Chapter 16 - Murder...? (1)

CALISTA

“Here is your order.” Kat placed the wine on the table. “Call me if you need anything. I'll be over there.” She glanced briefly at both of us before leaving, returning to her original spot.

I stared at the table we were sitting at, at the far end of the bar, and sighed softly, pressing my forehead. I had completely forgotten the reason I was here.

“Is she someone new?” Sera asked, pushing one of the glasses toward herself.

“Yeah,” I answered, but didn't say anything after that.

Nodding, Sera mouthed an “oh” before bending down to sip her wine, and her eyes widened slightly.

I expected her to say something about the wine, but she didn't. Instead, she removed the straw from the glass, dropped it on the table, and gulped the contents of the glass in one go.

“The hell?” My brows shot up, but I said nothing. She cleaned her mouth with her arm and turned to where Katrina was writing down an order.

“Another one!” she yelled, and Kat's head lifted from what she was doing to face us. She smiled softly before turning to the other end of the counter.

She came some minutes later with the same order and placed it on the table.

“Enjoy.” She smiled, then turned to leave, but before she took a step forward, Sera grabbed the glass, tilted her head, and gulped down the wine in one go.

She slammed the glass on the table, and from the corner of my eyes, some of the people in the bar had turned to us.

“Another one.” Sera's voice sounded in my ears, and my eyes moved to her. Kat's smile didn't falter as she walked away.

I continued in silence, and Sera finally looked at me.

“Aren't you going to ask why I am doing this?” she demanded, leaning back on the chair.

Sighing heavily, I crossed my legs underneath the table as I grabbed my cocktail, sipping it.

She stared at me for a long time, waiting for an answer. Kat arrived just in time to drop another drink.

Sera's jaw clenched tightly, and she reached forward to grab the glass to repeat the same action, but before her fingers could wrap around it, she paused, shaking her head as the alcohol kicked in.

All this time, I sat back, watching her. We both knew her alcohol tolerance, and doing this in front of me after what she did was absolutely useless.

“My head,” she grunted, grabbed the glass, and gulped the contents in one go before slumping back on the chair.

“Another…” her mouth opened to speak, but I beat her to it.

“Kat.” I smiled. “Why don't you bring ten more? Save your time and focus on others.”

Kat nodded before leaving.

“Ha…” a short laugh escaped Sera's lips. “I thought you would stop me from ordering.”

“I see no reason to do that. You'll be needing those drinks after I leave here,” I commented, and she stared at me, frowning.

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is…” I leaned forward, close enough that what I was about to say would be heard by only the both of us. “You should tell me when you started fucking that man. I know you too well to fall for your sob stories, Sera.”

Her lips trembled slightly, her eyes shaking violently.

“You know… I almost believed you when you told me you didn't know how he looked, bla bla bla.” I leaned back. “But girl, you knew my home address even before Eleanor sent it to me. And…” my eyes went to Kat, who was walking to us with a tray in hand, “this place too, even when I didn't tell you which bar. It can only mean one thing…”

“This isn't the first time you've come here. Mikhail must have brought you here.” I revealed, and her jaw slackened, her eyes widening in horror.

Good… that was all I needed to confirm my guesses.

I scoffed softly, grabbing my purse just in time for Kat to set down the glasses on the table. I took out some dollars from my purse and placed them on the table. “Enjoy.” Then I got up and walked away.

I walked through the back exit where my car was located, my heart slamming heavily against my chest.

For some reason, I seemed angrier than I was supposed to be.

Shouldn't this be something I had no concern about?

I mean, I hated Mikhail's guts and wouldn't want to do anything that would make it seem like I had an interest in him.

So why the hell was I doing this?

I groaned in frustration, digging my hand inside my purse to take out my car key. I pressed the button, and the beep came from where it was parked.

Soon, I was standing in front of it, and I pulled the handle to open the door, but before I could, rushed footsteps sounded behind me. I turned sharply, only to see two hands shove my chest, causing me to crash to the floor.

“Ahhhh! You bitch!” Sera's screams sounded in my ears, and I lifted my head to look at her. My eyebrows twitched slightly as a pain shot through my arm, and I glanced down to see a broken nail on the floor and some blood.

Fuck.

Sera's hands grabbed my hair, pulling roughly, and my eyes teared from the pain on my scalp. “Sera! Let me go!”

My feet struggled on the floor, but a sharp slap sounded in my ears, and I came crashing to the ground again. My eyes flung open, only the right one seeing, the left one blank. I could still feel the sting on my cheek.

I grabbed my cheek painfully.

Sera stood some steps away from me, her teeth grinding painfully. “You should have turned a blind eye, as you have always done! How dare you humiliate me in front of everyone! Not only did you do that in front of him, you decided to bring me out here…”

“Sera!” I yelled, panting heavily. “Have you gone mad?”

I got up from the floor, glaring at her.

“Yes.” She smiled sickeningly. “Yes! I have finally gone mad! Who knows? Maybe it's the drink you offered me that is making me behave this way!”

“I slept with him, and so what? There's nothing to be ashamed of! He only found my pussy more enjoyable than that good-for-nothing vegetable you called a mother.”

“What did you say?” I gasped in disbelief, my heartbeat pounding in my ears. My feet moved on their own towards her, but before I could get to her, a bright light beamed at us, and I lifted my arm to block my eyes.

A screech from a car sounded in my ears, followed by a heavy slam, a grunt, and a deep thud.

What was that?

My eyes slowly opened, and I sucked in cold air when I saw a sports car in the spot where Sera was standing just a second ago. I caught something from the corner of my eye… and it was Sera, lying unconscious on the floor.

At that moment, the car door opened, and a man stepped out.

“M-Mikhail?”