Chapter 9

As the guests arrived one by one, Xena stood beside Felix, her eyes red and swollen.

What caught me off guard was the feeling of being watched.

I glanced over and saw Blake staring right at me.

It felt like being hunted by a predator, and a wave of fear washed over me.

I quickly bit my tongue and turned away, pretending to be completely oblivious.

Xena must have told Blake about some of my strange behavior.

Felix would never take her side. After all, I was his daughter.

What father wouldn’t love his own child?

Plus, I was very good at hiding my true self.

But Blake would side with her. They were siblings, after all.

It looked like I would need to take things slow with my plan.

Soon, it was time for the traditional first birthday ritual, where I was supposed to pick an item that would hint at my future. I pretended to crawl around aimlessly.

Everyone gathered around, watching my every move.

They cheered and called out, urging me to grab this or that.

But I had already made