Gilbert's eyes remained open, locked on her throughout the night, only succumbing to sleep as dawn broke.As his breathing finally steadied, she cautiously opened her eyes. In silence, she studied the striking face forever etched in her heart, her slender fingers delicately tracing the contours of his features in the air. After an eternity, she gently disentangled herself from his embrace and gingerly rose from the bed. As she opened the door, she could not help but steal one last glance at the man lying in bed. His slumbering face still bore a tormented expression, a shadow of anguish furrowed between his brows.'Perhaps, once I'm gone, his life will gradually find light,' she mused, her eyes brimming with heart-wrenching longing and sorrow.'May happiness find you for the rest of your life,' she whispered in her mind. Then, with a faint, trembling smile in his direction, she turned and silently left the room.She went to the children's room to check on them. The morning was still
Blake clung desperately to her hand, as though fearing that the instant he let go, she would vanish into thin air.Kisa's heart shattered into a million pieces. Crouching down, she locked eyes with Blake and asked earnestly, "Don't you want your daddy anymore? What about your brother and sister?"Blake's small head shook with fervor. "I love Daddy, and I love my brother and sister, too. But Daddy has them to keep him company, while you'll be all alone. I want to stay with you, Mommy."Blake's emotional depth brought Kisa to the edge of tears. Embracing him tightly, she realized he had been the one to accompany her through pain and despair since the moment she was rescued from the inferno. All these years, she had been oblivious to his existence, missing every milestone in his life. Gently kissing Blake's cheek, she whispered, "Alright, I will take you with me. But I don't have much money, so I can't provide the same comfortable life that your brother and sister will have."Undeterr
The boy stood apart from the rest, a fearless soul despite being caked in mud and filth. His eyes burned with a cold defiance that seemed too intense for someone his age. On that fateful afternoon, his piercing gaze struck her numb heart like a razor-sharp arrow. Suddenly, she felt trapped in a bottomless, repulsive swamp, desperate to grasp at a ray of light. He was that longed-for beacon of hope.Jensen was rescued by Kohen, the younger brother of Hayes of the McCray family. Kohen had never brought an orphan into their home before, marking Jensen as an extraordinary exception. One day, Kohen grinned at Hayes. "This boy is fascinating. Train him for me, but be careful not to break him."Hayes, a mischievous glint in his eye, toyed with the knife in his hand, chuckling. "I'm not the heartless monster you imagine. I don't decide their fates. Here, survival depends entirely on their own skills and willpower." He tossed the knife to land at Jensen's feet, pointing at the other boys and
"Fantastic!" Hayes declared, his eyes lighting up with anticipation as he sat up straight. He addressed the young men and women gathered in the courtyard. "Give it everything you've got. If you lose, there's no point in continuing your training. Coincidentally, some friends of mine have been experimenting with intriguing games lately, and they're in need of a few test subjects."As Hayes spoke, a chill ran down the spines of the young men and women in the courtyard. Despite Jensen's seemingly fragile appearance, his icy demeanor was imposing. As he stepped into the courtyard, dagger in hand, not a single person dared to confront him.Hayes smirked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "So, fear has gripped you all now? I expected better after all the training I have put you through.""Mia." He suddenly shifted his gaze to her. "You've always been my star student. It's time for you to prove your worth against him."Mia could not help but clench her dagger tightly. She had never been a c
Mia and Jensen finally clashed in a heated battle. As Hayes had pointed out, the young man seemed inexperienced and even fragile. It did not take long for Mia to seize the advantage, but Jensen stubbornly refused to accept defeat. After being knocked down, he quickly sprang back up, his determination driving him to face Mia once more. Throughout their fierce exchange, Mia held back, skillfully redirecting a potentially deadly blow to Jensen's chest so that it merely grazed his arm instead.Kohen watched, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he glanced over at Hayes, who sat in a nearby chair. Hayes wore a chilling expression, his icy gaze fixated on the fighting duo.After more heart-pounding combat, Mia's blade pressed against Jensen's chest while his was poised at her throat. They found themselves in a tense deadlock.One of the other girls jeered at Mia. "Mia, you're always so ruthless toward us, never showing us any mercy. Why are you treating this pretty boy with such tenderness
A group of girls swarmed around Mia, their taunts and jeers cutting through the air. Mia picked at the grass, her eyes locked on the retreating figure of the young man she had just met. A bitter laugh escaped her lips, wondering if she had truly lost her senses. The usually cold and ruthless Mia had shown mercy to a complete stranger. But as his indifferent silhouette faded into the distance, she felt no regret, only a sense of resignation.Against all odds, Jensen found himself staying with the wealthy McCray family, enduring the relentless brutality of the training camp. Each assassin-in-training had their own room, nestled in the nearby courtyard, the boys' and girls' quarters arranged in parallel rows. The elegance and serenity of the McCray estate belied the bloody, vicious reality of their daily lives.As dusk settled, Hayes's bodyguards came to escort Mia away. She braced herself, knowing that she might never return. As she followed them, her heart caught in her throat when sh
As Mia stared in disbelief, Hayes' lips twisted into a wicked smile."Spend one night with me, and you can avoid the Velvet Vagabonds."Mia's shock intensified, and she could not help but feel repulsed. Rumors swirled about Hayes, with many girls attempting to seduce him, but none succeeding. She was at a loss as to why he was suddenly making such a proposition to her.The cigarette between his fingers burned away, and Hayes fixed her with an impatient stare."Well? Make your choice. I don't have all day."Mia's hands clenched, her heart warring within her. If not for the captivating young man she had met, she might have been tempted by the offer laid before her now. However, that young man had become a ray of hope in her heart, and she longed to pursue that light unblemished.As if a sudden resolve gripped her, she gazed at the formidable man before her with a fierce, unwavering determination for the first time."I... I'll go to the Velvet Vagabonds."To her surprise, Hayes sh
Mia's heart raced as she was repulsed by the touch of an unfamiliar man. With a surge of adrenaline, she wrenched herself free from his grasp and retreated a couple of steps.The man, Kenneth, was instantly incensed. His sneer was icy as he spat. "What's wrong? Can't handle a little attention from me? Don't get cocky just because you're a little easy on the eyes. You're not special. I could throw you in a cage and let the dogs have their way with you!"Another man laughed menacingly. "Kenneth, she just finds you repulsive. Now, if you looked like Hayes, do you think she'd still push you away?""True," chimed in another voice. "It's a shame that Hayes isn't interested in women, though. No matter how beautiful, they don't seem to catch his eye."Truth be told, this group of privileged young men was striking, especially Hayes. The McCray family's genes were undeniably exceptional. Hayes had a brooding and terrifying air about him, yet his face was more captivating than most women's. H