″ I didn't know I was really alive in this world until I felt things hard enough to kill for 'em. "

- Richard Wright

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It is a beautiful day just like any other. I'm going on a date with my boyfriend after a long time and I'm so excited that you can see the happiness glowing on my face. We are meeting at the amusement park. I get ready thinking about how to spend the day and create memories with my boyfriend when my sister bangs my door.

"Shut it" I yell at her but she continues banging.

The headache she gives sometimes makes me wonder if I'm having a migraine with her invasion of my space all the time.

"Leave me alone Vanessa" I shout as I open the door only for my mother to barge in.

"Mind your words Lady and now where are you going?" she asks as she scrutinizes my dirty room. I look at my sister for an answer for which she just shrugs.

"And why is it necessary for you to know this mother?" I ask instead of answering her. I haven't seen her in six years since I left for college and two years later my younger sister joined me in my apartment which I rent for a comparably cheap and affordable price which is a downgrade from my parents duplex but it was all worth it.

Having micromanaging parents and surveilling you twenty four seven made me go nuts and here I'm in my humble abode in a nice neighborhood.

She glares at me and stands from the bed on which she just sat, sets her dress straight. As classy as ever. She walks towards me and says "Your father is waiting for you both to come back home tonight at 8:00 o'clock. Don't be late" with that she just leaves.

She always leaves, she was never there for us and neither was our father.

As soon as she leaves, I whisper to Vanessa "Pack your bags, we are leaving now Vanessa!!" and rush her out of the room. I wait till the front door shuts and run to my room, forgetting all about the date I pack all my clothes and essentials leaving behind a mess as a fake evidence that we did not run.

Getting an invite from father always means trouble which was the first reason for me to move out of my house as quickly as I can. I changed into a set of comfortable clothes of stretchable jeans, a plain black t-shirt and a black jacket from the flowery dress I wore before.

I then go over to my study and grab a Glock 44 - .22 caliber, the gun gifted by my boyfriend for self-defense and a revolver which I bought for myself when I turned 20.

I turn to my sister's room, "Move, move, move!!! Don't stuff in things that you don't need right now. Pack essentials. We are taking one travel backpack only." She stares at me completely dumbfounded with the change of my behavior. I yell when she doesn't move "Move it Vanessa".

I carry my backpack and put it in the trunk of my SUV, change my license plate and move the car from the neighbors garage which I borrowed. I roll down the window and wait for my sister to come down when I hear gunshots on my floor and soon I see my sister with her backpack with Bolt-action 308 Winchester calibers. rifle with a silencer and headphones.

I wonder where she got the gun from. I knew she was in martial arts but never expected her to be a gun person. I still remember the day as clear as the sky. She was waiting for me in front of my apartment with her stuff with tears rolling down her eyes. She was only seventeen and now I can see a mature lady in front of me.

I rotate my car and get out of there without asking any questions. If she wants to tell me something, she will eventually, she always does.

I park my car in the middle of the highway when I get the call from my boyfriend. I act as normal as I can be and answer "Hi babes" adding my chirping voice. "Meet me in the amusement park in fifteen minutes" his voice sounded urgent.

"Babes, I have to go somewhere, can we cancel our date? I want to do raincheck"

"Pass the phone to Vanessa, I don't have much time and drive here as soon as you can" he rushes me and I can't help but pass the mobile to Vanessa and start the car. The amusement park was on our way to where we were going.

I watch the face of Vanessa and her face turns from normal to gruesome and then to stone. Rob, my boyfriend is still talking to her and whatever he is saying isn't good.

He hardly met my sister and now he is indulging her in things that he can't indulge me in. It's suspicious but right now I just want to lose the tail. Someone started following us as soon as we ended the highway and went into another lane which takes us directly to the amusement park. Now you would tell, how would I know if the car behind me is actually tailing me or is just a family going to the amusement park as well.

Well, for one, families don't carry rifles and guns and this car did have those.

I have been swerving from the moment the call ended and Vanessa started talking in another language while also shooting our tail. Soon we lose them when Vanessa hits the bullet right through the skull of the driver.

We reach the amusement park and Vanessa starts directing me towards another lane that we are apparently supposed to go as per the instructions from Rob.

It's a warehouse, a bit far from the amusement park but near to the cargo. We see vehicles coming right and left here and there is so much more chaos than the amusement park. Soon, we see Rob and he is speaking with someone. It's already dark and I can't see who he is talking with but whatever communication is happening, it is far from good.

I stop right in front of Rob and he jumps in the backseat while I take a look at the person he is talking with.

MY FATHER!!

The smirk he has on his face makes me want to smash his face but before he could say "Cassandra darling" I leave and this time, I go above and beyond the limit.

My anger reaches its maximum level. I knew Rob was in defense but seeing him with my dad made it all clear why Vanessa and Rob are with me in this car. They were surveilling me all the time. Rob was my second boyfriend. We met in the second year of college. At the end of the same year, my sister comes home to me and at the same time my boyfriend ignores me or more like avoids me.

It felt weird but since I was nursing my sister I appreciated the distance but knowing what's happening makes me want to jump out of the car and that is what I do.

I jump out of the car when I take a turn and run my way down to the nearest bar.

It's already 15 minutes past eight and I laugh as I imagine my old man's disgruntled face because I am not at the butcher meeting that he scheduled.

I take a shot of vodka and walk out of the bar after paying.

I take no more than ten steps when I hear a guy being punched his ass off by some local goons. It's funny considering his bulk body and yet he can't throw in a single punch.

But having some girl help him will definitely hurt his ego.

I love playing and this would also blow my steam off. I pull out my gun and shoot one of the goons with no mercy and slit another's which makes the rest of them leave.

I would probably have to reload perhaps or perhaps not.

I stare at the guy and ask him pointing my gun at his face "Are you from here?"

"Yes, I'm Blake. Please don't shoot me"

"Only if you lead the way" I smirk and ask him to take us to his home aka the safe house.

He is not Blake. He is Xavier, the nephew of a king whose lineage is still popular for its ruthless punishments to its people. Considering he was in the alleyway with no protection means he is hiding from people who want his head.

His face glows with the bruises and makes him look more mature than he is. At the age of fifteen, he became the best shooter his country can have. I can make use of it considering he is only seventeen by manipulation. But let's see.

"So, who is protecting you?" I ask him curiously as he looks like someone who is under the protection of the state for as long as you can imagine as he knows the place way too well.

"No one"

"Perfect, so where is your safe house?" I smile at his response. With no one around, it will probably be easy for me to lose my father and his agents.

"It's right beneath the garage of the neighbors" he points to a house "But first we need to reach my house to crawl over there"he continues as she unlocks the door.

"Look, I think it's better if we part ways now. Thank you for your help" he almost shuts the door on my face.

"Aaah haa sire, I think it's better if I just be in the safe house for a couple of months and then I will leave" I say pointing the gun again on his face while removing the safety"

He puts in some code reluctantly and goes inside the safe house which looks like a walking and talking weapons machine. A guy is sitting with his back to us, stichting his bicep which is probably caused by the bullet that's sitting beside him.

Xavier tenses and asks "Who are you?"

The guy turns and says "I didn't know that this safehouse was occupied as per the classified information. Fancy seeing you here Cassandra and Xavier. Hope to make your acquaintance. Please take the seats. Feel free at home"

He gives off the vibe of a creepy human who would smile and then kidnap you. I think I should probably not jinx it. I push Xavier behind me as the guy looks far from happy from his tone.

"Who are you? What are you doing here? And how do you know our names?"

"Who wouldn't know you guys, you were on the front page of every newspaper a few years back. I'm removing bullets as you can see, mind if you help me?" He stares at us as we don't move from our places. My hand reached out for the knife which I kept in my sleeve.

"I see, I'm Alpha" He laughs at the stupid joke he made while pointing towards his wound. "Loose a little, guys. I'm Prince Carter" he extends his hand.He hands us a glass of clear water and a few cookies to help ourselves with as we sit down on the opposite sofa without giving proper greetings as we don't acknowledge his princely status.

He looks like a person with a lot of secrets but I'm made of secrets too and Xavier here might be the one he wants, considering he is from the enemy country. A key to unclassified information perhaps?

I have my doubts. How does an unknown prince about whom we only heard rumors is here and nonetheless with a gun wound!!

He then turns around doing the stuff he was doing before we arrived unannounced. I take a cautious sip of the water and soon my eyes turn drowsy. It must be the chase from before that is making me sleep.

I get up to go to one of the bedrooms but as soon as I get up I fall and soon blackness consumes me. The last words that I hear before I blackout is "That's why parents tell you to not take candy from strangers. Bunch of untrained humans"

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