CHAPTER 27: THE WITCH OF THE CASINO

(Evelina’s POV—Casino of Shadows—30 Seconds to Attack)

The world didn’t just blur.

It fractured.

Twelve red warnings floating above smiling faces. Twelve walking deaths wrapped in silk, suits, diamonds, and champagne.

[Assassination Attack begins in 30 seconds.]

Thirty Seconds.

I swallowed the scream climbing my throat. My hand instinctively gripped Rowan’s wrist—a silent SOS.

"Get ready," I whispered, barely mouthing the words. "There’s a mass hunt about to start."

Rowan’s entire body stilled. For the first time since I met him—his eyes widened.

Not much. But enough to prove he understood: This wasn’t a bar fight. This was a massacre waiting to spark.

Then—his reaction was instant.

He shifted behind me, posture snapping into combat mode, one hand subtly resting at the small of my back as he pulled me imperceptibly closer to his chest.

A shadow.

A shield.

A weapon coiled and ready.

"Miss," he murmured, voice low and lethal, "who is the target?"

Target?

Right. If the assassins were here, they weren’t wandering for ambience. Someone was marked to die. But the system didn’t tell me who. Of course. This damn system never gives me the full picture—just chaos with sparkly borders.

Before I could blink—Theo’s voice echoed through the casino speakers, smooth and commanding.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen—"

I turned toward the stage... And froze.

Because above Theo Vinter’s head wasn’t an affection score, but a new red warning unraveled into existence like glowing strings of blood.

[ PRIMARY TARGET IN 30 SECONDS ][ PRIMARY TARGET IN 29 SECONDS ][ PRIMARY TARGET IN 28 SECONDS ]

My stomach dropped.

Theo Vinter.

He wasn’t the hunter tonight. He was the prey.

Rowan stiffened behind me. "...Miss?"

His voice was sharper now—urgent, demanding clarity.

"Who is the primary target?" he asked again, slower this time, colder—like he was ready for the answer to be me.

My eyes locked onto Theo, standing center stage, silver hair catching the chandelier light like a blade. His smile was polished and charismatic. His bodyguards were unsuspecting.

The number ticked down.

[ PRIMARY TARGET IN 25 SECONDS ]

I swallowed hard.

"...Him," I whispered. "Theo Vinter."

Rowan’s gaze snapped to the stage. A silent, frosted second passed.

"...The mafia leader?" he asked. "The one who walked in armed? That man?"

"Yes."

His jaw tightened. "Why do we need to save him?"

I didn’t know. I didn’t understand why the system insisted on this route.

Theo wasn’t my ally.He wasn’t my lover.He wasn’t my friend.

He was chaos wrapped in a suit.

But he was also my quest. And completing this event was my only gateway to freedom.

I didn’t hesitate.

"Just follow the orders, Rowan," I said, voice sharp as a blade. "That’s what You are hired for."

Rowan bowed his head slightly.

"...Then we save him." His voice was clipped—military calm—but a hint of confusion flickered beneath the ice.

I didn’t have time to answer it.

On stage, Theo continued, unaware of the glowing red death above him:

"Tonight," he said, smiling dangerously, "we celebrate the grand inauguration of Casino One..."

The applause rose.

My heart raced.

[ PRIMARY TARGET IN 20 SECONDS ]

Theo lifted a glass.

"And tonight, I also—"

Rowan leaned closer. "Miss—"

"—announce," Theo continued, "the collaboration between Vinter Corporation and Hartgrave Group on a brand new project."

The crowd gasped.

Applause erupted.

And the countdown kept ticking.

[ 17 ][ 16 ][ 15 ]

My pulse pounded in my ears.

Champagne clinked.Guests cheered.Lights glittered.

No one noticed the assassins slowly closing their circle. But Rowan did. His hand wrapped around my arm, steady and firm. "I see movement."

"I know," I whispered.

Across the hall—Assassination No. 4 moved toward the left balcony. No. 9 slipped through the crowd with a champagne flute. No. 1 adjusted his cufflinks like a man preparing for war.

[ 11 SECONDS ]

Theo raised his glass higher. "To new beginnings—"

[ 9 ]

[ 8 ]

I inhaled.

Steady.Cold.Unflinching.

"Rowan," I whispered, "protect the target by any means."

He nodded once.

"...Yes, Miss."

And then—He moved. A shadow breaking free. A blade in motion. A predator unleashed.

The crowd cheered.

[ 5 ][ 4 ][ 3 ]

Theo smiled.

He had no idea death was aiming for his spine.

[ 2 ]

[ 1 ]

And the first assassin drew his weapon and...

B A N G ! ! ! ! !

The sound tore through the casino like thunder made of metal. Theo’s champagne glass exploded in his hand—shards slicing through the air, glittering like diamonds dipped in blood.

Screams erupted—tables overturned—people sprinted in every direction.

"AAAHHHHHHHH—RUN!!!"

The room dissolved into chaos. And the first thing I noticed—I still didn’t have my gun.

My thigh holster was empty. My heartbeat spiked. My breath chopped.

"Where—WHERE—?!" I hissed, palms sliding along silk, panic blooming.

I didn’t have time.

Another gunshot cracked—BANG!!!

A bullet skimmed Theo’s shoulder—Rowan slammed into him, knocking him down behind a pillar, and I moved.

Fast.

"Where the hell are you going?" Lucein yelled.

I didn’t hear him; I just lunged toward the nearest bodyguard. He jerked back, startled—but I was faster.

My fingers curled around the barrel of his rifle.

"I NEED THIS," I snapped.

"MI—MISS—?!" he stuttered.

I ripped it out of his grip. The metal was heavy—cold—powerful.

I didn’t hesitate.

Rowan’s head whipped toward me—eyes molten steel, movements a blur. "MISS—STAY BEHIND—"

"NO," I growled, clicking the safety off. "WE END THIS."

And then—the assassins attacked.

Two assassins vaulted over the balcony, knives flashing under chandelier light. Three more surged from the right corridor with concealed guns drawn. One woman dressed in silk ripped her skirt—revealing blades strapped to her thighs.

Twelve killers.

Twelve routes.

Twelve deaths waiting to happen.

But I didn’t freeze. I raised the rifle—aim steady thanks to Rowan’s brutal training—and fired.

BANG!

The first assassin fell. Straight through the forehead. Rowan didn’t even look shocked. He moved like a shadow unchained—a blur of fists, steel, and death.

One assassin leaped toward Theo— Rowan grabbed the man’s wrist mid-air, twisted—CRACK—and snapped his arm like breaking dry wood.

The man screamed, "AGGHHHHH!!!"

Rowan silenced him with a single strike to the throat. Another assassin lunged toward ME—Knife drawn—eyes locked on my heart—I stepped sideways—let the slit of my dress flow like smoke—and brought the rifle up under his chin.

And...

BANG.

His body collapsed at my feet. Blood splattered the marble like dark rose petals.

Someone shrieked.

Someone fainted.

I didn’t flinch.

And then....three assassins aimed from the upper walkway, automatic fire rained down. I dove behind a column, breath sharp, heart steady.

Rowan slid beside me, grabbing my wrist just long enough to pull me out of a bullet’s path.

"Left balcony—three!" he barked.

"I see them."

I rolled out from behind the column, skirt flaring like a red flame, rifle against my shoulder.

One

Two

Three

Three clean headshots. They dropped like puppets with cut strings. Rowan stared at me—briefly—eyes flashing with something unreadable.

Pride?Shock?Possession?

But there was no time.

"BEHIND YOU, MISS!"

I spun—just as another assassin leaped with a dagger aimed for my throat.

I ducked, grabbed the champagne bucket from a nearby table, and smashed it across his jaw.

He staggered. I kicked him in the stomach—he fell back onto a table—and Rowan finished him with a blade pulled from the man’s own belt.

We didn’t speak.

We moved.Together.Like we’d done this a thousand times.

A soft red glow flickered at the far window. The sniper—the barrel glinted, the muzzle aimed—I didn’t think.

I ran.

My heels sliced across the polished floor as if the marble bowed to me.

The sniper fired—the bullet skimmed past my cheek, drawing a thin burning line—and then I slid behind the giant ice sculpture, using it as cover.

One breath.Two.

Then I lifted the rifle—angled upward—locked onto the reflection in the ice—and fired.

CRASH—!

The sniper’s body slammed backward through the glass.

The Last Two

The final assassins charged like madmen—their last chance to complete the job. One aimed for Theo directly.

Rowan intercepted—They crashed into a pillar—Rowan’s knee drove into the man’s ribs—Bone snapped—and he slit the assassin’s throat with his own blade.

The final assassin sprinted toward the stage—toward Theo—toward the spotlight—I didn’t hesitate.

I aimed.

Exhaled.

And pulled the trigger.

BANG.

The last assassin dropped. Dead center. Right between the eyes.

Silence fell.

Slow.Jagged.Haunting.

Bodies littered the casino floor. Guests sobbed in corners. Champagne spilled like blood. The chandeliers flickered under the gunpowder haze.

Rowan stood amid the carnage—breathing steady, unhurt—eyes locked on me. I lowered the rifle, my hands steady even as adrenaline roared through my veins.

Theo Vinter—blood trickling from the cut on his palm—silver hair disheveled—eyes blazing like a storm—stood between dead assassins and shattered glass.

And he looked at me like he had never seen anything more dangerously beautiful.

Theo’s smirk deepened. "...You really are a witch. A cruel, beautiful witch."

And above his head—DING.

[ Theo Vinter—18% ]

I blinked once. Well...that was shocking, but I didn’t have time to worry about that.

Because—DING!!!!!

The system window exploded into view like fireworks laced with dynamite.

[ System: SUCCESS! Congratulations — you have eliminated all 12 assassinations. Reward Unlocked: You are now free to choose your own route. Bonus Reward: +30% Affection from the Strongest Man in the Game ]

My lips curled slowly.

Yes.Yes.YES.

This — THIS — was what I came here for. Freedom. Power. Control over my own damn fate.

I didn’t need Kael Valtore affection. I didn’t need his ego or his pity or his fake protection—"Miss... are you hurt?"

Rowan’s voice snapped me back. I turned—expecting the usual stoic mask—but froze. Above his head, a blue flare blinked.

[ Rowan Arcturus — 32% ]

My heart skipped.

Thirty-five.

He had jumped thirty percent.

Rowan.The man who cared about NO ONE.The man whose original affection for Evelina was locked at Two.

But the shock didn’t stop there. Another ping lit up the room. I turned toward Theo—still standing amid corpses and glitter, blood on his wrist and interest in his eyes.

[ Theo Vinter — 48% ]

My throat tightened.

Forty-eight.

He had also jumped THIRTY.

The system said the strongest man in the game. I had assumed it was Kael Valtore. But Kael—standing across the chaos, wine forgotten, staring at me with disbelief—His affection blinked faintly.

[ Kael Valtore — 10% ]

Ten.

While Rowan and Theo... were nearly FIVE times that.

My breath caught. Then the realization hit—slow, cold, electric:

The strongest man in the game... was never Kael Valtore. It was—Theo Vinter, and—Rowan Arcturus.

Two men standing at opposite ends of the casino...Both looking at me like I had rewritten their worlds.