Chapter 67

Kendall could feel their eyes on the back of her neck, her skin overheating as tension gripped her spine.

“Uhm…” she said hoarsely, trying to alter her voice. She covered the lower half of her face with one hand and loudly gagged. “Oh! I’m gonna be sick!”

“Oh?” Hamza frowned worriedly. “Are you okay?” She rushed away from him, making him blink. “Hey!”

Kendall didn’t stop, walking as rapidly as her feet could take her through the crowd. She thanked heaven that neither Hamza nor Karma followed her; they just stood there, watching her run away.

When she reached the other side of the room, Kendall lowered her hand and dragged in a lungful of air as she pushed open a pair of closed doors, rushing out into the hallway.

She glanced back as the doors closed, relief making sweat gather on her forehead. Her legs were shaking, but her feet continued down the hallway. She didn’t know where she was running to. She just knew that she had to find somewhere to hide.

Her heels were silent on the carpeted floors, but the muffled sound of the party music echoed through her head, making her feel dizzy as she rushed up the hallway.

The sound of a door opening and closing vaguely reached her ears, but Kendall didn’t register it. Not until she heard that voice loudly behind her.

“Hey! Wait.”

She froze mid-step. Like the voice had the very power to control her limbs, she stiffened on the spot, failing to take a single step more.

Karma. That was Karma’s voice.

Kendall swallowed hard. The carpet had muffled her own steps, but now it sounded like it amplified the sound of Karma’s every step as she closed in on her.

Her shoulders were hunched, her heart pounding as she felt Karma draw closer.

“I wanna ask you something,” Carmell called, staring uneasily at the girl. The line of her spine was so rigid, like a taut rope pulled to its limit, and her shoulders were so high, they nearly touched her ears. She’d never seen someone look so scared, even from the back.

Carmell obviously didn’t know the girl, not from what she could see. But there was something she saw in those tense shoulders and something she’d heard in that trembling voice that reminded her so much of a girl she used to know.

Kendall stood there, defeated by her predicament. She didn’t know what to do. Would it be possible to escape this if she just took off running?

The thought floated around in her mind for a moment and then just faded. Without a word, she stood there, giving up the desire to escape. She was tired.

Fatigue melted everything in her from the panic to the desperate urge to escape, loosening her muscles until all her tension was gone, and her arms hung loosely at her side. Sighing, she stared blankly at the floor.

“Are you okay?” Carmell cautiously called, inching closer.

She reached out, setting her left hand on Kendall’s right shoulder. Gently, she pulled on her shoulder to turn her around.

Her black hair was in the way, but the more Carmell turned her around, the more of her face was revealed.

Like she’d seen a ghost, Carmell snatched her hand away, stumbling backward with both hands pressed against her mouth.

Kendall stood there, unmoving, as Carmell stared at her face.

Silently, she raised her gaze, meeting Carmell’s as tears filled her eyes. She swallowed hard. “Karma.”

With a gasp, Carmell took another step back, her eyes quickly filling with tears as she stared at the face before her.

Her feet moved slowly. First, one shaky, nearly unconsciously taken step, and then she was running. She rushed across the space between them and grabbed Kendall, engulfing her in a tight embrace.

“Valencia,” she whispered, shakily. “Valencia! Oh, my God.”

Carmell was trembling, tears streaming down her face as she tightly held Kendall in her arms. Her hair colour was different, and she was eight years older, but Carmell would never fail to recognize the innocent face that had once looked up at her in a dirty alley.

She tightly closed her eyes, her heart aching when she felt Kendall’s arms wrap around her.

“Valencia,” she whispered again, like she couldn’t believe it.

The hug, to Kendall, was a portal straight to who she used to be. As Valencia, she relived everything she’d experienced for the past eight years and melted into the arms of the first person who’d ever hugged her, shaking with silent sobs.

“Valencia.” Pulling away, Carmell sniffled and held Valencia’s shoulders, inspecting her from head to toe and framing her face with trembling hands. “You okay? Oh, my, you’re so big!”

Valencia couldn’t speak, giving Carmell a shaky smile as her heart ached with a turmoil of emotions.

“You changed your hair,” Carmell said with a choked sob, gently brushing Valencia’s hair behind her ear. “You’re still so beautiful.”

Valencia swallowed hard, struggling to compose herself. “I’m… I’m s-sorry I ran.”

“No, no,” Carmell shook her head quickly. “It’s okay, I must’ve scared you. Valencia, I’ve been looking for you.”

“You have?” she asked sadly.

“Of course!” Sighing, Carmell looked down the hall where some guests were approaching.

Taking Valencia’s hand, she turned and led her away. They reached the end of the hallway, and Carmell pulled her a little to the side so they were out of view.

Turning to face her, she sniffled and wiped her tears. “Valencia. I need you to know something.”

Silently, Valencia nodded.

“Back then,” Carmell continued, her voice shaking from the tears burning in her throat. “Back then, Valencia… I didn’t bring you into our hostel to send you with Eliott Cross. I s-swear, I had nothing to do with it. When I found out what Sly did, I was furious. He and I had a huge fight, and I left Club Riviere. I’ve been searching for you ever since.”

A sob curved Valencia’s lips into a sad pout, and she shook her head. “Karma—”

“Carmell,” she gently said. “I left that name at Club Riviere.”

Valencia smiled. “I never blamed you. I made that choice, Carmell. I’m sorry you carried the guilt all these years. Eliott Cross made me an offer. And I accepted.”

“That sick bastard,” Carmell hissed. “You were a child! Is that…” She gasped, eyes widening in horror. “Valencia, is that why you’re here tonight? Are you entertaining?”

Valencia quickly shook her head. “No! I—”

“I’m gonna kill him,” Carmell spat furiously. “How dare he put you into a life of—”

Carmell suddenly broke off, frowning at a point over Valencia’s shoulder.

Valencia watched her expression go blank with shock, and then a mixture of fear and anger filled her eyes.

Before she could ask Carmell what was wrong, Valencia was tugged behind her, and Carmell stood protectively in front of her.

When Valencia leaned over to look, she understood. Her blood went cold.

Standing not ten feet from them, dressed in a clean tux for the party, and staring at them both like he was seeing a pair of ghosts…

was Eliott Cross.