The curtains slid to the side, revealing Daniel in his bright red tux. It was nearly impossible to miss him in the crowd.
Daniel waved at the guests present at his birthday party with a bright smile on his face.
A wave of applause swept through the room, and Lucia’s eyes widened in surprise.
"A birthday party?" Lucia murmured. He never expected it to be that kind of party.
Missus Belo glanced at Lucia with a smirk, but she didn’t say a word. It was her intention all along.
Daniel confidently bowed his head slightly in acknowledgnt of the applause.
"Ah, this is a great day!" Daniel’s voice bood through the hall, capturing the attention of every guest. His charisma was undeniable, and how he carried himself made it clear that he was the star of the evening.
Lucia, still standing by Missus Belo, felt a mix of emotions. She hadn’t been prepared for this. "Missus, I haven’t bring any gifts," she whispered.
Seeing Lucia’s discomfort, Missus Belo leaned in slightly and whispered, "Don’t worry, dear. I believe you might just be the perfect gift tonight," she replied, giggling.
Lucia’s heart raced. Her mind created a series of questions; What did Missus Belo an by that? Was this more than just a birthday party? Her thoughts were interrupted by Daniel’s voice once again.
"And now," Daniel continued, "I’d like to invite a very special guest to join in front."
Daniel’s words threw Lucia off her feet. She realized she needed to get away as fast as possible, as her gut feeling told her staying there was a bad idea.
"Lucia, co here for a second," Missus Belo leaned to the side, grabbing soone’s hand beside her, thinking it was Lucia.
On the other side, Daniel glanced toward his mother. However, he saw Lucia was nowhere to be found. He wanted to publicly announce her presence, but it was ruined.
Missus Belo waved her hand to get Daniel’s attention. She pulled the person, believing it was Lucia, but when she looked, it was a random guest.
"Is there sothing wrong, Missus Belo?" a boy asked in confusion. He stared at his arm, which Missus was holding tightly.
"Oh dear, I’m sorry about that," Missus Belo let go of the boy’s hand and looked around, but Lucia was nowhere to be seen.
The guests looked at one another. They were waiting for Daniel’s following words, which hung up in the air.
Awkwardly, Daniel took a deep breath to compose himself. "Ah, I think the special guest is late tonight. Let’s wait a little bit, haha," he announced, laughing to ease the crowd.
The guests laughed it off and started talking to Daniel, congratulating him on his birthday.
On the other hand, Lucia hid behind the pillars to hide herself. She sighed in relief when Daniel gave up on announcing her na.
"I need to leave this place imdiately," Lucia muttered. For her safety, she decided to ditch her original plan to know the mbers of the human at business.
Lucia was about to step back when a hand stopped her. Her heart almost lipped from her chest, but a familiar face greeted her when she turned around.
"Lucia, you’re here," Gastone said, pulling her close to him. His eyes glanced at the forming crowd in the middle, where Daniel was located.
"G-Gastone!" Lucia exclaid in surprise. Unconsciously, she found herself being relaxed by his presence.
Gastone pulled Lucia out of the balcony to prevent Daniel from seeing her.
"I was about to go back inside but I saw you looking like a ghost, too pale," Gastone explained. He closed the door behind him, muting the music from the inside.
"Phew, thank you, Gastone," Lucia sighed. She leaned against the railing while taking her sweet ti to calm herself.
Gastone’s lips tightened. He knew Daniel’s other purpose for the party, but it wasn’t his priority.
"I have sothing to tell you," Gastone whispered, looking around to make sure no one nearby to eavesdrop.
"What is it?" Lucia replied, fixing herself.
"Do you know soone nad Giselle?" Gastone asked. His voice was barely a whisper.
Lucia’s breath caught in her throat at the ntion of the na. It resonated with a tangle of emotions she hadn’t fully unpacked yet. Her mind raced back to mories she had tried to bury for years.
"Giselle?" Lucia echoed her voice, a mix of surprise and caution. "How do you know about her?"
Gastone’s expression hardened, clearly indicating that whatever he was about to share was serious. "She’s here."
Lucia’s pulse quickened. "Oh gosh," she murmured. She felt dizzy at the unexpected turn of events and nearly lost her balance, but Gastone caught her.
"Lucia, tell about your involvent with her. I can help you!" Gastone tightened his grip on Lucia’s waist as he settled her down. He didn’t want any harm to go in her way.
Lucia’s blood ran cold. "She’s the owner of the Orphanage. It’s a place where I ca from, haha," she laughed flatly, disbelief sketched on her face.
"Lucia..." Gastone’s eyes softened. He finally put the pieces together and realized Lucia was one of those children being sold.
"For years, I tried my best to hide from her... from them! But now, here I am, standing in the sa pool as her. Life is really a joke! Hahaha!" Lucia looked up to the moon as she continued laughing.
Gastone clenched his fists. His eyes bore at Lucia’s necklace, which was the reason he couldn’t sll her scent. That was when an idea clicked in his brain.
"Lucia, you can escape now. She won’t know you’re here," Gastone told her. He was delighted that Lucia wore the necklace, which would prevent Giselle from slling her scent.
Lucia glanced at Gastone with a dead stare. "Why would I leave?" she asked. Defiance was visible in her voice. "I’ve been running for so long, Gastone. What’s the point of escaping again? Sooner or later, she’ll find ."
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