A/N: Happy weekend everyone! 

☨ ☩☣ ☘ † ❂ ⚕ ᴈᴑᴎ ☠ ☢ ⚔ ⚓♰☯☭

KELLY's POV

"I really feel so lucky tonight" Mike uttered out of the blue while we're dancing along with the music. Everyone around we're already teasing us because they obviously thought that we're a couple. I just tripped over my own feet a while ago because I was busy talking with Mike that I couldn't calculate my steps. Thankfully, Mike was fast enough to catch me and that triggered the impression that he's my boyfriend to everyone who saw it.

"Thank you for catching me on time" I said. He beamed. We just continued dancing while talking.

"It's nothing. You don't have to thank me" I suddenly felt uneasy when his hands on either side of my waist suddenly pressed harder and then pulled me closer to his body.

"M-Mike---"

"---I have something to tell you, Kelly" his voice turned husky as his eyes stared at me intently which made me feel uncomfortable. This was the first time that I saw this kind of expression on him and it felt kinda weird.

"What is it?" my voice became weird all of a sudden. I didn't know why but I couldn't help but to compare his touch to Stephen's touch...No! Stephen is a jerk and Mike is a nice guy!

"I am not sure if I'd tell you this but I think I need to be honest with you once and for all" my eyebrows furrowed.

"What do you mean?"

"I've---I've had a crush on you ever since the first time I saw you" he uttered those words hurriedly as if he was running after something.

I gaped at him in disbelief. I've never thought of him having a crush on me because whenever we're together, we act like normal friends. I already consider him as a friend and he was the same to me. I thought everything was just on that level.

"W-What? You're kidding me, right?" I said while laughing the awkwardness out of the situation. He was about to answer me when someone suddenly spoke before he had the chance to do so.

"Can I have my turn?" I raised my gaze to the person who spoke and my breath suddenly got stuck in my throat upon seeing his stoic face. His jaw was moving because he was clearly gritting his teeth. His eyes were almost throwing daggers at Mike.

He had the authoritative look on his face as if telling Mike to f*ck off. Mike was about to speak when Stephen suddenly pulled me away from him. He's really a b*stard!

"Aren't you being a jerk, mister?" Mike asked in a serious tone but Stephen just smirked at him dangerously. He looked like he was about to hurt Mike if he wouldn't get out of there right away. I swallowed hard as I got worried about Mike.

"It's okay, Mike. I'll handle him" I said with a reassuring smile.

"Are you sure?" I nodded my head. Mike went back to our table even though he looked reluctant of leaving me there with Stephen.

"You're really a jerk, you know that?" I couldn't help but hissed in a not-so-obvious manner at Stephen the moment Mike left us.

"Why? Do you prefer him over me, is that it?" my eyebrows creased. I was about to answer when the music suddenly changed into a slow, seductive and sweet music.

"Yes! I prefer to dance with him than you!" his eyes turned into slits. I gasped for air when he snatched me by the waist until my breasts crushed against his chiseled chest.

"Let's dance" he ordered firmly.

"What the heck are you doing?! Do you even know how to dance?!" the corner of his lips twitched as he smirked dangerously. He began swaying with the music as his hands guided my hips. I couldn't help but to dance along so that nobody could notice that we're having a little war while in dancing in the middle of the dance floor.

"Yes. I know how to dance. I bet I am a better dancer than that boy you were dancing with just now" he even emphasized the word 'boy'. I gritted my teeth. He was so hot-headed and I didn't like this mood of him. He's acting weird all of a sudden.

He looked like he was jealous. I mentally shook my head. Jealous?! No! That's impossible! He's just being a jerk!

"Let go of me! I don't want to dance with you!" I spat at him acidly. To my horror, his movements suddenly became daring and seductive. My eyes widened when I felt something hard hit my belly.

"Damn you!"

"Why do you look like you don't want it? You were doing the same thing with that boy just a while ago, right? You were almost grinding against each other a while ago without caring if people were already watching you" his voice was full of acid and imputation.

"No? I wasn't" I could feel my blood boil and tried my best to ignore those delicious feelings that he was awakening within me because of deliberately grinding his arousal against me. Even though he looked mad, his movement were fluid and suave that it almost took my breath away.

"Really now? But you looked like you were enjoying flirting with him and you even let him touched you like I am doing right now. What's the difference?" he was really insulting me and my teeth were almost making a sound because of gritting them tightly.

"Damn you! I hate dancing with you!" before he could even speak, I did what he didn't expect me to do. Because the hot blood within me rushed to my head, I stepped on his foot hardly which caused him to remove his hands from holding my hips. He groaned in pain but he managed to handle himself well. Before he could even do anything, I walked away from him and strode my way towards the exit.

I was aware that everyone was already looking at us curiously so I had to go and hide before I do more stupid things and embarrassed my family.

I went to the garden and tried to calm myself down. I did a breathing exercise.

"Damn that b*stard!" I hissed irritably.

"Are you alright, Ms. Knight?" an unfamiliar face suddenly appeared in front of me. He looked like he was one of the guests in my grandma's party, judging by his outfit but at the same time, there was something about him that she couldn't pinpoint.

"Yes. I am fine" I answered plainly; didn't want to engage in a conversation further.

"You look like you were having a trouble dealing with those suitors of yours. It must be nice to be beautiful, young and rich at the same time" I scowled at him. His voice suddenly became sarcastic while smirking at me in an insulting manner.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing really. I was just wondering if there's still spot for me. I can treat you better than them" I got ticked off but chose to just ignore him. I turned around and was planning on going back to the party when I suddenly sensed something dangerous behind me.

"Don't you dare turn your back on me, you b*tch!" I kinda sensed that he was going to attack me from behind and I was right. That exact moment I faced him, he threw a small knife at me at the same time. Thankfully, my reflexes were fast. I barely avoided it.

"Who are you?" I asked in a slowly but firm tone. I was sure now that he wasn't one of the guests. He smirked deviously.

"Nice reflexes there. But what about this? Let's see how you dodge this baby here" I clenched my jaw when he brought out a gun with a silencer.

"Who are you?" I repeated my question. He laughed tauntingly.

"I am the one who's going to kill you!" he answered evilly. I knew that I was in a pinch now. I slowly moved my hand to get a grip of my pistol but before I could even touched it, I heard a faint gun shot. It obviously came from a gun with a silencer.

I closed my eyes, expecting myself to fall down from being shot but I did not. In fact, I felt nothing. Then I heard someone groan in pain and then a thud. I opened my eyes and saw the man who was holding a gun a while ago, already lifeless on the ground; already bathing with his own blood.

"Are you okay, xuxu?" I heard the panicking voice of Stephen. Before I could even answer, he pulled me roughly to him and enveloped me in a tight embrace. I could feel his body slightly trembling.

"Damn it! I thought I was already late! Sh*t" he kept on cussing. He sounded so worried. I was about to speak when someone suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"I'm sorry, T. One of this guy's comrades attacked me a while ago that's why I couldn't rescue Kelly right away" It was Cyrus. He looked guilty, apologetic and mad at the same time.

"I told you to stay alert!" Stephen hissed. Cyrus heaved a sigh as he scratched the back of his head. I didn't expect him to be here as well.

"I was attacked and my attacker was good in fighting that's why I needed to fight him seriously. I knew he wasn't alone because he would never attack me head-on just like that. He just served as a distraction so that this guy could have the chance to approach Kelly"

"Where is the guy who attacked you?"

"I hid his body behind the statue near the pool" I gasped as I heard what they're talking about. I looked at the dead guy who just attacked me a while ago. What's happening? Why did he attack me? How come he managed to sneak inside with all the tight security?

"Do you know this guy, Kelly?" I tilted up my head from staring at the guy and looked at Stephen. He was staring at me as if he was studying every expression of my face.

"No"

"How come you're this calm?" he questioned after a couple of seconds. My eyebrows creased.

"So? What's your point?"

"A normal girl would be panicking and crying by now considering that this guy almost got you" I avoided his gaze.

"I guess I am not among those normal girls then" I answered nonchalantly and looked at the dead guy again.

"Cy, call the team. We need a clean up here" I heard Stephen ordered and after a couple of minutes, a group of mysterious men came and took the bodies. Just like the first time that someone tried to kill me, people came to take their bodies after Stephen killed them.

"Who are those people?" I couldn't help but ask when the people left. Cyrus left us too because Stephen commanded him to survey the area and make sure that everything's safe.

"I think it's better for us to get out of here" Stephen suggested instead of answering my question.

"Are you really like this? Everytime I ask you a question, you always avoid it. You always ignore my questions and I can't understand why" I couldn't help but to get irritated.

"This is for your own safety. It's better for you if you just keep quiet and let me handle the rest. I think it's better for us to get out of here. They managed to infiltrate the security here and there's a possibility that their comrades are still lurking around, waiting for the right moment to attack" he said those words with mix emotions on his face. But when I tried to read his eyes, I almost gasped when I saw the worry and fear there.

"Isn't it more dangerous if we get out of here now? What if they're outside, waiting for us to expose ourselves?" he heaved a sigh.

"Wait here" he said and then went a couple of meters away from me. He called someone. I used that as an opportunity to call Ace. Looked like no one noticed what happened because no one came out from the party.

"What?! Someone attacked you?!" I could sense the worry in Ace's voice.

"Yes and I don't have any idea who sent him"

"You should've fished out some information from him first before you killed him"

"I didn't kill him"

"What? Don't tell me he got away from you?" he asked in disbelief.

"No. Stephen was the one who killed that guy. He saved me" he didn't answer for a couple of seconds.

"That guy saved you? I don't buy it. He must be the one who's behind all this for all we know" I expected he would say that. He doesn't have even an ounce of trust in Stephen.

"I don't know, Ace. I just want to ask a favor from you if it's okay with you"

"What is it this time?"

"I want to take an indefinite leave from the organization"

"Why?" I took a deep breath before I continued.

"I just need to do something" I answered simply.

"I think this is a nice opportunity then. I will handle the rest of the mission and---"

"Ace, please don't. Even though I will be on leave for sometime, I will still continue with the mission. Please don't do anything until I give you the signal"

"You know that I can't let you do this. If you take an indefinite leave, then I can't allow you to continue with the mission. You know the rules" I bit my lower lip.

"Then, I quit" I heard him gasp.

"Are you crazy?! You're quitting just for him?" his voice was loud in exasperation. I shook my head as if he could see me.

"No. I will quit because you won't let me do this" he tsked a couple of times.

"This is crazy. You know that I will not allow you to quit" he said after a couple of seconds.

"I know that, Ace. But please, give me one more time. All I'm asking for you is to trust me on this. Just give me 2 and a half months more. And when the times comes and I fail, then proceed with your plans" he didn't answer for a couple of seconds again. I knew that I was asking for too much but I would do my plans anyway even if he wouldn't give me the go signal; even if it means quitting the organization.

"Knowing you, you will still proceed with your plans even if I would say no. Fine, I'll do everything in my power to cover this up from Thunder. Just 2 and a half months, Ivy"

"Thank you so much, Ace. You're the best"

"Even though I am not in-favor with what you're doing, I'll reign my horse for you. I just hope that after this, you won't get hurt again. Maybe after this, the chapter of your life with that guy will finally put to an end" I was at lost for words for a couple of seconds.

Am I really doing this to put closure to Stephen and I's past? I don't know anymore but one thing is for sure, I need to do it. Not because I want to clear Stephen's name but because of all the unanswered questions that I have in my head... 

☨ ☩☣ ☘ † ❂ ⚕ ᴈᴑᴎ ☠ ☢ ⚔ ⚓♰☯☭

Who might be the one who sent that attacker? 

Any idea of what will happen next?

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