After Party Novels & Stories

he gestured to the scene before them, “—is chaos.” “Maybe chaos isn’t always bad — it can be a good way to have fun sometimes.” He didn’t respond right away. Just studied her for a moment — the way her hair curled slightly from the humidity, the way her eyes caught the gold of the lights. “Maybe,” he said finally, his voice softer. Before either of them could say more, Archer appeared, looking far too pleased with himself. “Hey, you two,” he announced. “Change of plans. The afterparty’s staying here. Everyone’s too drunk to drive, and Anya said to keep the rooms ready.”

She did her best to keep up, chiming in when necessary and making mental notes of everything she observed. When the event officially ended, Gavin turned to her, “There’s an afterparty upstairs,” he said, his voice low. “Care to join me?” Leila hesitated. She should probably go home and call it a night, but there was something about the way he was looking at her that made her pulse race. “Sure,” she said, her voice barely audible. The afterparty was a more intimate affair, held in a private suite. The crowd was smaller. “You’re full of surprises, Miss Baker,” Gavin said, his voice smooth.

Elara chuckles, asking what the difference was. “Well, of course it would have been preferred to know more than a few hours in advance, but I understand why you waited.” Liviana says, insisting once more that her intensions were appreciated. “And it’s not so much the party itself that I’m worried about as much as the afterparty...” “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.” Elara says, pulling back with furrowed brows. “What afterparty?” “Uh- not an afterparty per se,” Liviana corrects herself. “The aftermath would be more precise. Excuse my word play-“

“He did not do anything.” I could feel a hint of annoyance in his voice, so I let it go and headed towards the drinks area. I had no idea what the event would be like. “Hasn’t the fundraising started?” “Well, you’re at the after-party, and that’s where the real deal is.” I actually figured after seeing the setting. There was a large pool where some people were swimming, a game area not too far away, and many more. “So, what are we supposed to be doing now?”

POV: Chase Sterling The after-party is at a townhouse in the West Seventies that belongs to a woman named Diane, who is apparently Catherine's friend from her philanthropic circuit, and it is exactly what Catherine described: quieter, smaller, the kind of gathering where people have already done the performance portion of the evening and are now doing the actual living portion. There are maybe twenty people. Good wine, low lighting, a jazz record playing from somewhere I can't identify. People talk in small clusters, the conversations looser than they were at the Whitmore, the laughter more genuine.

Nothing remained. No blood. No broken pieces. No sign that only hours earlier, a little girl had flown through the air and fallen there. Only the streetlight still shone, its yellow glow falling across the empty crosswalk. Dad stared at that patch of road for a long time. "Let's go," Mom said softly. Dad came back to himself and started the car again. When they got home, everything was exactly as it had been. The two Barbie dolls, one new and one cracked, still sat on the coffee table. Beside them was the cake box that no one had put away, and the slice of strawberry cake left for me. The air still smelled faintly sweet.

My mother dragged me out of my biological father's brutality, and I thought we had finally escaped. Then she married the Don of the Falcone family. The woman who once fought to protect me completely changed. To secure my stepfather's approval and coddle his beloved Sofia, she stood by and let them turn me into a servant in the house I was supposed to call home. Every time I pushed back, they pushed harder. Every time I begged to be seen, I was met with contempt. My biological father's fists left scars on my body. This family's marks went deeper—into my bones. So I stopped. If they never wanted me there, I would stop breaking myself for their hollow approval. I would take my own life back. In

Betty and Simon talked about putting up a business from the remaining spare money that they've got in the bank. They had to try it once more because the motto of family Remington was to 'Never Give Up.' They've put up a restaurant and name it BETsi Restaurant. They successfully opened their restaurant in the city. And they operated it quiet well.

The two of them laughed at this, finding that Hestia is indeed an enigma even though one might have thought that they had solved her and upon closer look, they only opened more questions than offering any answers at all. “I heard there was also an after party right after the Test of Courage. Did you also go there?” Yulia asked again. With a smile, Albert replied, “Yes, I also participated in the after party. Actually, I was stationed there to take photos, to be beside the DJ booth to be specific so I enjoyed it even though I have a job to do. And the best thing was the buffet table was just beside the DJ booth so… nom nom.” He t

One for my ass and one for my feet. And that is how the night went. Wondering in and out, visiting with people, and taking shots. The last band was finished, and the crowd was getting thin. I was once again perched on a stool crowd watching. Z slid up beside me and gave me a hug. “Are you having fun, Love?” “I am.” I say with a sloppy smile. “Are you good to get yourself home? It’s just, well everyone is going back to the house to party and I was going to go with them.”