Chapter 142 CHAPTER 142

Chapter 142 CHAPTER 142
Soren tilts his head at the sprawling building in front of him as he and Liam arrive at the address on the envelope Sandra gave him.

A smirk tugs at his lips just as the night breeze blows through his red hair, his eyes glimmering with mischief. From here, he can hear the loud sound of music and college kids having fun.

So, this is what it's like to attend a college party. It isn't any much different from a club, is it? Soren tilts his head to the other side.

"Soren, we really shouldn't be here," Liam stammers, his eyes darting toward the gates where a line of sports cars is parked. "They are going to eat us alive. I can physically feel my stomach turning into knots."

"It’s fine, Liam," Soren says calmly, slapping a reassuring hand onto the boy's shoulder and pulling him closer to his side. "If anyone tries to eat you, I will personally pull their teeth out. Just stick close to me."

With that, they walk through the gate of the mansion, and the music gets louder, and soon, they're walking through the front door after showing his invite to the security guard outside.

Soren is immediately hit by the smell of alcohol and pheromones, mixed with the smell of arousal in the air. He clicks his tongue in disgust, and they pause, taking in the scene before them; the large living room is packed with people grinding against each other, downing liquor, and shouting over the ear-splitting music.

Suddenly, the crowd parts, and Sandra, accompanied by her horde of friends, struts toward them. "Oh my god, you actually came!" she squeals, her voice too loud and dripping with fake sweetness. 

She instantly grabs Soren by the arm, hooking her hand around it and almost rubbing her chest against him. “And you brought Liam! How… great," she says as if it's the only nice word she can come up with.

"We figured we'd see what all the hype was about," Soren replies, wearing the fakest and most innocent sweet smile he can muster, then he smoothly pulls his arm out of her grip.

"Well, you are the guests of honor tonight," Sandra beams, signaling for one of her friends to hand them red plastic cups filled with alcohol. "Come on! Let’s get you guys comfortable. You need to mingle. You need to dance!"

With that, both Soren and Liam are pulled onto the dance floor. Soren smiles at the girls who immediately surround him, ready to dance with him. Soren likes to play, so he dances while keeping an eye on Liam, who looks like he's about to pass out from all the attention he's getting.

For the next thirty minutes, it’s like being in a circus as Sandra and her friends practically smother them.

They drag them to the center of the room, forcing Liam into awkward conversations and trying to pull Soren into offbeat dances; in other words, they made Soren and Liam the honored guests of the party.

From the corner of his eye, Soren can already see that Liam is getting comfortable as he laughs and dances among them. For someone who never wanted to be here, he seems to be having more fun than Soren himself.

Soren stares down at the plastic cup in his hand and smirks. Then he walks over to Sandra, who is sitting between two guys. He hands her the drink.

“Is there something wrong? Are you not having fun, Soren?” She asks as if she genuinely cares while taking the cup from his hand.

Soren takes his head. "I need to use the restroom," he announces loudly over the music.

"Oh, it's just down the hallway! Second door on the left! Hurry up, we haven't gotten to the fun part yet," Sandra points cheerfully.

With a glance at Liam, he walks in the direction she pointed. This play has gone on for far too long. He came for the pranks, but he isn't seeing one yet.

Soren navigates his way out of the crowded living room, stepping into the dimly lit, quieter hallway. The walls are lined with paintings, nothing out of the ordinary. He is halfway down the corridor when he suddenly stops.

"Help! Please, somebody, help me!"

Soren's ears catch the sound instantly; the voice is faint, muffled, and coming directly from the door at the very end of the hallway.

Soren pauses, and the same cries come out from the door ahead. He turns around, finding no one in sight. Did those kids lock someone in there or what?

With a roll of his eyes, he walks down the hallway and reaches the door. He grabs the handle and shoves it open before stepping inside, his eyes struggling to adjust to the pitch-black darkness of the room.

"Hello? Are you hurt?” Soren calls out.

SLAM.

The door violently swings shut right behind him. Soren snaps his head back and quickly goes to grab the handle and pushes, but it's clicked shut from the outside. And then, he hears muffled laughter from the other side of the door.

"Did you actually fall for that?!" A smug, arrogant, and mocking voice calls out from the other side, and he immediately recognizes the voice: Sandra. Soren scoffs, and she continues. “You really are as stupid as you look!"

Soren rolls his eyes. Kids. Do they seriously think being locked in a dark room is enough to scare him into wetting his pants? But then again, he can also play along. He bangs on the door. “Please, let me out. I thought we were friends!” He cries out.

Sandra’s giggle follows immediately. "Aww, is the poor little street rat afraid of the dark? Did you really think you could sit at our table? That we actually wanted you here? Get off your high horse, loser!”

Soren holds back a scoff. “Please, let me out of here. I'm scared of the dark. Please!”

"You will never be one of us! Enjoy the storage closet, trash. We're going to go have some fun with your pathetic little friend!"

They break into giggles, and then their footsteps start to fade away down the hall, followed by more obnoxious laughter.

Inside the pitch-black room, Soren just stands there with his hands on his hips. God. He hates bullies. They are no different from teenagers hitting puberty.

Once again, he rolls his eyes. Oh, well, he had expected worse than a dark room and a locked door. Now, he has to go save Liam before they break him.

Soren reaches into his pocket, pulls out his phone, and turns on the flashlight. The light cuts through the darkness, revealing a dusty storage room filled with cleaning supplies, gardening tools, and old furniture.

He scans the room, and soon, his eyes land on a pair of gardening scissors resting on a workbench.

Soren walks over, picks up the scissors, and walks back to the door. He wedges the sharp blades directly into the gap of the deadbolt and twists his wrist with all of his strength.

CRACK.

The lock snaps and Soren kicks the door open. He steps back out into the hallway, the scissors in his tight grip while his eyes burn with intent.

It's time for a little payback in his own twisted way.