Chapter 34: The Kiss

Rupert was so drunk his vision blurred. Opening his eyes, he saw a pretty girl—sweet and familiar. Suddenly, he felt thirteen again, locked in a dark room with her. Guards stood outside; a fierce dog paced inside. Rupert, always afraid of dogs, huddled in the girl's arms.

"Dogs aren't scary," she said. "But if you act scared, they'll bark."

In the darkness, her large eyes twinkled, lighting up his heart. They leaned together in silence. Finally, she joked, "Does this mean I saved your life? You should marry me when we grow up!"

"Okay," he agreed.

In his drunken state, the girl before him merged with the figure in his memory. "Candy," he asked, "do you remember? We were locked up together. You saved me from the dog and bandaged my wound."

"Dark room? Big dog? Bandage?" Annabel felt a headache, a flicker of memory, but nothing concrete.

"Candy, I've been looking for you," Rupert murmured, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips. Her scent confirmed his belief: this was Candy. "You smell so good."

"Rupert, you're drunk. Let go!" Annabel scolded. He wouldn't. "Please don't leave me, Candy."

"All right," Annabel conceded. "Let me help you to your room." She wanted to get rid of him quickly.

She tried to help him up, but he was heavy. "Rupert, get up!"

He looked at her with unfocused eyes. "Okay, Candy. I'll get up."

Annabel was confused. Who was Candy? Rupert, nearly 1.9 meters tall, was a big man despite his slim build. At 1.65 meters, Annabel struggled to keep him upright.

He put an arm around her shoulders, his warm breath on her face. The closeness was uncomfortable. The kiss in the bar restroom flashed through her mind. She shifted, but he drew closer. Fighting the urge to leave him, she helped him up the stairs.

Reaching his floor, she heard a scream: "What are you doing?"

Cathy stood there. Too tired to explain, Annabel moved past her and helped Rupert to his room.

"Stop, Annabel!" Cathy shouted, having heard noises and witnessed the intimate scene. She hadn't seen Rupert drunk since childhood and believed Annabel was trying to seduce him.

"I'm his fiancée," Annabel scoffed. "Do I need to get him drunk?"

"Annabel!" Cathy protested.

"Then you hold him," Annabel said, dumping Rupert into Cathy's arms.

"Rupert, are you okay?" Cathy asked, her eyes holding an obsessive look Annabel recognized from Heather and Nina. Was Cathy in love with Rupert? A blood relative!

After watching Cathy take Rupert to his room, Annabel returned to her own, finding a diamond cufflink in her hand. She would return it to avoid accusations of theft.

Rupert's door was slightly ajar. She pushed it open and stepped inside. "Rupert, I…"

The words died in her throat. Cathy was kissing Rupert.