CHAPTER 30
ALEXIA P.O.V
"Come on, A, don't be sluggish now!" Clara said as she dragged me into the fifth store so far.
"Clara, these are already enough. I don't need much for just a one-day party," I tried to reason.
"You're right, you don't need much—"
Finally, I thought.
"—you need all of them."
And just like that, she went into full mode, grabbing anything her hands could reach while still dragging me along.
Help me, I mouthed to Naomi.
She just giggled… and started picking her own.
Why am I the only normal one here?
After thirty minutes of their spree, we finally sat down.
"Time for stage 2," Clara announced.
"What's stage 2?" I asked cautiously.
They exchanged a look… then grinned like witches.
I sank into the chair.
"Next!"
"Too flashy."
"Too revealing."
"Too dull."
The comments kept coming until my eyes landed on it.
A dress.
A deep red gown, off-shoulder, with delicate roses lining the edges. The front dipped elegantly, the sides traced with petals, and the back flowed like a trail of fire.
"This one," I said.
Clara and Naomi turned immediately.
"Are you sure?" Clara asked.
"There's only one way to find out," I replied and walked into the fitting room.
A moment later—
"Oh my—" Naomi gasped.
"It's gorgeous," Clara breathed.
And they weren't wrong.
It hugged my body perfectly. My pale skin against the deep red, my dark hair falling over my shoulders—it made me look… different. Stronger. Almost like—
Like someone else entirely.
"You look like a princess," Naomi said softly.
"All hail Princess Alexia!" Clara joked, and we all laughed.
But for a second…
I didn't feel like a princess.
I felt like something being prepared.
"Finally, I'm free!" I screamed once we stepped out of the mall.
We ended up at a café, eating, laughing, and chatting—until someone walked in.
The moment she spotted Clara, she rushed over, all smiles and fake affection.
"Clara! I didn't expect to see you here!"
"Of course you wouldn't," Clara muttered.
"What was that, Clara honey?"
"Nothing."
"Clara dear, why not go somewhere more fitting for your status? This place looks like a poor people meet-and-greet."
My smile dropped.
"Well, Julia, as you can see, I'm with my friends. I can go wherever I want—it has nothing to do with you," Clara snapped.
"Oh, don't be like that. Speaking of friends, you haven't introduced us yet."
"Alexia, Naomi—this is Julia. Julia—Alexia and Naomi. Now can you leave?" Clara said bluntly.
That alone told me everything.
Clara didn't like her.
And that was rare.
"Not so soon. Nice to meet you, Alexia… Naomi. So… the three musketeers, huh?" she said, taking a seat no one offered.
"I guess you could say that," Naomi replied politely.
"So apart from running around like headless chickens and causing trouble… what else do you do?"
Oh. She's one of those.
"Well," I leaned forward slightly, "we also know how to make people like you run away crying to mummy."
Her gaze snapped to me.
"And you are Alexia."
"Got that right."
"I haven't heard of you before."
"Neither have I heard of you."
She scoffed. "You must be joking. Everyone knows me. Julia White—the famous actress. Daughter of Gabriel White."
"White?" I pretended interest.
She smirked. "In the flesh."
"Doesn't ring a bell."
Clara and Naomi nearly choked on their drinks.
Julia's face turned red.
"You—you don't have basic manners? Of course not. Someone of your class wouldn't afford that."
Did she just call me poor?
"At least it's better than having a stick up my ass."
"You—"
"Are you done?" I cut in coldly. "Because we were having a discussion before you sat down uninvited."
She scoffed. "I was about to leave anyway. I wouldn't want to spend another second here. Clara—see you at home."
That smile she gave?
It lingered too long.
Too knowing.
And for a split second—
My ears rang.
A sharp, high-pitched sound.
The same one.
The one from the race track.
I stiffened.
"That was weird," Naomi said.
"And funny too," Clara added.
"Who is she anyway?" I asked.
"Julia is the daughter of one of my father's closest friends," Clara said, her expression tightening. "Since we were kids, she's always been a problem. She'd break things and blame me—and no one ever believed me."
Her hands clenched on the table.
"She's manipulative. Everywhere I go, she turns people against me… even my own family."
Her voice broke.
Naomi and I held her hands.
"We believe you," I said firmly.
"Always," Naomi added.
Clara smiled weakly.
"Why haven't we heard of her before?" Naomi asked.
"She left when we entered high school. That was the first time I could breathe."
"What do your brothers think of her?"
Clara scoffed. "Men are dumb. Somehow, she wrapped Asher around her finger. She's always throwing herself at him… our families even think they'll end up together."
My chest tightened.
I froze.
That girl…
She was the one at the hospital.
The one hugging him.
The one he smiled at.
And suddenly—
That ringing came back.
Louder this time.
Shrill. Piercing.
Like something was trying to break through my skull.
"Alexia?" Naomi called.
I didn't realize my expression had darkened.
"I—I'm fine. I just remembered I have something to do."
"Why all of a sudden?" Clara frowned.
"I always had something to do… I just got carried away."
"I thought you said—"
"That's what I said. See you."
I grabbed my things and left.
Back in my car, I gripped the steering wheel tightly.
Why do I still think about him?
Why does it hurt this much?
But it wasn't just my heart.
My head throbbed violently.
The ringing grew louder—
Like… frequencies.
Like something calling me.
An hour later—
"What happened? You practically ran out of the café," Naomi asked.
Right.
Sleepover.
My birthday.
Tomorrow.
"I… left the microwave on," I said quickly.
"Thank God nothing happened," Clara said.
"Yeah…"
"So! Let's go over the invitation list!" Clara clapped.
Naomi and Clara focused on it while I sat there, distracted.
Tomorrow.
For some reason…
It didn't feel like something to celebrate.
It felt like something waiting.
Watching.
"Everything's ready," Naomi said.
"This is going to be the best party of the year!" Clara squealed.
"It's just one day," I muttered.
"You know, sometimes I feel like I'm the one having this birthday, not you."
"You think?"
Suddenly—
"Ahh—!" I clutched my head.
The pain hit harder than before.
"Is it the headaches?" they asked.
"Yeah… it's worse now. It feels like my head is splitting in two… my teeth, my ears… the ringing won't stop," I gritted my teeth.
It felt like my body was rejecting itself.
Like something inside me—
Was trying to get out.
"That's not normal," Naomi said.
"Have you gone for a checkup?" Clara asked.
"I have. Three times. They said nothing's wrong."
"That's impossible."
"Maybe you should rest," Clara said gently. "Come on."
I nodded weakly.
But as I lay down…
The ringing didn't stop.
It only got louder.
And just before sleep took me—
I swore I heard something beneath it.
Not noise.
Not pain.
A voice.
Calling my name.