Daddy’s wild girl

Chapter 48

The air in the mansion was thick enough to taste—a mixture of expensive cologne, spilled champagne, and the electric hum of a hundred bodies in motion. Near the grand staircase, hidden behind a towering marble pillar, Amelia, Sophia, and Lila stood like a council of dark queens.

Sophia’s eyes were fixed on the far side of the room where the crowd had momentarily parted, revealing Ethan’s hand resting possessively on the small of Bella’s back. "Look at her," Sophia hissed, her voice trembling with a jagged edge of jealousy. "She’s walking around his house like she belongs here. Like she’s the lady of the manor."

Amelia let out a dry, sharp laugh, her manicured nails tapping rhythmically against her glass. "She’s a guest, Sophia. And guests eventually have to leave. Some just leave with more dignity than others."

"She has no dignity," Lila added, her voice flat. "But she has his attention. And as long as she has that, we’re invisible."

"Not for long," Amelia whispered. She turned her head slightly as a girl with a short bob and a nervous smile approached their circle. It was Sarah, a sophomore who had been desperate to get into their good graces for months.

"Is it done?" Amelia asked, her voice dropping to a lethal low.

Sarah nodded, holding a small, silver vial in her trembling hand. "I have it. But... are you sure about this? If Ethan finds out—"

"Ethan won't find out because you’re going to be a friend to her, Sarah," Sophia interrupted, stepping into Sarah’s personal space. "You’re going to be the nice girl who sees a 'lonely' newcomer and offers her a drink. That’s all. If you mess this up, you can forget about ever stepping foot in this house again."

Lila reached out and took a pink, sparkling drink from a passing server, then tipped the contents of the vial into it. The liquid hissed for a split second before settling back into a shimmering, innocent-looking rose color.

"Go," Amelia commanded. "Make it look natural."

---

Bella was leaning against a cool stone pillar near the French doors, trying to catch her breath. The bass was a physical weight on her chest, and the sheer scale of Ethan’s life was starting to suffocate her. She felt like an intruder in a world built on secrets and silver spoons.

"Hey! Gosh, is it just me or is it like a thousand degrees in here?"

Bella looked up to see Sarah standing there, looking remarkably normal and friendly. She held two drinks and looked just as overwhelmed as Bella felt.

"It’s definitely not just you," Bella said, offering a small, tired smile. "I think the music is vibrating the heat directly into my skin."

Sarah laughed, a bright, easy sound that made Bella’s guard drop an inch. "I'm Sarah. I saw you earlier with Molly. You're the one everyone’s talking about, right? The girl who actually stood up to Ethan?"

Bella sighed, looking down at her boots. "I didn't realize having self-respect was such a headline-worthy event at this school."

"In this house? It’s a miracle," Sarah said, stepping closer and handing Bella the pink drink. "Here. It’s mostly just juice and sugar, but it’s cold. I think we both need a minute to just... breathe without a guy trying to grind on us."

Bella took the cup, the condensation cooling her palm. "Thanks. I’m Bella."

"I know," Sarah said softly. They stood there for a few minutes, chatting about the absurdity of the party and the stress of the upcoming exams. Sarah was a good listener, nodding in all the right places and making Bella feel, for the first time that night, like she wasn't being hunted.

"You should drink up," Sarah encouraged, gesturing to the cup. "Best way to survive this place is to stay hydrated and keep your head down."

Bella took a long, deep sip. It was sweet, with an artificial strawberry tang that masked the bitter chemical undertone. She finished half the cup in one go, feeling the cold liquid slide down her throat.

"So," Sarah said, her voice sounding a little distant now. "If you ever need a place to hide out during lunch, I’m usually in the library wing. We have to stick together, right?"

"Right," Bella murmured. But as she spoke, the world started to shift.

The music didn't just sound loud anymore; it sounded distorted, like it was being played underwater. The faces of the people around her began to blur into pale, unrecognizable smears.

"Sarah... I feel... dizzy," Bella whispered, reaching out to steady herself against the pillar.

"Oh, wow, maybe the heat got to you," Sarah said, her voice devoid of the warmth it had minutes ago. She took the cup from Bella’s hand and set it on a nearby ledge. "I think you should lie down."

Before Bella could protest, Sophia and Lila appeared out of the shadows like specters.

"We’ve got her," Sophia hissed, grabbing Bella’s arm. "Good job, Sarah. Now get lost."

Bella tried to pull away, but her limbs felt like they were made of lead. Her tongue felt too thick for her mouth. "Stop... where...?"

"Shh," Lila whispered, pinning Bella’s other arm. "We’re just taking you somewhere quiet, Bella. You’ve had a long day."

They dragged her through the crowd, navigating the side hallways with a speed that made Bella’s head spin. They reached the second floor, a place where the music was a dull thud through the floorboards. Sophia kicked open a door to a darkened guest room and shoved Bella inside.

Bella hit the silk duvet of the king-sized bed, the world spinning in violent circles. She heard the door click and the unmistakable sound of a key turning in the lock.

"Okay, she’s cooked," Lila whispered from the other side of the wood.

"Find a guy," Amelia’s voice commanded from the hallway. "Someone who won't ask questions. Tell him there's a 'gift' waiting for him in Room 204."

---

Inside the room, the darkness was suffocating. Bella felt a terrifying, artificial heat blooming in her chest, spreading through her veins like liquid fire. She groaned, her fingers fumbling blindly at the hem of her top. Her skin felt too tight, every touch of the fabric feeling like a sandpaper rasp against her nerves.

"Help," she whispered, but her voice was a broken rasp.

She twisted on the bed, her mind a fog of hazy, desperate thoughts. The drug was working its way through her system, stripping away her inhibitions and replacing them with a primal, frantic need for contact.

The door clicked. A sliver of light from the hallway spilled across the carpet.

"Bella? I’ve been looking for you for twenty minutes. If this is a game—"

Ethan stopped mid-sentence as he closed the door, the lock clicking back into place. He leaned against the frame, his tie pulled loose and his eyes dark with frustration. He had searched the bar, the balcony, and the kitchen. Finding her in a dark bedroom was the last thing he expected.

"Are you sleeping? Seriously?"

He walked over to the bed, the mattress dipping under his weight as he leaned over her. He grabbed her shoulder to roll her over, but as soon as his hand touched her skin, he felt the heat.

"Bella?" His voice lost its edge, replaced by a sharp, sudden alarm. He leaned in, his nose brushing her cheek as he caught the scent of the drink on her breath—and the chemical hum of something else. "You’re burning up. Did you drink? What did you take?"

Bella’s eyes fluttered open, but they weren't seeing Ethan the bully. They were seeing a lifeline. The moment she felt his cool, steady hands on her, the drug surged.

She let out a low, shaky groan and lunged for him. Her fingers, trembling and clumsy, gripped the front of his black button-down shirt. She began to pull at the fabric, her breath coming in short, jagged gasps as she tried to bridge the gap between them.

"Bella, stop. Look at me," Ethan said, his voice dropping to a low, ragged command. He grabbed her wrists, trying to pin them to the bed, but she was surprisingly strong, fueled by the frantic energy of the drug.

"Too... hot," she whimpered, her eyes blown wide with a hazy, desperate lust that made Ethan’s own blood roar in his ears.

She broke one hand free and reached for the back of his neck, pulling him down until their lips were inches apart. Ethan froze. He knew she wasn't herself. He knew someone had set this up. But as she pressed her body against his, her hands frantically working at his clothes, the King of the school found himself losing the battle against his own restraint.

"Whoever did this to you," Ethan whispered against her skin, his jaw tightening with a lethal promise, "is dead. But right now... God help me, Bella."