Chapter 3

Years ago, when I was fourteen, I went with my mother to a temple. We were attacked by bandits who killed all our guards. The horses pulling our carriage panicked and bolted, nearly running off a cliff. In that moment of crisis, Marcus saved me.

He wore white, cutting a dashing figure - a spirited young man.

With just one glance, my heart was captured. I could never love anyone else.

I had never run so frantically through the house before. Adrian had deliberately built my quarters close to his office out of his love for Ava.

I ran through the winding corridors, dragging my long skirt, seemingly out of breath after running for a long time.

My dress tripped me, but I paid no mind. I got up and hurried to Adrian's side.

When I burst in, a blood-stained prisoner was kneeling before Adrian, who sat lazily in his chair. My sudden appearance startled them both, and they turned to look at me.

As my gaze swept over the prisoner's face, I froze momentarily. It wasn't until Adrian chuckled softly that I snapped out of it, hastily averting my eyes and scurrying to Adrian's side.

Adrian gently stroked my head. "Aria thinks he looks similar too, doesn't she?"

I kept my eyes lowered. "I was startled by the blood just now. I didn't get a clear look at his face."

Adrian laughed softly, twirling a lock of my hair around his finger. "If you didn't see clearly, go take a closer look."

I couldn't fathom why he wanted me to look. Perhaps Marcus didn't even remember someone like me.

Up close, his injuries were even more apparent. There were at least ten wounds of varying sizes all over his body, flesh torn open and bleeding. His white prison uniform was stained black and red, the original color indiscernible.

I had heard that after the leader of the Springfield uprising was captured, he endured severe torture without revealing his accomplices. I never imagined that leader would be Marcus.

Marcus stared at me coldly, all traces of his former gentle demeanor gone, replaced by ice.

I couldn't help but take a few steps back, only to bump into Adrian's chest. I hadn't noticed him standing behind me.

"Did he frighten you?"

Before I could answer, Adrian kicked Marcus hard in the chest. The kick was so forceful that Marcus coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"In my presence, you'd better keep your claws sheathed."

Marcus laughed coldly and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. "A cruel and incompetent tyrant has no right to call himself 'I'."

The bloody spittle landed right on Adrian's shoe. Adrian's expression remained calm, but my heart began to race.

"Aria."

When he called my name, my body trembled slightly.