Alia was just outside the restaurant, waiting for Brandon, when she received a ssage.
—Let's call it off. I don't feel so good today.
"What?"
And so, she sent ssages back, rather confused by the sudden situation.
—Huh?
—What happened?
—I understand, but are you okay?
—Where are you? I'll co over right away.
However, her ssages were only on sent recipient. Brandon had stopped reading her ssages after the first ssage.
"...."
But instead of feeling dejected, a sudden sense of concern grew inside her heart.
Brandon had always been diligent whenever they were out on a date.
From what she knew, Brandon was just picking sothing up from Evelyn's place.
Did sothing happen there?
She couldn't wave off the feeling of unease.
But Brandon was never one to be unreasonable.
Undoubtedly, sothing must've happened. Like maybe, he had to train, and it would occupy most of his ti unexpectedly?
Alia's cheeks puffed, pouting, as she pondered on those thoughts.
"Jeez, he needs to learn how to take a break."
Training…. always training….
In so days, Brandon would co back battered and bruised, and would just doze off randomly around the apartnt.
Thinking waiting here would be a waste of ti, Alia pocketed her phone, her breath visible in the cold air as she walked ahead.
The city buzzed with excitent, snow falling softly as people hurried by, ready for the New Year.
About five hours left until the calendar turned over.
Alia recalled the events that happened this year.
While the year had started off shaky, she was in a better place now.
And it was all thanks to Brandon.
Alia raised her head upon noticing a familiar figure, holding an umbrella. Beautiful platinum blonde hair fluttered amidst the cold breeze, dazzling crimson eyes, and a pleasant fragrance that wafted in the air.
It was a face that would be imprinted in anyone's mind, incomparable to any beauty Alia had ever seen.
"Miss Lianna?"
A woman Alia had t recently during the Christmas party they held.
"Oh?"
Lianna, noticing her, their gaze eting.
"You're…. Alia, correct?"
"Yes, that's ."
"What a coincidence!"
Lianna's voice was soft. Despite her age, her voice was a bit high and sweet.
"What are you doing here?"
Lianna asked.
"Oh uhm, nothing. I was just about to head ho."
Alia rubbed her cheeks in embarrassnt. There was no way she could tell her she was stood up.
It was embarrassing.
"Is that so? You want to co with ? I was about to head for the mall."
"The mall? Won't you be spending New Year with your loved ones?"
"Ah…. Haha."
Lianna let out an awkward laugh. It seed like she had said the wrong thing. Noticing this, Alia retracted her statent.
In any case, since there was ti left to spare before New Year, Alia went to the mall with Lianna.
"Thanks for accompanying . Do you want anything? I'll pay."
"Ah? It's fine, Miss Lianna. You don't have to."
"No, no. I insist. I didn't know we were exchanging gifts during the party. So I wasn't able to get anything."
Lianna clasped Alia's hands together, and her face glimred with matured innocence.
"Uhm…."
Alia considered the offer. From what she knew, Lianna was scarily wealthy.
She could probably get an expensive dress out of this.
All of a sudden, Alia felt the mana fluctuate inside her body, and in between her fingers and Lianna's hand, a sudden faint glow emitted.
She felt it.
The ring that linked her and Brandon.
It was activating.
Alia pulled her hand back and turned around.
There he was, and he looked…. different.
No, different wasn't the right word to put it.
His hair was a ss, strands falling haphazardly, but what stood out was its unnatural ink-black color.
His eyes, once filled with life, now appeared as empty pools of black.
His entire being seed drained like a hollow shell, as if all the energy and warmth was sucked out of him.
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The unease deepened within her heart.
As she glanced to the side, she noticed it for a brief second.
Just a fraction of a second.
But Lianna looked visibly shaken, before composing herself.
"....Brandon?"
Alia called out to him. However, Brandon was looking at soone else.
The woman beside her.
"Miss Lianna?"
"A-Ah…. Hello?"
Lianna alternated her gaze between the two, looking perplexed by Brandon's sudden appearance.
Then, she leaned close to Alia's ear and whispered.
"Who's this? Are you having an affair with another person nad Brandon?"
"E–Eh!?"
Alia stamred. Affair? There was no way she would do that. But Lianna's reaction made sense.
After all, the person right in front of them barely looked like Brandon.
"What are you doing here, Alia?"
"Oh, I just stumbled upon Miss Lianna."
"That so?"
Brandon neared her and grabbed her wrist.
"Anyway, let's go. We don't have much ti."
"A–Ah…! Hey, this is awfully rude to Miss Lianna."
"Just listen to ."
Brandon forcefully dragged her away. Alia looked back at Lianna trying to fix the misunderstanding.
"Sorry! I had fun! Happy New Year, Miss Lianna!"
"Y-Yes! Happy New Year!"
***
"Hey!"
Brandon didn't have ti to think about it deeply.
The only thing that probed his mind was that no one could be trusted.
He knew there was no ti. And while his face wasn't seen, he had left a bundle of evidence around.
"You're hurting …."
To be precise, his DNA.
His DNA could be found all over Evelyn's room, and it would only take a matter of ti before everything would lead back to him.
He had to prepare thoroughly when that ti ca.
If it were the police, the Imperial Army, or the hunting dogs, then it was highly likely they would already know his whereabouts right about now.
They had eyes and ears everywhere. It was especially scary in the hunting dog's case, where they disguised themselves as regular people.
There were cases in the past, where criminals had been living scot–free for years, taking a different identity, only to be arrested by soone they had been friends with for years.
With the gadgets they had, it would only take a brief second to figure out he was in the room.
And with their information network, all they had to do was disseminate the information.
"Brandon!"
"Ah?"
Alia pulled her arm back and rubbed her wrist.
There, Brandon could see a slight bruise on her wrist.
Realizing he had probably gripped on her wrist tightly, he shook his head and dismissed his thoughts.
"Sorry."
"It's okay. Tell , what happened? Why do you look like…. this?"
Brandon held onto her shoulders at that mont.
"Listen to , Alia."
His face was rather blank. But his trembling eyes told a different story.
"From this point forward, no matter what happens. Believe in ."
"What are y—"
"Brandon Locke."
A sudden voice rang from behind Brandon. Alia leaned to the side and scrutinized.
There, two people stood, holding mana shackles.
"You're under arrest for the murder of Evelyn Cessna."
Cuffed by mana shackles, Brandon felt all the mana in his body restricted. Looking at Alia as he was being taken away, he mouthed.
"I trust you."
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