CHAPTER TWELVE:Strange
2003 Words
♡☆♡
Daisy returned to her apartment looking revitalized.
She poured June some of the juice she bought and plonked herself down on the couch right next to her.
"Daisy, what should I do to gain more experience?" June asked and Daisy almost choked on her drink.
"Uhm… experience in what?"
"Experience in… se… in everything. About the things I don't have any clue about. Like the things that lovers do or any normal things that a girl in my age do?"
Daisy cleared her throat. "June, what has brought this on? Tell me. What did that man do to you? What exactly happened."
June hesitantly answered. "We danced and it was wonderful. I felt like we were floating on air. It was an experience I will never forget for the rest of my life."
"And then?"
"And then, he took me to his open air garden with an amazing view of the city. It was breathtaking."
"And then?"
"And then, when he found out that I was a virgin, he said he wasn't the one for me."
Daisy was speechless. What kind of man turns away a beautiful woman just because she was a virgin? Didn't he see what kind of treasure he had in front of him? Most men would have taken advantage… She inwardly gasped as her eyes widened as a revelation came to her.
Maybe… just maybe, he did see the treasure in front of him and that was why he rejected her?
Oh man… did she just get angry and beat a man because of this misunderstanding?! That Mr. Valentino may not be a bastard after all! It sounded like when he found out that Jund was pure and innocent, he sent her away because he didn't want to taint her!
Facepalming herself, Daisy faced her friend, her face now serious.
"So? Are you not going to see him again?" she asked, curious.
June fell silent for a while. "I don't want to give up on him, yet. I think he's the one, Daisy;she said. 'The one I can love without him falling for me…' she thought.
"Okay, I got it. So what are you planning to do now?" Daisy asked.
Before June could answer her, a call interrupted them. It was a video call from Daisy's cousin.
"What?" Daisy said impatiently while the girl on the phone was almost yelling, trying to be heard over the loud, roaring music in the background. June saw that the girl was in a dark, chaotic place with different coloured lights flashing across the room.
"Daisy! Where are you? Why aren't you here yet?"
"Didn't you read my message? I told you I'm not coming tonight."
"Huh? Geeezz… You're totally missing out on all the fun here tonight!"
"Yeah, yeah. I can come another night. Bye bye."
When the call ended, Daisy sighed and looked at June to continue their conversation.
However, June became curious.
"Where is she?"
"In a bar."
"That's the place that you said wasn't for someone like me?"
"Oh, well, yes."
"Daisy,I'd like to go there."
"Cough, cough. Why?"
"I just want to go there. I feel like I'm too ignorant about a lot of things. I want to see what the world is like and to go outside my comfort zone."
". . . but June, it's not a nice place for you."
"Please…" June looked at her with big, round, pleading eyes and Daisy gave up. She could not say no to that face.
"Sigh. Okay, fine."
.....
On their bed...
June suddenly remembered what Daisy said before she left with Mr. Black Jacket.
"Daisy.… You said that that man who fetched me is a prince."
"Oh yes. You know about Country J, right?"
"That secluded kingdom in the south…"
"Mm. When I was eighteen, my father brought me there with him. It is a nice, rich country. I heard it only has less than a million people living there. My father said that the royal family of Country J is one of the richest monarchs in the world but they remain very lowkey. The monarchs have full control over country J. The country prospers under them and the citizens of Country J love them but we don't hear much about them at all. Country J is a very private country, most especially their royal family. The media don't come near them because of that. Their king and queen are the only ones who show their face to the public. No one has seen the princes' faces, unless you work in the palace, which is why the world only knows the princes' names. But when I was in country J, I saw that man and I heard one of his companions call him Prince Chase. I couldn't confirm it but he resembled the king and he had such an aura. I could never forget such a good looking face… Anyway, I believe that that man is none other than Prince Chase. But then, how the hell did a prince become someone's chauffeur?!"
"Could it be that you're wrong, Daisy? Maybe he's just his doppleganger?"
"Ugh! That's not possible. I trust my memory."
"What if that person who called him prince was just bluffing?"
"… Argh! I don't know. But… but… ah, never mind. Anyway, what's Mr. Valentino's name again? I'm curious about such an ultra rich being.
"Xavier."
"Xavier, huh? Xavier Valentino,Hmm… why can't I recall any big fish with that name? I know all the big fishes in this country but his name doesn't ring a bell… this is strange…"
Daisy grabbed her laptop and browsed on the web, searching for an Xavier Valentino. She even asked some people but her brows knotted when she came up with nothing.
"This is strange; I can't find anything about him. There's no way that someone that rich… don't tell me he's related to some underground syndicate or something? But even underground bosses are widely known.
"June, are you sure that's his name?"
She nodded.
"Hmm… that's weird. I'll see if my dad knows anything about him."
♡☆♡
The next night, Daisy brought June to a bar, as promised. Daisy was a party girl so she was well acquainted with what went on inside these bars. She was reluctant to take June but the girl insisted, so there they were, in a dark, smoky bar, about to join the crowd of people who were there mostly looking to have a good time.
They walked through the corridor, their shoes sticking to the ground with every step - the remnants of alcohol spilled on the floor from the night before. As they waded their way through the sticky path, Daisy couldn't help but ask her friend again. "June,are you sure about this?"
"Yes." Daisy's response was quick and to the point. There was no hesitation.
Daisy sighed. She had never seen her friend be this stubborn before! "Make sure to stay beside me inside the bar, okay?" she could only warn.
"Okay."
The corridor opened into a large double storey area. The place was already quite crowded with about the same amount of women as there were men. Most of the people were leaning over the bar, which was situated on the left side of the room, trying to catch the bartender's attention to purchase some much needed alcohol.
June's first impression of a bar was that it was quite dirty, but after a few drinks in them, people probably wouldn't care too much about hygiene, she guessed. She looked around and saw that the place attracted all sorts of different people. There were some wild looking people, with lots of piercings and tattoos, but then she looked up to the second storey and that seemed to be filled with more mature guests in business suits.
"Come here, June. It's too crowded down here. I'm afraid some bastard will grope you," said Daisy, as she grabbed June's wrist.
Daisy had looked around and determined that the ground floor was too crowded for her to protect June. The second storey looked less chaotic than the ground floor, so she dragged June through the crowded dance floor and up the stairs.
June could only follow her best friend's lead.
The upstairs area was definitely quieter with people mostly minding their own business or looking down at the chaos on the ground floor with interest.June felt that these people who were watching the goings on the ground floor were looking for their next prey and she couldn't help the slight shiver of repulsion that came over her.
Daisy found a quiet corner for them to sit in and it looked clean as well ~ a rare find indeed. She walked over to the bar ~yes, there was another bar on that level ~ and bought them a couple of drinks.
Unbeknownst to both of them, there was a certain male sitting in his own secluded corner, who immediately recognized June. He took his cellphone from his pocket and started to dial a number.
The receiver picked up after just three rings.
"What is it?" the person on the other end of the phone sounded impatient.
"It looks like a little Kitten just walked into the wolves' den," he cryptically said knowing full well the other person on the line would know exactly what he was talking about. He hung up straight away not bothering with farewells and continued to nurse his drink, all the while, keeping an eye on the little Kitten and her hooligan friend.
Meanwhile, at the corner booth,Daisy was giving her friend some advice.
"Daisy, you're not used to this place so I think for now, why don't you just observe first, okay? If you don't like being here, just tell me and we can go, alright?"
"Okay, don't mind me, Daisy. Go and I'll watch from here."
Daisy ventured out into the crowd and made her way to the bar to buy them some drinks. The bar was full of people and there was a huge line, unfortunately, so Daisy would have to wait a while to get their drinks. While she waited, she glanced in June's direction and was relieved that she followed her advice and just observed. She turned her attention back to the bar menu and thought about which drink June might like and if she should get some nibbles too, so she didn't see a waiter approach June and give her a drink.
June, not knowing how things worked, thought that Daisy must have asked him to give her the drink, so she took it without question. She sipped at it and she threw a disgusted look at the drink bottle. 'Really? This is what people like to drink?' she thought.
On the other corner of the bar, Xavier sat down next to the caller and his eyes immediately picked her out from the crowd. He saw that June was by herself, that a waiter had given her a drink and that she took a sip of that drink. It was obvious to him that this was her first time in a bar by the way she was looking around the place. And it was also blatantly obvious that that was the first time she tasted alcohol by the disgusted look on her face after she took a sip.
In his mind, she was like a lost angel who had mistakenly walked into the realm of devils. She looked so innocent and vulnerable that he was sure that it wouldn't be long before she attracted some sleazy, worthless trash of a man who would look at her as easy prey.
In the next second, his prediction came true. A man in an expensive suit walked up to her table and started speaking to her. His beady eyes looked her up and down and he could practically see the drool falling from the corner of the man's lips.
The moment he saw the man extend his hand towards June, Xavier aura blazed with hellfire!
xoxo♡☆♡
- Writer
