Two

NOVARIA’S POV

“Jake,” the stranger’s deep voice cut through the freezing air like a blade, “what the fuck did I tell you the last time?”

The entire alley fell silent. Even the wind seemed to stop moving.

My shaky gaze slowly shifted toward the man who had grabbed me earlier.

Jake.

The color drained from his face instantly. For the first time since this nightmare began, the disgusting confidence in his eyes vanished completely. He looked terrified. Truly terrified. His lips parted as if he wanted to speak, but no words came out. Instead, his eyes darted around frantically, searching for an escape route through the dark alley.

There wasn’t one.

And somehow… that terrified me even more.

The tall stranger walked past me slowly, his expensive boots crunching against the snow-covered ground. Every movement he made carried a dangerous kind of calmness, the kind that didn’t need shouting to command fear.

Behind him, the muscular men dressed in black stood like statues.

I swallowed hard and wrapped my trembling arms around myself.

At that moment, I silently promised myself something. Never again. Never again would I let Morgana send me out on errands at night. She could starve before I stepped foot outside in this weather and hour again.

“Boss..” Jake finally croaked.

“Guys,” the stranger interrupted coldly.

Immediately, four of his men stepped forward.

“Get rid of them.”

His voice remained calm. Too calm.

“I’ve given these assholes too many chances already.”

The effect was immediate. Jake and the others instantly dropped to their knees.

“Boss, please!”

“Sylvester, we swear it won’t happen again! Please forgive us!”

My breath caught in my throat.

Sylvester. That was his name.

The men who had attacked me were now trembling and begging like frightened animals. Their earlier arrogance had completely disappeared. But Sylvester didn’t react. Not even slightly.

He simply stood there with one hand tucked inside his pocket, his expression unreadable. The falling snow settled lightly on his dark hair and shoulders, yet he remained motionless, staring at them as though they were nothing more than stains beneath his shoes.

Then, Gunshots exploded through the alley.

I gasped sharply.

My entire body jerked in fear as the deafening sound echoed violently around us.

One.

Two.

Three.

The world seemed to freeze. I couldn’t even scream. My ears rang painfully while horror rooted me to the spot. My eyes widened as Jake and the others collapsed onto the icy ground, their pleading abruptly silenced.

For a moment, all I could hear was the wind. My breathing became uneven as panic consumed me whole.

Sylvester slowly turned toward me. And for the first time since he appeared, fear truly settled deep inside my chest. Not because of the men anymore. But because of him.

His dark eyes landed on me, studying my trembling figure carefully. I hadn’t even realized how badly I was shaking until he stepped closer.

The cold no longer mattered. I had completely forgotten about winter.

When Sylvester lifted his hand slightly toward me, I flinched instinctively. His jaw tightened almost unnoticeably.

“Who are you?” he asked calmly. “And what are you doing out here this late?”

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

I was terrified. Terrified of him. Terrified of the blood staining the snow behind him. Terrified that if I answered wrongly, I might end up just like those men.

Noticing my silence, Sylvester exhaled quietly before extending his hand toward me.

“Stand up.”

I hesitated..But somehow, his voice no longer sounded threatening.

Slowly, I placed my trembling hand into his. The warmth of his palm startled me.

He pulled me up effortlessly, and I nearly stumbled from how weak my legs had become.

“I…” My voice cracked badly. “I was going to the store when those men dragged me into the alley and tried to…”

The words refused to come out. Tears burned my eyes all over again. Humiliation. Fear. Shock. Everything crashed into me at once.

And somehow, what hurt the most was knowing that none of this would have happened if my mother had simply cared enough not to send me out alone.

I quickly looked away, embarrassed by my tears. That was when the cold returned violently.

A harsh shiver ripped through my body, making my teeth chatter uncontrollably.

Sylvester noticed immediately. Without saying a word, he removed his black jacket and draped it carefully over my shoulders.

The warmth nearly made me cry again.

The jacket was huge on me, practically swallowing my small frame whole, and it carried a faint scent of expensive cologne mixed with smoke and winter air. Yet despite how ridiculous I probably looked, Sylvester didn’t laugh. His expression remained serious.

“Go home,” he said quietly. “You’re safe now.”

His eyes flickered briefly toward the bodies behind us. “And trust me when I say those bastards will never touch you or anyone else again.”

I looked up at him slowly. For the first time, I truly saw his face. Sharp jawline. Dark hair slightly damp from the snow. Cold brown eyes that somehow still carried something strangely protective beneath all that danger. He looked terrifying.But somehow….I didn’t feel unsafe beside him anymore.

My heartbeat slowly steadied. Only a little. 

Sylvester is quite too tall for my liking, as he was much taller than I was. I was just 159cm tall, while Sylvester was at least 190cm. I didn't really feel intimidated at that moment, because he was actually the one that saved me from these bad guys.

I was quite relieved at everything and just couldn't wait to get back home. Suddenly, I realized I was still wearing his jacket and immediately took it off my shoulders.

 Seeing this made Sylvester furrow his brows in surprise, keeping quiet to know what I was up to.

"Sorry sir, but I think you must be cold already", I said as I awkwardly stood on my toe, and tried to put back the jacket on him the same way he had done for me; but he was too tall for me to do it.

Sylvester's face suddenly softened, and he let out a chuckle. Although it was the first time I had seen him, it really looked weird to see him laugh; even his men looked at each other from a distance full of surprise. 

I turned around to know what was making him laugh, only to discover that I was the reason. I was currently standing on my tiptoes. I felt quite ashamed of the situation, and had to bring my hands down, resting completely on my feet; then quietly tried placing it on his hand. But he pushed it gently back toward me.

“I gave it to you,” he said.

His voice softened slightly.

“So keep it.”

He adjusted the coat around my shoulders himself before adding,

“You should head home now. It’s late.”

His large hands briefly rested on my shoulders, steady and warm. Then he turned away and began walking toward the black SUV parked near the road. His men followed immediately.

Panic suddenly rushed through me.

“No, wait!”

Before I could stop myself, I reached out and grabbed his wrist. The moment I did, my entire body stiffened.

What the hell was I doing?

Even his men reacted instantly, stepping toward me aggressively. But Sylvester stopped them with a single raised hand.

The alley fell silent again.

Slowly, he looked down at my hand gripping his wrist. Then at me. Confusion flickered briefly across his face.

“What is it?” he asked.

I swallowed nervously.

“What if…” My voice trembled badly. “What if I don’t want to go home?”

Sylvester frowned slightly.

“What?”

“I don’t want to go back to my mother,” I admitted quietly. “She doesn’t really care about me… and I don’t want to stay there anymore.”

The moment the words left my mouth, regret slammed into me.

Why was I telling him this?

He was a complete stranger.

A dangerous stranger.

Embarrassment flooded my face instantly.

“I….I’m sorry,” I stammered quickly, lowering my gaze. “I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t even know why I did. Forget it… I should just leave.”

That was when I realized I was still holding his wrist. Mortified, I immediately let go and stepped back.

Sylvester remained silent. His eyes searched mine carefully, almost like he was trying to understand something.

Seconds passed. Cold wind swept through the alley once more.

When he still said nothing, I forced myself to turn away.

“You can come with me.”

My footsteps halted instantly.