Chapter 41 My Girl

Chapter 41 My Girl
Kai’s POV

What if I teach him a little lesson? 

I pictured it for a second…slipping laxatives into Blake’s drink, watching the rich prick squirm mid-toast or if luck’s on my side, he might not make it to the restroom. 

I also thought about leaning in close and spitting right into the glass. The thought made the corner of my mouth twitch. Payback for every arrogant breath you take. 

But I wasn’t prepared. No pills in my pocket. And spitting? I was a few feet from the stage already, surrounded by watching eyes. Someone would notice. Security would drag me out. And Alina… she’d hate me for it. 

I shoved the idea down, jaw clenched so hard my teeth ached.

I reached the corner of the stage. The steps felt endless, each one lifting me closer to the lights that burned hot on my skin. 

Sweat prickled under the cheap uniform collar as I swallowed the annoyance rising up inside me. Why does it have to be Blake standing beside her? Why not me?

Blake spotted me and flicked two fingers…the universal signal for ‘get over here, boy.’ Like I was his personal butler. 

The whole hall watched…hundreds of eyes on the perfect couple and the nobody serving them. 
Heat flooded my face, but underneath it boiled pure fury at the class gap. 

These people acted like the ground I and others like me walked on was dirt. 

But one day, I’d stand up there myself. Spotlight on me. No mask. No tray. Just respect.

I climbed the short steps, tray steady despite the anger making my arms tense. Blake turned slightly, that frown already creasing his perfect brows. 

When I got to him, I stretched the tray forward, offering the glasses.

His voice dropped low, meant only for me, but the disdain dripped like poison. “Is this how you were taught to serve the people who put food on your table?” His eyes raked over me like I was gum stuck under his shoe. “Fix your posture, rat. And hurry closer.”

My free hand curled into a fist at my side, nails digging into my palm as I tried to control myself. The pain grounded and steadied me. 

I knew Blake and Alina had no clue who was under this mask, but God, I wanted to drop the tray and drive my knuckles into his smug jaw. Hear the crack. Watch him stumble back in front of everyone. 

My breath came hot and fast under the mask as the thought crossed my mind…over and over again. 

Do it. Just do it, Kai.

But Alina stood right there and I cannot embarrass her.
I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat burning. Causing a scene would splash back on her. 

I forced my voice steady. “Sorry, sir. I’m just standing in for someone tonight.”

Alina shifted beside Blake, her voice a hurried mutter only we could catch. “People are staring, Blake. Hurry up and take the glass. I want to get off this stage as soon as possible.”

Blake shot me one last cold look, the kind that said ‘you’re nothing.’ Then he reached for one glass and his fingers closed around the stem.

Before he could grab the second, I moved fast…smooth, practiced steps around to Alina’s side.

I tilted my head in a low, gentlemanly bow, the kind I’d seen in movies but never got to use. The words came out soft, shaped just for her ears. “For you, Queenie.”

Her eyes widened instantly. That spark…pure excitement…lit up like fireworks and I knew she recognized me.

Her lips parted, and for a split second, the real Alina that I’m getting to know underneath all this glamor broke through the polished surface. 

But then, the fire died instantly. Like it was snuffed out.
She glanced around the packed hall, all the eyes, the cameras, the expectations and then at Blake. 

I could tell what was going on through her mind and how badly she wanted to drop the glamorous act as her shoulders dropped just a fraction. 

She looked like a bird with broken wings, trapped in a circle of predators closing in. The sight twisted something deep in my chest. It almost broke me right there.

I passed her the glass carefully. Our fingers brushed. Electricity shot up my arm…sharp, alive, the same jolt I always felt with her. Warm skin, soft touch, that secret connection no one else in the room could touch. Her breath hitched, barely noticeable.

“Get off the stage,” Blake said, irritation thick in his voice. He stepped closer and wrapped his arm tighter around Alina’s waist, pulling her against him like marking territory. “You don’t deserve to serve her.”

God, I’ve never hated anyone so much!

Alina’s tone stayed even, but I heard the edge as she spoke up immediately. “Blake, don’t be rude. He’s just doing his job.”

Blake blinked, then forced a quick smile through gritted teeth. “Sorry about that, server. Thanks for the drinks.”

The apology came fast, automatic, all charm for her. Because there is no way Blake Harrington will apologize to anyone he thinks is beneath him.

Regardless, his apology made my blood boil hotter. 
Why the hell did he fold so quickly right when I wanted him to cause a scene?

Where was that arrogance now? Why hide it when Alina was watching? It made me want to push harder…spill a drink “accidentally,” say something sharp, anything to crack that mask and show the whole world who he really was underneath. She deserves to see it. 

But I held back, my muscles locked tight. There will always be another time for that level of drama. This is not the place.

Alina’s practiced smile slipped back into place, bright and empty as they lifted their glass toward the crowd.

“To new beginnings and stronger bonds,” he said, voice booming again. The room cheered, glasses clinking everywhere.

I retreated down the steps, tray lighter but heart heavier. I slipped into the shadows near the side of the hall, half-hidden behind a tall floral arrangement. 

From there I watched her. Alina stood smiling next to Blake, nodding at the right moments, the perfect picture.

She looked good there…too good. The lights made her shine, and Blake’s arm around her seemed natural to everyone else. 

It made my stomach turn with raw anger as my fists clenched again. 

That should be me. Not Blake.

I made up my mind right then, standing in the dark while the toast rolled on…to remove anyone standing beside her. 

A smirk spread on my lips as an idea struck me. During the after-party, I would widen the crack in their so-called relationship. 

Because Alina is my girl. That’s how it should be.