Before long, Seth's hands were full of merchandise he had bought for Ondine. She felt guilty and offered to carry some of it to lighten his load."I've got it," he said, not letting her take anything.As they walked, Seth asked, "You used to love this game. Why did you stop playing?"Ondine looked down, tempted to make up an excuse. But after everything Seth had done for her, lying felt wrong."I had a master in the game," she said honestly. "He was really good. When Ellis saw me playing with him, he got jealous and made me quit..." Her voice trailed off, becoming almost inaudible. She felt a flush of embarrassment. Quitting a game she loved for a jerk like Ellis felt like a shameful part of her history.But to her surprise, Seth's focus wasn't on Ellis."You had a master?" he asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice. "What was he like?"Thinking of her master, a smile touched Ondine's lips. "Oh, he was a great person. Incredibly skilled at the game, but also humble and polite. He had a really good moral compass and was a top student in real life.""And," she added, her smile widening, "his friends said he was really popular with girls, but I never saw a picture of him or even heard his voice."A flicker of regret crossed her face.Seth saw it, and the faintest hint of a smile appeared in his own eyes, gone as quickly as it came. His voice was neutral when he spoke. "Now that you and Ellis are broken up, why don't you start playing again?"noveldrama"I've been too busy lately," Ondine said, her gaze dropping. "And with my mom being sick, I'm just not in the mood for games."Seth nodded in understanding.After exploring the VIP section, Ondine wanted to see the general area. By now, it was even more crowded than before. As she and Seth walked side-by-side, a sudden roar went up from the crowd behind them, and people began surging forward. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ FindN0vel.netThe scene descended into chaos. A little girl nearby stumbled and fell, crying out in fear.Ondine reacted instantly, reaching out and pulling the girl to her feet just as the crowd pressed in. A moment later, and she could have been trampled.The girl's mother pushed through the throng, scooping up her daughter and thanking Ondine profusely."You're welcome," Ondine said, and when she looked up, Seth was gone, swallowed by the crowd.She started to reach for her phone to call him, then remembered she had put it in her bag. And her bag was with Seth."This is bad," she thought. In a venue this huge, finding someone without a phone was nearly impossible. She let the current of people carry her forward, deciding her best bet was to find the information desk. Suddenly, a warm hand closed around hers. Startled, she turned.It was Seth. His eyes were fixed on her face as he said, his voice calm andsteady, "So we don't get separated."Ondine was too stunned to speak.For the next two hours, Seth held herhand. Ondine felt like a marionetteon a string, letting himlead hewherever he went, het mindcompletely blank. Seth... was holding her hand.