Chapter 18\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 18\u00a0<\/p>\n
Selene\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was not a kind person. I never thought of myself as one.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When you\u2019ve been betrayed enough times, by the ones you trusted, kindness becomes a luxury you can\u2019t afford. I learned that long ago. To show kindness was to show weakness, and offer a blade to your own throat and smile while they twisted it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So no, what I did next wasn\u2019t out of kindness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was instinct.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment I heard the raised voices near the entrance of the marketplace, I felt a heavy bloodlust. It slithered through the crowd like smoke, pressing against my chest. It wasn\u2019t coming from the guards, it was from the ones they were stupid enough to confront.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even before I saw them, I knew these people weren\u2019t ordinary.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I finally laid eyes on them, I understood why my instincts had reacted that way. There were four of them, each cloaked, their presence so heavy it seemed to bend the very air around them, especially the one standing at the front.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t even move, or speak, but I could feel that restrained power lurking around him. His bloodlust wasn\u2019t wild like the others. It was refined, tamed, and more dangerous than anything I\u2019d ever sensed. A man who could kill without blinking and sleep soundly after.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even standing several feet away, I could feel the threat rolling off him. My skin prickled. My instincts whispered one thing \u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
run.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Who the hell was he?\u00a0<\/p>\n
When his head turned slightly and his gaze brushed over me, my breath caught in my throat. It was just a glance, yet my pulse quickened before I could stop it. Maybe it was because I was more attuned than the others, that I could feel his presence, brushing against my senses like a warning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shifted my stance, forcing my body to relax.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The guard dragged his attention from the man\u2019s sword to the two of us standing nearby. His eyes raked over me and Evelyn, who stood close, clutching her bag. Our disguises were perfect, Bengal-style sarees with our faces and hair wrapped carefully. Only our eyes were visible. If he could see my hair, he would\u2019ve recognised me immediately.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWho are you?\u201d the guard demanded, his voice rough. \u201cAnd how dare you interfere with an official investigation?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tilted my head slightly, crossing my arms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Investigation? That was a generous word for what this was, they were a couple of fools poking a beast with sticks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I definitely didn\u2019t feel bad for them. The men they were facing could kill them without effort, and part of me wanted to watch them be torn apart for their stupidity. But if that happened, it\u2019d cause a commotion, and the auction house would go on alert. And if that happened, I wouldn\u2019t get my item.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That was unacceptable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI suggest,\u201d I said, meeting the guard\u2019s eyes through my veil, \u201cthat you lower your weapon before you lose more than your pride.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The guard\u2019s jaw ticked at my words.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 18\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a moment, the street went utterly silent, the kind of silence that only comes when everyone knows something\u00a0<\/p>\n
dangerous is about to happen. Every eye turned toward me. Even the group stopped moving. I could feel their attention on\u00a0<\/p>\n
The guard\u2019s lips curled into a smirk, though his eyes darkened with irritation. \u201cIt seems a few of you have a death wish, have you forgotten who stands before you? I am a guard of the Mooncrest Royal Army.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He straightened his shoulders, puffing up his chest as though his words carried divine weight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI have the right to punish anyone for insolence. Even death, if I find any of you suspicious.\u201d His smirk widened, his tone dripping with arrogance. \u201cAnd yet, here you are, running your mouth instead of minding your business. Don\u2019t you fear for your life?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sighed and rolled my eyes, unable to help it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This man was really full of it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of all the guards in the royal army, the lowest rank was him, a glorified watch dog pretending to be a lion. And he dared to brag about that in front of me?\u00a0<\/p>\n
If he only knew.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In another lifetime, I\u2019d commanded men stronger than him by the thousands. Generals, strategists, and assassins, all of them had bowed to my orders. Compared to that, this loud fool was nothing more than a barking mutt. One flick of my wrist, and he\u2019d be on his knees choking on his own pride.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Beside me, Evelyn tugged at my arm nervously.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t cause a scene, my lady,\u201d she whispered, her voice trembling.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The guard snorted. \u201cYou heard your maid,\u201d he said mockingly. \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t cause a scene. Get out of here immediately before I lose my patience. I have more pressing matters to attend to.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He turned back toward the group.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I followed his gaze, my eyes landing once again on the man in front of them. He hadn\u2019t moved an inch. Still, calm, hands at his sides, eyes locked on me. Yet the air around him was different.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That gaze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t as simple as being seen. It felt as though his eyes peeled away every layer of disguise and composure I\u2019d so carefully wrapped myself in. His gaze was steady, studying me, and assessing me, as if I were a puzzle piece that no longer fit where it once belonged.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Goosebumps prickled along my arms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I quickly turned away, heart skipping a beat. What in the world was that? Why was his stare affecting me like this?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shook my head sharply, snapping out of it, and faced the guard again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou see, I\u2019m afraid I can\u2019t do that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The guard blinked, thrown off. \u201cWhat?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smiled under the veil. \u201cLeave, I mean. I can\u2019t do that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His expression hardened, anger flashing across his face, but I continued smoothly, my tone almost bored.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd besides,\u201d I added, \u201cyou\u2019re inconveniencing everyone here. These people aren\u2019t dangerous.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
18\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lie.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re people I know.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another lie, one I delivered without a flinch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If this arrogant fool thought I\u2019d step aside and let him ruin my day, and risk the auction, then he was wrong.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Hope Is Not Optional \u2014 Manuel Flores 18 Chapter 18\u00a0 Chapter 18\u00a0 Selene\u00a0 I was not a kind person. I […]<\/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":[82],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-ruthless-tycoons-obsession-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27812","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=27812"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27812\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}