Serena took the pin, her long fingers stroking it as her expression darkened slightly.
"Serena, aren't you surprised at all?!" Brian had been watching her face, but he couldn't see even a hint of shock.
It was as if...
She already knew.
"He probably thought I was going to die today for sure," Serena said, closing her hand around the pin and raising a lazy eyebrow. "He didn't bother hiding his killing intent toward me. That was the kind of intent a professional assassin has."
Brian's face fell instantly. "Does that mean I was a step behind you again, Serena?!"
She had already figured it out, and he was just now catching on!
Serena pocketed the pin. "You weren't late. You handled it promptly."
At the praise, Brian's tail practically started wagging. He lifted his chin, proud and smug.
"Clean up the loose ends. This is Elyndor, don't stir up any unnecessary trouble," Serena said, glancing at the time. "I have to get home."
Brian nodded repeatedly. "You got it! You know you can count on me."
Serena tucked her hands in her pockets and walked toward Brianna.
She happened to overhear Brianna saying, "Brother, she's so amazing. If you don't make a move soon, I'm going to lose my chance at having a sister-in-law."
Serena's long, dark lashes trembled slightly as her gaze fell on Nicholas's face.
Just then, the man looked up at her.
The moment their eyes met, a stunning smile appeared on his cool, almost ethereal face.
It was utterly captivating, like a seductive charmer.
Serena's heart felt a slight tickle, as if a feather had just brushed against it.
"It seems Serena has run into some big trouble."
The man started walking toward Serena on his long, straight legs.
Tall and elegant, his stride was unhurried.
As he approached against the light, it truly felt like... a deity gracing the mortal world.
He really was... constantly trying to charm her.
He stopped in front of Serena and lowered his long, dark lashes. His gorgeous eyes, shimmering like
Sted with amusement
"Need any help?"
"Just some small fries left over from Operation Ember Orchid. It's nothing," Serena said flatly. "No need, I can handle it."
Then, she flicked her eyes up at him
again. "Brianna is with me. I'll
guarantee her safety and make surë,
nothing happens to her. You don't need to follow us around."
Listening from the side, Nathan felt his lips twitch. He desperately wanted to blurt out, "Nicholas isn't here for Brianna! He's here for you, for you, for you!" FindNovel.net
But he didn't dare say it, nor could he.
This young woman seemed... very hard to win over.
If he messed up Nicholas's rhythm and ruined his chances, Nicholas would have his hide!
"Mm."
Nicholas's deep voice hummed in agreement, a slight curve to his thin lips.
He leaned in slightly, getting closer to Serena.
A refined, pine-like scent brushed past Serena's nose, and she felt the cool whisper of his breath.
The man's low, lazy voice was laced with a tender smile. "Of course I trust in Serena's abilities."
Serena was speechless.
Wasn't this man getting a little too close?
She pursed her lips.
Just as she was about to frown.
The man straightened up at the perfect moment, creating distance between them
again.
But that intimate, smoky pine scent still lingered around her.
Again and again.
It felt like a woven net, entangling her within it...