Chapter 5: Not A Princess

~Reina~

I was late and it's all because of that pussy Marilyn. If I wasn't taking her with me, I would have made it there by now.

"Why cake your face so much?" I asked, already disgusted by her appearance.

"It's not too much," she retorted, lifting her chin. "I need to look approachable."

Now it was my turn to roll eyes at her. Such innocent but dumb fuck human.

I made a detour to see Leonara before leaving.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" I snapped.

"I didn't think it was important," she replied, her tone indifferent.

I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to walk out and never look back. She was wasting my time, and I hated every second of it. But if I wanted to pull this off, I needed her.

I walked out and made my way to the garage. The black E-Tron was there, waiting for me-though Marilyn had already claimed her spot inside. Sliding into the back with Marilyn, we headed toward the club.

The ride stretched on for an hour, each minute heavier than the last. My chest tightened as anxiety took hold. I tapped my leg and twisted my fingers, desperate for something to distract me from the suffocating tension.

Anxiety stopped me from moving forward.

We arrived at the bar, and my whole body was trembling. Crowds weren't my thing, and seeing so many people crammed into one place sent my nerves into overdrive. I exhaled sharply, forcing myself to pull it together.

As we stepped into the club, the pounding music hit my ears like a hammer. Women, some older than me and some my age, danced on poles or gave lap dances to older men lounging in shadowy corners.

I wasn't here to hook up or party. My purpose was clear: observe the activities and keep a close eye on Marco. I downed a shot of vodka and leaned back, scanning the room intently.

After ten shots of vodka, I was completely gone. Marilyn was busy with some guy, his hands all over her, so I decided to leave her to it and hit the dance floor.

I wasn't a good dancer, but at that point, I was too drunk to care. I swayed my hips to the rhythm, letting the music take over. Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around my waist, and I felt soft lips brushing against my ear. My body reacted instantly to the touch, but I pulled away, not wanting to be caught in something I wasn't ready for.

I spun around to face the man who touched me, my fist already raised, ready to strike. He just stood there, grinning.

His black suit and shirt matched his jet-black, perfectly gelled hair. His hazel eyes locked with mine, calm yet intense, and his lips were unnaturally pink-too perfect.

The way he looked at me made my skin crawl, but I wasn't about to back down.

"Listen here, you little creep," I growled, my voice firm. "Stay away from me, or I'll break your balls and feed them to you."

He walked up to me, closing the distance between us, and forked his hand under my chin, lifting it so I was forced to look at him.

"Pretty girl like you shouldn't shout or cuss," he said, his smile never faltering. "Don't want a princess like you doing that."

The patronizing tone in his voice made my blood boil, but I kept my expression cold, refusing to let him see how much he got under my skin.

I slapped his hand off my face, the dizziness creeping up on me with every passing second.

"Don't ever call me princess, you smelly dumbass," I shot back, my words laced with a smirk of my own.

His grin faltered just for a moment, but I could see the challenge in his eyes. He wasn't used to being spoken to like that, and for a brief second, I felt the power shift in my favor.

Then, his jaw clenched, and his hazel eyes darkened.

Without warning, his hand shot out, wrapping tightly around my neck. The pressure was immediate and overwhelming. His grip was like iron, and his hand was so much larger than mine that it felt impossible to break free.

I struggled, gasping for air, but the more I fought, the tighter his hold seemed to become.His grin faltered, but the challenge in his eyes only grew. He wasn't used to being spoken to like that, and for a brief moment, I felt like I had the upper hand.

Then, his jaw clenched, and his hazel eyes darkened. Without warning, his hand shot out, wrapping tightly around my neck. The pressure was immediate and overwhelming. His grip was like iron, and his hand was so much larger than mine that it felt impossible to break free.

I struggled, gasping for air, but the more I fought, the tighter his hold seemed to become..

"Let's start over," he said, tightening his grip on my neck. "Don't insult me again. I could end this right now."

The air was growing thin, and I felt the pressure building, suffocating me. I hoped he'd realize and release me.

Finally, he let go, and I took in a deep breath, the air feeling like a relief I hadn't realized I needed.

My neck might bruise, but right now, that wasn't my concern. I had no idea who this guy was, but all he seemed to do was threaten and try to intimidate.

Crazy nigga but I am crazier.

I was about to leave him standing there when I suddenly turned, grabbed my bag, and slapped it across his face. His shocked expression gave me a moment of satisfaction.

I quickly ran to grab Marilyn and pulled her out of the club, heading straight for the car. Somehow, despite the alcohol clouding my mind, I managed to get us both there. I must've gotten lucky.

We sped off toward home, but I couldn't shake the feeling of disappointment. I hadn't seen Marco, and it wasn't surprising-I didn't even know what he looked like. The night was a blur, and I was too drunk to have observed anything clearly.

As soon as we got home, I didn't even remove my cloth because I was too lazy and tired. I just dumped my body on the bed and let the darkness subdue me.

*Dream*

"Hey baby, my princess, I want you to know momma loves you and even though dada acts like he doesn't care, he does care a lot." A woman hugged me and reassured me with those words.

A man walked into the room and grabbed me by my arm yanking me up. He slapped my face and the woman tried to help but I was thrown and she was beaten mercilessly.

The man spat on her afterwards and left. She smiled at me and said," I am always willing to take your pain away. That's how much I love you. I'll die for you, I'll cry for you, I'll scream for you. Anything for you my princess"

I woke up soaked in my own sweat. It was like I couldn't breathe. The nightmares haunted me daily and I wish I could get rid of them and sleep but I couldn't. I decided to stay on the balcony for fresh air. While outside, my phone rang and it was an unknown number. I answered the call and was about to say something rude until I heard, "I'm coming darling, I'm coming for your body and any mistake you make, then I will have your head."

The line went dead.