Elliana looked at the back of the man who was not leaving her alone even for a second and thinned her lips.
"Lucas, you don’t really need to stand here with . What if Mr. Marino needs you?" Elliana said.
Lucas, who was standing like a bodyguard, turned around and looked at his princess before humming, not moving.
Elliana took a deep breath when her words didn’t have any effect on Lucas just like all the other things she said to get him out of there. He wasn’t ready to leave his position or duty this ti, and it showed in his actions and stance.
It has been 30 minutes since they arrived here. Luckily the chief guest of the occasion was running late and wouldn’t be here for another hour. The racers were asked to ease their nerves or have so snacks if they wanted to in the anti.
It was the perfect opportunity for her to get into her outfit and get her bike out, probably even take a lap to see if the bike was working just fine, but the man hadn’t been budging from his place and it was irking her.
He was quite serious today, then again, after what happened in the afternoon, who wouldn’t? Though she wanted him out of the place now, she wouldn’t lie and say the man didn’t care for her.
He has been there for her for the kind of things that no subordinate would. Heck, he even risked his life by going against Mr. Marino, all because she was sad and wanted to take revenge on her husband for not taking her to the party.
Elliana felt soone’s gaze on her and she turned to her left where Dexter and her friends were standing at so distance.
Dexter imdiately waved at her, raising the bag in his hand that probably had the outfit and other things she asked for.
Elliana took a deep breath and motioned towards Lucas, who was standing there with a ’if you neared my princess, your heart will be in my hand,’ look.
He didn’t need a genius to know what was going on.
Dexter sighed, thinking of a way to get that man away when his gaze flickered to Alcinder.
"Only you can do sothing here," Dexter said to Alcinder.
Alcinder looked at the boy in front of him and then at Elliana.
"Do what?" he asked, playing dumb.
"You know exactly what you have to do. Only you are the one who can distract that man with your council talks. Samantha will tell him she went to the washroom, saying she wanted to look for the prince, without specifying which prince. It’s a perfect plan," Dexter looked at their friends, who all nodded in agreent.
Alcinder sighed, averting his gaze towards Elliana again.
Though she was looking as fine as ever, for so reason, he felt that the aura around her was today sad. It was as if she needed to be out of there.
Could it be the youngest masked prince was now keeping her hostile or sothing like that? Or why would Lucas guard the princess like this?
He has noticed that the Duke’s son Lucas has been acting atrociously suspiciously. He wasn’t even letting soone pass by her as if she were so antique ornant.
Well, she was indeed an antique troublemaker but-
He rembered Dexter once saying that Elliana only turned to the racing court when sothing happened to her, and he closed his eyes in sheer annoyance.
"Remind again why I am a part of this plot. Why am I always the one used for such things? I swear you guys exploit my position in the weirdest way possible," Alcinder grumbled before walking to Lucas nonetheless.
"Mr. Lucas, what are you doing here? Is Mr. Marino here too? I heard from my dad that he went to the other country to talk to Duke Carter -" Alcinder nodded at Elliana, who stood from her place and snuck from behind Lucas, taking hushed steps.
She walked to Dexter.
"Is everything okay?" Dexter asked as soon as he got a clear view of her face and her drooped eyes that he rembered from a year or so ago, making him grit his teeth.
"Did your family do sothing to you again?" He asked, holding her shoulders, making her wince slightly and Dexter’s gaze darkened.
Even though Mr. Marino healed all of her wounds, her body was still aching and tired because of all the stress and that struggle. Her body was becoming weaker with all this blood loss.
She didn’t want to be weak. It wasn’t the ti for it-
"Elliana, are you okay? Who hurt you?" Dexter asked her again, shaking her when he saw her getting lost in her thoughts.
"Y-yeah, I am fine," Elliana whispered before taking the bag from her hands.
"Let co with you," Dexter held her wrist and she looked at his hand before raising her gaze to him.
"Boys are not allowed in the won’s washroom," Elliana’s words made Dexter blush before he gritted her teeth.
He swallowed the coback he had in mind and sighed.
"Not to the washroom, to the manager, you stupid woman. I will co with you there," Dexter said.
Elliana looked into his eyes before stepping closer to him, making him take a step back involuntarily.
It was funny how intimidating she was even when she was shorter than him.
She kept looking into his eyes for a few monts before placing her hands around him and her head on his chest, catching him off-guard.
Their bodies weren’t touching, but Dexter still felt butterflies all over his body as his heart skipped a beat and he cleared his throat, knowing all too well, for Elliana, that it probably didn’t an anything.
"Thank you for always being there and doing everything for without a second thought or question. You are one of the best people in my life, and I would never want to lose you," Elliana whispered.
Dexter’s heart imdiately lted and he placed his hands around her back before pulling her closer.
"Who are you? What did you do to my Elliana? She is not so soft with . If you had been the real her, your hand would’ve been on my neck and your mouth on my hand, biting ," He asked, and Elliana chuckled through tearful eyes.
She stepped away and hit his chest playfully, making him smile.
"Oh, she is back. And here I thought you were possessed for a long ti. I should’ve enjoyed it while it lasted," Dexter smiled at her before tucking a strand of her hair behind her ears.
"And about how you don’t want to lose , good for you. Because I am not leaving you either. My crush runs deep, and you aren’t getting away from just like that. I have to have you by my side, even if you turn out to be my stepmom or step-sister," Dexter wriggled his brows.
"Eww, Dexter, what kind of books are you reading these days? Don’t tell you are into that kind of kink now," lony made a disgusted face and everyone chuckled.
Elliana looked around herself, her friends’ happy faces making her smile subtly.
She might’ve lost a family, a family that was probably never hers, but she has also gained so new relationships, the relationships that actually make her happy.
Elliana turned around, the smile on her face faltering slightly.
It was rather the ti to sever ties with her father. Only 23 days, that’s how long she needed to keep this pretense for. After that, she will lose the bone she has in her throat that she can’t swallow or throw out.
Elliana went to the ladies’ washroom and got into her outfit.
A tight high-waisted black wax-coated jeans, a crop top that reached her waist, a windbreaker jacket that covered her hands, biker gloves, knee pads, mask, helt, and boots.
Once she was ready, she walked out of the washroom and lony was shocked to see the person coming out.
"I swear I love Drake, but you are turning for the sa team, Elliana," lony looked at her flabbergasted.
"It’s Glory for you," Elliana looked at the girl up and down, making the girl widen her eyes even more.
"I... You... Your aura... You feel different," lony stuttered and Elliana scoffed loudly, shocking lony even more.
"Are you ready - Damn it. All those mories, ahh, my mind is full of flashbacks of our happy ti together," Dexter groaned, and Elliana turned to him with her emotionless eyes and started walking towards the manager’s cabin.
"Glory, wait up," Dexter rushed behind her before he evened her jacket from behind, and Elliana nodded at him thankfully.
"Are you serious about this race? You look too stressed. And I know how you ride when you are stressed," Dexter said, and Elliana was about to tell him that she was more than ready and she needed this to take out her stress when her gaze flickered to the podium.
"The chief guest is here. Please welco, Mr. -"
Elliana’s pupils dilated as she looked at the group of n in front of her.
Mr. Vincenzo Marino.
~~~~
A/N- dedicated to Zoey_Howell.
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