Gunpowder permeated the air. Bullets flew, blood spilled until her dress was dyed red like poppies. She didn't even have the time to scream.

  Pop.

  The silenced guns popped like glass beads falling. Such a tiny noise and so much damage. Lina remained frozen by the aisle. Panic ensued. Shouts filled the air, chairs toppled over flower petals fluttering in the wind, footsteps rushed onto the ground, whilst others dashed away. Guards filled the room in bulletproof vests, but to no avail.

  The only people taking damage were the ones not in protection.

  "Lina, what are you doing? Come with me!" Atlantis shouted, grabbing her wrist. His fingers barely made around her hand before his entire body buckled.

  SPLAT!

  Lina froze. Warmth slewed over her face. Shakily, she touched the liquid. When Lina glanced down at her hands, she finally choked out a scream.

  "A-ah…" Lina gasped out, her hands shaking with the sight of the blood staining her fingertips.

  "AHHHHH!" Lina screamed, terrified of everything unfolding before her eyes. Without warning, Atlantis sank to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

  Atlantis clutched a spot on his chest, where blood profusely spurted out. Lina slumped to her knees, not because he was shot, but because a man had died right before her eyes. She let out a wretched scream, feeling her throat clogged with emotions. She felt choked, like everything in the world was preventing her from breathing.

  Lina couldn't concentrate. Her entire body began to violently shake. On the eve of her wedding, there was blood, gunshots, and the faint smell of smoke. She was certain a fire had broken out. The wedding altar was empty.

  In the chaos, Lina didn't even realize George had swooped in to escort Atlantis to safety. No one came for her. No one except the perpetrator.

  "I told you our ceremony wouldn't have blood and bullets, didn't I?" Kaden mused, grabbing her wrists and pulling her to her feet.

  Lina moved like a ragged doll. Her eyes lost the light, she had a haunted and harrowed look on her face. She looked like she was going to throw up any minute now. Her skin was paler than snow. Her limbs were weak. She could do nothing, but stare. Her lips were parched. Cracked, even.

  Lina stared at her blood-stained dress. Deja vu filled her system. A sense of familiarity. She felt like she had experienced this event before, but didn't know where.

  Without warning, her legs were dangling in the air. Lina mutely turned her head to see who it was. Who was carrying the bride in their arms in a wedding ceremonial style? Ah, it wasn't the groom. It was the man who agreed that this wedding was an abomination.

  "You can run, but never outrun me, dove." Kaden's voice was as tender as her memories promised it to be. Despite the blood splattered on his face, dripping to his button-up, he was handsome. There was a fierce and wild look in his eyes, like he wasn't fazed by murder. Like death was an everyday occurrence for him, and once upon a time, it was.

  Lina would know. She saw the monster in the past slice through men like butter. Unable to speak or register the horrific events that happened, she simply stared at the sky. How beautiful the clouds were. How fascinating the blue was. The heavens were calm but the earth was in chaos.

  "Did you miss me, dove?" Kaden continued to ask, innocently stepping over the dead body of one of Atlantis' relatives.

  Kaden scanned the entire wedding venue. It was just as she had predicted. The sight of her on her knees had broken his heart. A bride all alone, in a blood-stained dress, and bullets in the air, with fire quickly crackling onto the entire garden. Soon, the flower beds would be engulfed, and the evidence of today would be thoroughly erased.

  Let the castle burn. Let the blood catch flames——

  Lina once had a dream. She wanted to be in a poofy dress, the kind with thousands of shimmering layers, and she wanted it in white. She could wear it down the aisle or shop groceries, she couldn't care less. She only wanted to wear the dazzling gown. Like every little girl, she dreamed of becoming a Princess. And she was this close to living her fairytale dreams.

  The stench of iron permeated Lina's nostrils. She was overwhelmed and numb. Her heart was racing so fast that it flooded her eardrums. She was one heartbeat away from passing out.

  "What a fool he was," Kaden murmured, tightening his grip on her. He had draped his suit over her chest, so that she'd be warm as they stalked down the hidden hallways. A passageway that'd lead them back to Ritan.

  "Your best friend will die in a hospital bed, his company a mess, his streets ruined, and his crimes out for everyone to see," Kaden remarked.

  Lina stared. She didn't look at anything in particular. The world was just a blob of color. Everything was blurry. She didn't know why. Suddenly, something hot trickled down her face. She realized she was crying, but she was still in shellshock to understand why. To understand who it was for. Was it for the little girl whose dreams were shot down tonight? Was it for the little Lina who was used as a pawn in everyone's schemes?

  "What are you thinking about?"

  Lina didn't respond.

  Lina once thought she was the Queen of the chessboard; she thought she was free to go anywhere she wanted. Up. Down. Left. Right. Anywhere she pleased. Anywhere that the other pieces couldn't go, she would. Now, she realized she was an idiot.

  All along, Lina Yang was just a pawn for people to use.

  "After we board that plane, we'll get you out of the heinous dress and into warmed pajamas. I know you love those oversized t-shirts and shorts—"

  "Am I that easy to use?"

  Kaden calmly glanced down at her. His heart was stabbed. His chest ripped open. She was crying. The tears didn't stop flowing. The devastation on her face made it seem like her entire country was wiped from this earth. She knew no comfort. Knew no joy. Her pain didn't stop there. She let out a small sob, clutching her chest like a child.

  "Am I really just a pawn?"

  Kaden's gaze softened. "My dove, you are anything you want to be."

  Lina didn't understand what he meant by that. Her lips trembled and she lowered her eyes. She didn't want to continue this conversation. All she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and never open her eyes again. She wanted to lay her heart on the ground, let her soul be run over, and have everything disappear.

  Lina was tired. She wanted to sleep. She wanted to disappear. Above all, she wanted to melt into Kaden DeHaven's arms. Somehow, she felt comfortable around him. Despite that, she felt shooting pain up her body. She shifted to erase the agony, but it didn't work.

  Lina suddenly felt her fingertips and toes go cold. Her breathing became shallow and her eyes struggled to stay open. She felt a terrible dread fall over her shoulders as if poisoned by something.

  Opening and closing her mouth, Lina suddenly felt parched. She was thirsty enough to drain the entire ocean. Her stomach began to quiver and she quickly broke out in cold sweat. Her palms became clammy and she let out a small groan.

  "What's wrong?" Kaden murmured, lowering his head to see her lips going blue. "Dove?"

  Lina found it hilarious. This man, heartless as ever, was concerned for her. He was a heinous man.

  Kaden had shot Atlantis in the chest. Point blank. Silenced gun. License to kill.

  Despite Kaden's wrongdoings, he held her like a Princess, spoke to her softly, and treated her well. The abrupt kindness should've terrified her. Atlantis uttered sweet promises to her and her body responded with goosebumps. Kaden simply asked if she was alright and her heart was already melting.

  What was wrong with her?

  "I don't feel so well…" Lina breathed out.

  Lina realized she was barely able to feel her limbs. Her blood felt like it was turning into ice within her system. Her heart began to palpitate. She felt the contents of her stomach coming up, but she suppressed it. Without warning, she coughed and nearly choked on the air.

  "Dove—"

  "Was it a love triangle or was it just a one-sided love all along?" A voice started from the end of the hallways.

  Kaden came to an abrupt stop. His expression darkened at the sight of someone blocking his path. No one got to stop him. No one would prevent him from bringing his wife back home.

  "We finally meet face to face, Immortal."

  Before Kaden could speak, Lina opened her mouth.

  "Your Majesty."