The Kingdom of Guhya

CHAPTER 3

"No, you're not sorry," she dismisses, with her eyes piercing at me.

"Yes, I'm not," I agree. I stretch my lips toward my cheeks, with a sign of strain, showing the absence of delight.

"I can't believe you'd grow this pathetic, honey," she remarks mockingly.

"I learned it from the best teacher," I banter, extending my hand before her, giving the impression that she is the person I am referring to. I glance sideways to see Ethan breaking into a light-hearted chuckle.

"What?" She asks in seething anger.

"Look. I will pay you for what I have taken. Will that be fine?" I grin.

Kate stares at me like she's ripping my soul out. She takes a deep breath, trying to compose herself. She looks at me like I am somewhat pitiful. She leans closer to me.

"That's unnecessary, girl. I bet you know how filthy rich I am. I can buy the little bit of dignity you have," she says slowly and with conviction. I raise my eyebrow and smirk at her. I was not raised to step back in situations like this. I lean closer to her ears, just enough so that she can hear me over the loud music.

"You better be careful talking about dignity, Kate. When you slept with a married man, you lost yours," I say in a low, teasing voice. I lean backward to see her aura darken and look at me with resentment. She mouths the word "bitch" even while gritting her teeth in anger. She looks at my side, probably making sure no one heard my words. She looks like she is waiting for words to say, but I do not have plans of being a loser tonight. I cover my mouth with my right hand elegantly, acting surprised and sarcastic.

"Oh my God! Was it supposed to be a secret?"

I surely won because, in a split second, her right hand landed on my left cheek. In an argument, the person who loses their composure essentially loses the fight. Ethan immediately held Kate's arms, while Damon positioned himself between us.

"What was that?" Damon loudly asks Kate, revealing visibly tensed and bulging veins on his neck, but his words are drowned by the loud music in the background. A bunch of people glanced at us.

I fix my hair and smile at Kate. I want to keep insulting and annoying her, but I certainly do not understand how a sip of tequila is overpowering my whole system. The last time I knew, I had a high tolerance for alcohol.

I feel my eyelids getting heavier with every second that passes. I stop staring at Kate when everything becomes a blur. My world appears to be spinning at breakneck speed. I adjust my vision and see Ethan looking so puzzled. Damon's eyes are fixed on me, and somewhat looking worried. Lorde is already standing behind me and I cannot comprehend his expression. And Quinn... Quinn is nowhere to be found!

With all my strength, I grab another glass of tequila, but I feel all my energy draining away, and before I can hold Damon for support, I completely lose my balance and fall. I heard some gasps and the shattering of the glass. I am waiting for the painful impact, but I find myself being caught and held in someone's arms perfectly. Lorde. The most vigilant and always the fastest. Then, everything goes black.

#

I woke up in the hospital wing with everyone but Lorde. The doctor found out I had been dosed with a pill which, we suspected, had been mixed with the tequila. Lorde came to the hospital half an hour later. Though I was curious, I did not ask where he had gone. He is always gone, anyway. I was discharged immediately and all I did after that was fire a dagger and look at Ethan.

"You're such a blockhead, Ethan," I state, clearly annoyed.

I am now in a car with Ethan, Damon, Lorde, and Quinn. Ethan is driving while Lorde is in the passenger seat, looking peacefully asleep.

"Believe me, darling. I have nothing to do with it," Ethan responds innocently. I stare at him in the mirror and roll my eyes.

"Look, I trust my charisma. Why would I do that if I knew she's already attracted to me?" Ethan adds. Well, he has a point.

Ethan is a breath of fresh air. He has this stylish brown hair that reflects his creative and warm personality. His expressive deep-set green eyes not only showcase his adventurous spirit but also accentuate his captivating magnetism and charm. His strong, chiseled jawlines, well-proportioned nose, and square-shaped face are irresistible. His physique exudes overall fitness; his self-assured posture exudes confidence. More than that, his genuine and confident smile radiates approachability. Among the five of us, he stands out as the tallest, towering at a height of 6 feet, and he possesses the most outgoing and sociable nature. But still…

"God, Ethan! Kate is not just some chick. She's pretty smart and attractive. Why do you think she'd put a pill on herself to pass out in front of you?" I ask.

"Wow, now you're praising her," Damon butts in.

"I am just stating a matter of fact," I reply.

"Well, maybe she had another motive. She could have done it to pass out in front of someone else. It could be one of her stunts to get noticed and get close to the one and only Jax Lorde Scott," Ethan tries to make a point while glancing at Lorde. I thought of that too, but what made her think Lorde was going to save her and bring her to the hospital? He could be the coldest human she has ever met.

As Lorde does not respond nor move, Ethan continues, "We all know her. She will do everything to get what she wants." He sounds so certain of his theory.

"And it is your fault for drinking something that's not yours in the first place," Damon mentioned. I was not in the mood for more fights, so I just replied, "Yes, sure."