalled the letter that he received from the Fae court. "That sounds good... you will probably be too busy this winter to handle two comics at a time." Chapter 234 - Skipping Lunch "Busy?" Emily questioned as she looked at Shadow curiously. She could not think of any reason for being too busy during the coming winter season. Her company was thriving flawlessly, and so was her comic. More or less, the current period was the most relaxing time she had got to enjoy her youth with her loved ones. "You will find out soon. The coming winter is bringing a lot of work for you. Just be patient for the time being. For now, take a look at this." Shadow pushed the book, that he had been reading, towards her and tapped a particular paragraph at the bottom of the page. As Emily read the text, she realized that Shadow had finally found the spell that he was looking for. "So.... what am I supposed to do now? Should I call out my three little treasures and cast this spell on them? What to do after that?" She asked him as she was completely clueless about what to do. "We can''t use this spell right now. It''s not the time yet." Shadow told her as he took out his phone to click a photo of the page on which the spell was written. After that, he assembled all the books, and with a single click of his fingers, they all disappeared into thin air, leaving firey red particles behind but they too vanished after a second or two. If she was not wrong, then all the books were already placed in their respective places in the upper compartment of the library. "Let''s wait for the full moon to use this fusion spell. The full moonlight will help the elemental powers to reach their parks during the fusion. So, it''s better to wait at the moment. Until then, you are free to worry about other matters." He told her as he browsed through the gallery of his phone, searching for only God knew what. Emily nodded her head in understanding as she let out a small sigh. Seeing Shadow using his powers so effortlessly, she was suddenly feeling a little down. When would she be able to use her powers too without worrying about getting attacked by her enemies? And would that day arrive at all? ******* ALESSANDRO CORPORATION - Domenic walked out of the meeting room after spending over an hour discussing the hotel project that they had started a few months ago. "You are looking so haggard. Is the project that difficult to handle? Or did you skip your lunch again? I know that you left home early this morning and didn''t eat any breakfast either." Daniel questioned as he followed his brother towards the CEO''s office. "Don''t even remind me of the hotel project. It''s a big mess. The more I''m looking into it, the more problems seem to be there. If I''m not wrong then someone has planned all this to create trouble for us. Let''s have a meeting with others at home tonight after dinner. I can''t believe that we won''t be able to sort this out." Domenic replied with a sigh. Daniel nodded his head in acknowledgment as he gave another glance to his brother. It had been over one and a half decades since Domenic took over the command of the company and in all these years, he never stopped working hard to thrive for a better future. Sometimes, looking at how hard his brother had been working all this time, Daniel started feeling burdened. It seemed like he failed in shouldering the responsibilities with Domenic even when trying his best. As the second eldest in the family, he was supposed to share equal burdens and duties. However, what he was doing couldn''t even match ten percent of what Domenic had to do. "Don''t think too much about this. We will get through this... together." He finally told his brother, squeezing his shoulder lightly to assure Domenic that he wasn''t alone. That he had his family backing him up at every step. Domenic nodded his head in response as his shoulders relaxed a little, tension leaving his body as he thought about his family and their unconditional support to him. Daniel was right, they would get through this trouble too. The two of them entered the spacious office, only to find almost half of their family sitting inside the office as they chatted about something that made all of them chuckle. Mark, Crist, Emily, and Shadow were there while the entire coffee table was loaded with lunch boxes and drinks. "What''s going on here?" Domenic asked as he approached his siblings. "I received the news that both of you have become too busy to pay attention to your meals. I just wanted to see exactly what is so important that you can even spare ten minutes to grab a quick meal." There was no sarcasm in her tone even though her words sounded like she was teasing them. Domenic turned his face to look at Daniel while arching one of his eyebrows in question. "Don''t look at me like that. I just skipped lunch but I still drank a cup of coffee. You should be more worried about since you missed both breakfast and lunch." Daniel hurriedly defended himself as he moved to sit next to Mark before grabbing one of the lunch boxes to see what dishes his sister had brought for them. "Look at you two. How come you both are acting so carelessly at such a mature age?" Emily huffed as she squared her shoulders and glared at her brothers. "Alright, don''t be angry anymore. I''ll eat immediately." Domenic told her as he took a seat beside Shadow who passed him a lunchbox filled with freshly made dumplings that still appeared warm. "What about you guys? Why are the two of you here too?" Daniel asked Mark and Crist after a few minutes. "Shadow called us here. He said that he''s something important to tell all of us." Mark answered and everyone''s attention turned towards Shadow. Even Emily looked surprised as she had no idea about what Shadow was planning to do. Chapter 235 - Let Her Decide "There''s indeed something important that I need to tell you guys. But let''s wait for Simon and Leo, they will be here in a short while." Shadow informed everyone when he noticed their questioning looks. Even though most of them just nodded their heads before returning their attention to the food, there was a particular person whose eyes were still trained on him. He gave her a small nod, assuring her that everything was alright without speaking those words out loud. Emily could do nothing more than just trust him. All that she wanted was to not hear any kind of bad news.. Her attention was pulled away when her phone started ringing. She looked at the screen to check the caller ID. "It''s a call from one of the sponsors. I need to take this. I''ll be in the conference room." She told her brothers who nodded their heads as they watched her walking out of the office. Giving a last glance at the men present inside the office, she finally closed the door before walking away towards the conference room at the other end of the hall. - - - - It didn''t take long before Simon and Leo were also walking inside their brother''s office but they were not alone, Kaiden also accompanied them. "It feels like whatever you are going to tell us isn''t something normal," Crist commented as he shifted on the couch to make some space for Leo. "Em is still not here," Daniel pointed out as he looked at the entrance of the office. It''s been over fifteen minutes since she left. "She''s still talking to..." "She''s still on phone..." Kaiden and Shadow spoke up at the same time, causing a deafening silence to take over the room for a couple of seconds. "Let''s wait for her then." Domenic was the first one to break the silence as he looked at Shadow to hear what the man had to say. "Actually, you guys can first take a look at this," Shadow responded as he took out his phone and after browsing through it for a couple of seconds, placed it in the centre of the coffee table that was loaded with lunchboxes and empty juice bottles. Everyone''s attention moved towards the phone and they watched live footage of a man who was tied to a chair in a dark room. It didn''t look like he had been beaten up, yet. He was just tied and left there alone. "Who''s he?" Mark asked as he observed the man closely, trying to recall if he had ever seen him before. "The fifth Master." That''s all Shadow said in response but that''s all he needed to say because as soon as the others heard it, they all knew exactly who that man was. "Where''s he? Let''s go and settle our records with him today." Mark was the first one to speak as he hurriedly stood up while staring at the man in the video. His eyes were no longer calm or contained any sort of kindness. Instead, he looked like someone who wanted to either kill or be killed. But Mark was not the only one who seemed to be more than ready to kill the so-called Fifth Master. Almost everyone present in the office was eager to do that. "You are wrong, Mark. You can''t settle your records with him because there''s nothing to settle between the two of you. If there''s anyone here who needs to settle things with him, then it''s Emily." Shadow spoke as he picked up his phone and stopped the video for the time being. Everyone was silent as they tried to decide what to do next. The only person who looked calm was Shadow, probably because it was not his first time seeing that Fifth Master. Though he had already spent half a day taking out his anger on that man, there''s still too much bitterness and anger left in him. "What''s your plan then?" This time it was Kaiden who took the initiative to ask the question. Though he almost appeared normal as usual, Shadow could clearly feel that his wolf was almost on the verge of going insane. He was about to stand up from his seat to move closer to Kaiden so that he could help him calm down but then he realized that Emily was finally done with her call, meaning she would be back in a minute or so. He decided to stay sitting in his seat and just answer the question. "We should tell her. Let her decide what she wants to do. She deserves to know and it''s up to her. Whatever punishment she will decide for him, let''s respect her decision." ***** When Emily returned to the office almost twenty minutes later, the last thing she expected to see was Kaiden sitting there with her brothers and Shadow. The intense atmosphere inside the office was so heavy that she almost started feeling suffocated. "Did you guys fight? I know that I took a little bit more time to finish the call but how come you ended up creating such a tense situation in such a short period? What exactly happened?" She questioned them as soon as she reached the area where they all were seated on the couches. "Angel..." Emily almost felt her heart stopping to beat as she heard Kaiden calling her so endearingly but this time it was not because her stomach was filled with butterflies, rather, it was because she could feel her brothers'' gazes on her. She turned to glare at him but didn''t get the chance because he was already speaking again. "Come here..." He even stretched one of his hands out towards her while waiting for her to walk closer to him. This time, it took everything inside Emily to not blush in embarrassment. She had no idea about what was wrong with that man but she definitely was not prepared to listen to his indecent requests. At least not in front of her brothers. Chapter 236 - We All Are Here For You Ignoring her boyfriend, Emily moved to take a seat beside Simon but she made the mistake of passing by where Kaiden was sitting. As a result, just as she was passing by him, the man took hold of her hand and pulled her to sit beside him on the couch. "What are you doing? This is so embarrassing!" She whispered to him while staring at the man who refused to reply and just buried his face in the crook of her neck, causing her to become even more flustered as she noticed that all her brothers were observing the two of them. Couldn''t they just look at some other place instead of enjoying her embarrassment? She asked herself while shaking Kaiden''s shoulder to stop the man from pulling her on his lap. "Kaiden...!" She tried to stand up but his hold on her was tighter than she thought and as a result, she couldn''t even get out of his arms let alone walk away from him. "Let him be. He needs you right now." Shadow''s words distracted her and when she looked up at him, the man gave her an assuring nod but there was also a weird look in his eyes that she couldn''t understand. She gave a quick look in her brothers'' directions and realized that none of them was looking anywhere near in a teasing mood. Instead, they all looked serious and kind of uncomfortable about something which reminded her of the tense atmosphere that greeted her when she had entered the office. Exactly what was going on? "K, are you alright?" She asked Kaiden as she relaxed in his arms and even slid one of her hands to wrap around his waist while she took hold of his hand with her other one. Since she was no longer worked up, she could feel that Kaiden, or probably his wolf, was feeling restless at the moment. The man just shook his head and didn''t say anything. Though he relaxed a little bit more and took a deep breath to inhale her scent that helped in calming down his wolf. "We have something to show you," Shadow spoke again, bringing her attention towards him but she was surprised when Kaiden suddenly became tensed all over again. Not only that but her brothers also seemed equally tensed if not more. "What is it?" She asked while looking around at her brothers before her gaze landed back on Shadow who stood up from his seat on the other end of the table and moved to crouch in front of the sofa where she was sitting with Kaiden. Their reactions were giving her anxiety and she could tell that whatever Shadow was going to tell her, it''s the reason behind everyone''s disturbed states. "Shadow, just spill it. Whatever it is..." She stated or more like requested as she looked at the man with a determined expression on her face. Whatever it was, she could handle it. Right? There was silence for the next few seconds that felt like long torturous minutes before Shadow let out a deep breath and nodded his head in understanding. He handed over his phone to Domenic who seemed just as calm as Shadow but Emily could still tell that he wasn''t feeling any better than the others. Domenic moved to sit on the couch placed next to the one where she was sitting. "Emilia, you have to keep in mind that no matter what, we all are here for you and we won''t let anyone hurt you. Ever!" Listening to her brother''s words, Emily only started feeling more anxious towards whatever they wanted to tell her. She felt Kaiden squeezing her hand as if he was trying to ensure her that he was there with her. "Yep, Em! You have your brothers and your friends with you. You also have a mate who loves you like there''s no tomorrow. You don''t have to face anything alone. We will always be here for you." Crist spoke next as he too moved to stand behind her couch while his hands came to rest on her shoulders. Looking at every man present in the room with her, she knew that she was no longer alone. She hadn''t been alone ever since the day she first stepped inside the Alessandro Mansion and met her brothers. She hadn''t been alone ever since the Sullivans appeared in her life. And she was more than grateful for not being alone anymore. She needed these men in her life just like how she needed oxygen to survive. She gave a bright smile to everyone before she turned her attention to Domenic and nodded her head, assuring him that she was ready. Domenic gave a quick look towards the rest of the men present in the office before he turned his attention to Shadow''s phone that he had been holding in his hands all this time. A couple of seconds later, he finally turned the phone towards her so that she could take a look at whatever he wanted to show her. Emily looked at the screen of the phone with a confused look on her face but it soon turned into shock and then terror as her eyes recognized the person in the footage that was being played on the screen. She felt her body becoming cold as her hands turned into tight fists, her nails digging into her skin as she tried to remind herself that she was not back in those dark and cold dungeons. "Sorellina... We are here. It''s alright, sweetheart." Daniel was immediately beside her as he gave her arms a light squeeze before his hands moved to open her fists before she could end up hurting herself. The others also moved closer to Emily as they noticed that the girl was struggling to keep the bad memories of her past from taking over her. Emily could feel the warmth of her brothers and friends around her but it was still somehow not as strong as the coldness of the terror-filled darkness that was suddenly surrounding her as her eyes stared at the familiar face of the man whom she had hated for so many years. Chapter 237 - Darkness And Kisses Emily felt her surroundings becoming blurry before everything around her disappeared, leaving her behind alone with the darkness and the silence that was ready to engulf her into its abyss. "Princess..." Through the pain and darkness that was surrounding her, she heard Shadow calling her. She didn''t have to hear him speak, she already knew what he was telling her without even saying anything. She had spent year''s working hard to control the darkness inside her and she needed to control it again. But her mind and body refused to comply. The horrific images of her past resurfaced one by one, reminding her of the worst things that she went through. Her body was shivering and her eyes had gone completely black as the dark power inside her started overpowering. And then she heard it - kill him! The darkness inside her wanted to kill the man, the so-called fifth master who had brought so much pain to her and other people too. The memory of a certain girl resurfaced, making her recall the moment when that girl died right in front of her. And just like that, her dark power was ready to snap at any moment. Just when it felt like she would no longer be able to control herself, her entire body jolted in surprise as all the dark thoughts immediately flew away, leaving her mind empty to focus on Kaiden''s lips that were leaving a trail of soft feathery kisses on the side of her neck. The coldness in her body suddenly started turning into a blazing fire that was causing sparks to erupt all over her body. Her breathing hitched as she balled her fingers into loose fists, trying to pull herself out from the hazy world that was surrounding her and making it hard for her to think straight. "Princess, open your eyes." Once again Shadow''s familiar voice made its way to her ears, helping her to pull out from the dark world that had suddenly been attacked by a rainbow swirl thanks to Kaiden who was still nibbling on the sensitive skin of her neck, making it hard for her to resist the temptation of just giving in to him and the desire that was growing inside her. It probably took her an eternity but she did succeed in pulling out of the messed-up dark world and her eyes flew open and landed on Shadow who was still crouching in front of her. His eyes were full of worry for her but she also sensed something else in them. Though she didn''t get enough time to study it because her attention was picked by Mark who was pulling Kaiden away from her. "She''s back. Stop biting her neck now, you psycho!" His words made Emily blush but she wasn''t sure if she had the energy to act the part of a flustered younger sister who had been caught by her brothers while making out with her boyfriend. Not like she was really making out but it was the closest thing possible to explain what Kaiden had just done. Though she knew pretty well that he did that just to help her. She felt Kaiden giving her a tight squeeze with his arms that were still wrapped around her shoulders and then he planted a quick kiss on her temple before he stood up and gave his seat to Simon who was quick to pull his sister in his embrace. "Emy are you alright?" He asked her in a soft tone while brushing some loose strands of her hair out of her face. Emily turned to look at Simon before she gave a quick nod of her head and tried to pull a small smile on her lips though she failed in the latter very poorly. Her brother was quick to pull her for a hug as he gave her an assuring smile. "I love you, little sis. We all love you a lot." He told her as ran his fingers through her long hair, knowing fully well that she loved that soft feeling. "Don''t tell me you are feeling sleepy, Em." Rylan teased her as he too moved to stand closer to her couch along with Leo who was closely observing his baby sis to make sure that she was really okay or not. "It feels so comforting," Emily whispered back in her defence as she referred to Simon''s fingers that were running through her hair, making her relax in his arms. She heard them chuckling at her words and it seemed like the tense atmosphere inside the office became a little normal after that. She stayed silent for the next few minutes and no one tried to say anything as they all sat there in silence. And though it felt good to not think about ''that man'' and her memories related to him anymore, she knew that she could not run away from it for too long. Taking a deep breath, she straightened to face Shadow and Domenic as she asked, "Where is he?" Her question was aimed at Shadow as she could tell that he was the one who had found ''him''. Shadow and Domenic shared a look before the former returned his attention to her as he answered, "My men found him in the northern cities of the country where human trafficking is currently blooming at a high rate. He''s currently locked up in one of the dungeon chambers of the council. And... I''ve already taken care of his entire base in the northern cities. We just want you to decide his fate." Emily stared into his amber eyes but the man was too good at hiding his emotions. Her eyes then shifted to Kaiden who was standing right behind Shadow and unlike the latter, she could tell that her mate was struggling to not finish the fifth master off himself. The same could be said about her brother''s who also seemed ready to kill. Only Domenic looked calm, if not as calm as Shadow then at least closest to him. She took in a deep breath before stating, "Don''t kill him." Chapter 238 - I Promise... The silence that followed Emily''s words clearly stated exactly how surprised everyone was with her decision. Yes, it was a decision and not a request. "Emily, are you out of your mind?" Mark was the first one to come out of his shock and immediately stated how displeased he was from her decision. If it was up to him, he would already have taken care of that ''evil man'' by now. "Exactly, Em! It''s not the right time to be soft-hearted. Especially towards someone like this man." Leo also tried to talk some sense into his sister. Though unlike the rest of his brothers he wasn''t really into violence, the current situation was different. They were talking about a man who had ruined the beautiful teenage of his little sister. He could still recall those days when she was too afraid to even talk with them and when she used to get episodes every time she heard someone talking to her in a sharp tone. How could he let go of such a man who made his sister suffer in the worst way possible? Emily let out a small sigh before she spoke, "I know but I still don''t want you guys to kill him. It''s..." Unfortunately, she didn''t get the chance to finish whatever she was going to say because everyone lost their calm and started speaking at the same time. "This is ridiculous! What the heck do you think you are doing right now?" Mark seemed to be the most frustrated one out of everyone else present there in the office. "Em, please think again. This is the person who filled your life with pain and suffering. Are you sure you want to let him go?" Simon asked as he made her face him while gazing into her beautiful green eyes as if to see whether she was really speaking out what she wanted deep in her heart. "Sorellina, why are you even considering letting him off for his inhumane crimes? Aren''t you aware that if you let him go now, he is going to continue with his shady business that will end up ruining even more lives?" Daniel also tried to remind his sister that the so-called Fifth master was a walking monster who liked destroying the lives of other people and especially children and mortals. "Danny is right, Em. You should rethink all this before coming to a final decision." Christ was also there to pursue her to change her hasty decision. And even though Rylan remained silent all this time, Emily could tell that her best friend was also confused by her decision but unlike the others, he decided to remain silent and she was thankful for that because she didn''t want another person telling her that she was acting hopeless. "Guys, let her speak first. Don''t go around making judgements about her decision even before giving her a chance to finish what she wants to say." Shadow''s loud and powerful voice finally silenced everyone in the room. Her brothers seemed a little taken aback as they first gave a quick look at Shadow before turning towards her with questioning eyes as if they were surprised that she had something more to say about her decision. Domenic, Shadow, and Kaiden were the only ones who hadn''t spoken anything yet about her decision of not killing the Fifth Master and Emily could tell just by looking at their faces that all three of them were aware that she wasn''t being too soft at the moment. After all, she was no saint. How could she forgive someone who filled her life with so much darkness that she still had to struggle to control it? Emily gave Shadow a small smile of gratitude and the man gave a slight nod in response. She then turned to face her brothers as she started speaking, "I''m well aware of what kind of person he is. I don''t need you all to remind me what he''s capable of doing and has done in the past. He''s the only one whom I hate even when I know that ''hate'' is a very strong word, I can''t seem to find another word to express my feelings towards him. But killing him..." She trailed off at that point as she needed a few moments to get herself together as the memories of her past once again threatened to appear in front of her eyes. Emily took a deep breath before she continued, "Killing him is like being merciful to him... and I don''t want to show him any type of mercy at all. I want him to suffer a hundred and a thousand times more than what I have gone through. I want him to suffer even more than how he made others suffer all this time. I want him to beg for death, for relief from all the pain and suffering... but to never find that relief. It''s a good thing that he''s a vampire. He will be able to suffer for a long long time." While her brothers felt better after hearing that she wasn''t planning on letting that man go, they were surprised too to see her speak such dark words. It was the first time in the past five years that they had seen so much hatred in her beautiful emerald eyes that used to be always filled with kindness and warmth. Domenic once again took hold of her hands and made the young woman face him. "Don''t worry, Emilia. This is a promise from your brother, I''ll make him suffer in the worst way possible. I will make him apologise to you and his other victims again and again until he will lost his voice and won''t be able to speak anymore. I promise." Emily nodded her head before she leaned to rest her head against Domenic''s shoulder as she spoke, "Thank you, Nick. Thank you for being the father that I never have." She barely finished her sentence before she felt her eldest brother wrapping his arms around her shoulder as he gave her a tight and warm hug. "Aww, look at these two. They are making me emotional.." Rylan commented from somewhere behind Emily and she heard the others chuckling at his dramatic words. Chapter 239 - Thank You, Shadow Kaiden and Rylan followed the Alessandros to their family mansion to join Shadow''s welcome dinner. Everyone had a great time and it helped all of them in calming down after all that happened in Domenic''s office during the afternoon. By the time clock hit ten o''clock, it was finally time for the Sullivans to take their leave as the dinner finally came to an end and everyone was dead tired after a long day full of an emotional rollercoaster ride. However, when Emily stood up to accompany Kaiden and Rylan to their car along with Shadow, Domenic, and Daniel, her mate suddenly put forward his request and to all their surprise, Domenic permitted Kaiden''s wish without a second thought. "You don''t have to do this," Emily whispered to Kaiden as the man followed her to her bedroom along with Leo and Mark who were there to make sure that their sister was safe from the hands of the werewolf Prince. Kaiden gave her an assuring smile and kept climbing the stairs before they finally appeared in front of her bedroom. Though Leo and Mark stayed outside the bedroom, both Emily and Kaiden were aware that those two would be paying attention to everything happening inside the room. There was nothing like privacy for the two of them when they were in the company of her brothers. "I''m sorry but you know that they are protective of me," Emily said in an apologetic tone as she took a seat on the edge of her bed before fixing her attention on her mate who came to crouch in front of her and took hold of both of her hands in his own before bringing them closer to his lips and placing soft warm kisses on the back of her hands. "Overprotective..." He corrected her and chuckled when his woman gave him a sharp look. "Come on, go get changed so that I can do what I''m here to do." He told her after a few seconds before he stood up and pulled her to stand too. Emily did as she was told and within ten minutes she found herself on her bed, safely tucked under the blanket as Kaiden sat next to her while brushing his fingers softly through her hair that she had left open. "I wish I''ll fill your dreams tonight. Sweet dreams, love." He whispered next to her ear before placing a soft kiss against her temple before he rested his head on her shoulder while he started humming a sweet melody as he kept patting her head like she was a child. "Good night, Kaiden," Emily whispered before she closed her eyes and let his soft melody pull her into a beautiful dream. ***** "Can I have a word with you?" Shadow looked up from his tab and found Kaiden standing in front of him who had just returned from upstairs. His eyes betrayed him as he found himself glancing in the direction of Emily''s bedroom before he returned his focus on Kaiden. "Sure." He replied as he set his tab on the table and stood up to follow Kaiden who led him outside the mansion. "What''s the matter?" He asked the man as they reached the bottom of the stone stairs where Rylan was waiting next to their car. Shadow barely got any time to process what was happening before he found himself pulled into a tight hug as Kaiden wrapped his arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Shadow. Thank you so much." Kaiden spoke these words from the bottom of his heart. While Shadow was having a hard time wrapping his mind around what was happening, Rylan was standing there with his jaw hanging open as he stared at his brother. In his entire life of almost twenty-three years, he had barely seen his brother being so soft and vulnerable in front of someone and he would never have imagined Shadow to be on the list of those rare people. "Kaiden, are you alright?" Shadow finally found his voice and asked the question as he tried to pull away from the hug but Kaiden refused to let him go and only tightened his arms around him. It was a good thing that none of the Alessandro''s was there to witness the scene, especially Emily. But Shadow had a strong feeling that the girl would have enjoyed the scene the most. "I''m perfectly fine. I just want to thank you because of all that you have been doing for all of us." Kaiden told him and finally pulled back after a few more minutes and there was a smile playing on his lips when he looked at Shadow. "I''ll be taking my leave now. Good night." He said before stepping away and heading towards his car where Rylan was still standing with a dumbfounded look on his face. Shadow stood there in his shocked state as he watched their car leaving the driveway and disappearing behind the tall trees that were surrounding the mansion. A long sigh left his lips before he turned around and started climbing the steps to head inside the mansion. "We are heading to the dungeons," Mark told him as soon as he entered the living room where he was standing with Dominic, and Daniel, dressed in dark clothes as if they were planning to assassinate someone. Shadow knew exactly what they were up to. He nodded his head and handed them a key card laced with magical spells. He watched the three of them leave before he locked the doors and headed upstairs. He shouldn''t have disturbed her sleep but he couldn''t help himself and found himself stepping inside his Princess'' bedroom which was filled with complete darkness. The only source of light was the moonlight that was filtering inside the room through the window that was left open. He hesitated and decided to leave but as soon as he turned around, he heard the girl stirring in her bed before she called out his name softly. Just like he feared, he had disturbed her sleep. "Sorry Princess, I didn''t mean to wake you up." "Can you come here? I have something to talk to you about.." The girl said as she moved to a sitting position and patted the space beside her on the bed. Chapter 240 - Glimpse Of A Girl Shadow kept standing next to the door as he silently stared at the girl who was looking back at him with sleep-filled emerald eyes. And as he looked into those beautiful orbs, he was reminded of why he always loved her eyes the most. One of the obvious reasons was that her eyes were really pretty. Whenever he looked into them, he was reminded of the beautiful green forests of the Immortal/God Realm, a home that no longer welcomed him. The other reason was that he could read her like an open book whenever he looked into her eyes. He never used his powers to read her mind or to glimpse into her thoughts and it was mostly because he always found the answers while looking into her eyes. His Princess was really bad at hiding her true feelings and her eyes seemed to betray her the most. Last but not the least, her eyes held so much warmth in them that he could not help but want to stay next to her all the time. Her kind and warm heart were one of the reasons he truly admired her. Someone like her who had gone through so much hurt and pain, and had to struggle for so many years to pull herself out of it, he admired that she still had the heart to make others smile. "Shadow...?" He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard her calling his name as she stared at him with a small frown decorating her face. Letting out a small sigh, he moved towards the bed to take a seat next to her. Since she wanted to talk, he also had something important to ask her. He initially wanted to ask it sometime later because he was aware of the sensitivity of the topic but he was suddenly feeling to get over with it as soon as possible. "Why are you not sleeping?" He asked her as he rested his back against the headboard of the bed. "You aren''t sleeping either." She commented while also relaxing against the headboard. A bunch of pillows was tucked behind her to provide a perfect slope. For the next few seconds, both of them stayed silent before Shadow decided to break the silence as he spoke, "What do you want to talk to me about?" Emily suddenly turned to face him and he found a small smile playing on her lips as she gazed at him with a knowing look in her eyes before she slowly shook her head in response to his question, making him confused about what she was trying to say. "Actually... it''s not me... But I noticed that you have something that you want to ask me. So... what is it?" Emily asked as she looked at him while patiently waiting for him to start speaking. The two of them had been living together for over five years. Just like his name, Shadow had followed her all the time like her actual shadow. It was no wonder that at this point, the two of them could read each other''s thoughts and body language without even trying. And that''s why even when Shadow tried to stay normal around her, she knew that he was bothered about something... and that something was related to her. "Is it... about that man?" She asked when he didn''t speak for several long minutes, stressing on ''that man'' as she tried her best to not think about him. His mere thought brought hundreds of hurtful memories to her and she was tired of hurting at this point. Shadow let out a small breath before he turned to face her, a serious expression was decorating his face but his eyes looked soft and she almost noticed a hint of anxiety in those beautiful amber orbs. She could tell that he was hesitating to speak his mind. "Princess..., during this afternoon... when you were recalling those memories... I caught a glimpse of them..." Shadow stopped speaking as he felt Emily stiffening at his words, but he was quick to take hold of both her hands to calm her down before he continued, "I didn''t see much. Just a glimpse of a girl and I think I know her." Emily could feel something tightening inside her chest as she saw the worried and anxious expressions that were visible on Shadow''s face. She already knew which girl he was talking about because only one girl was there in her memories of her time in the cold dungeons of Fifth Master''s Slave Camp. "Who is she?" She couldn''t stop herself from asking. The fact that Shadow was asking about that girl meant that she was someone special and this realization caused Emily a great amount of anxiety. All of a sudden she found herself reluctant to tell him anything about that girl as several unnecessary thoughts started popping up in her brain. What if that girl was someone special to him? Was she his family? Or his friend? Was he aware that she''s dead? Had he been looking for her all this while and she never noticed? And what if he held her responsible for not saving that girl? Shadow probably noticed her panicked state because he immediately spoke, "I don''t know her personally. It''s just... I think I know someone who used to be really close to her. I just want to confirm the identity of the girl so that I can inform that person about what happened. You just have to show me her face, nothing else. And I promise I won''t try to peek in your memories." Emily found herself relaxing at his clarification. She took in a deep breath before she slowly nodded her head as she whispered in a soft tone, "Alright..." Shadow waited for her to get her memories sorted and only after a couple of minutes passed, did she tightened her hold on his hands, signaling him that she was ready. But unlike what Shadow wanted to see, he got more than what he asked for. Chapter 241 - Marks Twin Daggers The night surrounded the area with darkness, causing everything to become eerier than it already was. The silence that was present in the council''s dungeon chambers made it hard to believe that there were dozens of rogues and even human criminals locked up there and had been tortured almost on daily basis. The walls were painted dark grey and there were only a few torches lit across the long hallways that provided a little bit of light. In these underground chambers, days and nights were alike because even during broad daylight, not even a single ray of sunlight entered the chambers. The people locked up down here were already used to living in darkness with no hope of light. Three pairs of footsteps disturbed the silence of the dark and cold underground chambers, attracting the attention of those who were locked up there. It looked like it was one of those nights when they would hear one of them crying and wailing for mercy throughout the night because, in the council''s dungeon chambers, visitors meant torture, pain, and anguish. "Can I break a few of his fingers?" Daniel asked Nick as the two of them descended a bunch of stairs that led them towards the west wing that was reserved for special criminals. All this time, Mark stayed silent as he followed the two of them. "I''m not surprised that you are only willing to break a few of his fingers. But do you think you can handle even a few of them? I would be more surprised then." Domenic was quick to tease his brother though his voice still sounded cold and indifferent like his usual self. "Though I can''t break them on my own, there''s always Mark for such jobs. I''m sure he will enjoy doing it in my stead." Daniel quickly responded as he turned his face to the back to give his younger brother a small wink. "Don''t worry, I won''t disappoint you," Mark replied as he showed Daniel the twin daggers that he was carrying with him. They were no normal daggers. They were the special gift that he received from Bianca on his twenty-first birthday. The daggers were made of pure obsidian with the addition of silver and iron - a perfect combination of the most dangerous rock and two dangerous metals that could kill any supernatural. And if that was not already lethal enough, the blades had ancient runes carved on them that used to bring great pain when activated. These blades were made to torture and not to kill, and Mark had finally found the perfect time to use them. "Alessandro Masters." A guard walked out of a cell room and greeted them as they reached the end of the hall where the so-called Fifth Master was currently locked up. "How''s he?" Domenic asked as he started taking off his watch before handing it to the guard so that he could roll up his sleeves. "We have made him drink the spirit potion. No matter how much he will be tortured, he won''t die nor will he be able to pass out." The guard answered as he collected their jackets, watches, and phones. "Good. You can continue with your work now." Domenic told the guard who bowed his head as he took his leave before walking away towards his office that was located on the other end of the hallway. "I can hardly control myself at this moment," Mark muttered as he tightened his hold on the daggers while his eyes kept staring at the door of the cell room in which their prey was locked up. "You don''t have to control yourself anymore," Domenic told his brother as he opened the door of the cell room, signaling him to enter first. Mark didn''t need to be told twice as he hurriedly walked inside the cell along with Daniel and finally Domenic himself who locked the door before turning to face the middle-aged man who was tied with magical rope to a pole standing in the center of the room. The rage that immediately started boiling inside him was really hard to control for Domenic. The only thing that helped him in calming down a little bit was the scared expression of the vampire. The terrified look in his eyes made him loosen up. He was aware that before locking up the vampire in the dungeon, Shadow had used every sort of torture on him to take out his anger, and he didn''t show mercy even for a second. Besides, the Immortal wasn''t done yet. He had planned to visit the dungeons every midnight to greet the vamp. Since it was ten past one o''clock in the morning, it was clear that Shadow had just left some time ago and the vampire still had fresh memories of the torture that he went through. Though the healing potion had successfully healed his body, it did nothing to relieve him from the terrible pain that was running through his body. Even his sore throat hadn''t healed. "W-why... W-w-why...?" He rasped through heavy breaths as he tried to glare at the three mortals who entered the cell. He could already see the reason for their visit in their eyes that were glaring daggers at him, but he just couldn''t understand why he was being tortured like this. What crime had he committed that even mere mortals were coming to torture him? It was like one of them read his mind because he scoffed mockingly at him before he stepped closer to reply, "Don''t worry. We will help you recall why you deserve this privilege. Shall we start now?" The last question was directed towards the man who looked younger than the other two mortals. As soon as the vampire''s eyes landed on the twin daggers in that man''s hands, he was terrified. However, he didn''t get the chance to protest because, by the time he opened his mouth to speak, only a painful wail escaped his lips as the man had already plunged one of the daggers into his stomach while the other followed soon into his left thigh. Chapter 242 - Guilty For What? "Are you still crying?" Emily could hardly stop herself from asking as she pulled her face out from under the duvet that Shadow had wrapped around her. "I told you to sleep," Shadow responded in a calm tone but she could hear the heaviness in his voice that was due to him crying for nearly half an hour. Yeah! Imagine someone like him crying all of a sudden. When she decided to show him all of her memories from her time spent in the dungeons of Fifth Master, the last thing she expected was for him to start crying all of a sudden as he pulled her in a tight hug. She wasn''t sure why she did that, showing him all the dark, cold, painful, and humiliating memories of her past. But for some reason, she just felt like if there''s anyone whom she could trust with her past, then it''s him. Not like she didn''t trust her brothers or Kaiden, but she never want them to see those darkest moments of her life. They were the last people whom she would want to see her in that broken, scared, and hopeless state. Besides, one of the reasons why her heart and soul trusted Shadow with her past was because, during her stay at the academy, he had already seen her at her worst. There were moments when she was dead tired, scared, hopeless, crying all night, and many more. He never judged her back then and was always there to support her and pull her back on her feet. And just like she predicted and trusted, he didn''t judge her, nor did he pity her when she finally showed him her memories. There was no remorse or disappointment in his eyes. Instead, it seemed like he was also suffering because of her memories. And worst of all, it seemed like he was blaming himself for what happened to her. And that was the only thing that made her feel bad about making a hectic decision of showing him everything without telling him beforehand. Unfortunately, the man didn''t give her the chance to tell him that he had nothing to do with her past. He just directly ordered her not to speak at all as he kept on shedding tears, and when he was finally done, he told her to sleep. But how could she sleep when he was crying like a baby? "But Shadow..." Emily tried to speak as she started turning around to face the man, but got stopped by him as he once again covered her face with the duvet, making her groan out loud. "Sleep..." He whispered and started patting her head softly as if she was a little kid. Emily became still and stayed silent for a couple of seconds as she contemplated about following his advice and actually sleeping, considering that it was pretty late and she was feeling tired after the roller coaster ride of emotions that she had gone through the day, but soon got rid of the thought as her mind, body, and soul weren''t ready yet to take a break. "You just don''t want me to see your crying face." She murmured under her breath, knowing fully well that his enhanced hearing sense would catch every single word leaving her mouth. There was a silence for the next couple of seconds as Shadow''s hand, which had been patting her head softly, stopped in its tracks before she felt him removing the duvet from her face so that he could look at her. "It''s already half-past three o''clock in the morning. You should sleep, Princess." He spoke in a tender voice as he once again started patting her head softly. His fingers lightly grazed her hair and scalp, making it hard for Emily to keep her eyes open as she suddenly started feeling the pull of sleep. However, just as she was about to give in, she realized exactly what was happening and her half-closed eyes flew open, breaking the spell. "Don''t use your powers." She told the man who seemed a little surprised seeing that she broke his spell, but then a small but genuine smile bloomed on his lips as he spoke, "Your powers are growing stronger. That''s good." Emily stared at the man who was too experienced in shifting topics according to his comfort. But according to her, he should face discomforts sometimes as long as it meant she would get her answers from him. "Why did you cry?" She asked him, bringing them back to the main topic. She won''t be taking a break unless she found out why he looked so torn and was blaming himself for something that was out of his control. Shadow remained silent for a few long seconds before he finally let out a small sigh as he answered, "I just feel like it." "Really? Try again. Maybe you will find a better excuse this time." Emily was quick to point out his lame excuse that she wasn''t following at all. Shadow once again remained silent for some time before he spoke, "Then... Why did you suddenly decide to show me all those memories when I only asked to see the girl?" This time around, it was Emily''s turn to stay silent but after thinking for a couple of seconds, she decided to speak the truth. "I just felt like it." She knew exactly how lame her words sounded as soon as they were out of her mouth. She just gave the same answer as him. "I''m telling the truth though." She added next in her defense. There was a little smile playing on Shadow''s lips as he nodded his head in response. "I''m just feeling guilty for being late." He suddenly confessed. The spark in his eyes dimmed again and once again there was guilt flickering through them. Emily hurriedly sat up so that she could face the man. She moved her hands to cup his face so that she could make him look at her as she asked, "Guilty for what, Shadow?" Chapter 243 - Uncle? Why? "For being late..." Shadow''s vague reply did nothing but confuse Emily even more than she already was. She just stared at the man with the same questioning look in her eyes while she let her hand, which was cupping his face, fall on her lap. He noticed the look on her face and it made him reach out for her hand which he took between his warm palms before speaking, "It''s nothing, to be honest. I just feel like... If I could have entered your life during your birth... you could have lived a happy life." What he just said, was true to some level. The reason behind his guilt was his stubbornness that kept him away from her. He''s known as the one who knew everything and could predict the future but how come he didn''t know that his decision of staying away from her would bring so much pain and suffering to his Princess. Recently, he''s been realizing that all his decisions regarding Emily had gone wrong from the very beginning. He decided to stay away from her even when he was supposed to protect her from the very day of her birth. Back then, he thought that she would be safer if he stayed away from her life. This was his first mistake, one that became the main reason behind the guilt that he was currently suffering from. He also thought that a mere mate bond won''t be able to shake his heart. That no matter what, he won''t fall for the girl that was chosen for him. And again, he was proved wrong. He was given an angel as his mate. Someone who had become the only source of light and warmth in his dark and cold life. But he was late in recognizing it. It won''t be an understatement to say that his Princess was the best present he had received in his entire life of an Immortal. But at the same time, it was also true that he didn''t deserve her, especially after all that he had made her go through just because of his stubbornness. His decisions caused her pain and now, he had to live with that guilt. He failed her. He definitely failed as her destined mate, and he also failed as her guardian. And it seemed like, he would fail her as a friend too. Shadow shook his head slightly as if to get rid of the thoughts that did nothing but bring him regret, anger, and self-pity. He could do nothing about the past but he didn''t want to ruin her present and future, and for that, he would do anything. On the other hand, Emily was surprised by his answer. She was having trouble understanding why he was holding himself responsible just because he thought that he was late in finding her? Besides, his idea of being with her from her birth didn''t really sound that enticing to her. "It''s good that you weren''t there with me from day one. Otherwise, I will be calling you Uncle at this point." She commented with a shake of her head, clearly showing her displeasure against the idea. "Uncle? Why?" Shadow couldn''t hold himself from asking as he stared at the girl with a surprised look on his face. "Mmhm...! I''m sure you looked thirty years old on the day of my birth just like you look now. Then, uncle should be the right word for me to use for you." Emily answered honestly and received a very displeased look from him. "Are you calling me old?" Shadow asked as he stared at the girl who seemed to be enjoying their current topic about his age. "You are old," Emily replied with a little shrug of her shoulders. It was the fact after all. Even he couldn''t deny that and if she had to speak the truth... the man could be called ancient. Shadow probably saw her thoughts through her eyes and it made him huff in response as he clearly showed that he wasn''t pleased with her calling him old. Just because he was a couple of thousand years old didn''t mean he was old! Emily chuckled lightly, happy that her teasing him had lightened the previously tense atmosphere in the room. This was a new trick she had learned from Crist. Her brother had this special talent of lightening the tense atmosphere with his weird comments and out-of-the-blue topics. Shadow just shook his head but remained silent, all the while staring at his hands that were still holding one of her hands. She wrapped her other hand around his before giving them a light squeeze, bringing his attention towards her face. "Do you still remember what you told me during my first session of magical therapy in my first academic year at Nightfall?" Shadow kept looking at her but from the deep expression in his eyes, it seemed like he was trying to recall that day, and soon enough, she saw the realization dawning over him as he finally recalled their conversation. A small smile appeared on her lips as she started speaking, "That day... I was shivering just after ten minutes of the session, recalling those bad memories. I almost threw a fireball at the doc even though I was barely able to control my fire element back then. So instead of doing that, I ran away and an hour or so later, you found me hiding in one of the empty rooms on the auditorium building." "That day... you told me something that gave me the real boost to fight for myself. I still keep your words in my heart to this day because I really believe that what you told me was true." A small smile made its way to her lips as Emily recalled that beautiful moment. "You told me that even though my past is full of painful memories, it''s also my biggest strength... because today.... I"m who I am because of that past and because of that fear." Chapter 244 - Repeating Mistakes ''Your past makes you the beautiful person that you have become today. The darkness inside you is the reason behind the light and warmth that you give others. Instead of running from that past, try to accept it as a lesson and gift that''s bestowed upon you... Everything happens for a reason...'' A faint smile appeared on Shadow''s lips as he recalled the conversation that happened between him and the princess on the day of her first therapy session. Looking back at that day, he could finally see that she had come so far. She no longer had episodes about her past, nor was she afraid of being all alone in the dark places anymore. She didn''t panic while hearing someone shouting or even when she caught people fighting. She could easily mingle with outsiders. Her nightmares had stopped too, and most importantly, she had learned to use the darkness inside her as a weapon. Even though she hadn''t mastered it, she''s still better than seventy percent of other people who were trying to do the same. It was really ironic considering that back then, he was the one trying to make her feel acceptive towards her past, and now, she''s reminding him of the very same thing. But unlike her, he couldn''t just stop blaming himself so easily for leaving her all alone to battle the dangerous and cruel world in which she''s born. A small sigh escaped his lips as he realized just how hard these few days had been. Even though he was an Immortal, he could still feel that his body wanted some rest and time to rejuvenate. Being an Immortal had become a curse for him. At this point, all he wanted was to be free from his suffering. However, it seemed like it wasn''t the right time yet. He still had to go through some of the worst days of his life. He always became unhappy while thinking about himself. That''s why he decided to think about the one who always brought happiness to him. His eyes found their way towards the girl who was fast asleep beside him, perfectly wrapped under the covers. There was a peaceful look on her face and it made him relax too. It was a good thing that she didn''t encounter nightmares even though she saw the monster from her past just a couple of hours ago. He was worried that her night won''t pass easily after all that transpired. The more he looked at her, the more he wanted to lie down beside her and fall asleep with his arms wrapped around her. The urge became so strong at a point that he had to leave the bedroom to put some distance between the two of them. Him losing emotional and mental balance would lead to big trouble someday. He had to constantly remind himself that he had lost the right to do anything of that sort. He was just her friend and he had to respect that status. Being anything more than that was just his wishful thinking at this point. Shadow took in a deep breath as he walked out onto the balcony at the very end of the hallway. The sky was still filled with countless stars but the moon had already disappeared somewhere. Inhaling the cold fresh air, he focused his attention on the new information that he obtained. It seemed like he had another important matter to take care of. ***** "This is such an unexpected visit," Kaiden commented as he walked out into the back garden of the mansion. It was almost dawn and the darkness had started disappearing little by little. Shadow''s gaze was fixed at the horizon as he waited for the shifter prince to approach him. "It''s something important." That''s all he said in response but didn''t turn to look at Kaiden who was finally beside him. The two of them stood there in the garden, looking at the horizon that had started to turn different shades of colors as the time of sunrise approached. "Is it related to Angel?" Kaiden asked hurriedly. His expression changed immediately as he became serious. Shadow was silent for the next couple of seconds as he seemed thoughtful about the question. But then he finally nodded his head in reply before stating, "In a way... it is." Looking at the Supreme Lord''s serious expression, Kaiden knew that it was something important. Otherwise, the man would not have appeared at his door so early in the morning. "What''s wrong with her?" He asked impatiently and didn''t even try to hold back the worry in his tone as his eyes searched the side profile of Shadow''s face in order to seek some answers. Shadow was quick to shake his head as he turned to fully face the shifter prince. "She''s completely fine and is currently sleeping soundly. You don''t have to worry. The thing that I want to discuss is somewhat related to her in a way but it''s mostly about you. But before we talk about that, I want to ask you something." Kaiden relaxed a little bit when he heard that his mate was perfectly fine. Even though he could feel that she was calm and relaxed at the moment, he couldn''t trust his instincts. Especially when they hadn''t bonded yet. "Go ahead. What is it that you want to ask?" He waited for the Supreme Lord to put forward his question. Shadow didn''t waste any more time and asked the question that had been bugging him for quite some time. The only reason he stayed quiet all this time was that he didn''t want to meddle in Kaiden''s business. Besides, he was no better when it came to such things. He had no reason to question the young prince when he too was making the same mistake and that was also on purpose. But unlike him, Kaiden needed to speak out the truth before it''s too late. "When are you planning to tell Princess about Elsie?" Chapter 252 - Planning A Date With Shadow "Can we take Shadow out on a date?" "Pfft!" As soon as Kaiden said those words out loud, two major things happened. First, Shadow spat out the water that he was drinking, and second, Mark burst out into laughter. The latter almost rolled out of the couch because of laughing too hard. "Really? Can we do that?" Emily asked excitedly while completely ignoring the reaction of the other two men. She felt Shadow turning his questioning gaze from Kaiden towards her as if to ask what the hell was wrong with the two of them. However, she tried to act oblivious to him as she waited for Kaiden''s response. "Of course, we can. As long as you are up for the idea, I can handle the rest. Since he doesn''t like to be in public places or around too many people, I''ll find something peaceful for this special date." Kaiden answered hurriedly as he tried to hold back his excitement. While he too could feel Shadow''s glare, he decided to follow his mate''s plan and tried to act oblivious to him. "Wow, guys. I''m really impressed. Since you two are okay with other people joining your time together, Can I tag along too? Considering I''m single, I''ll love to have some fun and quality time with you guys." Mark butted in as he finally got control over his laughing. "When did you become single? Last weekend we saw the news about you and that celebrity going to the pub together and as far as I can recall, you didn''t turn up back home till late in the morning. Thing again, are you really single?" Emily was quick to call out her brother who was becoming too shameless with every passing day. At this point, she had no idea about how Domenic was controlling himself from lashing out at Mark and his everyday controversies. Considering Mark was in an important position in the company as the COO, his dating rumors always ended up creating troubles for the company and her other brothers. Not like Mark wasn''t aware of the troubles that he kept creating, neither was he really dating those girls and sleeping with them. Emily knew at least that much about her brother. Of course, she couldn''t read his mind to know exactly what he was planning to do but it seemed like he was doing it to purposely irritate someone. "She was just a one-night stand. Nothing much. I''m still single as always." Mark replied with a little shrug of his shoulder as he gave her a small wink. "Of course, if you are worried about me being a third... Wait... the fourth wheel in your time alone, you can just say it directly. I won''t mind." Before Emily could speak, Kaiden quickly responded with a single clap of his hands. "You got it perfectly right. We don''t want to take you along with us." Emily turned to look at her boyfriend with raised eyebrows, both shocked and impressed to see that he dared to say something like that to Mark. All this time, that man had always behaved in front of her brothers just because they were her brothers. Even when Leo, Crist, and Mark used to behave unfriendly towards him, he didn''t say anything. However, she finally got to see him being his confident self in front of her stupid brother. "See! Look at him treating me like this. I can finally recall why I never liked you." Mark muttered as he stood up from his seat and giving Kaiden a little scoff, marched out of the living room while heading inside the kitchen to probably get some snacks to munch on. "Ignore him, he''s being moody," Emily told Kaiden as she stared in the direction of the kitchen. Sometimes, she got worried about Mark and there were two reasons for it. First, out of all her brothers, she knew the least about Mark''s personal life which was a mess at this point, and Second, because she could tell he was creating those mess on purpose. The question was why. "He''s just being himself." Kaiden''s comment brought her attention back towards her mate and she didn''t deny his words. After all, he was speaking the truth. "Alright! Let''s follow this idea of yours for a quiet date for the three of us. I''m sure you will..." Emily didn''t get the chance to finish what she was saying as Shadow suddenly appeared beside her on the couch and placed his palm over her mouth to silence her. When he was sure that she won''t be speaking, he finally pulled his hand away and turned his attention to Kaiden. "What stupid idea is this? Why do you even want to take me out with you guys?" He asked with clear annoyance in his tone. He seemed the least happy with Kaiden''s plan. "Why? What''s wrong with this idea? Aren''t we allowed to spend some quality time with you outside our house?" Emily asked as she turned to face the grumpy Supreme Lord. "You guys know that I don''t like to be around people..." Shadow tried but failed when Emily reminded him that they won''t be going to any public places. "Come on, Shadow. Be a good boy. I promise you will enjoy it. Now, don''t make this grumpy face anymore." Kaiden said as he stood up from his seat and came to sit next to Shadow. What left both Emily and Shadow surprised was when he threw his arms around the latter''s shoulder and gave him a tight squeeze in the name of a hug. The quick wink that Kaiden gave her over Shadow''s shoulder made Emily chuckle as she shook her head at his antics. "You are right, Angel. He''s full of comfort. Please don''t mind if you see me hugging him more in the future." Kaiden spoke after a few seconds and Emily could clearly hear that he meant what he was saying. She smiled at him before she too joined the hug, wrapping one of her arms around Shadow''s waist while throwing the other over Kaiden''s shoulder before she tilted her head to give a huge smile to Shadow who seemed to have finally given up. Chapter 253 - A Special Visitor As Emily left her office and headed towards the elevator, the clicks of her high heels were the only sound that could be heard in the empty hallway. She was wearing peach-colored pants along with a matching coat over a simple white blouse. Her waist-length dark brown hair was tied in a low ponytail. She headed downstairs and as soon as she stepped out of the elevator and headed towards the lobby, she noticed the commotion taking place around her. After looking around the area, she finally realized that her employees were excited about something. Her eyes landed on her assistant who was walking towards her and as soon as the girl approached her, Emily asked her about what was happening by arching both her eyebrows in question. "Miss Alessandro, someone''s waiting for you at the front desk." Her assistant informed her, making Emily curious about the person who had decided to visit her. As she moved towards the sitting area, she picked up on the familiar presence and immediately knew who it was even before she saw him. No doubt her employees were in a frenzy. "You are finally here," Kaiden said as he stood up from his seat and turned to face her as she approached him. The bright smile on his lips and the bouquet of red roses in his hands made him appear like the perfect boyfriend that he was. "You didn''t tell me that you are coming here. How would I have known that you are waiting here? Did you wait long?" Emily asked as she stepped closer but still maintained some distance considering almost all her employees were peeking at them. "Only for ten minutes or something. Not really a big thing but I think you can make up for it if you are feeling bad. I won''t ask you to kiss me in front of your employees but a hug won''t hurt, right?" Kaiden whispered the last part as he looked at her with hopeful eyes. Emily let out a small breath as she accepted the bouquet before placing a quick peck on his cheeks as she whispered, "Thank you for the flowers." Before Kaiden''s brain could even register what was happening, his Angel had already pulled away at the squeals and claps of her staff who got to witness such a sweet moment. "That... Can-can I say that it was cheating? Can you do it again?" He couldn''t help but hope, knowing fully well that it was just his wish that won''t be coming true. "Don''t be greedy," Emily whispered in return before she inhaled the sweet scent of the fresh roses. It''s very rare for someone to give her flowers. In her entire life, she had only received flowers a couple of times, and it was the first time she got red roses. Her attention was pulled back at her mate when she heard him softly clearing his throat before he spoke, "Attention everyone! Thank you very much for your hard work and for taking care of my Angel. To show my gratitude, I''ll buy you guys dinner this coming Friday. Hope to spend a fun night with all of you." The lobby erupted with cheers and the sound of clapping as everyone become happy at the news. Emily watched as her staff thanked Kaiden and her while smiling as if they had just received bonuses. "Let''s go," Kaiden said as he finally turned back to face her and offered her one of his hands. She turned to bid her goodbye to her staff and reminded them to leave on time before she handed one of her hands into Kaiden''s waiting palm and the two of them headed towards the company''s gate. "You are not mad that I promised them a dinner, are you?" Kaiden asked as they headed towards his car that was parked in front of the company building. "Why would I? It''s something that you should do as my boyfriend." Emily replied with a shrug of her shoulders. Kaiden''s lips twitched hearing her response. He quickly moved forward to hold the car door open as she settled down in the passenger seat. After closing the door, he hurried around to get behind the wheel. "Where are we going?" Emily asked as she looked outside the window and noticed the clouds that had started forming. It was already half-past six in the evening and the day was about to come to an end within an hour or so but due to the dark clouds that were hurriedly taking over the sky, the sun disappeared early. "To my apartment. I want to cook something nice for you and also to spend some alone time with you. I have informed Shadow and Domenic that I''ll drop you home around eleven." Kaiden answered as he drove the car out of the busy street and headed towards the highway. "That sounds nice," Emily said as she kept her eyes trained on the scenery outside the car that was passing by speedily in a blur. "What? Me cooking for you or the two of us spending some time alone?" The teasing tone in Kaiden''s voice made her chuckle as she shook her head but refused to reply to his absurd question or even look at him. "Come on, love. Don''t hurt my self-confidence like that. Is the outside world more beautiful than this boyfriend of yours?" Kaiden wasn''t in the mood of giving up so easily. He stopped the car as they reached a red signal and as he turned his face to look at his woman, he found her looking back at him with a soft smile playing on her lips. She was too tempting for her own good and he had a limit to which he could resist such a beautiful temptation. Therefore, deciding to not waste such a perfect opportunity, he hurriedly took off his seat belt and pulled the girl into a sweet soft kiss that melted both of them. It ended just as quickly as it started. Considering that they were still on the road with hundreds of vehicles waiting behind them, it wasn''t a good thing to make trouble for everyone. Just as he put back the seat belt, the red signal turned green. While Kaiden seemed completely normal, Emily was feeling anything but normal. Her lips still tingled with the memory of his lips pressed against them and her heart was still beating rapidly. She turned her face to look at Kaiden and noticed the twitch on his lips. Even though he was looking ahead, she knew that he was aware of her stare. "Don''t feel bad. I promise to finish what I started once we will be at home." He promised when she kept looking at him silently. Emily opened her mouth but didn''t know what to say to his shameless behavior. She just closed her mouth and returned her attention to the outside world as they drove past other vehicles. At this point, the sky was completely filled with dark clouds and a light breeze had started blowing. "It''s going to rain." She said as she relaxed in her seat and tightened her hold on the bouquet that she had been holding in her lap all this while. It took them around fifteen minutes or so before they reached the apartment complex that was owned by Sullivan Enterprise. A few minutes later, they were walking inside Kaiden''s apartment, and Emily immediately there herself on the big couch as soon as they entered the living room. It was not until she felt some movements beside her that she opened her eyes only to find Kaiden standing next to her while looking straight into her eyes. He had taken off his coat and his muscular upper body was attracting her attention as she noticed how perfectly that white shirt was folded against his muscles'' curves. "Go and get freshen up. Don''t be lazy." He said as he took a seat beside her and while wrapping his hands around her upper arms, easily pulled her into the sitting position. Emily groaned as she let her body fall into his arms, feeling better as soon as her body registered his warmth and strong presence next to her. "Can''t I take a break first?" She asked while resting her face against his shoulder. Soon she felt his fingers playing with her tied hair as he tightened his other arm around her waist. "Be a good girl, Angel. Freshen up first and then you can ret as much as you want." He said while placing a soft kiss on the crown of her head. Emily pulled her face away from his shoulder to look into his eyes as she scrunched her nose in unhappiness. "You seriously remind me of Domenic sometimes. You both are hard nuts to crack. Fine! I''m going." Not giving him any chance to speak, she hurriedly pulled out of his arms and headed towards the guest bedroom where she had stayed previously. The last time she stayed here, she left some of her clothes just in case she would need them in an emergency for situations like the current one.. Looked like it was a great idea. Chapter 254 - Lets Finish What We Started After getting changed into a pair of black shorts and a sweater that ended mid-thigh, Emily headed downstairs to find Kaiden. The man was nowhere to be seen on the ground floor. Not knowing what to do, she headed towards his bedroom. She knocked on the door but heard nothing. Even calling his name got no reply. Taking in a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped inside. The room looked simple but it had the perfect touch that gave the same feeling as Kaiden''s personality. As she stepped deeper into the room, her eyes landed on the bed and she immediately had a sudden urge to lie down on it just to know what that experience would feel like. She was so deep in her thoughts that she didn''t hear the bathroom door opening. It was not until she heard footsteps approaching her from behind did she realize that Kaiden was also in the room. However, nothing prepared her for the scene that met her eyes when she turned around to face him. It appeared he just took a shower. With only a white towel wrapped around his waist, his beautiful muscular body was on full display for her. Her eyes followed the numerous water droplets that kept running down his shoulders to his chest and down his abdomen. Her throat suddenly became dry and she could clearly hear her heart beating loudly on her chest. It was probably the only sound audible in the entire room. "Like what you saw?" Kaiden''s sudden question made her look up at his face and when she found him looking at her with a knowing smile, she felt her cheeks becoming flushed in embarrassment. She couldn''t help when he had such an amazing body. She''s a girl too and she too could appreciate it when she saw something really nice. Right? Besides, he was her mate and boyfriend. What was wrong with her checking him out? If not her then who would have the right to do so? Clearing her throat, she straightened her back and once looked at him with no shame in her eyes this time. Yet, her confidence started wavering as soon as Kaiden took his first step towards her. She watched with a rapidly beating heart as the man approached her like a predator. Before she knew it, he was already standing right in front of her. Only a little space was separating their bodies and the closeness caused Emily to stifle her whimper. Her body was aching for him at this point and she could hardly deny that all she wanted to do was to place her hands against his skin and feel his muscles. "Go ahead, Angel. I''m all yours." Kaiden spoke in a husky tone as he moved another step closer to her. That was probably all she wanted to hear because as soon as he said that, all her resolves finally gave away and her hands found their way to his shoulders along with her eyes. Emily took her time to feel every inch of his exposed shoulders and chest. She paid especially attention to his collarbone before she let her fingers trace against his packs. Her eyes followed wherever her hands went. She seemed to be not getting enough of touching and feeling him up. All of a sudden, Kaiden grabbed her hands, stopping their movements all the while he pulled her closer to him. Their bodies were almost touching at this point and as Emily looked up to see his face, she found his deep blue eyes filled with flames that represented his desire. "You are such a tease, Angel. I think it''s time we should finish what we started." He said in a husky voice as he lowered his face and while not allowing her any chance to speak, he captured her lips into a kiss. At first, it was just their lips pressing against each other. It was like he was giving her a chance to pull away if she wanted but Emily wanted just the opposite. So listening to her heart, she closed her eyes and while wrapping her hands around his shoulders, she deepened the kiss. Kaiden let out a groan of both appreciation and desire as he pressed her body against his own by wrapping one of his arms around her waist while his other hand went to grab her locks that were falling freely on her back. The sweet and soft kiss soon become fast, got and sensual as their lips moved against each other. His tongue kept coming out every now and then to tease her but he still didn''t take the chance to invade her mouth even when she gave him the chance. The sparks that had started erupting all over her body were making Emily squirm in his arms. A little part of her brain was aware that her movements could possibly result in slipping of the towel that was wrapped around his waist. However, she was too occupied by pleasure to pay attention to that part of her brain and the warning signals that it was trying to send her. His body pressed against hers felt so perfect that for a little moment she wanted to feel her bare skin against his. But that thought disappeared as soon as she realized exactly what that meant. However, she couldn''t help but picture the two of them without any clothes. Their bodies pressed together all the while Kaiden kissed her just like he was kissing her now. A loud moan escaped her lips as Emily felt need and desire burning inside her. It was becoming impossible for her to fight that need and she wanted Kaiden to do something about it before she would go insane. As if reading her mind, Kaiden ended the kiss and pulled away causing her to groan out in frustration. But it soon turned to a sweet moan when she felt his lips against her throat, soft but also hot. Her breathing quickened as his lips moved all over her throat and the side of her neck. His teeth and tongue also came out to play with her sensitive skin as he reached the crook of her neck. At this point, Emily was a moaning mess but she couldn''t care any less. She was too far gone to care about anything else than the fire that was burning inside and all over her body. "Kaiden..." She called out his name as she tightened her hold around his shoulders. Her legs had become too wobbly to bear her weight anymore. Kaiden didn''t disappoint her at all as he tightened his hold around her waist before pulling her up with a quick jerk. Emily immediately wrapped her legs around his waist, not realizing at all that this position of theirs would put her aching core against his solid body. It did nothing but only added fuel to her fire. Kaiden walked towards the bed before he lowered her on it, not breaking the contact between his lips and her neck all this time. Once they were comfortably settled on the bed, nothing was stopping them. Emily somehow succeeded in getting rid of her slippers as she pressed her fingers into Kaiden''s silky soft silver locks. Gasps and moans kept leaving her mouth as the man both tortured and pleasured her with his kisses. His lips finally returned to her mouth after a while and Emily wasted no time in being sweet and soft. She didn''t wait for him to direct their kiss, instead, she took the charge this time. She gave his shoulder a light push with her palm and taking the hint, Kaiden immediately rolled on his back, allowing her to straddle him and take the charge. As soon as she was on top, Emily wasted no time and pressed her lips against his and let her tongue make its way into his mouth. Her body was filled with desire, her soul was crying out for him, and her heart was taking in all the pleasure while her mind kept sending signals of pleasurable tingles that kept wracking over her body. It was not until they both were out of breath did she ended the kiss. As she rested her head against his, their sharp breathing and rapid heartbeats were the only audible sound in the room. "Do you want to continue, Angel?" Kaiden asked after a few seconds as he cupped her face with one of his hands and made her look at him. Emily gulped down her saliva to help her dry throat as her mind once again tried to help her in finding what more would happen if they continued. Looking at the softness that his eyes held in them, she knew that he would do everything in his power to make sure that she''s happy and comfortable. Taking in a deep breath, she nodded her head as she spoke, "But can we take it slow...." Chapter 255 - Stop Or Continue Emily stood in front of the full-length mirror as Kaiden appeared to stand right behind her. His muscles flexed as he moved. His shoulder-length silver hair was a mess of curls after taking a shower and he was still as naked as before except for the towel that was still wrapped around his waist. As she wasn''t wearing her high heels at the moment, she barely reached his shoulders and it made her appear so small against his tall frame. But somehow, they looked perfect together in every way possible. As if they were made for each other. She watched as he snaked one of his hands around her waist and pulled her back to rest against his chest. As soon as his hard muscles came in contact with her body, Emily immediately felt her body reacting. And even though the layers of her clothes were still separating their bodies from direct contact, they did nothing to stop the sparks that immediately escalated all over her body. Kaiden used his other hand to brush away her hair from one side of her shoulder before he lowered his face and placed a soft kiss under her ear, feeling his girl taking a sharp intake of breath as her eyes fluttered closed for a few seconds. When she again opened her eyes, their gazes collided in the mirror as they stared right at each other, gazing at each other''s souls. Wrapping his other arm around her collarbone and shoulders, he snuggled his face against her temple, and all this while he kept his gaze locked with hers. His lips planted a soft kiss against her temple before he spoke, "I love you, Angel. A lot." The confession came out on its own but he was more than happy to confess again and again. He could confess his love for her a hundred and thousands of times and he would still not feel content. A beautiful smile appeared on Emily''s lips as she slightly turned her head to look up at him and whispered back, "I love you too." Without wasting another second, she pressed her lips against his soft ones and kissed him sweetly. Kaiden didn''t give her the chance to pull away as he turned her body to face him before he took charge of the kiss, deepening it as his tongue found its way inside her mouth. One of his hands was cupping her nape while the other started unbuttoning her suit jacket. It took him just seconds to remove her jacket and then his hand was sliding inside her blouse, grazing the soft smooth skin of her waist and belly. Her moans gave him the encouragement that he needed and then his hand was already cupping her left breast as he started kneading it softly. "Kaiden..." Emily rasped as her fingers tightened their hold on his arm, the same hand that he had snaked up inside her blouse. Kaiden ended the kiss and pulled away slightly to look at her as he grazed the back of his hand against her cheek before cupping her jaw as he spoke, "Let me ask you one last time, Angel. Do you want me to stop?" Instead of answering him with words, Emily decided to show him as she wrapped both her arms around his neck before locking her hands on his nape as she pulled him into another kiss. But her movement caused their bodies to press together and because of that, the pressure of Kaiden''s hands on her breast increased, causing her to gasp at the sensation that escalated through her body. Kaiden let her control the kiss while his hands kept making their move. While his one hand was still busy massaging her breast, the other took the job of unbuttoning her blouse and unfastening her baby pink-colored lacy bra. Emily immediately retracted her hands from they were locked on his nape so that she could cover herself. However, Kaiden didn''t give her the chance as he immediately captured both her wrists and locked them behind her as he finally took charge of the kiss. Emily was too distracted to concentrate on the kiss that had been making her weak in her knees. But at the moment, her attention was on the fact that she was completely naked from waist up. Though she was pretty confident about her body, it was still her first time being like this in front of her mate. It was inevitable that she was feeling nervous. "Are you being shy?" Kaiden asked in a teasing tone as he looked at her with a little twitch on his lips. All this while, he made sure to keep his eyes trained on her face and not to look down. But it was proving hard considering her soft melons were pressed directly against his bare muscles. It was almost driving him crazy. "How about you get rid of your towel? We will talk then." Emily was in no way stepping back and allowing the man to tease her even if he was right about her being shy. "Hmm... It sounds like a good idea. I would love to have your eyes trailing all over my naked body. It will definitely bring me great pleasure." Kaiden immediately responded with a cheeky smile. "Shameless!" Emily couldn''t help but smile as she finally looked up to meet his intense but playful gaze. Because of his cheekiness, she was no longer nervous and that was probably what he was aiming for. Kaiden just chuckled lightly at her remark. He just slightly tightened his arms around her, pulling her even closer if that was even possible. The two of them remained silent for the next few moments and with each passing moment, Emily became less and less nervous. "So... Can I have a look at my beautiful mate now? If you want, you can take off my towel. I won''t mind at all.." Kaiden asked for her permission as one of his hands moved between their bodies to untie the knot of her trousers. Chapter 256 - The Silk Tie Kaiden was expecting to be stopped but to his surprise, Emily made no move to stop him, and before he could have a grasp on himself, his powers were already burning her trousers and panties that left her fully naked. "Kaiden...!" Emily gasped out in surprise as she looked up at him. Her hands were still secured behind her back and because of that, she couldn''t even cover herself. Not like her hands would have been much of a help in the current situation. "Sorry, Angel. It got out of my control. I... I will keep my eyes closed. Okay?" Kaiden hurriedly closed his eyes not knowing what else he should do. "What about my hands?" Emily asked as she got some of her confidence back as he closed his eyes. "That... I... Are you going to put on clothes?" Kaiden asked as he stammered. There was unhappiness clearly evident in his voice. Though it wasn''t clear if he was unhappy with himself for losing his control or about the fact that their sweet time together came to an end even before it started. "What do you think?" Emily asked in return as if it was pretty obvious that she was going to put on clothes as soon as he would free her. Reluctantly, Kaiden let go of her and kept his eyes closed as he waited for her to put on some clothes. "Look into my wardrobe, you will find big t-shirts hanging there. Pick the one you like." He heard movements as he waited patiently for his mate to get dressed. He still couldn''t believe that he lost his control over his powers and senses that easily but then considering the fact that her mere presence used to send his wolf into a frenzy, losing his control wasn''t really surprising. He waited there with his eyes closed as Emily found a shirt and then put it on. It wasn''t until he felt her presence once again right in front of him, did he open his eyes. However, before he could properly open them, his mate covered his eyes with one of her hands, causing him to close them again. "Angel...?" He called in a questioning tone, not understanding what was going on. Since she had already put on a shirt, why did he still need to keep his eyes closed? "Don''t open them. Can you do that for me?" Emily asked as she kept her hand over his eyes, waiting for his reply. "What''s going on Angel?" Kaiden couldn''t help but ask as he was both curious and a little bit concerned. "Why are you so impatient? I just want you to keep your eyes closed unless I say otherwise. Tell me now, are you going to do it or not?" Emily questioned as she tilted her head slightly on the right, looking closely at the man who sure was having trouble deciding what he should do. Only after a couple of seconds, she found him nodding his head. "Fine. I''ll do whatever you want. Just don''t be mad at me. Okay?" Emily smiled at his words and lowered her hand from his eyes that remained closed. "I''m not angry anymore. So, promise me that you won''t open them unless I''ll allow you." Kaiden immediately nodded his head as he found both her hands and while holding them in his, he promised, "I promise, Angel. I will do as you will say. I won''t open my eyes unless you want me to." Emily became instantly happy and to show her appreciation, she gifted Kaiden with a sweet and soft but quick kiss on his lips. It ended just as quickly as it started. "Wait here, I''ll be back in a few seconds." She told him before she walked away, leaving behind a confused but also curious Kaiden who still couldn''t decipher what his mate was up to. As promised, Emily returned just in a couple of seconds and moved to stand behind him, confusing the poor man even more. "Angel, what are you planning? I''m dying of curiosity." Kaiden couldn''t help but ask. However, he already knew that he won''t be getting the answer that he was seeking. "You will find out soon enough." That''s all Emily said in response as she took hold of both his hands and brought them behind his back. Not having any other choice, Kaiden chose to stay silent and patient. But that changed immediately when he felt his girl tying something around his wrists, or to be more precise, tying his hands with something, something silky. "It''s a blue silk tie that I noticed in your wardrobe. It''s so pretty and it''s looking even prettier wrapped around your wrists." Emily whispered next to his ear after she was done binding his hands. "Angel..." Kaiden whispered in a shaky tone as he arched his head to the back. His mate''s warm breath touching his shoulder was doing things to him and the fact that he was in such a vulnerable but not so vulnerable situation at the moment only added hype to his feelings. It wasn''t like he couldn''t open his eyes or get his hands free even if she had tied them behind his back, he didn''t want to hurt her, especially when he had promised her to follow her words even if it was only about when or when not to open his eyes. All his thoughts disappeared when he felt her fingers on his shoulders, moving over his muscles as if she was about to give him a massage but he soon realized that she wasn''t when she trailed her hands down his shoulders and over his chest. Her fingers brushed against his nipples that were standing erect to get her attention. And if her hands weren''t already sending sparks flying all over his body, he felt her lips on his shoulder as she placed a soft kiss there but instead of stopping there, her lips continued to trail over his skin, planting more soft kisses while sending him in a complete frenzy as Kaiden tried his very best to stay calm even when he was feeling totally otherwise. Chapter 257 - No Stopping Once Started Emily trailed her lips all over Kaiden''s smooth shoulder before she reached the crook of his neck but instead of placing a kiss there, she completely pulled away. The groan of frustration and unhappiness that left Kaiden''s lips brought a smile to her lips. At least now she knew that he was enjoying the attention that he was suddenly getting from her. She placed her hands over his shoulders, her palms and fingers touching his smooth skin as she moved them over his shoulder blades, exploring his taut muscles. Her fingers moved down the shoulder blades, studying his spine and then finally his lower back before she slid her hands around his waist and moved closer to rest her face against the back of his shoulder. "You are so damn beautiful. I''m so happy that you are mine." She whispered to him before placing a soft feathery kiss on his shoulder. Kaiden moaned as he smiled after hearing her words. Emily again pulled away from him but it was only to move to stand in front of him. She placed her hands over his shoulders before moving them upwards to cup his cheeks as she placed her lips against his and kissed him. Having Kaiden''s hands locked behind his back made her the one in command and she made sure to use this chance properly. Who knew if after this she would ever get to see her man in such a powerless state against her. At first, she kept the kiss slow as she moved her lips against his in soft strokes. She took her time in teasing him and when he finally groaned to show his impatience, she finally felt a little bit victorious. She kept her movements slow for a couple of more seconds just to frustrate Kaiden further and only then did she deepen the kiss. Angling his face as she pressed her lips tightly against his before moving into a passionate kiss as Kaiden reciprocated her each and every stroke. She moved one of her hands down his jaw and over his shoulder before trailing it down his collarbone. She only stopped when her fingers once again came in contact with his still erect nipple. Getting brave all of a sudden, she lightly grazed her fingernail over his nipple and was presented with an instant moan from her mate. Taking advantage of the situation, Emily slipped her tongue inside his mouth, savoring the sweetness that belonged to her mate. At the same time, she continued the movements of her finger over his nipple. Kaiden responded happily as he enjoyed the kiss and allowed his woman to have full control over him. Emily moved her other hand too, sliding it down his shoulder and then down his chest. She couldn''t deny that she was more than impressed by his well-built body. His muscles and abs made her eyes linger on him and her hands itch to explore them. Having the opportunity in her hands, she allowed herself to take full advantage of it. Her hands kept making their moves as she ended the kiss and moved her lips to plant kisses against his cheek and baseline before moving down to his neck. Kaiden let out a raspy breath when he felt her lips on the crook of his neck. His head tilted on its own as if to give her more access. Sparks were flying all over his body as his mate continued to both torture and pleasure him with her kisses. His wolf was groaning as it thrived inside him, calling for more attention from their mate. Emily moved downward as she kept trailing her lips over his smooth skin. Her lips finally found their way to his nipple and without missing a beat, she took the little bud between her lips and kissed it too. "Angel..." At this point, Kaiden couldn''t tell if he was being pleasured or tortured by the girl. While her touches and kisses were bringing pleasure to him, it was also making him impatient and having a hard time controlling himself. Giving his other nipple a soft kiss too, she moved her lips back to his neck while her hands lowered towards his waist. Her fingers grazed the waistline of the towel that was still wrapped around his lower body and she felt Kaiden taking in a sharp breath. Emily pulled away to look down at her hands that were still resting on his waist, just one tug and she could take off his towel. The thought both scared and excited her at the same time. "Is this your plan, Angel? Are you seeking revenge for what happened?" Kaiden asked as he lowered his face and brought his mouth next to her ear. Emily took in a deep breath as she bit down on her lower lip. Contemplating for a few more seconds, she finally spoke, "Maybe that''s my plan." Her fingers moved again, slightly slipping inside the waistline of the towel but not going too deep. She could feel her heart beating rapidly while she struggled to keep her breathing normal. "Angel... Are you sure about this? There''s no stopping once you will take it off. Plus, I don''t think I can keep still anymore. My wolf is getting out of control." Kaiden tried one more time to warn the girl. "You...!" Emily immediately stepped away as she glared at the man. "How dare you threaten me like that with your wolf? Didn''t you promise to stay still and not do anything? You are going back on your words." "I only promised to keep my eyes closed. As for other things... there was no other deal between us." Kaiden corrected her as he freed his hands from the silk tie but still kept his eyes closed. "You...!" Emily was at a total loss, not knowing how to respond to her quick-witted mate. "How about... Can I... Can I see your wolf?" As the words came out of her mouth, she realized just how much she wanted to see his wolf.. It had been years but so far, she hadn''t seen his wolf even once. Chapter 258 - Say Again Elora found her aunt sitting outside under the pavilion built in the center of the front garden of their villa. The fifty-year-old lady looked just as pretty as always with her dark curls that were falling around her shoulders and her raven eyes which were focused on the photocards spread all over the table. "Madam, Second Young Master is here with Young Miss Wu." One of the servants notified the lady as Elora and Corsen approached the pavilion where the woman was taking a rest while looking through the latest season photocards launched by her favorite boutique. "Mom, I''m back," Corsen announced as he walked into the pavilion with his hands full of gift bags. He hurriedly handed all the bags to the servants before turning to face his mother. "Oh dear, my little pumpkin is here. Come child, let your aunt look at you. It''s been three months since I last saw you." Madam Wu excitedly stood up from her seat and while ignoring her son completely, she turned all her attention to her one and only niece. "Aunt Rhea..." Elora didn''t waste any time as she rushed forward into the warm and familiar embrace of her aunt. A sigh escaped her lips as she felt her body and mind relaxing as soon as she found herself in the arms of the woman who was no less like a mother to her. Elora was only ten years old when her mother passed away, and ever since then, her aunt took over the duties of her mother as she tried to give just as much love and care to Elora and her brothers as she was giving to both of her sons. Her dad married her step-mom around fourteen months after her mom''s death and by that time, the newlywed Mrs. Wu was already pregnant with Charles. As Corsen watched his mom and cousin basking in each other''s warmth and love, his expressions softened for a few seconds but then he immediately turned to his annoying self when he noticed them stepping away from each other. "Mom, I''m your biological son. Can''t you even pretend for once to be happy after seeing me?" He complained while moving closer to them and pulling Elora away from his mother''s reach. "Don''t you know that I''m bad at pretending? I don''t think I can pull off such an act. Now, don''t disturb me. I have a lot to catch up with my little girl over here. Just leave us alone." Madam Rhea ordered her son before pulling Elora towards the chairs sitting around the coffee table. "Come, honey. Sit here and talk to your aunt." Elora took a seat next to her aunt and watched as Corsen too ended up sitting next to her after scoffing out loudly to show his unhappiness towards his mother''s attitude. Of course, he had no plans of leaving her alone with his mother. After all, he couldn''t give her any chance to bad mouth him to his mom behind his back. Like she was afraid to do it in front of his very eyes and ears! "Aunt, how are Uncle Murray and brother Ralph doing nowadays?" She asked her aunt as she picked up the cup of herbal tea that the servants had just served. It was one of her favorites and she always enjoyed drinking it whenever she visited her aunt and uncle. "Don''t talk about those two. Your uncle is always busy in the hospital. It seems like that old man is no longer concerned about his family. All he cares about is doing surgeries day and night." Her aunt definitely didn''t seem too happy with her uncle. It was not only evident by her words but also by the fiery look in her eyes. She was ready to kill. The woman let out a sigh before taking a sip of her tea to calm herself down before she continued, "And as for you brother, though he''s also a workaholic, he has finally learned to balance his personal and professional life. He always stops by at the weekends and today he has especially taken a day off to receive Zara from the airport." Zara Clarkson was the fiance of Ralph Wu, the eldest son of Murray Wu and Rhea Wu. While Ralph was currently controlling the position of the President of Wu Corporation, Zara was a fashion designer who worked as the Director-General under one of the subsidiary units of the Wu Corporation. Ralph and Zara could be considered one of the best examples of real-life office romance between a hot, successful, rich boss and a simple, middle-class but strong charactered employee who wanted to chase her dreams. The two of them had been dating for more than one and half years, and they were supposed to get married in the coming winter season. "That''s perfect. Grandpa wants everyone to join him tonight at the mansion for a family dinner. It''s the perfect way to welcome back the first daughter-in-law of the younger generation of our family. This will be her third dinner with the entire family." Elora was really excited to meet her sister-in-law after such a long time. She had always liked Zara for her warm but strong personality. "What wonderful news it is! Now I really wanna see how your Uncle is going to decline returning home this evening. Let me go and give him a call. You two should enjoy the tea." Her aunt seemed too happy as she hurriedly walked away with her phone. It seemed like she was ready to seek revenge from her husband once he returned. "At this point, I can only pray for dad''s safety," Corsen whispered as he watched his mother''s silhouette disappearing inside the villa while she called her husband''s number. Elora chuckled as she shook her head. She knew that there was a huge possibility that her uncle would be too busy at the hospital to pick up the call and he always used to forget about calling back. All in all, he was really in deep trouble. If he ended up missing from the family dinner, he would get into trouble with Chairman Wu and if he ended up attending the family dinner, his wife was ready to make him regret all his life decisions. Looked like the evening was going to be full of fun! Chapter 259 - Hes Back Elora turned around to glare at the young man who appeared in the living room, teasing her with his words and the smile that was playing on his lips as he walked closer to her. "What are you doing here?" She asked while raising her eyebrows as she kind of half glared at him. "Why? Can''t I come here to visit grandpa?" The young man asked while smirking at her, making her scoff as she rolled her eyes before turning around to face her grandfather. "Why is he here?" She asked in a whispered tone, making the old man chuckled as he slightly shook his head. "You two were inseparable when you were kids. How come you two can''t even stand each other in the same house now?" Chairman Wu questioned as he looked at two of his grandchildren. After hearing their grandpa''s words, both Elora and her cousin, Corsen Wu, turned to face each other with questioning looks on their faces, only to scoff as soon as their eyes met. Both Corsen and Elora were of the same age, twenty-two, and their birthdays were only a few months apart. Due to Corsen''s bad luck, he was nearly three and a half months younger than Elora and the girl always made sure to remind him of this bitter fact. "Grandpa, back then she was like a little doll who looked cute, sweet, and adorable. It''s understandable that I used to play with her all the time. But look at her now, there''s nothing cute about her. She now looks like a creepy old aunt who loves to haunt people." Corsen started speaking nonsense as he smirked at his cousin sister to mock her. "Right, just like you were actually a little fatty back then who used to get bullied by everyone and then used to nag me to save you all the time. But look at you now, shameless!" Elora punched back in response with a beautiful smirk of her own. "You...!" Corsen glared at his sister who was smiling as if she had won the battle. "Alright, alright! Stop bickering now." Grandpa Wu said as he patted both of them on their shoulders to calm them down. If he did not stop them now then soon they would be rolling on the floor grabbing each other''s hair and clothes. Nope! He was not exaggerating at all. The previous year on Corsen''s birthday, the two of them started playing around with pastries in their hands. The next thing, they all found the two of them in the swimming pool trying to kick each other while their faces and hair were covered in the pastries. It took a lot of effort to keep the news appearing in the newspaper and tv but someone still succeeded in uploading a photo on social media. Thankfully, netizens and the fans thought that both the siblings were having fun as the photo failed to provide the dark reality of the situation. Also, the sibling love that Elora and Coren showed on-screen made it impossible for their fans to doubt their idols at all. "Sister, are you going to stay here for a while? You should. It''s been so long since you last played with me." Charles whined as he wrapped his hands around her and looked at her with his adorable brown eyes. Elora looked at her little brother and rubbed his curly hair adoringly as she smiled at him with tenderness. "Charles is right. You should spend a few days here at the manor if you are free at the moment." This time, the soft musical voice belonged to the woman who walked into the living room with a plate of freshly baked cookies. She was a woman in her mid-forties but she still looked a decade younger than her current age. It was probably because of how perfectly she took care of her health and skin. Her shoulder-length black hair was held in a loose bun and she was wearing light makeup. Her white summer dress paired with matching flats and pearl jewelry made her appear as elegant as she really was. The woman emitted a warm aura but there was also sadness hidden in her beautiful brown eyes. "Mom," Elora called softly with a beautiful smile on her lips. She was the only other person, except for Charles, who called her mom as her elder brothers still called her Mrs. Wu. The warm and welcoming smile that immediately appeared on Mrs. Wu''s face made Elora''s heart filled with softness. "Are you not going to give your mom a hug?" Mrs. Wu questioned with a small pout which made Charles chuckle. The little boy was used to his mother''s childish antics but he loved her a lot to mind them. Elora immediately ran towards the woman and buried herself in the warm embrace of her stepmom. The love and care that she had received from the woman in the past thirteen years had made her accept Mrs. Wu as her real mom. "My sweet child. Don''t tell me you are on a diet again. Look at how thin you have become in the past one month." Mrs. Wu complained as she inspected her daughter from head to toe. "Aunt Caera, I have become skinny too. Please pamper me too." Corsen asserted as he hurriedly came to stand in front of his aunt while pushing Elora away which gifted him with a scoff from his sister. As her mother started reprimanding Corsen for not eating properly, Elora took her time to look around to see if either of her big brothers were at home or not. And just like she predicted, she found no traces of Edwin or Oliver in the mansion. "Don''t worry. They will be joining us in the evening." Her grandpa told her as he noticed her eyes roaming around. In all his life, the one thing that had made him the happiest was the strong bond between all his grandchildren.. His family was probably not picture perfect but his grandchildren were and so was their love for each other. Chapter 260 - Whats The Problem Elora took the quickest shower possible and put on faded ripped jeans accompanied by a white blouse. After fixing her waist-length auburn hair into a messy bun, she headed downstairs. "Come on, let me drop you at your home," she told Corsen while dragging him out of the kitchen where he had been pestering her mother and Mrs. Li. "I''m not going anywhere." Corsen protested but still let her drag him into the living room where Grandpa Wu was playing chess with Charles. "Are you two going out?" Grandpa Wu asked as he noticed them heading towards the hallway leading to the entrance. "I''m just going to greet Aunt Rhea," Elora replied as she collected the paper bags that were placed on the table standing next to the huge cupid painting that was occupying the entire west wall of the living room. "Then remember to invite your uncle and aunt for dinner. We can have a small family get-to-gather today," Grandpa Wu said as he smiled at the thought of sharing a warm evening with his family. "I will, grandpa. Bye!" Elora waved her hand in a small sweet gesture before she walked out of the living room with Corsen. "Hold them." "Huh?" Corsen stared at the girl in confusion as he did not understand what she wanted him to hold. The very next second, she dumped all the bags in his arms before walking away like she was out strolling in the garden. "Ely...!" he shouted behind her before he adjusted all the bags in his hands and then ran after his evil sister to catch up with her. *** "Wow! I would have never guessed that we would be staying in a fucking mansion. This place is awesome." Solar could not help but speak out her thoughts in amazement as she looked around their new base. "Every building here is a luxurious apartment and you won''t be able to find anything less than a villa in this expensive place. And this... is a villa, not a mansion. We can''t afford a mansion." Lion cleared the misunderstanding of the thirty-two-year-old woman who loved to act like a teenager most of the time. Solar gave him an eye roll in response before she turned towards the rest of the members of the team. "The master bedroom is booked for the boss. That leaves us with the remaining three bedrooms on the ground floor and two on the upper floor. I''m going to pick mine and I will only allow Trix as my roommate. No negotiations allowed." Making her words loud and clear, the thirty-two-year-old lady turned around to grab her suitcase before she started dragging an annoyed Trix towards one of the bedrooms located in the far corner on the ground floor. Radley, or mostly called Dragon by his teammates, turned to look at Rose, the young lady who was known as the hidden gem of their team. "Don''t worry, sweetheart. You can share a room with me and Clyde." Clyde, mostly known as Siren, gave a quick nod to Rose before he once again returned his attention to his laptop. The twenty-two-year-old young man loved his computers more than his life. But again, he was a hacker who had spent more than fifteen years of his life playing with electronic gadgets. He was not only the youngest in the team but also the latest to join their group. He was an introvert but mostly stayed with Rose as she was the second youngest in the team at the age of twenty-four. "Sure, uncle dragon. I''ll be picking the room though." Rose replied with a fake smile before she grabbed her suitcase and left the leaving room where the others were chuckling looking at the dark expression on Radley''s face. "Give the girl some break. She''s still on edge because of the breakup. Don''t mess with her too much. You know it won''t end in a good way for you." Norman, or the one known as Lion, told Radley as he too moved to settle his stuff in his room. In the end, Rufus, and Mark ended up occupying the second biggest bedroom on the ground floor while Radley, Clyde, and Rose settled in one of the bedrooms upstairs. Trix and Solar shared the room while Norman got a bedroom to himself. They left one of the rooms empty to stock it up with all their forbidden goods. "Alpha..." Norman knocked on the door of the study room before entering. Auden was busy looking through the files that contained some of the most secret information about the rich families living in the Rockville estates. "... Wolf, and I''ll be heading out in a few minutes to scout around the complex. Trix and Dragon are already fixing the empty room as the information room and Clyde is working on the security system of the estates." He informed the Captain who nodded his head before closing the file and locking it in the top-most drawer. "I''m also heading out. Let''s meet in the underground base at six o''clock." Auden told the Lion who gave a quick nod as he followed him out of the study. "Boss, are you going to meet General?" Norman asked as they entered the living room which was empty at this point as almost everyone was busy with their assigned works. Auden shook his head slightly in response before he readjusted the black cap that he was wearing. "General is no longer in the city. He left this morning due to an urgent case. There are chances that we won''t be able to contact the headquarters for the time being. Let''s not worry too much about it. Our current mission is to infiltrate the big families of the city. We should focus on it." Norman immediately nodded his head in understanding. Their team was assigned with a special mission and they were set to finish it at all costs. ---------- Shadow Team - # Auden Laurier - Alpha/Captain (25)* # Rufus - Wolf/2nd in command (27) # Mark - Panther (27) # Norman - Lion (28) # Radley - Dragon (30) # Clyde - Siren (22) # Solar - Sorrel (32) # Roisin - Rose (24) # Trix - Pixie (25) --- * The numbers in brackets are their ages. Chapter 261 - Night Party "You are actually good. It''s very rare to find someone who could make Master second guess his decisions. However, as far as I can see you are far closer to your goal than you are thinking." Xiao Heng said with a soft smile as he looked at the young girl whose eyes immediately started glowing up at his words. "Really?" Li Ming asked as she tried her very best to not show the excitement that was bubbling inside her. A small chuckle skipped Xiao Heng''s lips as he shook his head at her excitement. "Umm-hmm. I would advise you to not listen to others who are trying to demotivate you because, in reality, you are so close to your goal that if you kept fighting for it, I''m sure you will soon get some good results." He said while playing with the spoon that was resting in the empty bowl. Li Ming was silent for the next few minutes as she pondered on what she just learned from Xiao Heng. She took out a jar of wine and offered it to the boy who lightly shook his head in refusal as he said, "I''m sure your wine would taste just as good as your food. Unfortunately, Master doesn''t allow us to drink." Immediately Li Ming closed the jar and threw it back inside her magical space. Xiao Heng again chuckled softly at her behavior but did not comment. "By the way, why are you so confident that I''m going in the right direction. So far I have only observed Master becoming colder and colder towards me. I''m even afraid that if I dared to do even one more thing to test his patience then he will bury me deep in the scary ocean." Li Ming said as she looked completely lost in her thoughts. There was a slight uncertainty in her eyes. However, Xiao Heng had no idea if it was because she was uncertain about Master''s reactions or about her own plans. "I have been following Master for the last fifteen years. Even though I never succeeded in becoming his disciple, but you can say that I''m one of his most trusted disciples. I can tell when he''s not being his normal cold and indifferent self." Xiao Heng replied. Silence took over the pavilion as both Li Ming and Xiao Heng settled down in a comfortable silence. It was only after an entire hour had passed when Xiao Heng finally stood up and dusted his clothes to get rid of imagery dirt. "It''s time for me to go and assist the master. I''ll see you around. Remember to find me when you are being bullied, though I doubt that it''s possible." He said with a soft smile. "Thank you." Li Ming softly muttered as she looked at him warmly with her eyes filled with sincerity. "Sister Li, even if you ended up becoming my Senior sister, I won''t call you senior. Consider it as a repayment for my help. I''ll boast around the entire academy that the High Senior Disciple of Array Sect''s Master is my friend." Xiao Heng said in reply before turning around and leaving the pavilion. At that moment, somehow Li Ming knew that she had found another person who would enter her list of favorite friends. *** Days after days kept passing as Li Ming kept trying her very best to not give up and continue fighting for her goal. It had been nine days since she was selected as the disciple of the Inner faction of the Array Sect and also nine days since she announced that she wanted to become Master''s disciple. Nine days filled with one after other failed attempts, never-ending mockery, halls, and classrooms buzzing with teasings and laughter as everyone pointed out exactly how overconfident and stupid Li Ming was. The elders also tried to talk some sense into her since they all did not want to lose a brilliant student like her only because she was still locked in her dream of becoming the High Senior Disciple of the Array Sect. But even though Li Ming kept fighting for the position of the high senior disciple with all her might, even she was losing her confidence. Moreover, she only had three hours left because just as three hours would end, Master Lu would be entering his closed-door cultivation. According to what she had heard from the elders and Xiao Heng, it was a rumor that Master would be in closed-door cultivation for more than three years. All this meant that she won''t get any more chance to learn array formations from him for the coming three or so years. She was currently sitting at the foot of the stairs of the Lotus manor, the exact same pavilion where Master Lu was residing. She had set her mind, there was no other option than to succeed in her aim. She could not fail and that only left the option of moving forward. "Are you going to leave or not?" A cold and heavy voice break through the silence that had taken over the Lotus courtyard. As far as one could see, the lotus courtyard was filled with smaller ponds where lotus flowers were blooming in their full beauty, filling the air with their fragrance and developing a breathtaking scenery. Very few people were allowed to enter this courtyard and Li Ming was certainly not one of them. However, she still found her way inside the courtyard after Xiao Heng helped her a little to distract the guards that were stationed at the entrance of the courtyard. The person who just came out of the manor to take a look at her was one of the few senior disciples that were allowed to enter the Lotus courtyard and it was only so that they could take care of the beautiful manor. "I''m not leaving!" Li Ming replied as she kept kneeling there on the hard cold floor that was poking holes in her knee with the stones that were scattered around. She knew that someone had intentionally spread the sharp stones all over the porch but she still kept bearing the pain as she felt the sharp edges of the stones piercing through her dress and then her smooth skin, making blood ooze out of the cuts. "Little girl, there''s no need for punishing yourself. No matter how much you try, Master would never accept you as his disciple." The young man tried to reason with the girl whose body was clearly at the edge of giving up. If he was not wrong then the hours that Li Ming had spent kneeling in the past ten days could easily surpass the hours that he had spent kneeling in the entire year. Not only that but it was also clear that since she was busy in making Master Lu see her sincerity and dedication twenty-four by seven in the last ten days, she had barely spent any time cultivating, leading to the depletion of her internal energy and spiritual qi. "Even if I won''t succeed, I want Master to answer one of my questions before he leaves for his close door cultivation." Li Ming answered as she let her body absorb the spiritual qi that was flowing through the lotus courtyard. "And what''s that?" This time the person who asked the question was definitely not the young not who immediately bowed in greetings and steeped back a little. Li Ming could felt the pressure of cold eyes that were piercing her through the back of her head. It took almost all her energy to move her body so that she could face the man who was standing behind her. However, her gaze met not only the Head of the Array Sect but almost all of the elders of the sect and even some of the senior disciples. She could clearly see the disappointment and sympathy that was covering the expressions of all the elders and seniors. They all were feeling bad for her, not only because she finally failed completely in her goal but also because she still was not able to give up on her dream. But unlike all the rest of them, the expressions of Master Lu were completely empty. He was neither curious about her nor he showed any sympathy. "Why are you not ready to except a disciple?" Li Ming''s question ranged throughout the silence of the courtyard as everyone looked at Master Lu as they waited for his answer. The man kept looking at her coldly for a few moments before he finally replied. "Initially it was because I never found someone who was worthy of this position. Over the years I have seen many who were even more persistent and stubborn than you. But none of them was the one I was looking for....." The silence that met his answer was filled with a different kind of emptiness. It matched the feeling of emptiness that also started settling over Li Ming until -- "You should start preparing. We will be entering the portal in less than three hours.. There''s a long way to go and you will need all your energy to survive the coming few years." Chapter 262 - Shadow Meeting Kaidens Wolf Shadow stared at the wolf that was standing beside Emily with its deep blue eyes staring right back at him. Now, he finally knew why he couldn''t reach Kaiden when he tried to inform him about his sudden visit through telepathy. It''s because his wolf blocked the message from reaching him. "Where''s Kaiden?" He asked the wolf while keeping his eyes trained on it. Even though the wolf wasn''t showing any kind of hostility towards him, it would still be a bad idea to lower his guards down considering that by now, the wolf would have already realized the truth behind the bond that Emily shared with him (Shadow). ''We need to talk, Supreme Lord.'' The wolf replied telepathically and the way its voice sounded, it was pretty clear that it was not requesting or asking, rather informing Shadow that the two of them had a very important matter to discuss and clarify. Realizing that there was no way out, Shadow decided to talk things out with Kaiden''s wolf. If not, the consequences would create a lot of troubles for Kaiden and Emily. To make sure that their relationship would keep sailing smoothly, he had to first convince the wolf that he wasn''t a threat to their bond with Emily. Turning his attention at the girl, he asked, "Princess, if you don''t mind, I''ll like to have a few words with the Alpha. We will return in a couple of minutes." Emily quickly looked between Shadow and the wolf. Both of them were giving her an innocent look with a mix of assurance that everything was alright. However, it wasn''t that easy to fool her. "Just don''t end up fighting." Saying that, she stood up and headed upstairs towards the guest bedroom. - - - The atmosphere of the forest was way more quite than usual, considering that the inhabitants of the place were afraid to catch the attention of the two powerful supernatural that were currently taking a walk through the woods at eight o''clock in the night. While one was the powerful and well known Alpha of the Shifter Clan and the owner of the Sullivan Empire, the other was the famous Supreme Lord, or the well known Sire who ruled the Night City. The former was known for his great achievements and powerful connections throughout the human and supernatural world at a very young age, and the latter was literally known as the only True Immortal amongst the supernatural who had ruled the dark world for thousands of years. A twitch appeared on Shadow''s lips when he caught some of the thoughts of the little creatures that were hiding nearby. The way they portrayed him as the undefeated and supreme being who was blessed with Immortality, made him feel pity for himself. He soon found himself standing on the edge of one of the high cliffs in the forest that looked down at the deep and vast valley which was currently submerged into the darkness of the night. The wolf came to stand beside him as both of them gazed at the moon near the horizon. "I''m sorry..." Shadow apologized as he kept his eyes trained on the moon. He was not only apologizing to the wolf and Kaiden, but also to Emily and himself. ''Why?'' The wolf asked in return as it turned its entire attention towards the powerful Immortal who looked kind of helpless and vulnerable at the moment, something that surprised the wolf. Shadow finally turned his face to look at the wolf and realized that it wasn''t asking about the reason behind the apology. Rather, it wanted to know why he, Shadow, let the things end up like they were at the moment. "I never wanted a mate. The only thing I wanted was my freedom. That''s why when the Deities gifted me with a mate in order to change my mind, I decided to break my bond with her as soon as possible. But when I met her on the day of her birth, things changed. While looking at the newborn baby, I got a glimpse of the beautiful future that the two of us were destined to share." Shadow stopped to take a deep breath as he closed his eyes to not think about what he saw that day. It was a very beautiful future that he never deserved. "I realized just how powerful a soulmate bond could be. I was almost tempted to give in and that''s what made me decide to keep my distance from her while I searched for ways to break off our bond. Considering that both of our real identities are unique and different from other supernatural, just refusing the bond wasn''t enough to break it." "What I failed to understand was that the moment I decided to stay away from her, I changed our future that I saw in the hospital. While I made sure to never heard a word of her until her eighteenth birthday, the day I was going to break off the bond, I made the first big mistake of my life. Because of that, I never realized that she was going through so much." He stopped again to take in another deep breath as his emotions were creating a turmoil inside him. He had hated himself for years by now because of all that Emily had gone through because of his negligence and selfishness. ''Then why did you suddenly appear after her seventeenth birthday?'' The wolf asked as it watched the Immortal struggling to keep his emotions in control. It seemed like this was the only time he was sharing all these details with someone, and the pain that he had been keeping inside him all this while was finally breaking through the barriers. "Because of a dream..." Shadow answered as he opened his eyes and looked directly at the wolf. ".... I saw a very dark energy chasing her in my dream, and the fear of something bad happening to her made me search for her immediately." Chapter 263 - Im Tired... "I assured myself that I would keep my distance from her and will make sure that she''s safe. I was determined to never appear in front of her before her eighteenth birthday, but things changed when I finally found her." The wolf listened silently while he kept his eyes trained on the Supreme Immortal. It was so new and weird to see someone so powerful showing such vulnerability. "In the years that I was preparing to break my bond with her without causing her any severe damage, I was also looking for a potential mate for her. Someone who could keep her safe and happy. That''s when I find out about the Sullivan Empire that was rapidly emerging alongside the Alessandro''s. I also got to know about the blessing of the Moon Goddess that the Sullivan family has been carrying. I immediately knew that Kaiden was the perfect replacement that I was searching for." "So, I did what I considered was right. I transferred the essence of my soulmate bond to Kaiden. But of course, using a forbidden magic always brings consequences. Besides, just like I said, Princess and my special identity makes our soulmate bond way powerful and different than the usual bonds shared by the other Supernatural." "I failed in transferring the entire bond to Kaiden and as a result for using a forbidden magic, the rest of the bond got locked in me." The last few words came out in whispers but the wolf clearly heard everything but it still remained silent. The news about Emily sharing a bond with Shadow wasn''t new for the wolf. It had find out about this a very long time ago. What it didn''t know was why there was such an imbalance in the bond that Emily and Shadow shared and why the former never felt the existence of the bond while the latter never brought it up. Now after finding about the truth, everything finally made sense. ''What happened after that?'' The wolf asked as there was still a lot remaining to find out. "I was also at a loss back then. But then I thought that since a huge part of the bond was already transferred to Kaiden, my rejection won''t cause her too much pain. It was around the time when I dreamed about her and then decided to find her to make sure that she was alright." Shadow resumed the story. "My plan was perfect. I would keep her safe till her eighteenth birthday and then refuse the bond so that she and Kaiden can start their happy life together. How foolish I was!" Though a chuckle escaped Shadow''s lips at the end of the sentence, there was no humor in it. "The moment I saw her, I already knew that things won''t end up like I planned. Still, because of my foolish belief that I can handle a mere soulmate bond that was almost one-fourth of the real bond, I continued with my plan. But my plan got changed when Daniel got attacked." "I never planned to save him that day. My only mission was to keep her safe till her eighteenth birthday. I wasn''t responsible for her family. But that horrified look on her face that day, the way she looked broken and full of fear and grief, it made me do what I shouldn''t have. Not only I ended up saving Daniel but even appeared in front of her and took a job as her bodyguard to keep her safe." The look on Shadow''s face made it appear like he hated himself for all these choices that he made. While he was happy to save Daniel''s life, he was also angry at himself for appearing in front of Emily and deciding to stay beside her when he should have stayed miles away from her to keep their bond cold and lifeless. "After that... I was a goner. It didn''t took me long to learn just how much she needed me beside her. Our bond started coming to life but I was too worried about her to stay away. Every day I learned something new about her and it didn''t took too long before I realized that she was struggling with a darkness that resonated too much with mine." "At first I didn''t look into her past because I didn''t want to delve deeper into her life and just wanted to keep her safe. But later, it was because I wanted to respect her privacy just like she was respecting mine." Shadow stopped speaking when he felt the wolf rubbing its face against his shoulder. He was too lost in his emotions that he didn''t even notice the wolf coming closer to him. It was only when the wolf looked up straight into his eyes did Shadow realise that a single tear had rolled down his cheek at some point. He quickly brushed it off and looked away from the wolf because it seemed like it was staring not into his eyes but deep into his soul. ''You love her.'' The wolf stated as it kept its eyes trained on Shadow''s who was now once again looking at the moon. ''You love her more than anyone else, even more than yourself. You want to create a perfect world for her but you can also destroy this entire world for her. Your love for her is even stronger than the love that Kaiden has for her, or the love that her brothers hold for her.'' Shadow didn''t turn to look at the wolf while the latter kept speaking those words and by the time it finished, tears were already rolling down Shadow''s cheeks as he started breathing heavily. It''s true that he had fallen for his mate, a mate that he never wanted and had already lost. He had fallen too deeply that now her loss was hurting him and his heart. "I''m tired..." He whispered the words before closing his eyes and letting his body fall behind that made him fell on the ground with a good thud.. But because his heart was already making him hurt with immense amount of pain, the fall barely created any pain. Chapter 264 - True Soulmate Emily''s hand stilled as a tear rolled down her cheek and dropped on the screen of her tablet, and even before she could have grasped what was happening to her, more tears were rolling down her cheeks. She hurriedly grabbed a box of tissues from the top drawer of the study table where she was currently sitting and working on her webcomic, and started wiping away the tears while she stared at the screen of her tablet in puzzlement. She wasn''t drawing any emotional scene. Instead, it was a normal scene of the female lead enjoying her time together with her friends after their exams were finally over. That''s why she was confused that she ended up crying all of a sudden, not like she used to cry even while drawing emotional scenes. And if the sudden tears weren''t already confusing enough, her heart was also feeling heavy all of a sudden, and there was a kind of weird pain that made tears appear in her eyes all over again. "What''s wrong with me?" She murmured while grabbing more tissues to wipe away the tears that were again rolling down her cheeks. It took her a couple of minutes to calm herself down. Her eyes landed on her phone and as she checked the time, she realized that it had already been over twenty minutes since Shadow left with Kaiden''s wolf and they still hadn''t returned. For a moment, she contemplated whether she should call him to ask about their whereabouts but then soon changed her mind as she didn''t want to disturb them just in case they were discussing something important. Deciding to wait for their return, she once again started drawing the new episode of her ongoing webcomic. ***** Shadow turned his head to look at the wolf who was now also laying beside him on the cold and hard ground of the forest, with its head resting over his shoulder. This was probably its way of showing warmth and affection. "Can you... keep all this a secret from Kaiden? I don''t want him to..." He stopped when the wolf suddenly pulled away and sat up while looking down at him with a sorry face. ''He already knows.'' The wolf spoke and its words made Shadow sit up abruptly as he stared at the wolf in bewilderment. ''He heard every single word that we just exchanged. But he has known about your shared bond with Emily for quite some time by now.'' Shadow stared at the wolf wide-eyed, not knowing what to say at this point. He wasn''t prepared for such a sudden situation where he would need to face Kaiden with all these truths. For some reason, sharing his story and the truth about his and Emily''s soulmate bond with Kaiden''s wolf was way easier than sharing it with Kaiden himself. "When...? When did he find out about the... bond?" He finally found himself asking and then nervously waited for the wolf''s reply. ''Not for too long unlike me who found out about it the very day you appeared. But the truth is that he has known for some time by now.'' The wolf answered truthfully. "Heavens!" Shadow groaned out as he buried his face in his palms to stop himself from looking at anything or thinking about anything. He sat there in silence for a couple of more minutes before he finally pulled his face out of his palms and turned to look at the wolf only to find Kaiden sitting right beside him with a soft expression on his face. "You...!" He didn''t get to speak further as Kaiden suddenly threw his arms around him and pulled him in a tight hug. "It''s alright, Shadow. I have heard everything. You don''t have to explain. But... there''s one thing I want to ask you..." Kaiden pulled away from the hug and looked at the man as he waited for him to reply. Shadow stared at Kaiden for a couple of seconds as he tried to read Kaiden''s expressions. "What is it?" He finally asked while preparing himself for whatever question he would be answering. Kaiden took a deep breath before he focused his entire attention on Shadow and asked, "Are you going to tell Angel about your bond?" His expressions clearly portrayed how nervous he was about the topic. Shadow couldn''t stop the little twitch that appeared on his lips but there was no humor in it. He was about to answer his question but was stopped even before he could open his mouth. "Listen! I... I''m actually grateful that you chose me for Angel. I will probably be never able to pay you back for this precious gift, or blessing, that you have given me. I... I don''t mind seeing you around her. It actually calms me down to know that she has someone like you around her. So..., I really don''t mind having you in our lives... But... I-I don''t think I''m ready to share her love with you. Maybe I''m being selfish and maybe with time, I''ll change my mind but..." "You don''t have to!" Shadow spoke in a calm tone, shutting up Kaiden who was too lost to put his thoughts and words together. "Huh?" Kaiden stared at the other man with a confused look on his face. "It''s good that she doesn''t know anything about the bond that she shares with me, and I want it to stay like that. You don''t have to worry, Kaiden. I''m not going to enter your beautiful life with her and demand my right as her true soulmate." Shadow stated as he gave a soft pat on Kaiden''s shoulder. "But why? If you are worried that she would be angry and sad after finding out the truth, then don''t worry too much. She will forgive you eventually." Kaiden wanted to bury himself for his stupidity. He could hardly believe that he was trying to encourage Shadow for not to give up on his love for Emily. He should be happy that the man had decided to stay away from Emily and never tell her about their bond. But that''s the problem, he couldn''t find any happiness.. Instead, there was a pain in his heart that was making him try to help Shadow. Chapter 265 - Same Soulbond Kaiden stared at Shadow who remained sitting there silently as he gazed at the moon that was now overshadowed by the clouds that were floating in the sky. The light breeze rustled the leaves of the tall trees and helped in reducing the heat in the air. "Why are you not saying anything? Are you really going to give up? Even though I''m not really happy about this situation, I have already mentioned that I''m not against you staying..." "I don''t have much time left, Kaiden." Shadow suddenly spoke in a calm tone but his words made Kaiden trail off before he could finish what he was about to say. The next few seconds were filled with silence as Kaiden stared at Shadow with his jaw hanging open. He was suddenly finding it hard to wrap his mind around what his ears were hearing. "What? What are you talking about? What do you mean by not having much time left? Are you going somewhere? Are you returning to the Night City? Is Emily aware of this?" He fired the questions back to back. Shadow smiled softly as he turned his eyes away from the hidden moon and focused them on Kaiden. "Just like I said, I don''t have much time left... in this world. So, it doesn''t matter if I can find a way to make my bond work with both of you. I will need to leave soon." Kaiden licked his lips as he stared at Shadow, waiting for the man to stop his sick jokes. But looking at his expressions, it didn''t seem like he was just kidding. "You... You are serious...!" Shadow almost chuckled at Kaiden''s surprised look and his words. "Have you ever seen me joking around?" He questioned the man who was still looking at him with a dumbfounded expression on his face. "Shadow... are you... are you going to die? How? When? Why? I mean... what happened? Aren''t you supposed to be the True Immortal like everyone says? You... Is something going on that you aren''t telling us about?" Kaiden could hardly remain calm at this point. His brain was a mess as he couldn''t make sense of exactly what was going on with Shadow and why the man was suddenly talking about leaving... leaving as if he was about to die. Even his wolf seemed a little restless. "Calm down, Kaiden. It''s not like I''m going to disappear right after this night. Some things in my life are way too complicated to be explained and I don''t have enough time left in my hands to sort things out in my life. That''s why I would rather spend my remaining time with Princess and look after both of you, instead of staying in the Night City, waiting for my doom." Shadow told the other man in a casual tone that was definitely not right considering the topic they were discussing. Kaiden remained silent as he sat there staring at Shadow. The way that man was discussing his death so casually made his heart hurt. Without giving much thought to it, he once again wrapped his arms around the man and pulled him into a tight hug. Once again Shadow found himself at a complete loss. It took him a couple of seconds before he too wrapped his arms around the young man and started patting his back softly. For some reason, it felt like instead of giving him comfort, Kaiden was actually seeking comfort from him. "I''ll say it once again, I don''t mind you staying with me and Emily, as long as you won''t hurt her. I''m not sure if your decision about not telling her the truth about our bonds is right or wrong, but I won''t interfere for the time being, just in case you will change your mind in near future." "She loves you, Shadow. Maybe not like how she loves me but she definitely loves you more than just a friend, and most importantly, she really needs you in her life." Kaiden spoke as he kept his arms tightly wrapped around the man who remained silent. Pulling away from the hug, he looked straight into Shadow''s amber eyes as he asked, "How... How long...?" Since he couldn''t make himself say the words, he ended up stopping before asking what he wanted to ask. However, it seemed like Shadow understood the unfinished question because, after a little sigh, he answered, "Maybe a year or two... I''m not really sure, to be honest. It can even be less than that." The two of them remained silent after that for a couple of minutes, both lost in their own worlds of thoughts. Then Shadow finally decided to break the silence, "Kaiden, you don''t have to feel either guilty or grateful towards me. Whatever is happening to me has nothing to do with others. I''m just paying the price for my past actions. You aren''t obliged to..." "Are you really that stupid? Do you seriously think that I''m doing this because I''m feeling guilty or grateful? Are you really that blind to not see it?" Kaiden was feeling fully irritated by this point. Talking to Shadow felt like banging his head against a wall. Shaking his head to brush off some of his irritation, he stood up and turned away to look at the vast and dark valley down the cliff. Shadow followed his suit and stood up too as he asked with a confused look on his face, "What am I not seeing? What are you talking about Kaiden?" Kaiden remained silent for a few seconds as he tried to calm himself down a little bit before he finally turned to look at the man and glared at him for a few moments and only then did he finally decide to answer. "Shadow, we both are sharing the same soulmate bond with Emily.. The exact soulbond that binds you with her is wrapped around my heart and soul. Don''t you know what it means to share the same essence of a soulmate bond?" Chapter 266 - Lets Be Brothers The surprised and confused look on Shadow''s face soon started changing as realization finally hit him. "We both are..." He just trailed off like that. The reality of their situation hit him hard and left him unprepared for the time being. All this time, he was too focused on Emily that he completely neglected Kaiden and the link between the two of them that got created due to both of them sharing the same soulmate bond with their mate. Letting out a small sigh, Kaiden just gave another unimpressed look to Shadow before turning his attention away. He could still recall those days when he first met with the man and felt an indescribable feeling of attachment to him. That feeling was not only strange for him but it was also pretty strong and it took him quite long enough to find out the truth about it and even more time to come to terms with such a puzzling truth. It wasn''t the best feeling for him to find out that Emily was never meant to be his. He only found her because Shadow chose him to take care of her in his stead. Though it took him a little bit of time, he soon learned to not worry about such unimportant things and to pay more attention to his relationship with Emily. Even if they were not meant to be together, he was still gifted with a rare chance and he decided to give it his all. At first, he was really wary of Shadow and his presence around Emily. He kept thinking that he won''t be able to make Emily fall in love with him as long as Shadow would be present in their life but then he found out about how Shadow was hiding the truth abound their bond and how he was doing everything in his power to make the bond between Emily and him (Kaiden) work. "I always wanted to know the reason for your decision of giving up on your sacred bond with Angel..." Kaiden suddenly spoke as he continued to stare at the far end of the valley down below the cliff. "... I was curious about why you broke your bond with her but still refused to leave her alone." He stopped to take a deep breath before continuing, "I wanted to know what kind of a silly man would sacrifice such a perfect soulmate. And most importantly, I kept thinking about the reason for which you chose me to replace yourself in Angel''s life." Shadow listened silently while keeping his eyes trained on Kaiden. "So... did you find the answers?" He asked when the other man didn''t speak for quite some time. Kaiden let out a little chuckle but there was next to no humor present in it. He finally turned around to face Shadow before replying, "How could I? You were never that friendly and approachable. And it''s impossible to get any information about you. Even my best men couldn''t find anything. In the end, I just decided to be patient and focus my attention on my mate instead of wondering and worrying about things that weren''t in my control." A small twitch appeared on Shadow''s lips as he approached Kaiden and put one of his hands on the latter''s shoulder before lightly patting him. "And this is exactly why... I chose you for her. You aren''t my replacement, Kaiden. You are the person whom Princess loves. I hope you will always remember this." Kaiden wouldn''t have been able to deny even if he wanted. Shadow''s words indeed filled him with warmth and faith that he never knew he needed from the man until the moment he heard those words. He found himself nodding his head in response before both of them broke out into soft chuckles. "It feels so... light and positive. Like a burden has been removed." Shadow smiled softly and the look in his amber eyes were telling that he was also feeling the same emotions. "Let''s be brothers... Brothers who not only share a soulbond and soulmate but also brothers who understand each other?" It sounded like a suggestion that made Kaiden raise his eyebrows in surprise. "It''s such a weird sight to see you making suggestions and not giving out final decisions. You don''t even have to ask. Anyone who rejects such an offer would be an idiot. It''s beneficial from both personal and professional points of view." Shadow couldn''t help but shake his head as he let out a small sigh. Kaiden was indeed a businessman. He could find profit in every chance he got. "I''m really sorry, Kaiden. I should have known better than to just transfer the bond to you. I should have guided you properly through the tangles of our bond and... probably told you the truth too. I''m sorry for neglecting you and your feelings all this time." Kaiden could see the sincerity in Shadow''s eyes and could also hear it in the latter''s voice. The man was really regretful and that alone was enough to quench all of his, Kaiden''s, complaints. Not having the heart to stay mad at Shadow, he decided to end the matter on happy terms. "I will forgive you if you will start treating me a little bit warmly from today onwards. Can you spare at least one percent of your warm side for me? I don''t think Angel will mind." Shadow just shook his head in response and didn''t bother to answer the question. Instead, he stood up from where he was sitting on a little rock and started stretching his limbs as he spoke, "Let''s head back. Princess will be waiting for us. We still have an important task to finish tonight and the clock is ticking." As soon as Kaiden got reminded that Emily was still waiting for their return, he too immediately stood up and without wasting another second, shifted into his wolf form and headed back to his mate, followed by Shadow who had also shifted into his lion form. The two of them would definitely have spent some time running and hunting in the deep forest together but they had a mate waiting for them on the other side of the alluring forest. Chapter 267 - Change Of Plan "Why did you suddenly change your mind? Didn''t you say that we will wait for the full moon night before merging these magical balls into my little treasures?" Emily asked as she watched Kaiden playing around with her spirit beasts. Since the three snow foxes of hers mostly stayed inside their little magical realm, anyone around her barely got moments to spend with them, especially Kaiden. The only person other than her who had spent quality time with her spirit beasts was Shadow. Besides, these little treasures of hers had grown up into big and strong foxes in the past couple of years. While Shadow was busy training her during her Academy years, he also made sure to train her spirit beats along with her. It was not only to make the three little treasures powerful and stronger but also to create a better understanding and bond between her and the three of them. However, a spirit beast was considered nothing without spirit powers. From what Emily had learned, spirit beasts weren''t born with spirit powers. That''s why the elemental balls that Shadow had brought back with him were about to become the source of spirit powers of her spirit beasts. What kind of spirit powers a spirit beast would possess solely depends on its master and their capabilities. Stronger the master and stronger their bond, the stronger their spirit beasts would be. Initially, Shadow told her that they would wait for the full moon night to merge the elemental balls into her spirit beasts otherwise it won''t be easy to cast the spell. But now he had suddenly changed his mind, resulting in her current state of confusion. When Emily got no response from Shadow, her attention shifted from Kaiden and her spirit beasts to the man who had been standing next to the huge window on the other side of the living room while he soaked the elemental balls into the moonlight. Standing up from the couch, she headed towards Shadow and came to stand beside him as she observed the slightly glowing elemental balls that the man was holding in his palm. "Why aren''t you saying anything? Are you... ignoring me?" She asked hesitantly when Shadow still refused to pay her any attention. He seemed too focused on the magical balls in his hand but at the same time, she felt like he was only pretending to be oblivious of her presence next to him. Her words finally made Shadow turn his attention away from the magical balls. He looked at her while arching his left eyebrow as he asked, "Have I ever ignored you, Princess?" "Mmhmm! You just did a couple of seconds ago." Emily blatantly answered while looking at him with a clean expression on her face. Kaiden burst out into soft chuckles as he overheard their conversation but other than that he remained silent and continued to play with the spirit snow foxes. Shadow passed a quick look in Kaiden''s direction before he returned his attention to Emily. "I wasn''t ignoring you. I was just trying to get some moonlight to penetrate these elemental balls." Emily didn''t believe him but she didn''t pursue the matter anymore. Instead, she returned to her previous question. "So... Why the sudden change of plan?" She asked while pointing towards the elemental balls. Shadow remained silent for a couple of seconds while he continued to stare at the shining balls before he finally responded to her question. "We don''t really have to wait for the full moon night. As long as we can get enough moonlight to activate these balls, we can easily merge these with your spirit beasts." "Really?" Emily was still skeptical and for some reason, she couldn''t bring herself to believe him. "Really. Don''t worry too much about this. I and Kaiden will make sure that everything goes right tonight. We can''t waste any more time if we want to stay a step ahead of our enemy." Shadow whispered back the reply as he closed his eyes for a couple of seconds and let out a deep sigh. "Is something going to happen soon? Did you find out about something?" Emily found herself asking as the last sentence settled down in her mind, immediately making her think of those people who had been trying to catch her ever since she entered this city. "Don''t worry about these matters, Princess. There''s nothing like what you are thinking. I just want you to start your practice as soon as possible but before that, we have to train your spirit beasts so that they can adapt to their..." Shadow trailed off when he suddenly found his face cupped between the warm palms of his Princess. "What... What are you doing...?" He asked in a muffled tone while trying to get his face free from her hold. However, the young woman didn''t budge at all. "Stop pretending and tell me what''s going on with you. Why your eyes are taking over a dark shade? They are almost black. What''s up with you all of a sudden?" Emily questioned as she became worried about the man who was also getting paler with each passing second. This time, it didn''t take Shadow even a second to get his face out of Emily''s hold as he hurriedly turned away, covering his eyes with his hands. Kaiden was beside them as soon as he heard about Shadow''s changing condition. "Let me take a look." He said while trying to look at Shadow''s face. "Guys it''s nothing. Don''t overthink. Give me a moment and I''ll be alright. This is probably because my powers are reacting with these elemental balls. It''s nothing big..." Shadow tried to downplay the situation but, of course, it didn''t work. "Sire is like this because his hunger is getting out of control." A familiar voice suddenly spoke from nowhere and the very next second, the silhouette of a beautiful woman clad in all white robes appeared in the living room. "Irene..." Emily recognized the woman as she had already seen her a few times in the past.. All that she knew about the woman was that she was one of the most trusted and loyal underlings of Shadow. Chapter 268 - Hunger & Temptation Irene greeted her Sire, Mr. Sullivan, and Miss Alessandro, before turning her full attention towards the woman who was the only person able to help Shadow in the current situation. She along with her other companions had been following Shadow ever since he returned from the Night City. After the huge amount of powers he used during those couple of days, they all guessed that their Master would soon need to feed. However, Shadow refused to even touch the blood as he felt nauseous every time he looked at the blood. It was like his body kept refusing the blood while needing it at the same time. "Miss Alessandro..." Irene started speaking to Emily but didn''t get the chance to say something as Shadow interrupted her and her Sire didn''t seem impressed by her actions at all. "Irene!" Shadow''s loud and commanding voice filled the room, making everyone there shudder in utter surprise and fear. Emily and Shadow stared at the man with surprised looks on their faces. Seeing Shadow so angry was a new sight for them considering the man usually carried a calm persona and had never raised his voice ever before, at least not in front of them. On the other hand, Irene immediately dropped on her knees as she pleaded, "Sire, you can punish me for my stepping out of line but can you please not avoid feeding anymore. You can''t keep neglecting your health like this..." "Get out!" Shadow whispered but it was pretty clear that he was not happy about Irene exposing about his situation in front of Emily and Kaiden. "Sire...!" The worry was clear in Irene''s eyes as she looked at her Master pleadingly. Emily moved to help Irene stand up before she turned her attention towards Shadow, "Don''t be angry at her. She''s worried about you." Saying that she turned back to face Irene before continuing, "Don''t worry anymore. We will take care of him. Go and get some rest and if he dared to punish you or the others, just inform me about that." A small smile broke out on Irene''s lips as she nodded her head. The look in her eyes clearly stated just how grateful she was for Emily''s help. "Thank you, Miss Alessandro." Emily watched as Irene''s silhouette disappeared from the room. If not for the fact that she knew about how fast a vampire could move, she would have thought that the woman just teleported out of there. "Why are you being so moody all of a sudden? If your body needs blood then why are you denying it? Just feed." Kaiden seemed pretty displeased as he questioned Shadow and stared at him with questioning eyes. Emily too agreed with Kaiden''s questions. She knew that Shadow didn''t like feeding usually and that''s why he only fed every once in a couple of years. Considering he was the Supreme Immortal, his body didn''t require him to feed daily like the other vampires. But his current actions were not making any sense to her. Even if he didn''t like to feed he still needed to since his body required the blood. Shadow let out a small sigh as he finally turned to look at the two of them. His eyes had returned to their normal color but he still looked a little bit pale and tired. "My body isn''t accepting any blood, no matter what type of blood it is. I didn''t tell them because I don''t want them to worry." Emily knew that he was referring to Irene and the others when he said ''them''. But listening to his explanation behind avoiding feeding even when his body needed it, made her worry too. How come his body needed him to feed but refused to accept the blood? It didn''t make any sense at all. She was about to speak when Kaiden interrupted her. "Angel, how about you take the spirit bests upstairs and spend some time with them. I''ll handle this here and we will come upstairs after that." He suggested. Emily stood there looking at her mate for a couple of seconds before she took a glance in Shadow''s direction. Letting out a small sigh she returned her attention to her mate and nodded her head. "Fine, I''ll be waiting upstairs. Please take care of him." She was surely curious to know exactly what was going on with Shadow and she really hated to be kept in the dark. However, she trusted Kaiden. If her mate believed that he could help Shadow then she was going to trust him and let him handle the situation. Giving a last look at Shadow, she walked towards her spirit beasts that were still busy playing and then headed upstairs along with them, leaving Kaiden and Shadow behind. Kaiden watched as Emily ascended the stairs along with her fox spirits and headed upstairs. Only after that did he turn to face Shadow and asked, "Is it because of her? Is your body refusing others'' blood because it wants her blood?" Shadow remained silent but it seemed like Kaiden already knew the answer. At this point, he wasn''t even surprised to see that Kaiden had already guessed the reason behind his current state. "Let me guess... Your body needs her blood but that''s the last thing you want..." "Her blood will start healing our soulmate bond. It will become stronger and will ruin all my efforts of severing our bond." Shadow spoke as he cut off Kaiden''s sentence. The room was filled with silence as Kaiden tried to process Shadow''s words. "Then... what are you planning to do now? You can''t ignore this anymore. Your health isn''t great and you..." He was getting so tense that he soon started pacing around the room while Shadow remained standing next to the window in silence, not saying anything as he wasn''t sure what to say. Kaiden suddenly stopped next to Shadow and forced the man to face him by pulling his shoulders to turn him. "I think I found a solution...." Chapter 269 - Kaiden Forgot About The Consequences "What are you going to do?" Shadow questioned as he watched Kaiden rolling up the sleeve of his left hand right after declaring that he had a solution for the current situation. Instead of answering the question, Kaiden stretched his hand out and offered his wrist to the man with an assuring smile on his lips. Shadow first stared at the bare wrist that had been pushed in front of his face and then he finally turned his attention to Kaiden while pushing his hand away. "Stop this nonsense. I''ll be fine. You don''t have to do this." Kaiden immediately let out a frustrated sigh as he spoke, "Can you stop acting like it''s no big deal? Since you don''t want to feed from Angel, then you should try my blood. Though it''s not the same as hers, there is still a chance that my blood will work. Just give it a try." Shadow tried to turn away as he muttered, "You really don''t have to worry..." "Stop being hard and just do as I''m saying. Here, try it." Kaiden responded as he once again pushed his wrist in front of Shadow''s eyes. Once again Shadow pushed the hand away and tried to walk away but Kaiden stopped him even before he could have taken a single step away. "You are too stubborn..." Kaiden muttered as he used his elongated nails to scratch his left wrist before placing it hurriedly against Shadow''s lips. Everything happened so suddenly that Shadow didn''t even realize what Kaiden was up to until the strong metallic smell of blood entered his system, instantly enticing his hunger and making his gums itch as his fangs threatened to come out. "Go ahead..." This time, Kaiden used a soft tone as he again pushed his bleeding wrist against Shadow''s lips which had started quivering. As seconds ticked by, the hunger started getting out of Shadow''s control. Even if he wanted to resist, it seemed like his body had other plans and was no longer in the state of listening to him. His eyes that had turned dark crimson turned to look at Kaiden once again and found the man giving him a slight nod of encouragement. Though Shadow was no longer trying to push his hand away, Kaiden could clearly see that he was still hesitant. "You are wasting my blood, Shadow. Look, it has started dripping on the floor... DAMN...!" Kaiden was taken by surprise as Shadow suddenly captured his bleeding wrist in his hands and ran his tongue against the blood, making his skin tingle. Before he could have recovered from it, he got another shock when Shadow sank his fangs in his skin and started feeding. ******* Emily was in the middle of writing the next episode of her series when Shadow walked into the study where she was currently sitting. Kaiden was following him right behind and looking at both the men, she was quite surprised. While Shadow looked in a better state than before, the same couldn''t be said about Kaiden. The latter not only looked a little pale but also... unhappy. "What happened?" She asked while closing her tablet and standing up to move towards the two men who were still standing near the entrance of the study. Shadow gave her a small smile before he nodded towards Kaiden and whispered, "He''s whining. That''s all." The reply made Emily arch her eyebrows as she turned to look at Kaiden with questioning eyes. It didn''t seem like the two of the men had argued but she had a feeling that Kaiden was unhappy because of Shadow. She moved to stand next to her mate who gave her a pouting look before suddenly wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his embrace. "I''m never letting him feed from me again, even if he will be about to die. I''m just letting you know." He whispered next to her ear in his whiny voice. Emily hurriedly pulled away from the hug to look at her mate as she asked, "Your blood worked?" She could finally understand why Shadow looked so much better than his previous self and then the reason behind Kaiden''s current state also hit her which made her burst out into giggles. "Angel...!" Kaiden sure was not happy to see the love of his life making fun of him. "Fine, fine. I won''t laugh but why are you being like this? You offered him your blood on your own, then why be whiny now?" She questioned him as she looked at Shadow and gave him a soft smile. "I forgot about the consequences," Kaiden muttered back in response with an embarrassed look on his face. His cheeks were covered in a light blush. Emily tried her best to hold back her smile as she softly patted her mate''s head. Her eyes noticed Shadow who conjured out a glass of fresh pomegranate juice and handed it to her which she accepted before handing it over to Kaiden to drink. "I was not in my best state of mind... but I still tried to keep everything as minimal as possible. Both the pain and... pleasure. Besides, it doesn''t seem right to use compulsion on him." Shadow spoke in his defense as he scratched the back of his neck slightly to cover just how embarrassed he was also feeling at that moment. Emily looked at both the men for a couple of seconds before she spoke, "Is this really that big of a deal? You both are grown-ups and according to Shadow, the feelings weren''t that intense. I think you two should let it pass and focus on other things." She was silent for a couple of seconds before she turned to look at Shadow and offered him her free hand which he immediately accepted. She turned to look at Kaiden who was finally looking at her now instead of staring at the floor. Brushing her fingers softly against his cheek, she gave him a warm smile. "I''m really happy to know that you both are getting closer. Thank you so much, Kaiden. Thank you for what you did today for Shadow." She was soon gifted with a warm hug from her mate and then Shadow joined them in the hug when Kaiden pulled the man in their hug. Only if life could always be full of such happy moments.... Chapter 270 - The Spell And The Caster "Are you sure you want to continue? It''s about to hit midnight and you have just recovered..." Emily trailed off as a finger approached her lips to stop her from saying more. She brushed away Shadow''s finger before staring right into the amber eyes of the man who seemed determined to complete the merging of the magical balls into her spirit beasts. "Shadow, I''m really worried about you. Can you stop taking these risks? Why are you in such a hurry today? We can wait for a couple of days so you can rest before continuing with the merging." Kaiden returned to their side right at that moment and took a seat beside her before wrapping one of his hands around her shoulder and giving her a little squeeze. "She''s right, Shadow." A sigh escaped Shadow''s lips as he relaxed his body against the back of the sofa and closed his eyes. Even though he had already fed and his body had accepted Kaiden''s blood, he was still a little bit tired, and using his powers at the moment would only cause him more weakness which would ultimately result in causing worry to his Princess and that''s exactly what he didn''t want to happen. Seeing her worry about him or his health hurt him more than anything else. "I seriously wanted to do this tonight. The sooner we will merge them, the sooner their training can be started." He whispered before letting out another sigh. The very next second, he felt a hand landing softly over his left shoulder, immediately filling his body with tingles and as the hand started softly patting him, he found himself relaxing. At that moment, he just wanted to bury himself in his Princess'' arms and forget about everything else just for a couple of moments. It took every ounce of his willpower to stop himself from doing exactly that. As days were passing by, his soul was turning greedier. It wanted its other half, his mate. He sometimes wondered if he would go insane at this rate. "If you are really determined to finish this merging today, I think I know someone reliable and strong enough to do the job in your stead." Kaiden suddenly spoke as he took out his phone from his pocket and started finding a particular number in his contact list. Both Emily and Shadow stared at Kaiden to hear whom he''s gonna talk to and as soon as the person on the other side of the call answered it and said ''Hello'', they both knew about whom Kaiden was talking about. A couple of minutes later, Kaiden ended the call and looked at both his mate and Shadow to see them both giving their approval. "They will be here in ten minutes. Let''s wait for them." He told them even though he was aware that they both had already listened to the entire conversation. - Just like Kaiden said, their guests arrived within ten minutes. These guests were none other than Bianca and Jackson. Sam couldn''t accompany them as he had some other business to take care of. "It seems like a decade since we last met," Bianca complained as she wrapped Emily in her arms and gave her a warm hug. Emily chuckled in response as she reminded the woman, "We just met last week, Bee." "Really? But it really seems like a long time to me. If I can, I''ll keep you with me all the time. Trust me, sweetheart, you have no idea about how many times I have suggested the idea of me settling in the Alessandro mansion to my husbands. But every time, these two paid no attention to my requests." Bianca complained as she gave an unhappy look in Jackson''s direction. Jackson was immediately there as he wrapped one of his arms around Emily''s shoulders and pulled her away from an unhappy-looking Bianca. "Don''t believe her, Em. Do you seriously think that either of us can stop her from moving to your family house if she is determined to do so? She''s just too greedy. She wants both her mates and you. Unfortunately, she''s also the lady of the Evans house. She just can''t leave the mansion and start staying somewhere else." Emily gave Bianca a warm smile before taking her hand in hers. They chatted for a couple of more minutes before Kaiden took them to the terrace where they were going to merge the elemental balls into the three treasures. Jackson and Emily sat down on one of the benches that were placed around the terrace while Shadow, Kaiden, and Bianca started preparing for the merger. While Shadow guided her, Bianca drew the hologram on the floor of the terrace while Kaiden adjusted the magical balls around the hologram that was circular in shape. "We are ready. Em, let out the spirit beasts." Bianca told the girl as she and the others finished setting up the hologram. At the same time, Shadow cast a ward around the terrace to keep their activities hidden from ant prying eyes. Emily did as she was told and once again called her spirit beats out from their little realm. She watched as Shadow helped the three of them to sit in the center of the circular hologram before he moved to sit beside her while Jackson stood up and went to help Bianca and Kaiden. "I''ll cast the spell for the merger and you two will help me. Alright?" Bianca glanced at the two men who nodded their heads in understanding. Emily and Shadow watched from the side as Bianca started casting the spell and as soon as the moonlight pierced through the first elemental ball directed by the spell, Kaiden and Jackson added their powers to direct the moonlight towards the rest of the elemental balls, creating a beam of bright silvery light that seemed to be connected to the moon itself. "They will be done soon. After that, we will return home. Okay?" Shadow asked for her confirmation and received a nod from Emily as she was also feeling sleepy considering it was already one past midnight. "Let''s not return to the mansion or I''ll be killed by my brothers for staying out for this long.." She muttered and noticed a small twitch that appeared on Shadow''s lips.