Alice didn't receive any more flirting from any of the other guys after what she did to the other man's face. So, she stood in the corner of the ballroom and watched the "ball" alone. Alice hadn't always been used to being alone; she was part of a squad, one of assassins working for the government. They were the ones who fought with her, watched her back, on the front lines of World War 3.

Alice shook her head as she threw thought of them away, and she was about to push them to the other side of her mind until she remembered him一Luca. She loved him and continued to love him every moment, every living breathing moment. And she loves the product of their relationship. They loved each other so much that they had a child together.

That's what she is fighting for as she continues to detach from everyone. She doesn't want to get too attached to anyone, since that would risk the development of an emotional connection. She didn't fear cheating on Luca, but feared the fact that everyone in this room, she'd have to kill or she would have to kill their killer. At one point, all these people will be dead and gone and only the best would be left, one person. Alice just had to make sure that that would be her.

So Alice stood alone by the red silk cocktail tables with a glass of untouched champagne in her hands that she had no intention of drinking. She watched the dancing and partying of the common criminals, which she found incredibly stupid that those people were the ones partying. They were the ones to die first, so she wondered why they weren't trying to strategize or get in the good graces of the elite thirteen. 'Maybe they just accepted death and this would be their last party,' Alice thought to herself.

"Hey, darling. Why is a pretty thing like you alone at such a. . .fine party?" a girl with perfectly curled hair asked. She was the third ranked and she beautifully dressed just like all the other females of the elite thirteen here.

She wore a simple white silk, shear, and mesh dress that wasn't big and didn't have to be. The sweetheart neckline and over the shoulder sleeves were simple but breath-takingly beautiful, especially with the hand stitched flower designs scattered all over the dress. Her heels were pure glittering glass and both her ear cuffs and mask were designed with delicate thin silver. Her golden hair was styled down and she was crowned with a ring of flowers. Nia may be the golden angel, but here was a royal of silver and flowers.

"Emilia, it's to finally meet you. I heard all about you," Alice said shortly.

Emilia elegantly slid Alice's champagne glass into her own hand and took a sip. Her soft pink lipstick left a smudge on the glass. "All good things, I hope."

"Quite the opposite," Alice smiled and took back her glass, actually taking a drink. It was her second taste of alcohol and it wasn't any better than her first. However, for the sake of her pride, Alice painted on her mask of cool features and hid her disgusted ones to perfection. "I heard all about your massacres, which were quite impressive."

"Good, so you did hear all good things. I don't want anything to tarnish my reputation." She talked so elegantly. To Alice, it seemed as if Emilia thought of herself as royalty.

'Maybe this is her coping mechanism. Maybe this is the effect of massacring so many people. Or maybe she really thinks that she is royal. Maybe she is.'

Alice laughed along with Emilia. Emilia was ranked way above her, so she didn't want to make herself the first target.

Then, there was a shout and the shattering sound of a glass thrown against the wall. Alice and Emilia whipped their heads around and they saw two men fighting each other. Emilia rolled her eyes and took another glass of champagne to sip. Alice just watched. It was the first and, hopefully, only fight during this ball. She almost laughed knowing how much fighting and killing is to come. 'This is our last hurrahs. Let us enjoy it!' Alice thought to herself with a bit more than just a slight annoyance.

One of the men got on top of the other one, straddling him. Suddenly, the guy on the bottom stopped moving and appeared dead.

"Didn't I say no killing?" Scott asked rhetorically over the intercom. "Guess that you'll make an example which is too bad. Goodbye." Then, some machine guns extend out from hidden compartments within the walls and stick the killer with almost a hundred bullets. Blood started to puddle on the floor while the silence throughout the ballroom began to feel thick and heavy to Alice. She stuck her hand out to prop herself up on the red cocktail tables.

Suddenly, a soft laugh echoed through the air, which started the conversation again throughout the ball. Emilia was the one who laughed.

"Don't you just find it so interesting the stained designs that blood leaves behind?" she smiled and placed her fourth empty glass of champagne on the table. "I'll be off now. It was nice meeting you, Alice."

Alice didn't know what to think other than the fact that Emilia may present herself as the silver royal of flowers but her crown drips with blood.