2 PROLOGUE

My gaze traveled from left to right, a smirk forming over my lips.

It was the usual; DJ lightings, blasting loud music, a sea of sweat-drenched bodies dancing like maniacs. Even the bar section was full. Everyone was ordering drinks from their choices. Few cheap couples were making out at the corners, not trying to hide, nor trying to expose completely. I rolled my eyes at them. Typical club!

I took a sip of my Champagne. The sweet taste made me smile as I continued doing my favorite thing, observing my surroundings. I was sitting near the bar counter from where I could see the whole club.

It may sound funny that I was the one who threw this party and I was the one sitting alone.

You would ask me, why?

Well, I don't have any friends, nor did I think of making any. I just simply don't like it. Friends are just a crowd of fake people around you. And I'm better off without them.

"Cool party," a girl said to me as she came forward to order a drink.

"Of course, it's my party. We couldn't expect less," I smirked with a wink.

I always gave an Open Club Party where anyone could come and enjoy the free food and beverages. That explained the so many unknown faces among my schoolmates. Well, it wasn't like I knew all of my school fellows, but unknown faces were hard not to get noticed. Especially faces as pretty as theirs. My eyes narrowed at them as I twirled my Champagne glass in my hand. I don't know why those three rich jerks caught my attention. It couldn't be because of their looks...

They were three boys sitting in the V.I.P area and flirting with my classmates. By the look of them, they looked wealthy, casually dressed in jeans and shirts. Two of the boys already got to work with their girls... If you got what I mean. While one of them just continued to do harmless flirting.

'Rich spoiled brats,' I thought with a roll of my eyes.

"By the way, why did you arrange a party all of a sudden?" I heard Clara's voice beside me. I looked at her. She had a smirk plastered on her perfect smokey makeup face. She was wearing a black knee-length dress that exposed her back with her signature red lipstick.

I didn't have any friends, but have you ever heard of childhood enemies? Yes, she was my childhood nemesis. I did have a lot of competitors and enemies. She was one of them – Clara Olsen.

"To give a nice farewell. I'm moving to New York this weekend. Your path is clear now." I mimicked her tone.

"Oh, barbie doll, accepted her defeat," she taunted, making me laugh.

"No, baby girl, I am pitying you," I taunted back with a wink. That made her scrunch up her nose in disgust while those blue eyes flashed anger, telling me she didn't like my statement, but who cared? Obviously, not me.

However, she was quick to recover it in a smudged smirk as she said, "Since you are leaving. What about playing a game for remembrance? Umm... Truth and Dare?"

Something must be barbecuing in her crazy brain. I could smell it.

"Sure, if you insist," I smirked.

"Oh, I insist, barbie doll." She smirked back.

"Tamam." I nodded.

"Let's call your friends... Oops! My bad, I forgot you don't have any. Let me call my friends," she taunted, smirked, winked, and left.

'Whatever!' I rolled my eyes at her.

Soon, she came back with her cats and dogs. We moved towards the V.I.P booth that had a big round table in the center, and around it, there were round comfortable sofas.

We were sitting inside one of the booths on the right-wing while in the center, on the dance floor, sweaty bodies were moving with the beat. As I settled on the sofa, my eyes caught the sight of those rich jerks again. I don't know why, but they were aching my eyes. There were on the left V.I.P wing, sitting in the exact opposite booth from us.

The loud hooting from my booth made me look away from them. One of Clara's friends had bought an empty bottle of wine, and they had already rotated the bottle, and it had stopped on a girl. They asked her 'truth or dare', and she chose to dare, erupting the group into hooting.

A brave girl, or should I say, a poor girl, because they dared her to kiss the guy, standing with a girl who seemed like his girlfriend. Poor guy!

She went and kissed him. That guy also responded to her kiss, making me smirk. Typical boys!

But then the guy's girlfriend slapped her boyfriend along with the girl and stormed out of everyone's sight. I chuckled at the scene. That was unexpected. That poor guy ran behind her, and the one who completed her dare came back silently. Anyway, she completed her dare so, everyone applauded her.

Once again that bottle was spun. And when it stopped... I internally cursed. All eyes focused on me. I looked at everyone before my gaze settled at Clara's challenging smirk.

"So barbie doll, Truth or Dare?" Clara asked amusedly as if she had won something.

But didn't she know me? A smirk formed over my lips as I winked at her.

"Of course, Dare, baby girl." It would be fun.

She observed the whole club before she stopped, and that stupid smirked on her face deepened. I followed her gaze only to meet with the sight of those V.I.P jerks. I frowned.

"Look, that guy over there with a white button-down shirt and black ripped jeans. Go and slap him," She said, pointing at one of those jerks.

My brows rose. "What?" I was a little shocked.

Did I hear her right?

"Miss Quine Skylee Kingston, I said go and slap that guy over there," she repeated, this time using my full name. I threw a deadly glare at her. She knew she shouldn't use my full name.

I stood up from my seat and stared at that guy. His back was facing me, and he looked busy with someone over there, probably in the middle of a hot make-out session. I bit my lower lip and contemplated the situation. I was not afraid of hitting someone, but slapping someone without any reason would be a bad idea. It would be rude, and the consequence might make me end up in trouble.

But who cares when you're challenged? I'm going to leave this city anyway. So, it won't be that bad, right?

"Do you even hear your words, Clara?" I titled my head, giving her a look.

"Why? Are you scared?" She winked with a grin, aiming a dart on my ego. And it hit hard.

'As if,' I huffed. I controlled myself from crashing that wine bottle on her head and passed her a sweet smile.

"Clara dear, do you know me? If yes, then you should know who's the scariest one here," I retorted. She scoffed at my answer while everyone in the booth just watched us amusedly. My and Clara's bickers were regular entertainment for them.

I stepped out of the booth and watched the boy. I had to slap him. I couldn't let Clara have a point in this game. She made it a matter of my dignity. So no backing up now. Sorry boy!

Taking a sharp breath in, I walked past many dancing bodies from one corner to the other corner of the club, and soon I was standing right behind him.

Gathering all my courage, I patted his shoulder. He turned around with a confused look on his face. His grey eyes met my emerald ones. Those grey orbs roamed over my face confusedly but with a weird glint.

I didn't think much and slapped him. Hard! It was so harsh that his head tilted to the left side, and my hand went numb for a moment. Damn! It was a hard one. I didn't intend it to be this hard. It seemed like every person in the club went still, only leaving the ear-crushing music.

He slowly turned his head back with a huge frown on his face. It took all my strength to bite back my laugh looking at his face. I didn't know why, but the situation seemed so funny to me. There was a slight red mark, printing my fingers, that appeared on his perfectly sharp jaw-lined cheek.

His friends who were standing on both sides glared at me. The right one who had Korean features shouted, "What the fuck!"

While the left one stepped forward, "Why the hell did you slap him? Do you even know who he is? You bitch!"

My brows rose. Anger was fuming in both of their voices. Of course, good pets, but...

"How dare you call me a bitch? You asshole!" I shouted back loud enough for everyone to hear.

"You..." The left one was about to shout something back at me again, when finally 'Mr. Got Slapped' stopped him by raising his hand, finally showing some gesture after getting slapped.

After watching the whole drama silently from the last minute, now his grey eyes were boring holes in my skull. I gulped as his stare caused a shiver to run down my whole body.

His continuous glare made me skip a heartbeat, and I froze at my spot. I didn't blink. He didn't blink. Then... He stepped closer and closer, so close that he started interrupting my personal space. His grey eyes were seemed ready to kill me if only looks could kill. I literally felt his not-so-minty breath fanning my face. But I didn't move nor even blink. I kept on staring at him. He stared back at me, unfazed.

'Am I scared right now?' I gulped at the thought.

But before he could lean further, a muscular arm pushed him back, and I released the breath that I was holding for so long. It was my bodyguard; Number 1.

He stood in between me, and Mr. Got Slapped, blocking my view of him. Then, he spoke to me, probably throwing daggers at those guys.

"We need to leave, Miss," Number 1 said. I nodded even he couldn't see me.

I signaled Clara and her friends with a nod and wink that I completed my dare. Good thing that those guys didn't create any fuss except for just glaring. Soon we exited the club, and I bounced on the back seat of the car.

My heart was still thumping badly in my chest. I was so close to creating a big mess tonight, but now it would be okay because soon I was going to leave this city. And well, who cared? It wasn't like I would ever meet him again.

"Ma'am Octavia ordered us to bring you back home," Number 2 said.

"Who was that guy, by the way?" Number 1 asked curiously.

"Who knows..." I grinned with a shrug. I don't know who he was? Probably a rich jerk... Whom mood and reputation I had ruined. I laughed, remembering his face.

Oh, God! I will never forget tonight.

The last memory of the City of Angels - Los Angeles, which was funny, interesting, stupid, and more than idiotic, but a memorable one.

As my car moved away from the club, I didn't think that it would be just a new beginning. I closed my eyes, and rested my head against the headrest, unaware of the future that I had just spiced a lot.

***

Translation:

Tamam (Alright, Okay)