Mia's POVScarlett stared at me as if I had grown a second head, "Mia, what just happened there?" she asked."They were planning to drug us," I said briefly, keeping my voice low. "Date rape drugs. In our drinks. They gave the bartender five thousand dollars to put the drugs in our cocktails, and then they planned to have a few men from the neighboring hotel come over to accompany us.""Are you serious?" she screamed, her voice carrying across the bar and drawing fresh stares from nearby patrons."Very serious. I heard them discussing it in the bathroom. They didn't even check if there was anyone else in the bathroom."Scarlett's laugh was infectious, building from a giggle to full-blown hysteria. "It's fate! Jesus Christ, Mia. Do you realize what could have happened if you hadn't overheard them?"Waking up in some hotel room, disoriented and violated, with no memory of how I'd gotten there..."Let's go, Scarlett," I said.We made our way through the crowd, ignoring the curious stares
Chapter 295: The Very Special DrinksMia's POV"Don't worry," I said calmly, turning toward Taylor. "You're next."Taylor's eyes widened, but she wasn't fast enough to escape. I picked up Scarlett's martini glass and slowly, deliberately, poured the drugged alcohol over Taylor's head.The gin cascaded down her perfectly styled blonde hair in slow motion, each drop catching the amber light of the bar's expensive fixtures. The liquid soaked through the expensive strands. Ice cubes tumbled from the glass, bouncing off her shoulders and scattering across the polished marble floor with sharp, crystalline sounds."How is it?" I asked. "How does this special cocktail taste?""What the hell is wrong with you?!" Taylor screamed, violently pushing the table away from herself. The force of her movement sent chairs crashing to the floor with a thunderous clatter that seemed to reverberate through the entire establishment.The entire bar fell silent. All conversation ceased as if someone had press
Mia's POV"Has the bartender boarded the ship?" Taylor's voice carried clearly across the marble bathroom."Completely. Who would turn down a five-thousand-dollar opportunity? He'll make sure they get special drinks."The sound of a powder compact clicking shut echoed through the bathroom, followed by the metallic twist of a lipstick tube being sealed."How long will the pills take to kick in?" Ketty asked, her voice pitched lower now, more conspiratorial."Twenty to thirty minutes, depending on how much they ate today. So we need to get back there and make sure they finish drinking."Twenty to thirty minutes. Pills. Roofies.The sound of high heels clicking against marble grew louder as they moved toward the door. Taylor's laugh drifted back toward the stalls."This is almost too easy," she said. "Mia always was pathetically trusting."I flushed the toilet. I washed my hands thoroughly.I tidied my hair, smoothing down the strands that had escaped my ponytail, and checked my makeup.
Mia's POVThe bar Scarlett had chosen was exactly the kind of place she gravitated toward when she was feeling triumphant—dimly lit, expensive, and filled with the kind of men who wore watches that cost more than most people's cars.I spotted her immediately at the far end of the bar, leaning against the polished marble counter with one elegant hip cocked, her red hair catching the amber light from the overhead fixtures. She was wearing a black dress and she was absolutely radiant.The old Scarlett was back.Gone was the broken, drunk woman I'd helped to the bathroom just days ago. This version of Scarlett was vibrant, animated, flirting shamelessly with the bartender—a guy who looked like he'd stepped out of a men's cologne advertisement."And then," she was saying as I approached, her voice carrying that musical laugh I'd missed, "I told him that if he wanted to impress me, he'd have to do better than that. '"The bartender was hanging on her every word, his eyes tracking the moveme
Mia's POV"The boys are with your mom," Thomas said. "I picked them up earlier. Thought you might need some extra sleep.""What time is it?""Almost noon."I blinked in surprise. I never slept that late, not even on weekends."Thomas, " I said, moving toward the kitchen. "I can't think when I'm hungry."He followed me, his footsteps soft on the hardwood floor. In the kitchen, I went through the motions of making coffee and toast, grateful for the familiar routine. Thomas sat at the counter, watching me move around the space.My phone buzzed with notifications. I'd been ignoring it since last night, but curiosity finally got the better of me.Several missed calls from Scarlett. A string of text messages."WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK HAPPENED LAST NIGHT???""That BITCH is back???""Mia, call me RIGHT NOW.""Why aren't you answering???""If you don't call me back in ten minutes I'm calling the police to do a wellness check."The messages continued, getting progressively more worried and creativ
Mia's POVI woke up because I had to pee.My bladder felt like it was about to burst, a consequence of drinking too much wine at that goddamn cruise party. The taste in my mouth was stale and metallic.Thomas and I had fallen asleep on the sofa. We were both exhausted. His arm still wrapped around me.I tried to move carefully, not wanting to wake him, but the moment I shifted my weight, every muscle in my body protested. The expensive dress I was still wearing had twisted around my legs, the fabric wrinkled and uncomfortable against my skin.As I stood up slowly, I caught a whiff of myself and nearly gagged.I smelled really bad.Like a combination of spilled wine, expensive perfume that had gone rancid, and the lingering scent of cigarette smoke from the cruise ship. My hair felt greasy and flat against my scalp, and I could feel the sticky residue of makeup caked on my face.Thomas was still sound asleep, his dark hair falling across his forehead. His tie hung loosely around his ne