"Thanks Ethan" Brina thanked him as she wriggled out of Louis's iron hold.

However, Louis is reluctant to let her go.

He doesn't want her to go and start the live video.

This will change everything.

Her secret, the identity she is hiding over years, is going to be unveiled if she steps out of his embrace and walks into that room.

He doesn't want that.

Right now, his strongest urge is to hide her from all this. He wanted nothing more but to take her away....

"Honey, if you don't loosen your hold, you are going to suffocate both me and our baby to death. Let go" Brina whispered.

Louis just shook his head like a child.

Afraid that, if he let her go now, she might not return.

"Louis, I am not going anywhere, okay! I will be back in ten minutes and we can go back to our room" she tried to persuade the big kid.

"Let's run away," Louis whispered.

Brina didn't understand whether to cry or laugh.

"I am not going to run. Not again. This is my responsibility, which I alone could fix. This has to be stopped now" Brina firmly answered.

Pecking his lips, he caressed his cheeks.

"Trust in me, one more time" she whispered.

Louis pursed his lips but at last, he could only let her go.

What can he do more than this? She has put him in a tough spot!

"When mom died, I mean, when she -" Ethan was about to explain Louis's behaviour, Brina cut him off.

"I know. Before aunt Rhea died, she promised Louis that she would be back very soon but never came back. I understand his trauma" Brina smiled sadly.

Her husband was five years old when his mother died. That traumatic experience left a permanent impression.

"True. So, please be careful. I don't want to see my brother broken hearted again nor I want to see you hurt either" he gently warned her.

"I know" Brina sighed.

….

Meanwhile…

In the party…

Camilla was the centre of attention till Eliina and Diego walked inside.

Almost everyone in there doesn't know who Eliina actually is.

As she is not yet twenty three, the official age for the Royal heir and heiresses to have an international exposure, if they only want it, her identity is still a secret as well.

But they are drawn by her elegance and beauty.

Greyish black eyes, long and jet black curly hair, sharp contours and well toned body....

Most importantly, her aura and the charisma.

However, everyone is shocked because their crown prince never appeared to any of these boring parties, let alone with a beautiful young lady, hand in hand.

He loves to live in seclusion and he barely steps out of his room. On the first hand, he is barely home.

If not because Alpha academy gave emergency holidays after the attack that followed with rebellion strikes, a bloody attack in the fallen kingdom, he would have stayed in the academy itself.

"You look so beautiful, dear" Gabriel praised Eliina. Actually surprised that she came.

"Thank you, uncle. I thought Diego needs to socialize more" Eliina answered, naturally.

Uncle…

She called him uncle…

It shocked Gabriel too.

Actually, everyone.

"Such a thoughtful child. He really needs to socialize. I am glad he found someone as considerate as you" Gabriel praised her, quickly gathering himself.

"I am glad you accepted us, uncle, given my 'not so good' background" Eliina thanked him

Now, Gabriel couldn't help but get frustrated.

This kid…

Why is she so quick and terse??

She is reminding him of his niece, Sabrina.

It took him years to weave a perfect plan to take her down.

And, as for now, he is not ready to welcome another troubling, clever woman into the family.

First, it is his first wife, Morgana. Second, his niece Sabrina and, now his son's girlfriend,

Eliina…

"My family never cares about the background if you are capable and truly wish for the welfare of the Kingdom. Moreover, it seems like my little brother really loves you a lot" Camilla who approached them, answered to Eliina, leaving no space for her father to retort.

"Am I right, daddy? Diego is smiling for the first time after uncle and his family died" Camilla asked Gabriel.

"Yes, yes. You are right dear. Why don't we resume the party now? It's already late" Gabriel quickly diverted the topic.

Meanwhile, the word spread fast in the party....

Everyone started gossiping about Eliina, who, most probably would be their next Queen.

Although Gabriel felt very annoyed and furious listening to all these remarks about Eliina, he is utterly helpless.

All he could do is fake his smile.

He have to maintain his saintly behaviour...

Why can't Eliina be dope like Camilla and his second wife, Valrie? They are very easy to manipulate!!

...

"See, your sister likes me too," Eliina beamed.

"Yes. It's quite a surprise, given how you snatched the attention in 'her' anniversary party. She didn't even sulk at you for doing it. It's really a shocking response from my sister who loves attention" Deigo responded.

"Maybe she felt happy to see you happy and it might not have mattered her anymore whether I snatched her attention or not" Eliina answered.

"Luna, she never cared about me. At least not when I needed her most. All these so-called siblings here, they avoided me and abandoned me" Diego said, his voice turning gloomy and angry.

"After my cousin died, I no longer felt loved until I met you. There is no need to impress this side of my family." he added.

Eliina pursed her lips.

They avoided him because they are exploring the dangerous grounds. They didn't want to implicate their little brother into the dangerous plan they are brewing.

He already lost too much. And telling him that his mother was killed by their father would make his pain worse.

And, unfortunately, they can't explain everything to him until unless they reveal their mother's matter first. So, they kept everything under the rags.

"All right, all right. As you say. But tell me, why are others looking at me so strangely?? Have I grown a horn on my head?" Eliina asked, diverting the topic.

"They are looking at you like that because you made them remember my cousin sister, Sabrina who is mostly like you. Your soft tongue, sharp eyes and the way you handle the matters in a smooth way…" he explained.