An Angel's kiss.

Chapter Eleven

I dropped back onto the bed and squeezed my eyes shut. Regret was the only thing filling my mind. I'd gotten so carried away with how much I'd drunk that I completely lost my judgment.

I took a deep breath before sitting up again. Whatever happened after that... whatever the consequences of my actions were, I couldn't change any of it now. All I could do was face them.

"Angel... breathe. Inhale... exhale..." I kept reminding myself, desperately trying to calm my racing heart.

"Okay... there's nothing to worry about. Okay? Buo pa ang kabibe. Walang masakit. Walang hapdi. Walang gasgas. Buong-buo pa.

Walang nangyari... wala. Kalma ka lang."

But deep down, I still couldn't shake the doubt.

What if something really did happen last night?

"No!" Mariin kong iniling ang ulo ko. Stop thinking about it, Angel.

I swallowed hard before finally forcing myself to stand. But before I could straighten up completely, a sharp pain shot through my head.

"Ouch..."

Thank goodness I managed to catch myself against the edge of the bed before I completely lost my balance. I squeezed my eyes shut and grimaced.

I felt awful.

The strange ache in my stomach from last night was still there, only now it was worse. It felt hot... and painfully empty. After a moment, I slowly forced myself upright again.

"Anong oras na kaya?"

I rested a hand over my stomach before making my way toward the floor-to-ceiling glass wall. I carefully pulled one of the blackout blinds aside just enough to peek outside.

It was still dark.

The dim glow from a pair of outdoor lamps barely lit the area, but it was enough for me to make out a basketball court, a wide stretch of neatly trimmed grass, and a few trees swaying gently in the night breeze.

Nothing that could tell me where I was.

"I need to go home."

"First, I had to find my phone. My clothes... and then Janice."

"Where did that girl go?"

I hurried to the bedside table and yanked open the top drawer.

Empty.

I immediately checked the drawer on the other side.

"Thank God..."

I quickly grabbed my phone, and only then did I notice the glass of water sitting on the table beside a blister pack of medicine. Beneath it was a small, handwritten note.

“Drink this.”

Just two words. Yet somehow, my heart started pounding again.

"Was this from Colt?" I shook my head. "No... maybe not."

I picked up the medicine and examined the box.

"Advil."

"I'll definitely take the Advil later—but not on an empty stomach."

Napabuntong-hininga na lang ako bago ibinalik ang gamot sa drawer. Saka ko ipinagpatuloy ang paghahanap sa mga damit ko.

The built-in wardrobe was the first place I checked, but it was completely empty. I even searched the bathroom, opening every drawer and cabinet, but there was nothing—not even a towel, shampoo, or soap.

"Mukhang walang gumagamit ng kwartong 'to."

Not that I was planning to take a shower anyway.

With nowhere else to look, I returned to the bedroom and crouched beside the bed.

"If I remember correctly, Colt tossed my top somewhere around here."

The memory flashed through my mind, and heat instantly rushed to my cheeks.

There was nothing under the bed except the spotless, shiny floor.

I straightened up and placed my hands on my hips, scanning the room one last time.

“Where did he put my clothes?” I muttered, a hint of frustration creeping into my voice.

My gaze dropped to the oversized black T-shirt I was wearing. It was so long it almost reached my knees, and the sleeves hung past my elbows.

Napabuntong-hininga na lang ako. "Bahala na. Uuwi na lang ako nang ganito."

After booking an Uber, I picked up the medicine and the note before quietly stepping out of the room barefoot.

The familiar hallway from last night was the first thing I noticed. I glanced at the two other doors beside the room I had just come out of.

"So, I'm still in the pool house. Great."

I headed toward the staircase, but before going downstairs, I peeked inside the entertainment room where we'd played last night.

A few people were still asleep—some sprawled across the couches, others lying on the floor. The room was dim and eerily quiet, with only the faint sound of their breathing filling the silence.

I quietly closed the door and made my way down the stairs. It was only five in the morning. I didn't dare open any of the other doors.

"Where did that dolly disappear to? She didn't even call or leave me a message."

I glanced around at the people sleeping wherever they'd managed to collapse. Last night's party must've been completely wild. Apparently, some of them hadn't even made it home.

I couldn't help but shake my head. Maswerte pa rin ako. Kahit papaano, nakatulog ako sa isang tahimik na kwarto, sa isang malaking kama, at may malambot na comforter.

"Sinumpa ko sa sarili ko na hindi na ako iinom ng alak."

I stepped out of the pool house, and the chilly dawn breeze immediately greeted me, making me wrap my arms around myself. The cold air sent a shiver down my spine.

The sky was still a deep shade of blue, with faint streaks of orange beginning to appear along the horizon. The place, which had been filled with loud music and laughter just hours ago, now stood in complete silence.

The traces of last night's wild party remained. Empty bottles and plastic cups were scattered across the patio, colorful balloons floated lazily in the pool, and bits of confetti clung to the damp ground.

It was hard to believe the place had been packed with people only a few hours earlier. I tiptoed toward the front door where the doorman had welcomed Janice and me the night before.

Two blonde women, who looked to be in their forties, were already busy cleaning the mansion. Both wore matching white polo blouses, short black skirts, and white aprons, making them look like professional housekeepers. One dusted the furniture while the other vacuumed the spacious living room.

The moment they noticed me, they both looked up.

"Hi... good morning."

I greeted them awkwardly, giving them a small wave. One of them smiled and nodded politely, while the other merely glanced at me from head to toe before silently returning to cleaning.

Heat crept onto my cheeks. I suddenly felt guilty under the way she looked at me, as though she somehow knew what I'd done last night.

“Tamang hinala lang ba 'to? O alam na talaga ng lahat?”

For some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling that everyone already knew.

I cleared my throat and swallowed nervously. "U-Um... excuse me. May I ask you something?"

"Of course, ma'am. How can we help you?" one of the women replied with a polite smile.

"Do you know Mr. Colt Rockefeller?"

The two women immediately stopped what they were doing, straightening slightly as their attention sharpened.