Lahat ng Kabanata ng THE GAMMA'S DAUGHTER : Kabanata 51 - Kabanata 60

Hades,The half-hour before the ceremony was filled with an uncomfortable tension, one I could never quite shake. Halia’s voice had cut through the stillness of my thoughts, her tone light but filled with mischief. "I have a surprise for you, Hades."From childhood, “surprise” was always a loaded word when it came from her. It meant frogs in my lunchbox, lizards hidden in my birthday cake, or insects shoved into my meals just to see my reaction. I could already feel my irritation building, preparing myself for whatever ridiculous thing she had planned this time. I was used to her pranks, but that didn’t make them any less annoying. I wanted to have a perfect celebration without any interruption. It was a huge moment and I needed to do the best. Yet, when she arrived, it wasn’t what I expected.It was her.Elysia Celeriac.The ceremony began, but I barely heard the words. My eyes locked on her once more. She was sitting in the corner of the second floor, a good distance away, but her

I watched them—the two bastards—stalking her. Elysia. She was tipsy, unsteady on her feet, and blissfully unaware of the danger lurking in the shadows. Halia was caught up in conversation with her friends, oblivious to what was about to unfold. Elysia, as drunk as she was, stood up and staggered toward the bathroom, a small, erratic movement that I could only watch. “Where are you going?” Halia’s voice rang out, a touch of concern, but Elysia merely waved her off. My gaze followed her, fixed on the way she walked, oblivious to everything around her. I caught sight of the men then, two of them, trailing behind her like vultures. A smile curved on my lips, cruel and sweet. The taste of wine was smoother now, laced with the anticipation of what was to come. I felt his presence—Hades—his eyes still locked on the room, but I could tell his mind wasn’t here. It was elsewhere, searching for *her*. That bitch. Elysia. I shifted closer to him, positioning myself like a shadow. He was standi

The moment Elysia’s body pressed against mine, something inside me snapped—a shift that I didn’t expect, but couldn’t deny. Her hands, trembling with a mix of urgency and confusion, fumbled with the buttons of my shirt, as though the fabric was the only thing separating us. I should have stopped her, should have put distance between us and reminded myself that this was a dangerous game. It was going to be another hate game between us. But in that instant, all I could feel was the overwhelming heat of her skin against mine, the way she seemed to fit into me as if she had always belonged there.Her breath was shallow, her chest rising and falling in quick succession as she fought the effects of the drugs those bastards had given her. I could feel her body trembling—her strength and her vulnerability intertwined. She was a warrior, a fighter, but right now, in my arms, she was nothing more than a woman on the edge. The sharp scent of her, heady and wild, only fueled the hunger that I

Hades,The first thing I noticed when I woke was the silence.A thick, heavy silence that filled the room like a suffocating fog. My eyes snapped open, instinctively searching the room. There was a lingering warmth in the air, the soft scent of her still clinging to the sheets, but she was—gone.Elysia.My heart clenched. Panic gripped me immediately. The sheets beside me were rumpled, as if she had tossed and turned, but there was no trace of her. No sign. I shot up from the bed, the sense of unease growing with every passing second. The light filtering in through the window told me it was still early morning, but everything felt wrong. My hands were already moving, searching for any sign of her. Her scent was faint, almost indistinguishable, swallowed by the air. I stood up, fists clenched, and immediately reached for my clothes, my mind racing. She couldn’t have just disappeared. I wouldn’t let her. I’d been in her presence just moments ago, and now... nothing. Where the hell is

The air felt too thin, too cold, pressing against my lungs with each labored breath. Elysia's body, typically taut with her unyielding defiance, was limp in my arms. Her chest rose and fell too shallowly for my liking, her skin pale as if the very life had been drained from her. The blood from her nose had slowed, but its remnants stained her skin like a constant reminder—of my carelessness, of the cruelty I'd inflicted on her without even thinking.I ran, not paying attention to the pounding of my feet on the earth, nor the snapping of branches around me. All that mattered was the fragile weight of her in my arms. Every step I took was laced with panic, with guilt, and with the overwhelming urge to undo everything I had done. The spell, that cursed magic, had been meant to protect her—to keep her near me, safe. But it had only done the opposite. It had burned her, both physically and emotionally. And now she was barely clinging to life.I gritted my teeth, my jaw aching from the forc