The hallway was silent, she thought. She silently took a step, her heels clicking sound echoing on the wooden floor, "shit!" she whispered, quickly removing her heels and clutching them in her hand. Glancing around cautiously, she crept along the polished wooden floor. Finally, she reached the main entrance.
Zara let out a deep breath, standing just inside the grand front door. Her eyes moved to the security roaming the garden, not again... How can I escape from here? She thought. Slowly moved to the garden walkway plants, hiding in the shadow of large, designed, crafted plants. As the security moved towards the back side of the mansion to check. "Zara.... this is the time," she whispered to herself. Without wasting a second, she ran towards the imposing gate. Her fingers fumbled with the heavy lock, finally clicking open, and she slipped outside as a victory smile replacing it.
A relieved breath escaped her lips. "I did it" she whispered her voice trembling tired of running. Her gaze shifted to the bike that was waiting, Xavier wore a black leather jacket pants, and a helmet as he raced the accelerator. As Zara put her heels on her bare feet and placed her hands on his shoulder, she mounted the bike with excitement.
Xavier turned his head slightly. "Ready?" he murmured, his voice muffled by the helmet.
Zara nodded up and down. "Yeah.... Go..." she shouted as he raced the bike speedily, her dress billowing in the wind.
After a brief drive, the bike stopped at a brightly lit bar. "OMG, I thought I was going to get caught, but I escaped Xavier!" she exclaimed as she stood near the bike.
Xavier removed his helmet and glowed, revealing a familiar grin. "How many times did I have to call you?" Emmy called out, wearing a hot red dress as she walked towards them, her expression a mix of annoyance and relief.
"My problem, I have to manage my father. Finally, I did it. " Zara threw her arms around Emmy, her excitement palpable.
"Finally! Come on, Xavier's friends were waiting for you." Emmy said, holding Xavier's hands tightly as they headed to the entrance of the bar.
Xavier opened the glass door. The bar erupted in music the colorful eye-catching light spinning around the bar and people enjoying dances and drinks served by service girls. The atmosphere were changed, the smell of alcohol mingled with room fragrance, Couples were kissing on the sofa, friends were laughing and playing funny games. A mesmerizing 3D light show danced across the walls.
Emmy led Zara through the throng to a large VIP table. "Everyone, this is Zara," she announced, settling into her seat.
"Hi everyone," Zara introduced herself, offering a handshake to everyone with a bright smile, glancing at everyone, and taking a nearby seat of Emmy.
"I am Patrick, are you Emmy's classmate?" a slightly tipsy young man asked, his gaze already a little unfocused.
"Yes," Zara replied, returning his smile.
"Are you single?" another voice asked, low and suggestive. Lucas's eyes lingered on the exposed skin of Zara's neck.
"Luca....Enough, it's out of syllabus," Xavier said, taking a deliberate sip of his liquor, a flicker of annoyance in his eyes at Lucas's persistence.
Emmy chuckled and poured a shot for Zara. She took her first shot, raising the glass with a cheerful smile on her face. "This is for Emmy," Zara declared, downing the strong liquor in one go. Others made "Cheers, Zara...." They cheered as they took their shots.
"You look stunning," Lucas repeated, his tone flirtatious. His half-closed gaze still lingered, making Zara subtly shift uncomfortably.
"What is your IG?" another friend, Max, slurred from his sprawled position on the sofa.
My friends are asshole sometimes, especially when they are drunken. Xavier thought. "Come on, guys, you're making her uncomfortable. Look at her, this is the way you treat a woman when you first meet. " Xavier interjected, a protective undertone in his voice, "How could someone that beautiful be single?"
Nearby, Emmy coughed pointedly after hearing "beautiful," her grip tightening on her glass, a hint of possessiveness flickering in her eyes.
Xavier's eyes shifted to Emmy, hearing her cough signal, her brows were arched in question. "I mean.... she is not..." Before he finished his sentence, everyone nodded and stood from the sofa, their legs stumbling from a hangover.
"Okay, Xavier. We are heading out. You're putting so much drama." Patrick slurred, grabbing the drunken Lucas as he guided him towards the entrance. Before leaving, they offered quick goodbyes to Emmy and Zara.
Zara's eyes were furrowed in confusion, her eyes scanning them, leaving, their movements were trembling from the effect of strong alcohol. "Why did they leave so soon?" she asked.
Emmy's smirk replaced her lips as she poured drinks to Zara, "You are late darling. They have waited for nearly 2 hours." she said and drank another shot of strong liquor.
"They are funny," Zara commented as she squeezed her eyes and clenched her nose in bitterness. "It's too strong, Emmy." She placed a glass on the table; her vision started to blur, and her body started trembling. A continuous vibration of messages pops up on her phone, and a notification is displayed simultaneously, drawing her attention. Her hands grabbed her phone, and she clicked the text, "Zara, I need to talk to you. "Please, just say something. I want the reason behind this...."
The message continues, "Ah!!!!" she shouts in irritation and throws her phone on the table.
"Who's that?" Emmy asked, lying on the sofa half-conscious, holding a bottle loosely, her eyes were half-closed.
Zara's hand ran over her styled hair. "My problem," she murmured, her voice tight with a mixture of anger and annoyance.
Emmy chuckled, a low, knowing sound. "I think you must talk about his shit, otherwise he never gonna leave you alone."
Emmy... "She murmured.
"Um..." Emmy mumbled, her head lolling on the sticky tabletop.
Zara placed her hands on her belly, feeling a wave of nausea. "I need to go washroom," she said, her voice slightly unsteady. Pushing herself up from the plush sofa, her legs trembled beneath her. She clutched her small handbag, grabbed her phone moved towards the washroom.
As she reached it, the washroom odor made her uncomfortable, and her stomach lurched again. She hurried into an empty stall, sat down, and she was throwing up.
Then, she stood up and rinsed her mouth at the tap, the cool water a temporary relief. "Now better," she murmured to her blurry pale reflection, adjusting her dress correctly and hair. she emerged from the washroom, and she moves like a zombie.
She stood near the dancing stage on the floor, watching around the colorful lights, and some of them were dancing on stage. She clutched a glass pillar for support. Her eyelids were half-closed with blurred vision.
A shadow from behind, the big, veiny hands from Zara's behind wrapped around her small waist gently. Zara could feel the mild scent as she knew the scent. His breathing air can feel her skin, triggering a shiver that ran down her spine. "Zara...." a deep, husky voice whispered behind her ear.
Zara didn't react, still feeling drowsy, "You missed me, A-nae..." he said, and he gently pressed a soft kiss on her back neck.
A breath caught in her throat. "Yeobo..." The word slipped out before she could stop it. What the hell is that? A sudden throb of pain shot through her head, and she pressed a hand to her temple, as her mind flashed to her memories.
"A-nae..." Min-Ju's voiced echoed on her ears, his arms wrapped around her, the mild rose fragrance of him.
Zara takes his hand from her waist. "Go away," she said, her voice filled with anger. "You are not a responsibility man."
"I'm sorry, Zara, I promise, I will never make you wait again," Min-Jun pleaded as he reached his hand towards her waist to try to pull her back towards him. Grabbed her waist and lifted her to the table, he started kissing her neck and slowly moved to her lips, still his hands placed on her hips pulled her near, and both of them went deep, ate each other with a kiss. Suddenly, she came back to reality through pop music.
Zara looked at her waist; no hands were on her, no shadow behind her, but she still felt the warm rose scent lingering in the air; her eyes searched for him through the group of people. What the fu*k was that, are those my memories or am I dreaming? She wondered.
Zara stared at the retreating figure in the hoodie, who walked speedily, hiding his face behind his hoodie and wearing a mask, he walked towards the entrance. She just followed him back, "Hey, wait..." she called out, her eyes fixed on the hoodie person. As she stumbled towards the glass doors, a hand clamped firmly on her left arm, halting her.
Zara whirled around, turned as his hand dragged forcefully. Her eyes narrowed in shock. "Adam," she whispered. Her gaze shifted from his cleaved black shirt, revealing his tattoo that snaked across his collarbone, to the intense, almost possessive glint in his hunter-green eyes. What the hell is he doing here?
"Zara....What are you doing here?" Adam asked as his eyes fixed on her disheveled appearance, the slight sway of her body.