DYLAN\u00a0<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know what time I slept last night. It\u2019s hard for me to do so, especially right after that intense encounter with Hunter. My heart was racing just by the thought of it. I feel like a lovesick puppy who couldn\u2019t wait to see her first love.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shook my head as I couldn\u2019t brush off the smile on my face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked outside the window, and the bright light coming from the sun was grazing the room. I decided to get up and was about to go to the bathroom to freshen up when I heard a loud gunshot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I practically run downstairs to see what\u2019s happening. When I reached the ground floor, I saw different maids doing their usual work as if they didn\u2019t hear the gunshot. Was I only imagining it?\u00a0<\/p>\n
But even before I managed to get some answers, I heard another loud bang. I checked the people inside the house, but it seems like they still didn\u2019t hear anything.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you hear that?\u201d I asked to make sure I\u2019m not losing my mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They all turn their heads towards me, but their faces remain blank.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not allowed to meddle in the boss\u2019s business, madam,\u201d one of the maids said quietly, her eyes lowering to the floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh\u2026\u201d I murmured, unsure what else to say.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then, I heard another gunshot, a clear indication that the sound wasn\u2019t just a figment of my imagination. My heart jumped to my throat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That was it. I couldn\u2019t just stand here anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I rushed outside, my bare feet hitting the cold floor as I ran through the hallway and pushed the door open. The air outside hit me like a wave, but what I saw froze me in place.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter was standing out in the garden, a gun in his hand. All of his men were kneeling in front of him, heads bowed low. It looked like some kind of punishment. My chest tightened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What is he doing?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I watched in horror as he raised his arm and pointed the gun at one of them. My mouth opened in shock when I saw him pull the trigger, and the loud echo of the gunshot filled the air.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The shot made me flinch, my hands flying up to cover my mouth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But no one fell. No blood. No scream.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He\u2019d only shot the ground, right in front of the man. A warning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:32 Thu, Dec 25 M\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 32\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\u00a0<\/p>\n
93\u00a0<\/p>\n
I let out a shaky breath, both relieved and terrified. Hunter\u2019s face was hard and unreadable, like a storm ready to break loose. I let out a loud sigh before I decided not to meddle with it. I did it once last night, and I realized that I\u2019ve already crossed the line that I shouldn\u2019t have.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWho let her inside my room last night?\u201d I heard Hunter ask, which made me stop in my tracks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1 froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My breath caught in my throat, and I slowly turned back to face him. His voice wasn\u2019t loud, but it was enough to make every man in that garden stiffen. Hunter didn\u2019t have to shout to make people afraid.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He hadn\u2019t seen me yet. He was still staring straight ahead, the gun still hanging at his side like an extension of himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe madam insisted that she\u2019d like to take care of you, boss. We also had a hard time calming you down, in which the madam became a great help. She managed to stop you, boss,\u201d the man kneeling in the middle answered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBullshit! Are you telling me that all of these men couldn\u2019t even stop me? Am I fostering a bunch of weaklings?\u201d Hunter shouted in anger. \u201cMaybe I should just replace and then kill all of you!\u201d he said, pressing the tip of the gun against the man\u2019s forehead.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My eyes widened in panic. That\u2019s when I decided to step in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWait!\u201d I shouted. I ran towards Hunter and bravely stood in front of him. His eyes darkened as he looked me straight in the eye.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cStep aside, Dylan. This isn\u2019t your business,\u201d Hunter growled through clenched teeth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His jaw was tight, the muscle ticking beneath his skin, as if he was holding back a much darker storm just waiting to be let loose. I could tell he was trying to stay in control, but barely. His anger crackled in the air like static.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d I said firmly, planting myself between him and the others. \u201cI won\u2019t move. They didn\u2019t do anything wrong.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes darkened as I stood my ground, and for a moment, I thought he might snap. But I couldn\u2019t stop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey only followed what I asked them to do,\u201d I added, my voice a little softer, hoping reason would reach whatever part of him was still listening.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He took a step closer, and it felt like the air was pulled right out of my lungs. He towered over me, his body radiating heat and fury, his presence pressing in from all sides. Still, I didn\u2019t move,\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re taking their side?\u201d He asked, his voice low but deadly, like a warning before the explosion. His eyes were locked on mine, unreadable and intense.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had to tilt my chin just to meet his gaze. My heart thundered in my chest, each beat louder than the last. I swallowed hard, trying to stay calm even as fear and adrenaline danced through my veins.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not taking anyone\u2019s side,\u201d I said quietly but firmly. \u201cI just didn\u2019t want to stand by and watch someone get\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 32\u00a0<\/p>\n
hurt for no reason.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t like it when you try to antagonize me,\u201d he said, each word thick with warning. There was a dangerous edge to his voice, one I hadn\u2019t heard since the first time we met.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not. I was just trying to clear things out. I don\u2019t want anybody to get hurt because of me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter remained silent as if he was trying to digest what I was trying to say. Then, his eyes dropped to my neck, and something in his expression shifted. The sharp fury in his gaze melted into something darker, deeper. His hand lifted slowly, fingers brushing against my skin so softly, it sent shivers down my spine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then his palm cupped my neck. His thumb moved in slow, careful circles, as if he was memorizing every inch he\u2019d touched.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt leaves a mark,\u201d he murmured, almost to himself. His voice had lost its anger\u2013it was low now, husky, full of something I couldn\u2019t name.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I blinked, confused at first. What mark?\u00a0<\/p>\n
But then it hit me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My breath caught.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Oh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was talking about what happened last night when he almost choked me to death when he found me stepping out of his bathroom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stiffened slightly, and I knew the exact second he noticed. His thumb paused. His eyes flicked dark and heavy with something that looked a lot like guilt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know you didn\u2019t mean to do that,\u201d I whispered, my voice barely more than a breath.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His jaw clenched, and he dropped his hand like it had burned him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
up to mine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t know that,\u201d he replied as his eyes were filled with something I couldn\u2019t understand. He looks so lost. But his emotions change in just a snap. \u201cShe\u2019s not allowed to get inside my room from now on. I don\u2019t care about any of your excuses. Anyone who goes against me will surely face death. Am I understood?\u201d he said, raising his voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, boss!\u201d They all shouted in unison.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And just like that, Hunter turned around and marched back into the house without so much as a second glance. His men filed in behind him, leaving me alone under the bright sunlight\u2013standing there like some forgotten guest at a party that had never truly welcomed me in the first place.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Embarrassment clawed at my chest. I couldn\u2019t believe he\u2019d just dismissed me like that. Not just in private, but in front of everyone. It was like I\u2019d been stripped bare\u2013told without words that I didn\u2019t belong here, that I was a mistake he no longer wanted to deal with.\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:33 Thu, Dec 25 M\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 32\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tears stung the corners of my eyes, but I blinked them away. I refused to cry over him. Not like this. Not when I still had enough dignity left to walk away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So I did.\u00a0<\/p>\n
93\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned and stormed back to my room, my heart pounding like thunder in my cars. I grabbed only the things. that I had when I got here. I didn\u2019t want to stay here one second longer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The guards at the main gate straightened when they saw me coming. I kept my head held high, refusing to let the sting behind my eyes spill over.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease open the gate,\u201d I said firmly, already reaching for the gate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But before my fingers could even touch the latch, I heard the sound of heavy boots hitting the pavement- fast.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then I felt it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Strong arms wrapped around my waist, and with a startled yelp, my feet left the ground.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHey hey! Put me down!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Too late.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter slung me over his shoulder like I weighed nothing\u2013like I wasn\u2019t fighting him every step of the way, pounding on his back with both fists. \u201cYou are not doing this right now!\u201d I shouted, wriggling like a furious cat, my hair swinging wildly with every step he took.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t say a word. I just kept walking back toward the mansion with long, unbothered strides\u2014cool as ever, despite the storm of limbs I was throwing behind his back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHunter! Put me down, damn it! I will bite you!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you think that\u2019s going to stop me, little dove, you really don\u2019t know me,\u201d he said, his voice maddeningly calm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I cursed, growled, and kicked my legs\u2013but none of it made a difference. He carried me straight through the house, ignoring the stunned looks from his men, and went straight to the room where I left off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then, with one hand still holding me, he unlocked the door, kicked it open, stepped inside\u2014\u00a0<\/p>\n
And locked it behind us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the hell are you doing?\u201d I shrieked as he finally set me down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not going anywhere.\u201d He looked me dead in the eyes, jaw tight. \u201cYou\u2019re stuck with me whether you like\u00a0<\/p>\n
it or not.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
**\u00a0<\/p>\n
***\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Alchemist of Broken Dreams by Sienna Rose Blackwell 32 DYLAN\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what time I slept last night. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-alphas-golden-cage-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24383","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24383"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24383\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}