บท 15: Strange

Kelly returned to her apartment, appearing revitalized. She gave Abi the juice she had bought and plopped down on the couch beside her.

"Kelly, how can I gain more experience?" Abi inquired.

"Uhm... experience in what?"

"Experience in… se… in everything. About the things I don't have any clue about. Like the things that lovers do or the things that a girl in my age does?"

Kelly cleared her throat. "Abi, what has brought this on? Tell me. What did that man do to you? What exactly happened."

Abi's gaze lowered, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap. She hesitated for a moment before finally starting to share what had happened. "We danced and it was wonderful. I felt like we were floating on air. It was an experience I will never forget for the rest of my life."

"And then?"

"And then, he took me to his open air garden with an amazing view of the city. It was breathtaking."

Kelly nodded, patiently urging her to continue.

"And then, when he found out that I was a virgin, he said he wasn't the one for me."

Kelly was speechless. What kind of man turns away a beautiful woman just because she was a virgin? Didn't he see what kind of treasure he had in front of him? Most men would have taken advantage… She inwardly gasped as her eyes widened as a revelation came to her.

Maybe… just maybe, he did see the treasure in front of him and that was why he rejected her?

Oh man… did she just get angry and beat a man because of this misunderstanding?! That Mr. Qinn may not be a bastard after all! It sounded like when he found out that Abi was pure and innocent, he sent her away because he didn't want to taint her!

Kelly let out an exasperated sigh and brought her hand to her face, covering it in a facepalm. Turning toward her friend, her expression turned serious.

"So? Are you not going to see him again?" she asked, curious.

Abi fell silent for a while. "I don't want to give up on him, yet. I think he's the one, Kelly," she answered. The one I can love without him falling for me…

"Okay, I got it. So what are you planning to do now, hm, Abi?"

Before Abi could answer her, a call interrupted them. It was a video call from Kelly's cousin.

"What?" Kelly impatiently answered the call.

"Kelly! Where are you? Why aren't you here yet?!" The girl on the phone was almost yelling, trying to be heard over the loud, roaring music in the background. Abi saw that the girl was in a dark, chaotic place with different colored lights flashing across the room.

"Didn't you read my message?" Kelly replied, "I told you I'm not coming tonight."

"Huh? Geeezz… You're totally missing out on all the fun here tonight!"

"Yeah, yeah. I can come another night. Bye."

When the call ended, Kelly sighed and looked at Abi to continue their conversation.

However, Abi curiously asked her first. "Where is she?"

"In a bar."

"That's the place that you said wasn't for someone like me?"

"Oh, well, yes."

"Kelly, I'd like to go there."

Kelly almost choked while drinking. "Why?"

"I just want to go there. I feel like I'm too ignorant about a lot of things. I want to see what it's like and I want to experience the things outside my comfort zone."

"But Abi..." Kelly bit her lip. "It's not a very nice place, Abi."

"I know. You already told me that before but I really want to go."

Kelly's lips formed a tight line as her thoughts swirled with a mixture of understanding and frustration. She had refrained from taking Abi to places like bars precisely because she was well aware of Abi's lifestyle and limitations. Just like the fact that she never stayed overnight because she had an unwavering commitment to be home before dark. And this wasn't even driven by the fear of reprimand, but rather a self-imposed rule or routine that Abi was determined not to break. In truth, Kelly still sometimes never understand Abi's mindset and behavior.

Kelly hadn't introduced her to experiences like these because she understood that Abi was the kind of person who averted her gaze when explicit scenes aired on TV. This innocence seemed ingrained in her, perhaps due to her family's traditional values or strong conservative beliefs.

But despite everything, Kelly had the utmost respect for Abi and her family. The sincerity and kindness that radiated from them were undeniable, and Kelly felt it deeply whenever she visited Abi's home. In that house, she sensed an authenticity, a genuine warmth that enveloped her and made her feel like she was stepping into an entirely different world.

And so, Kelly had inadvertently taken on the role of an understanding and protective friend. Without needing to be explicitly told, she always selected family-friendly movies whenever she and Abi went to the cinema. It was an unspoken understanding that Kelly adhered to, making sure that the content they consumed aligned with Abi's sensibilities. She even made sure that the books she bought as gifts to Abi were devoid of any explicit content.

Yet, in this moment, there she was, her innocent and sheltered friend, posing a question that caught her off guard.

"Please, Kelly…" Abi looked at her with big, round, pleading eyes and Kelly took a deep breath before she finally gave up. She could not say no to that face. And she thought that maybe... it's about time, wasn't it? If Abi want to do it, then who was she to stop her?

"Okay, fine."

…

As they lay in Kelly's bed, a sudden recollection of Kelly's earlier words about Mr. Black Leather Jacket struck Abi.

"Kelly… You said that that man who fetched me is a prince."

"You know about Viscarria, right?"

"Oh, that secluded kingdom in the south?"

"Yes. When I was eighteen, my father brought me there with him. It is a nice, rich country. I heard it only has less than a million people living there. My father said that the royal family of Viscarria is one of the richest monarchs in the world but they remain very lowkey. The monarchs have full control over the Kingdom. The country prospers under them and the citizens of Viscarria love them. But we don't hear much about them at all because the Kingdom is very private, most especially their royal family. The media don't come near them because of that. Their king and queen are the only ones who show their faces to the public as well so n one has seen the princes' faces, unless you work in the palace, which is why the world only knows the princes' names. But when I was there, I saw that man and I heard one of his companions called him Prince Kai. I couldn't confirm it but he had such an aura. I could never forget such a good looking face… Anyway, I believe that that man is none other than Prince Kai. But then, how the hell did a prince become someone's chauffeur?!"

"Could it be that you're wrong, Kelly? Maybe he's just his doppelganger?" Abi tilted her hear, curious.

"That's not possible. I trust my memory."

"What if that person who called him prince was just bluffing?"

"Well, I don't know. But… but… ah, never mind. Anyway, what's Mr. Qinn's given name again?"

"Alex... Alexander."

"Alexander, huh? Alexander Qinn. Hmm… why can't I recall any big fish with that name? I know all the big fishes in this country but his name doesn't ring a bell… this is strange…"

Kelly grabbed her laptop and quickly browsed on the web, searching for an Alexander Qinn. She even asked some people but the lines between her brows only deepened when she came up with nothing.

"This is strange. I can't find anything about him. There's no way that someone that rich… wait... don't tell me he's related to some underground syndicate or something? But even underground bosses are widely known too. Abi, are you sure that's his name?"

Abi nodded. "That's what he told me."

"Hmm… that's weird. I'll see if my dad knows anything about him."