Dove of mine.

  In Lina's entire twenty-one years of living, she had never come across a nickname more tender than this one. He was shameless. Arrogant, too. But something about the way he said it smoothly told her he was certain this was the way he'd call her from now on. Opening and closing her mouth, she tried to suppress the skip of her heart.

  He gazed at her with coldness in his eyes, but his shoulders were broad and could carry the weight of the world. At her silence, his stare became piercing and dark.

  "Until next time, dove of mine."

  Without another word, he sharply turned on his shoes, leaving her standing there breathless and shocked. When he turned around a corner, he took out the gun tucked into his suit's waistband. He took aim at a dark shadow.

  "You're really going to shoot your only friend dead?" A sarcastic voice remarked from an alleyway. He effortlessly strolled out, carrying a stick of fruits dipped with crystalized sugar. In his other hand, he carried meat-stuffed buns.

  "Holton," Kaden spat out.

  "Kaden," Holton mocked.

  Kaden's expression darkened.

  "That girl has one hell of a mental problem if she's fallen for a man like you," Holton dryly remarked, taking a bite of his meat bun. "I'd say perhaps some trauma with her dad."

  Kaden took a threatening step forward.

  "Relax," Holton snorted. "I like my woman strong and mean. Cute and sexy isn't something I look for in my bed warmers."

  Kaden unlocked the trigger to his gun.

  "Besides, is she the one?" Holton nonchalantly asked, leaning against the wall with a knowing smirk.

  "Get back to your post," Kaden snarled.

  "Boring," Holton remarked. "You know, when I met you five years ago and you were as good as a homeless beggar on the streets, you were still an irritating bastard."

  Kaden checked the bullets. Five. Enough to shoot Holton in the forehead, arms, and legs. Good.

  "Then again, I should expect as much from the Second King of Ritan," Holton wistfully sighed. "You know, I was a Prince right—"

  BANG!

  Holton dodged in a blink. His eyes flashed red, revealing abilities that'd terrify people. He whistled and glanced to the wall where a bullet hole remained.

  "She's the one isn't she?" Holton repeated, this time in a serious voice. "The reason you've worked this hard to climb to your current position as Commander?"

  "Mind your business," Kaden dryly said.

  Kaden calmly tucked the gun back into his pockets.

  "What was that for?" Holton muttered.

  "Testing if it still works," Kaden deadpanned.

  "If I whack my bun on your head, do you think I can tell if your brain works?" Holton asked.

  Kaden's expression turned cold as ice. Holton nearly shivered at the frigid air. He never ceased his amazement when it came to Kaden. Ruling one of the strongest squadrons, Kaden could shoot a man dead without batting an eye and torture another with a smile. As such, his soldiers see him as a sick, twisted psychopath, despite the murderous task they were all given with.

  "I can never understand your dedication," Holton sighed like a rejected maiden. He continued to take a bite of the bun, moaning at the burst of savory flavor.

  As much as he hated the Second King of Ritan, Holton loved the food here. It suited his spicy and hot palette perfectly.

  "Most men build up power and wealth to get women, but you, on the other hand," Holton snorted. "You do it for a single one whose family shuns the soldiers and views us like peasants."

  Holton took a glance at Kaden, eyeing from head to toe. "Despite your royal blood, Your Majesty," he said, spitting out the last part.

  "She has a kind heart," was all Kaden said before turning on his heels.

  The two would have to get out of this area soon. With the territory crawling of Yang men, it wouldn't take long for a dispute to break out. As he exited the alleway, he saw her again. This time, her female friend was pestering over her with a mouth moving faster than light. Her friend was perhaps scolding her for coming late or with an unsuitable escort.

  Kaden gritted his teeth. How else was he supposed to accumulate power in a time where world war might break out between countries? With soldiers patrolling the entire country, seeking out enemy soldiers, a military Commander was one of the most sought-after positions. Even so, Kaden didn't believe it was enough to stand by her side. And it never would be.

  "Now, that is a woman worth fighting for," Holton whispered to Kaden.

  "I should shoot you dead," Kaden responded.

  "I don't mean your little lady, I mean the one next to her, in black."

  Who? All Kaden saw was Lina. Everyone else was just a blob of gender and colors.

  "Had you not been wealthy and powerful, most would consider your advances damn creepy," Holton shuddered. "You see her once and fall head over heels enough to shave and get your shit together? Crazy."

  "Some call it impressive," Kaden muttered.

  "As if." Holton gazed at Kaden. Then, he had to do a double look. He nearly choked on his snacks at the sight of Kaden's expression. In the entire five years of knowing each other as immortals, he had never seen Kaden's face like that.

  "It might snow tomorrow," Holton whispered to himself, shuddering in disbelief. The impossible happened.

  This damn brute was actually smiling! There was a ghost of a grin on his softened face. A man with a heart of stone was smiling like a stalker, watching a woman from the shadows.

  "This is why you're single," Holton scoffed. "You do not understand how creepy you are."

  Kaden stopped smiling.

  "This is why I'm beginning to think she has serious mental issues falling for you," Holton mumbled into his food, taking another bite and aggressively chewing when he realized his monologue turned the bread cold.

  "I wish she would've seen you five years ago, when you were dressed in dirty clothes and smelled like the stables," Holton gloated. "I doubt she would've been as awestruck by you."

  "She was awestruck?" Kaden asked, rolling over the words in his head. Was she? His chest felt lighter.

  "Gross, don't speak like that, I might just gag," Holton groaned, unable to hear the gentle tone of Kaden. The only time Holton seen this man go soft was whenever a mysterious Princess was murdered.

  Given Kaden's enamourment over this random heiress, Holton knew she must've heavily resembled the Princess. What was it again? Oh right, the Princess of Teran.

  "She's too young for you," Holton reminded Kaden. "What are you now? Five hundred and something?"

  Kaden shot a violent glare towards Holton. "She's twenty-one."

  "Well—"

  "You go for barely legal women as an immortal," Kaden gritted.

  "Fair enough," Holton realized. "Stop making me sound crazy, they're all legal!"

  Kaden ignored his babbling Second-In-Command. People called Holton a pouncing tiger, for his cunning smile that always fooled people into thinking he was in a good mood. If only they knew, Holton was crazier than Kaden.

  "Wow, who is that ugly man in an even uglier white suit?" Holton whistled, leaning closer to see. "Oh look at that, your little lady is head over heels for him as well."

  Kaden felt every cell of his body react fiercely. He felt an intense thirst to spill blood. His heart roared in his ears, his chest heavy with hatred. There it was. Just as he expected, with Lina's reincarnation, the bastard would be there too.

  The one and only Atlan of Teran.

  And now, Lina was in the arms of the man who assaulted her in another life.

  "You know," Holton rambled. "I think that's a Medeor. Just look at the symbol on the car that dropped him off. I heard the Yangs and Medeor are having an important dinner tonight."

  Kaden slowly raised a brow.

  "Want to crash it?" Holton giddily asked.

  "What are we? Twelve?"

  "Think about it, why else would the important guests be gathered? I hear there have been talks of the company joining hands," Holton revealed.

  Kaden could barely focus on what Holton was saying. All he could concentrate on was Altan's possessive hand on Lina's lowerback. This fool. He must've thought he had a chance with Lina.

  A dark and dangerous idea crossed his mind.

  Revenge against Atlan…… And what was the way to get it? Through Lina.