One favour. One only

I open my mouth to answer

"Fine. But you're not allowed to ask me any follow up questions...",

"Agreed"

"It's for my friend's mother, the one who met with an accident, the doctors wouldn't start surgery without depositing at least half the amount."

He doesn't speak a word. I keep going

"My friend, she doesn't have a lot of cash lying around and honestly my father is out of town....when I saw your brand in the pharmaceutical wing, I knew that your company is associated with this hospital."

I take a deep breath, "I need that money to save her"

A long pause

"The 90k is yours"

My pulse skips a beat, I bring the phone impossibly close to my ear, "Wait, actually?!"

"Don't get too overjoyed little kitten, nothing is free in this world", he drawls

Little kitten

My brain freezes. Did I just mishear that? Am I hallucinating?

"What. Did. You. Call. Me?"

"Little kitten", he says without missing a beat, smug and cocky

"Call me that again and see what happens"

"Oh my, the little kitten's got some claws, huh?", he chuckles hecka cocky

I take in a deep deep breath, willing myself to keep my hands from smacking the wall nearby. 

I'm literally about to die. His godforsaken future-mother-in-law is about to die.

And he has the audacity to — 

"What's the catch?", I ask sharp 

"Huh?", he asks clearly failing to bite back a laugh

"What do you want Ashford?", I snap 

"You"

The world froze. The phone nearly slips from my fingers. As if on cue, his voice slithers through yet again, 

"I want your loyalty, your submission."

I hold my breath

"When the time is right, I'll ask you for one favour. One only"

I freeze momentarily but I don't give him the satisfaction of winning, "Not a chance, Ashford"

His voice darkens, low and intimate, "Think again little kitten. Little kittens don't enter a lion's den to roar at the lion"

"I said no", I say firmly

"You wouldn't have called me if you had a choice", he chuckles

This smug little bastard—

I open my mouth to retort again, to refuse, to negotiate, but the dull ache in my chest sharpens suddenly. I hate to admit that I am in no position to contradict. 

No position to make a choice. 

My voice comes as merely a whisper, "Fine."

"What?", he says darkly amused

"I'll do it. One favour. One only"

"Very well, you've got a deal little kitten. Until the time is right, get ready to pounce", he says with the lilt in his voice making me bristle

"Wait—"

Beep

He hung up on me?!

Wasn't I supposed to have the upper hand?

What did he mean by a favour? This was not supposed to happen....this is wrong—so wrong.

How dare he? How could he? How did he?

As I was spiralling in my little delirium, Aiden's overjoyed jubilant voice burst through, "Genny!"

I turn toward him. Confusion written all across my face, "What?"

"I don't know what magic you used, but it worked! The doctors are starting surgery as we speak now", he says grinning

"Huh?"

"Yes, apparently the full amount was deposited one shot"

"Huh?!"

"Ha!", he squeals, "Awesome right?"

"Ha", I barely smile

Woah, that was fast

I then realise the ache in my chest had also completely vanished. It worked! It actually worked!

Lily's mom is not going to die.

I'm not going to die!

Guess the hint given by the oroborous ring actually worked afterall....

"Let's go see Lily!", Aiden says already pulling me towards the waiting area.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you mean by 'what do you mean'?", he raises an eyebrow

"I mean, I'm sure she needs some time alone....to process things and besides you told me that only near family was allowed to stay"

"Yeah...and that's why we'll just say goodbye and go home, that wouldn't take a lot of time, would it"

Ugh. Why does he have to be so pushy. I need to investigate the damn ring. Shit

"Come on!", he yells at my face.

I reluctantly nod. Afterall, arguing with a guy like Aiden bought nothing good for me before.

He pulls me along until we reach her.

She crouched on a chair, shoulders slumped, head in her hands and fingers interlocked together. As we approached her closer I heard weird incantations that she chanted.

Woah, didn't know she was religious

As soon as our shadow fell upon her in the dimly lit hallway, her head snapped towards us.

Her eyes were full of life again gleaming with the familiar spark of innocence. She wasted no time instantly jumping on her feet and pulled me in for a tight hug.

I swear I would have felt warmer if she'd done this any other time, but at this point I was already suffocated enough by the curse of the happiness meter. 

I pull back a bit too quickly, but that definitely doesn't deter her as she pulls me tighter, whispering an overwhelming amount of 'thankyou's' and a lot of other grateful empty words

Oh babes you didn't need to thank me. I did it for myself. To survive. And I would do it again—in a heartbeat

I would have actually felt guilty even thinking of the fact that she thinks I did it for her, but I don't.

Because I know not one syllable that comes out of her mouth, none of those pretty words were true, real. 

Lily is not real. Lily is someone else's fantasy. 

And...neither am I the girl I once was. I am Genevieve Laurent.

The rich bitchy best friend of the heroine. A side character fated to die.

I can't afford to get distracted now. I can't stay here for long. I must find a way to leave

Without thinking twice, I instantly push back against her, not too harshly, but hard enough to send a message. 

I put on the fakest smile I could put on and say, "You're welcome, you know I would do anything for you Lily"

A real and genuine smile spreads across her face.

Then she looks at me with wide confused eyes as if just realising something, "But where did you get the money from, Genny?"

My pupils blow wide