"Sir Rich!!!!!!!!
as you're slapping him, I'm getting hurt also!!
just stop!!!"
Nare cried out with watery eyes, grabbing my wrist like her life depended on it.
I froze immediately.
Her tiny hands around my wrist felt like fire on ice...
melting away all the anger I bottled up inside.
KD laughed dryly, wiping blood off his busted lip.
"You see?? She's controlling you already..." he mocked with a grin that burned my insides.
I wanted to punch him again.
I wanted to tear him apart for even looking at her.
But Nare...
She kept shaking her head, her lips quivering.
"No more violence, please..."
She whispered, almost like a scared dove.
I gritted my teeth and pushed KD backward.
"Get out of my sight before I lose it for real,"
I growled.
KD spat to the side and sneered at me before walking away slowly, like a snake.
When he was out of sight, I turned to Nare.
Her face was pale, her eyes glassy.
I cupped her small face in my rough palms.
"Why did you come out???
You should have stayed hidden,"
I muttered harshly but with worry dripping from every word.
"I...I didn't want you to fight because of me,"
she mumbled, voice breaking.
My heart clenched painfully.
She's too soft for this cruel world we live in.
Too innocent.
Too fragile.
I sighed heavily and pulled her into my arms.
"Next time... listen to me,"
I whispered into her hair.
She nodded against my chest, her small hands fisting my shirt tightly.
Just then, my phone buzzed again.
Xavier.
I ignored it.
Right now, nothing mattered more than the trembling girl in my arms.
Nothing at all.
KD's POV
I burned my bridges and never looked back at Richie Miles.
I hated him with everything I had.
Once, I called him my best friend — but not anymore.
He stole everything that was supposed to be mine, over some flimsy reasons.
More hurt.
More screams.
More shouts hovered over my mind.
I kept thinking of what to do next — but no solution came.
"Sorry," the commoner muttered, her bloodshot lips trembling.
My own eyes turned more bloodshot.
I hated that word.
I hated hearing sorry.
"Sorry," she said again, like she was the one hurt.
"Richie, so you told her what I hate to hear?" I sneered at Richie, whose face was completely blank.
"Is there any problem?"
The confused commoner asked.
I glared at her. She quickly went quiet.
"But... is there anything wrong with saying sorry?" she asked again, her expression more puzzled.
"A little million blood is attached to it, so it's better you keep shut," I snapped. "I'm speaking with Richie, not you."
"But nothing is wrong with sorry. It's a casual word," she flicked her long hair back and said confidently.
"Sir Rich, are you sure he's okay?"
She turned to Richie, pointing her finger at me.
"Don't you think I deserve a 'thank you' for telling you sorry? If not for me, Sir Rich would have slapped the total madness out of your crazy skull!"
She blurted out, making my anger boil over.
"Nare, don't say anything! He might hurt you. Just go inside and meet Elsa," Richie ordered her.
"Okay!" she said with a slight bow and started toward the mansion.
My eyes trailed her.
At that moment, I only wanted to strangle her and shut her mouth.
"When you're done, leave my house," Richie mocked and followed her inside.
Left alone, I took time to look around the huge mansion.
It was built in the Miles name.
My anger softened for a while as I admired everything...
But soon, the rage returned.
I stormed out, entered my car, and sped off.
I drove straight to our main residence.
KD's POV (continued)
I walked into the parking lot, making sure to park my car carefully.
The keys hung loosely in my left hand, a reminder of the frustration that gripped me.
With a determined stride, I walked into the living room, where Dylan and Scot were.
Scot was busy FaceTiming some random girls, while Dylan had his face buried in his laptop.
Beside him was a glass of wine, and his headset rested on the couch next to him.
Dylan was the only one close to Richie. They acted like brothers — like they shared the same soul.
And Scot? He was a funny guy, a loose cannon who could turn anything into a joke.
One thing about him, though — he loved food and girls.
He was loud. And sometimes, a little too much.
"KD, what's the matter?" Scot asked, dropping his phone from his ear.
"Nothing," I muttered, rolling my eyes.
Then, without saying another word, I raced up the stairs to my room.
"Are you sure?" Scot's voice echoed up the stairs.
"Yup!" I shot back, ignoring his persistence.
He didn't let up, though.
"Oops, let me guess..."
He followed me all the way to my room.
"Mhesha rejected you again?" he grinned.
I turned on him, frustration written all over my face.
"Scot, get out!" I snapped, trying not to sound too harsh.
"Okay, okay... I get it!"
He laughed, leaning against the doorframe.
"Let me guess, Richie and you had another fight?"
I froze.
Damn. He was right.
"Yes!" I admitted, running my fingers through my hair in frustration.
"But I thought you two were okay now," he said, his tone softening.
I scoffed. "I don't know about that. Richie just crossed a line."
I plopped down onto my bed, trying to calm my mind.
"Honestly, it's getting too much. It's like he wants to destroy me."
Scot leaned in, crossing his arms.
"KD, you know Richie's not doing this to hurt you. He's caught up in his own stuff. You should drop that attitude and stop fighting so much."
I didn't reply. I just stared at him, annoyed.
"Look, we all need to work together, even if we don't always like it," he continued.
"Everyone contributes to the bigger picture, no need for all this envy or conflict."
His words felt like they were falling on deaf ears.
I didn't care about his philosophy.
Not right now.
"But Richie broke the one rule I care about!"
I snapped again.
"The rule about not bringing commoners into our business. We didn't sign up for that."
Scot shrugged, not fazed.
"Richie's making his moves, KD. You should be happy for him. This deal could put him on top like no one else. Think about it."
He didn't know what it was like to have Richie ignore me, to let some random girl into our world. It made me feel useless.
I clenched my fists. "I don't care about his fame or money."
Scot chuckled. "Well, maybe you should. You've got 20 million followers, KD. You need to step it up, man."
I narrowed my eyes at him.
"What does that even mean?" I hissed.
"You're still chasing them. Richie's about to hit 100 million. Dylan's got 70 million, and you're still stuck at 20 million."
He smirked, almost taunting me.
"You know Richie and Dylan? They're your bosses. They're winning, and you're left behind."
Scot turned and walked out, his voice trailing behind him.
"Think about it, buddy."
---
I stayed in my room, feeling the sting of his words.
He was right. I had to face it.
But I wasn't about to admit it. Not to Scot. Not to anyone.
---
A few moments later, there was a knock at my door.
"KD, can I come in?" Dylan's voice echoed through the door.
I sighed, muttering under my breath.
"Why? Don't you have your own room to mess around in?" I shot back, but he knocked again.
"Can I still come in?" he asked, his tone steady and confident.
"Fine," I grumbled, my mood soured even further.
Dylan stepped in, his eyes immediately scanning the room before landing on me.
"I forgot something Richie sent. And I'm looking for a special bangle."
I raised an eyebrow. "What's so special about this bangle?"
"It belongs to someone important to me," Dylan mumbled, almost too quietly.
He walked over to my wardrobe, opened it, and pulled out a small black bag.
I watched him carefully, trying to guess what he was up to.
When he pulled out a bangle with tiny gemstones, I froze.
It looked almost identical to the one the commoner girl had been wearing.
I had to stop myself from reaching for it.
"Do you mind?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
"What's the big deal?" he shot back, frowning.
I had to know what it said.
The bangle shimmered under the light, and I could see a name etched into it:
"NANAR."
I stared at it, trying to read the last letter, but before I could, Dylan snatched it away.
"Time's up," he said, his tone sharp.
My heart pounded in my chest. That name... "Nanar."
It had to mean something.