Epilogue

backstory 11. are we going to kiss?

"Did you know that the amygdala and hypothalamus become more active when they smell panic-induced sweat?" Zalia rambled to Sorin as they lagged behind the rest of the group walking towards the venue. She suddenly stuck her hands out to him. "Feel. My hands are really wet."

Sorin gently put down her hands, chuckling at her nervous ranting. "Trust me, we'll be fine. As long as you trust me like I'm trusting you, no sweat."

"But I'm sweating a lot," Zalia stated.

Sorin glanced sideways at her.

"Hey, you two," Vi turned around and nodded once. "I like your accessories. They seem really expensive. Be careful not to lose them, alright?"

Both Zalia and Sorin knew he was referring to the spyware devices he made for them. Zalia subconsciously touched her earrings and her bracelet to make sure they were secure.

"We won't," Sorin nodded back to him.

Soon, the entire group found their way to where the wedding was going to take place, which was on a glass floor covering a turquoise blue pool. The area was on a cliff overlooking a beautiful white sand beach, and with the bright sun sparkling upon both the guests' jewels and the ocean waves, Zalia could see why the Royal Yakamoz Palace had really earned its name.

"It's so beautiful," Zalia whispered. She had forgotten what it felt like to be able to travel and capture foreign sights with her own eyes. A small part of her heart ached for this type of experience.

"Yeah. It is," Sorin agreed, but when Zalia glanced at him, he was only looking at her.

"Stop being romantic. That's gross," Zalia remarked, turning her head so he wouldn't be able to see her flushed cheeks.

Sorin merely chuckled.

As the two stood above the seaside cliff, the salty breeze trying to push them past the glass railing, a passing waiter intervened and held a tray up to them. Sorin shrugged and grabbed one out of curiosity.

As he took a bite out of some bread with smoked salmon and garnishes on top, his eyes widened. "Holy fucking Jesus Christ. What is this?"

Before Zalia could respond, a welcome voice called out to her above all the clinking glasses and quiet chatter. Zalia turned her head to find Violet gracefully walking over, a small smile on her painted lips.

"Violet," Zalia called back, immediately wrapping her in a tight embrace. Although she had called Violet several times daily after the last incident, Zalia never actually saw Violet in person to confirm that she was alright. But now, when she could see that she was healthy, in one piece, and could muster up a smile, a wave of relief washed through her like a tsunami and swept all her doubt and worries away.

In fact, Violet seemed more than just okay. She was beautiful, sky blue tulle adorned with golden decorations flowing around her. It instantly reminded Zalia of an exotic princess from a faraway land of her imagination, one who ruled by day and explored castle halls by night, especially with the regal air Violet always carried.

"Everything's alright. Just trust me," Violet whispered, before letting go of the embrace and nodding to Sorin. "And who's this?" She asked curiously.

Before the manchild could respond and say something— manchildish, for lack of a better term— Zalia quickly told Violet the lie she had rehearsed. "That's Sorin, a pathologist friend of mine. We became close friends through work." She gestured to him just as he snatched an entire tray of smoked salmon hors d'oeuvres from another passing server. He froze, giving Violet a large grin and a small wave.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I'm Violet, Zalia's childhood friend." Violet silently hid her laugh at his antics.

"Hey, guys! What's up?" Candy barrelled into the conversation, the rose gold bubbling champagne almost spilling out of the glass flute she held in her hand. "Why are you two so secluded from the rest of the guests? You're not talking about your sexual fantasies, right?"