Chapter 1

[BEVERLY HILLSRODEO DRIVECALIFORNIA]

He's back.

Ixora's palms were sweaty and clammy on her chocolate-coloured phone pouch as she scrolled through Cali news with shakiness, stalking every available blog for tidbits.

Since she heard the news during lunch at school, her world has been spinning without a plan to stop.

She's currently sitting on her well-laid bed in her large, rich room, inside her mom's mansion.

Her mom's mansion is one of the largest and tightly-protected house in Beverly Hills, but tonight, she couldn't feel the protection.

Breathing is even a problem as everything she's seeing online gagged her and stole her air.

Warren Creed is back from jail.

Same guy she testified against three years ago for the sake of her best friend Evelyn.

Just yesterday, it was found out that Evelyn had lied, and he was released without any punishment for Evelyn since she's a rich bîtch anyways, but Ixora knew something was coming.

Warren wouldn't just sit still after getting exonerated.

It's a rainy night, and the incessant thrum of the rain strokes against the glass of her open window synced with the uneven slams of her heart beneath her sternum.

She spotted another news on a different blog, and as she read the writeup, she gulped.

→"Warren Creed who was condemned to jail three years ago has been released today after it was revealed that Evelyn lied, and the law didn't punish her? What the fûck is wrong with Cali government!"

Ixora dragged her comforter closer to herself, leaving the blog as a WhatsApp message popped up from Evelyn.

Evelyn sent pictures of herself and Nadine - their third friend. They're having fun at a drive-in cinema.

Rage burned like sulphuric blaze in Ixora's skull, and she spranged up from the bed, her foot landing hard on the cold floor.

Evelyn has the nerves to have fun after ruining a guy's life and even dragging her into it?

Evelyn Ortega is a well-known brat, and how she became besties with her is still beyond her own knowledge, but what she didn't expect is this level of wickedness.

She pulled off her PJs and pants. She even forgot to wear another panty before putting on bum shorts and a big tee.

She's gonna go to that cinema and hurt Evelyn. Pin that.

She wore a face cap on her blonde hair and didn't even take a look at her pet fish in the glass aquarium as she went for the door.

Immediately she opened it and saw the butlers and maids lining up in front of her room, she gasped in remembrance, shifting back and quickly shutting the door.

Her mom grounded her yesterday after she got drunk at a school party, so she's forbidden from going out at night till tomorrow, reason for the stupid butlers and maids.

If she tries to leave, they'd drag her back inside, and even if she manages to escape them, there are securities surrounding the house.

She went to her window, looking out to see the huge securities standing on every perimeter in the compound.

But one thing is for sure, she has to leave this house tonight, so she must do something.

An idea came to her mind, and she didn't think it twice before sliding out through her window.

Thankfully, there are pillars to skid through, and there are designed bricks to place her legs on as she skimmed the wall.

Her eyes widened when her cap dropped from her head, falling down the securities angle.

She stopped breathing as she peered down, thinking she got caught, but they didn't even see the cap, so she bit slightly at her upper lip before continuing.

Steady, steady, till she slipped into the shootout next to her room and breathed out in relief.

She dusted her shirt and was about to go down the open stairs when the scornful voice spoke.

"Ohhh, look who's snooping around. I regret that my room is beside yours, otherwise you wouldn't be using my shootout as your escape route"

Ixora smirked, her lids lifting as she turned around to see exactly who she expected.

Serena, her cousin who stays in this mansion with them.

Serena is an annoying pest, and it's even more annoying that they attend the same college.

She's leaning on the rails, her wild eyes logged in on Ixora, and she's wearing exactly what Ixora is wearing.

Bum shorts, big tee, including the face cap. Only the colors are different.

Ixora took quick steps to her and took the face cap from her head, wearing it instead.

"I lost mine to the ground, figured out I could take yours" she smiled - an unfriendly one.

Serena stepped closer too, so they're right in front of each other. She's taller, but Ixora is fleshier.

"You might wanna see this" Serena suddenly shoved her phone screen at Ixora's face, and what Ixora saw made her snatch the phone from her.

It's a picture of Kelsey-Serena's bestie, going into her dad's mansion.

"What the fûck is Kelsey going to do with my dad!" Ixora demanded impatiently.

"What do you think?" Serena winked with sass, taking the phone from her.

"You dumbo!" Ixora spat, rushing down the stairs while the echo of Serena's laughter followed her like a shadow.

Ixora totally forgot about the pouring rain till she got to the base of the stairs and the rain began beating her, but she didn't care.

She needs to go to her dad's mansion first to stop Kelsey.

If Kelsey fûcks her dad, she'd legit be pained, so she quickened her steps, the rainwater gumming the strands of her hair on her shoulder.

Thankfully, there are no securities in this side of the compound cos Serena once poured hot water on one of them, so she freely walked to the fence.

She struggled to lift herself over the top, and she had no idea how tall the fence was till she got to the top and felt like she's on a skyscraper.

It was her alone against the rain as she began struggling to jump down too, but surprisingly, someone held her from the other side, carrying her down gently.

It's Romeo, her driver and bodyguard who happens to be attending the same college with her too.

"Romeo? You already went home after dropping me earlier" she said surprisingly.

The fox-eyed guy bowed a little, then he unfolded his black umbrella and covered her with it, leaving himself to keep getting soaked in the rain.

"The repair shop called that your Cadillac repair was done, so I brought it" he said, pointing at the red car in front of the gate.

"And you came in the rain? You could have waited till tomorrow morning" she said, wanting to touch his wet sleeves, but he slightly shifted back from her hand, making her drop it.

"Are you going somewhere?" He asked immediately.

"Good thing you came, take me to my dad's" she replied, walking to the Cadillac already. He followed, opening the door for her.

She got in the backseat, and he carefully shut the door, getting in to start the drive.

Fog clouded the streets, making it hard to see clearly, but Romeo still drove through it.