Shriya sat at the far end corner of the counter, legs dangling slightly, shoulders slumped forward. The music pulsed around her, but no one dared approach. It was an unspoken rule tonight—give her space.
Peach and Leah took turns checking in, always from a safe distance.
At some point, the alcohol won. Shriya's head dipped forward, her forehead resting against the counter as her grip loosened around the glass. She didn't spill it. She just… stopped.
"She's asleep," Leah whispered.
"Should we take her home?" she asked after a moment.
Peach glanced at Shriya, then snorted softly. "I'm not sure. I don't feel like losing a tooth tonight."
Leah frowned. "Get serious. What do you think happened to her?"
Peach shrugged, trying to lighten the air. "Maybe her girlfriend cheated."
The joke barely landed.
A fist connected with Peach's face so fast she didn't even see it coming. The impact sent her stumbling back, a sharp crack echoing over the music. She hit the floor, clutching her mouth, blood already seeping between her fingers.
"You are not allowed," Shriya slurred, standing unsteadily, eyes blazing despite the alcohol, "to talk bad about her."
Leah rushed forward. "Shriya—stop."
But Peach was already laughing through the pain. "Damn," she muttered. "Worth it."
Shriya swayed, then sank back onto the counter, exhaustion crashing down on her. The anger drained as quickly as it came, leaving her hollow and quiet again.
---
Meanwhile, MK pulled into her mother's driveway, cutting the engine and sitting still for a second before getting out. The house lights were on. Warm. Familiar.
"MK, what happened?" her mother, Ruth, asked as soon as she stepped inside.
"Nothing," MK said easily. "I was bored. Thought I'd stay with you guys for a while."
Ruth studied her face, then smiled. "That's fine. It's your home too."
"I already took your room," her younger sister's voice called out from the hallway.
"And I took hers," Philip added proudly.
MK dropped her bag and laughed. "No way I'm squeezing into your tiny room. And I'm definitely not sleeping on the couch. You decide where your elder sister sleeps."
She folded her arms, smiling. Being home loosened something in her chest. For a moment, the chaos of her life felt far away.
"Just take the guest room or go back to your comfy apartment," her sister snapped.
Ruth sighed quietly. Here we go.
"Mom," MK called sweetly, "how much is Wes's allowance again?"
Wes groaned. "Fine. You can have the room. Always playing the rich card."
"That's more like it," MK teased. "Respect your elders."
Wes opened her mouth to argue, then stopped when MK raised an eyebrow.
"Weslin Kent," MK said, mock-serious, "for your good behavior, I'll give you a little raise in your allowance."
Wes brightened instantly. "Really? You're the best sister."
"Wes, can you get me some water?" MK asked, grinning.
"Worst sister," Wes muttered as she walked off. "That's blackmail."
"Nothing's free," MK said lightly. "You want something, you earn it."
She turned to Philip. "And you—want to go grab that bike tomorrow?"
"Yes, Auntie!"
"He has school tomorrow," Ruth called from the kitchen.
"Please, Grandma," Philip begged. "I'll do the dishes."
"Michelle, stop spoiling him," Ruth said, half amused.
MK smiled. She'd been called many names in this house—Mich, Cheline, M, Michelle—but here, all of them fit.
"Mom, you can tag along," MK said. "They got new shoes and bags. The kind you like."
Ruth hesitated. "Can I come too?" Wes asked softly.
MK and Philip burst out laughing.
"No," MK said. "You have school."
"M," Ruth warned gently.
"Fine," MK sighed. "She can come. I need a new phone anyway."
---
Across the city, the next afternoon, Shriya woke with the worst headache of her life. The light stabbed her eyes as she rolled onto her side.
She wasn't in her apartment.
She'd taken a room above the club.
Her phone buzzed.
"Boss," a voice said when she answered, "the transition is done. Everything's ready for launch tomorrow."
"Okay," Shriya replied quietly, ending the call. She was too drained to think clearly.
---
MK spent the day buried in distraction. Shopping bags piled up. Laughter echoed through the house.
"You should come more often," Wes said, tearing open a gadget MK had bought her.
That night, MK lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling.
She missed Shriya. Really missed her.
Is the company more important than her? The thought crept in.
"No," MK whispered. I love her more than anything. More than the damn company.
Then why did you walk away again? her thoughts pressed.
You didn't even let her explain.
How did you expect her to know when you never told her?
MK could feel a migraine forming.
"I'm not entertaining you today," she murmured to herself.
"Wes, come on, let's play a game," she called. She needed a distraction.
"I have school tomorrow."
"Come on. I have nothing to do."
"No."
"I'll pay you."
"I'm coming."
MK smiled. Money always worked.
Before Wes could join her, MK's phone buzzed.
Peach.
"Yes, Peach," MK said. "I'm busy."
"I just wanted you to know," Peach said quietly. "Shriya was drugged. Aphrodisiac. I thought you should know… in case she messes up."
MK was already moving. "Where are you?"
"There goes my ATM," Wes sighed.
---
Shriya sat at the counter again, freshly cleaned up, sipping her drink slowly. Controlled. Careful.
She didn't know she was being watched.
Someone at the club recognized her and made a call.
Gavin arrived later that evening, slipping in unnoticed. He whispered instructions to someone near the bar, then moved to a secluded spot, eyes fixed on her.
"Make sure you take a lot of pictures," he said softly. "She destroyed my reputation. Let's see how she handles this."
He smiled to himself.
Blackmail would do the rest.
Shriya, physically present but drifting somewhere far away, didn't register the danger until it was too late. Whatever had been slipped into her drink softened the edges of the world—sounds slowed, lights smeared, her limbs heavy, as if they no longer belonged to her. She knew something was wrong, looking around for a familiar face.
A voice called, "Let me help you."
Someone took hold of her arm. She barely resisted, her body responding a second too late. The pull was rough, urgent, dragging her from the counter as her balance failed her, heels scraping uselessly against the floor. To anyone watching, it might have looked like she was leaving willingly, but the waitress saw the slackness in her eyes, the way her head lolled. She dropped a glass, shouted for Leah and Peach, and by the time they turned, Shriya was already being hauled toward the back, disappearing into the shadows .
Peach and Leah moved fast —this was their territory. It didn't take long to pin down the culprit.
"What should we do?"
"You help her."
"No way. She has a girlfriend."
"Yeah, call her."
"Don't," Shriya begged. "Take me to a hospital."
"Shut up," Peach snapped, already on the phone. "Before I remember you punched my face."
"She better make it on time," Peach muttered. "Or I'm letting her end up with a random person."
"Why don't we go to the hospital?" Leah asked. "Isn't that safer?"
"I'm not sure what the right decision is," Peach said. "Does the hospital have antidotes, or do we find the doctor on duty—"
MK was on the read, The city roads were clear.
What should have taken thirty minutes took fifteen.