80. Baddie of the Century
80. Baddie of the Century
Emara Stone
I run.
I run towards the entrance like a runaway Cinderella who would rather die than be seen with her pumpkin-ass prince.
I straighten my posture like the Baddie-of-the-Century, and step inside the palace, which seems like a luxurious five star hotel with a scenic lake view.
My purple dress sparkles under the lights of crystal chandelier dripping from the ceiling, and I stop, turning my head where the crowd is looking.
Ryan.
On the stage.
Prince of FuckLand is dressed in a lavish black tuxedo, the kind that looks expensive enough to fund a small country.
And his hair, perfectly gelled back like a mafia boss that could even deflect bullets.
“This is a full-scale, AI powered transit revolution with end-to-end automation, zero human drivers, and a predictive learning loop that adapts to passenger behaviour, urban flow, and even weather conditions in real time.”
He speaks with the lazy confidence of a man who knows every eye in the room is on him, and he is absolutely loving every second of it like the attention whore he is.
Ryan isn’t a CEO introducing himself. He is a villain enjoying his own coronation.
But where is the real villain?
I glance around, watching people laugh softly, sipping champagne, looking fancy and polished, like they robbed a fashion week runway.
Just then my eyes find him..
In between the crowd, Dakota stands like a shadow of pure power. He wears a perfectly tailored black suit, with the fabric so dark it seems to swallow the light around him.
A glass of champagne touches his lips as he listens carefully to the group of notable people, like a king collecting secrets from his court.
His jet-black hair is set back with such ruthless perfection, as if he can make or break careers with a single phone call.
Green eyes lift and suddenly, they meet mine.
I feel a loud thud in my chest as his sniper gaze pierces through the crowd, and locks onto me like a target.
Dakota remains composed, his expression unwavers as he calmly listens to the man talking beside him, all while staring at me intensely.
His eyes slowly follow the path of gravity, grazing down on my body with a slight smile, as if approving of my dress.
“Chica!”
My head spins as something annoying taps on my shoulder and I see Daniel standing behind me with the two bikini girls still glued to his sides like accessories.
“Why did you leave me? I told you to wait for me.” He looks at me with a hint of hurt in his eyes, but all I see is his unicorn purple hair.
“Are you kidding me?” I hiss at him, “You brough the girls inside the company’s party?”
“Yeah! I hired them for the entire night.” He states happily.
I facepalm so hard that some of the screws fall out of my head.
Regret isn’t even the right word anymore.
“What happened, Chica?” Daniel asks me emotionally, like I kicked his cat, “I just wanted to make you feel like the only girl in the world.”
“Like the only stupid girl in the world who agreed to go out with you?” I fire back.
“Daniel.” A pretty girl with pale skin, red hair and long legs walks up to him and smiles sweetly, “You are finally here. I was looking for you everywhere.”
Wait! Isn’t she Dakota’s secretary?
“Oh, yeah! I forgot.” Daniel abandons the bikini girls, and comes stand in between the redhead and me, “I have two dates tonight. Wohoo!”
My blood pressure skyrockets.
“What the hell is this, Daniel?” I grit at the purple cotton candy head.
“Hey! It’s not my mistake if the other girl wants me too.” He says defensively, “You know I have a soft heart, and I can’t say no.”
“But I can say no.” I reply coldly, and walk away from the crazy group to a quieter corner near the bar where the lake view is clear.
I grab a glass of champagne and sip, trying to calm my rising irritation as I watch the lake water sparkle under the night sky.
“We are backed by a group of forward thinking investors from around the world..” Ryan’s speech echoes and I twist my head to watch him perform his narcissism on the stage.
“Maverick Capital, Delta Mobility Ventures, and K Next Group, alongside public-private partnerships with the city’s Department of Transportation and several tech-forward urban planning think tanks.” He says to the press.
“Miss Stone.”
Dakota’s smooth voice slides over me like expensive wine as he walks towards me with a glass in hand.
“Mr. Asshole.” I reply with a sarcastic welcome smile.
He smiles completely unbothered as he comes stand beside me, close enough that his rich musky cologne wraps around me like Anaconda.
“Where is your date?” His gaze drifts across the place until it lands on Daniel, standing in between two bikini girls and chatting with his red-head secretary.
“Seems like he already got another date. Three to be precise.” Dakota says amusingly as he takes a slow sip of his champagne.
“Where is your date?” I question back.
He looks at me, green eyes soften with sadness as he pouts, “Well, the girl I asked to be my plus one, rejected me and chose someone else.”
Oh, please!
“It seems like we are both minus one.” Dakota murmurs, leaning closer, “And two negatives make a positive.”
I raise my brow, decoding his mathematician flirting.
“So, I think..” He smirks, whispering slowly, “We should add a plus one to each other’s list.”
I narrow my pretty eyes at him.
“I am a strong, independent woman, and I need no man to walk me around. But, nice try.” I scoff at his luring attempt.
Wasabi eyes watch me intensely, then slowly rake over my tiny body wrapped in purple dress.
“You know..” His eyes narrow down calculatively, “You look like Tinkerbell wrapped as a gift in this dress.”
He leans in, ever so close and whispers, “And I want to pick you up and put you in my pocket.”
I give him a flat-ass look, “I knew you were into little girls, pedo!”
Dakota tilts his head back and laughs like rich people do. I roll my eyes and turn my attention back to Ryan on the stage doing-the-talk.
“Why aren’t you up there giving the big speech?” I ask, glancing back at Mr. I-am-Superior.
“I don’t need to introduce myself to the press.” He grits confidently with squared shoulders, “They already know who I am.”
Always so arrogant! Like a walking hard dick with an inch tape.
“And besides, I was busy getting to know the investors.” He adds, with a slow drop of his voice, “They are the real meat.”
I narrow my gaze as I smell something fishy, “What game are you playing, Mr. Black?”
Dakota lifts a brow, all calm and curious, “Why do you think I am playing, Miss Stone?”
“Because villains love playing games.” I educate him.
A malicious grin spread across his lips, looking far too pleased with himself.
“True, but when you come in front of me..” He hums softly, “I forget I am supposed to be a villain.”
I am halfway into rolling my eyes, when I hear not-my-name.
“Amara!”
We both look up, uninterested in the grand entry of Butt Prince.
Ryan walks up proudly towards me like he won a cat-fight, and comes stand beside me, ignoring Dakota completely.
“Here.” He says beaming with confidence, “I want you to meet my father.”