章 268: Lina’s Christmas Deal      

[LINA]

Christmas wasn't exactly my favorite holiday. At least, not anymore. Growing up, I loved it—the warm lights, the laughter, the feeling of belonging. But this year, things felt different.

Cole was off celebrating with Eve, and my parents were having their usual private dinner, leaving me stuck in the middle of nowhere.

I could have gone to some glamorous party or made up an excuse to leave town, but I didn't want any of that. What I wanted was something simple—a quiet celebration, maybe with Dylan, if he would ever stop treating me like I didn't exist outside of his 'bodyguard duty.'

But, as usual, Dylan was more interested in lifting weights or going through endless rounds of training than spending even a second celebrating with me. I mean, why celebrate Christmas when you can punch things, right?