Family Bonds

Three of them stared at her, stunned.

For a moment, silence reigned. Then, as if on cue, they burst into laughter.

"Are you fucking serious?"

"I thought Elias was a nutcase. Turns out it runs in the family!"

"Oh my God, she is something else."

"Ariana, don't."

Elias moved toward his sister, desperate to shield her from whatever came next. He knew how this worked—these guys weren't bluffing. They never did.

Before he could reach her, a heavy, muscular arm rammed into his chest, shoving him back hard against the brick wall. Pain exploded down his spine as his body slammed against the rough surface. The impact knocked the air from his lungs, leaving him gasping.

He groaned, his vision momentarily blurring.

Ariana's eyes darkened.

"That's enough," she said, her voice eerily calm.

Ethan smirked, taking a slow step forward. "Enough? Sweetheart, we've only just started."

"You can end it, though," Leo added, tilting his head. "All it takes is one drink."

"Come on, you're so pretty. We won't be bad to you."

Kai reached out, fingertips daring to brush against her wrist.

He never made it.

Ariana seized his hand, twisted his wrist back with precision, and shoved him down onto his knees. The movement was so swift, so precise, that the other two barely had time to react.

"Woah!" Ethan and Leo exclaimed in unison.

"The chick's got some moves," Leo remarked, clearly underestimating her. He rolled his shoulders, a grin curling his lips. "I like that. I'm tired of the timid ones."

He lunged.

Ariana sidestepped effortlessly. In one fluid motion, she slipped behind him, drew a knife, and pressed the cold steel against his carotid artery.

Leo froze. His pupils dilated in shock.

"You—" He struggled to form words, his brain scrambling to catch up. It had happened too fast.

Ariana's lips curled. "Surprised already? I've barely started."

Three bruised, battered bodies lay crumpled in the corner of the alley, whimpering for mercy. Their arrogance had shattered under the weight of Ariana's relentless attacks.

Ariana planted her boot on Leo's leg, applying just enough pressure to make him flinch. "So? Will you ever bother Elias again?"

"N-No, we won't!" Leo stammered, his voice trembling.

She pressed her heel down harder.

"Agh—! Please! We won't even breathe near him!"

Ariana smiled, satisfied. Lifting her foot, she turned to Elias, whose face remained frozen in stunned silence. He stared at her as if she were a stranger.

She met his gaze, eyes softening. "Let's go."

The ride to Sweet Panda was silent.

Elias sat beside her, staring straight ahead, his fingers gripping his jacket. His mind was a storm of unanswered questions. The weak, delicate sister he thought he knew had just beaten three grown men into submission—alone. It was impossible. No self-defense classes taught that.

Once they were seated, he finally spoke.

"Ariana," he began cautiously, "where and when did you learn martial arts?"

She stirred her milkshake, eyes distant. "A long time ago."

Elias frowned. "That's… not an answer."

Ariana sighed. She could tell he wouldn't let it go.

"My job requires me to be able to protect President Luiss in case I ever find myself in a dangerous situation."

Elias blinked, processing that. Slowly, he exhaled, some tension leaving his shoulders. "Right. That makes sense."

That seemed to ease his nerves—for now. He leaned back and picked at his molten lava cake, still watching her cautiously.

Ariana, meanwhile, opened her system interface to check the latest update.

[Relationship Stats with Elias: +50][Main Task: Completed][Reward: In Inventory]

She clicked on the newly unlocked Secret Identity tab.

The moment the details loaded, her heart stopped.

Ariana Grey: Originally adopted by the Grey family. No one besides the parents knew the truth. They had found her abandoned on a bench, freezing in the dead of winter. Unable to conceive, they took her in.

She is, in fact, the lost heiress of the Voss family.

Family politics forced her biological parents to abandon her in the wastelands until Mr. and Mrs. Grey found her.

Ariana choked on her shake.

"Hey—Elder Sister, are you okay?" Elias reached across the table, rubbing her back as she coughed violently.

Her wide, stunned eyes locked onto him—the boy who shared her hair color, her features. Only now did she notice the slight but undeniable difference between them.

She swallowed hard.

"I'm not your sister."

Elias blinked. "Pardon?"

Her heart pounded. The truth burned on her tongue, but something in Elias's expression made her hesitate. The concern in his eyes—the raw, unfiltered panic.

He truly cared.

Ariana quickly forced a smile, pushing down the words. "Uh… nothing. I think I'm just tired from dealing with those scumbags."

Elias frowned, still looking at her with suspicion. "Are you sure? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

Ariana felt warmth bloom in her chest at the worry in his voice. It was so genuine—so real. Whether they were siblings by blood or not, she realized something undeniable:

They were family.

The bond between them was not built on genetics but on something much stronger—something chosen.

In the harsh, cruel world outside, this warmth, this connection, was something she would never take for granted.

She smiled softly, her eyes gleaming with quiet determination.

"I'm alright," she assured him. "And we'll be alright."

Because no matter what she discovered, no matter where fate tried to lead her—

She would protect this bond.

She would protect Elias.

And she would see to that.