At this moment, she stopped looking at him with respect, but rather with coldness and vigilance. The way she was gazing at him with her sharp eyes was exactly what the real Diana would have done.
“I did not expect to have taught you so well,” he sneered at himself and said reluctantly. “Go, I will report to the family head what happened, and continue to send someone to keep watch over you.”
She nodded quietly and took a few steps back.
He spoke in a soft voice again.
“But girl, leaving the Juan family and throne war behind is the best way to protect yourself. Think clearly. If you continue to ignore your own safety, then all I can do is…” There was a sense of peril in his tone, which seemed a little vague in the wind.
She gasped and dared not to respond, and took few more steps back. Seeing that he had not tried to stop her, she immediately turned her head and ran away, rushing towards the fire and smoke.
Just remembering his facial expressions almost made her suffocate. She had never seen him this helpless. Every word he said was so sincere that it was frightening.
—Why did he say those things? Why did he try to take her away?
Was that a confession from him, or a trap covered in love?
She almost ran into the fire before Shaquille’s tall figure rushed towards her, blocking the scattered sparks and smoke from her. “Where do you think you are going?” He wrapped his arm around her and put his hand on her shoulder. “Do not try to run away, Diana! Tell me, who set the fire?” He asked in a threatening tone.
“I do not know,” she shook her head, tremblingly.
“Bullshit! Three of my men died. They were clean kills. You dare to tell me again that the fire had nothing to do with you?” He screamed and shook her thin shoulder hard. “Was it Lazer? Did the Juan family want to back out of the agreement?”
“I do not know!” she yelled with all her might. “It was not Lazer… It was not Lazer!”
“What the hell—”
“It was not Lazer… It was not Lazer…” She stomped her feet and buried her face in her palms, sobbing and murmuring the same words over and over again.
Shaquille had an awkward and embarrassed look on his face.
“And you tell me that you do not have feelings for him.”
“Shut up…!”
“Hah, telling me to shut up. Why don’t you take a look at yourself?” Shaquille carried her on his shoulder, pretending to ignore her sobbing and reaching out to call back the other soldiers. “Did you find the guy who set fire?”
The remaining soldiers shook their heads. Shaquille turned to look at the growing fire and could do nothing but spit.
“Let’s move to the next location and stay alert. Go.”
They regrouped and prepared to leave. The girl’s hands were tied by Shaquille again and she sat on the convoy as they moved forward. The warm wind gradually turned cold and the tears on her cheeks stung. There was nobody standing on the distant hill anymore. Lazer was gone, but his words were not.
She should have killed him on the spot when they were on that hill. Based on his methods and everything he had taught her, she should not have let him do anything that would jeopardize the Juan family.
But she could not do it. It was not fear that had stopped her, but rather something she was unable to understand at that time.
What feelings did she have… for him?