Dangerous Chemistry

KYLIE ROSSA.

Seated across the table from me were my siblings, Liam, Riley and my annoying little sister, Alexis. We were gathered around my father as he discussed politics and the prospects of getting a new wife. I could see the disgust on Liam's face as my father spoke endlessly, being the eldest of the family and at 27, I think it kind of disgusted him that my father was speaking about his girlfriend, Daniela, who we had never met and I never planned to meet.

Amidst the conversation, Alexis blurted out, "Father, do you think Daniela will like me?" her question baffled me. Why did she feel the need to be nice to our father all the time? I mean he is nothing but a sick and psychotic person.

Okay, that's a bit too harsh. But, my father is difficult to deal with, and he strongly hates me.

"Of course she will, you're smart and you're very beautiful, why wouldn't she like you?" My father said, his eyes glancing at me at each chance it got. But, I ignored his gaze and ate my food without saying a word.

"Then when are we going to meet with her?" Another yet stupid statement from Alexis. I couldn't help but interject.

"You mean when are you going to meet with her, because count me the hell out." I grumbled over a mouth full of grapes. My father and Liam shot me a deadly glare, earning them an eye roll.

"Kylie, you better keep your bad attitude elsewhere or I'll send you back to the mental hospital." My father threatened. I wasn't scared of a mental hospital, at least it was better than sitting here with my father and my annoying sister who thinks of herself as Miss Perfect.

"You know what, I'm going elsewhere, away from you weirdos." I mumbled as I picked my plate of grapes up.

"Sit the hell down, Kylie." my brother Liam commanded, his voice seething with authority. I glanced at Riley, and he gave me an apologetic look, compelling me to stay seated. Liam was the only one in this family who could somewhat rein me in, but only to a certain extent. I'm an Alpha female, and I do what I want, when I want.

"We are all going to see Dad's girlfriend, and that's final," Liam announced firmly. As he spoke, I noticed a wide smile stretched across Alexis's face, which compelled me to shoot her a disapproving glare.

"Children, I want you all to be on your best behavior when you meet her next Sunday," The excitement in my father's voice made me want to puke.

I stood up, letting the anger in me take control, "And mum should be forgotten just like that?" I asked angrily. Feeling tears burn in my eyes.

"Kylie, I've told you not to bring your mum into this. She's dead and you have to move on," My father said. I could hear the sadness in his voice but it didn't matter.

"She died just ten years ago, and you want to move on just like that?" My father shook his head, clearly telling me I wouldn't understand. Frustrated, I walked away, this time, disregarding Liam's voice as he called out to me. On my way out, I could hear Riley say to them that he was coming after me.

Seated on the rooftop, I felt Riley’s presence next to me. He put his cold arms around my shoulder. "Get your hands off me!" I snapped.

He laughed. "Aren't you happy that Dad is happy?"

"No, I'm not happy that he is happy." I replied, earning another chuckle from Riley.

"Typical Kylie. You know, I'm glad you're my twin and not Liam. He's boring." he teased, and I chuckled at his words.

"It's just that, Dad is moving on without Mum, and it hasn't even been a decade yet." I said, my voice evident with anger and disgust. Whoever Daniela is, that bitch is in real trouble.

"Kylie, Dad is a man, and he has needs." Riley said, earning him a playful smack on the shoulder.

"A sixty-seven-year-old man still gets horny?" I said, Riley burst into laughter. Making my old neighbor Mr. Zack turn on his light and stick his head out his window to yell.

"Keep it down, Rossas!" Mr. Zack yelled, causing Riley and me to share a glance and laugh at him. Mr. Zack lived in the mansion next to ours, and from the rooftop we can see his entire house. He is a sad man, no wife, no children, just him and his disgusting dog.

"Shut it, Mr. Zack!" Riley retorted, I chuckled. Mr. Zack turned off his light and took his curtains back down.

Just then my phone buzzed in my pocket, I picked it up and it had danger written all over the screen, my friend Neo was calling, which meant fun. "What's up?" I said excitedly as soon as I picked it up.

"Are you broke?" Neo asked. That was an odd question but I knew it was going to come with an amazing price.

"Hell yeah! My boss fired me yesterday and my dad has refused to give me any money." I replied, running my hand through my hair as I spoke. I glanced at Riley and he seemed suspicious of my conversation with Neo, especially when the word 'money' was involved.

"Come meet me and Julian at Club Kadein in thirty minutes, we have a huge job for you and it comes with a sum of $10,000." My ears couldn't believe what Neo had just said. $10,000 is actually a lot of money and can get me out of this prison of a house. My father had stopped giving me money and had had all my bank accounts frozen.

"I'm on my way!" I replied, feeling excited.

As I stood up, Riley asked. "Where are you heading to?"

"I'm heading to Club Kade, please cover for me," I said. "Neo and Julian are waiting for me."

"Neo and Julian? Those two are bad news. I thought you stopped hanging out with them," Riley said.

He wasn't exactly wrong. Neo and Julian are extremely bad news. Neo Aydin, 27 years old, is the son of a gang leader and was brought up in a life of crime and violence, which made being friends with him fun and exciting. Julian Becker, 25 years old, comes from a very rich and influential family. They kicked him out because he got a girl pregnant, and his family didn't want that to ruin their perfect name and status. Now, he's hanging out with Neo, which only makes Julian worse and more of an embarrassment to his family who constantly have to bail him out of jail.

As for me, my name is Kylie Rossa, and I'm 22 years old. My mother died when I was thirteen, and since then, I've been nothing but trouble. The only way I find peace is by distancing myself from the world and not believing that my mother is truly gone. I have two brothers and a sister: my twin Riley, my eldest brother Liam, and my little sister Alexis.

Riley is my best friend. Despite all my efforts to distance myself from my family, I can't seem to keep away from him. I love Riley a lot, maybe even more than my brother Liam, who is nothing but my father's dog, following his every wish and command. Speaking of my father, he runs a real estate and security business and was once a billionaire. After my mother's death, his reckless behavior caused him to lose most of his money. Over the years, he decided to mend his ways, all because he met Daniela, the woman who wanted to take my mother's place. Oh, I'll make her life a living hell.

I could feel Riley’s gaze on me, so I took a deep breath. “Julian and Neo aren’t bad people. They are my friends.” I said to him, he shook his head.

“Julian and Neo are criminals, and whatever they want you to do right now seems suspicious.” Riley implied.

“Stop acting like Alexis. Cover for me, please.” I pleaded. Trying my best to make a puppy dog's eyes, which made him burst into laughter.

“Fine. But you have to promise me you won’t get yourself in any trouble.” He said. I couldn’t promise that, but I did anyway.

“I promise.”

“Fine. But I’m going to have to drive you there, it isn’t safe to take a taxi.”

I agreed with him, not wanting to waste more time. We made our way back to the living room and it was empty. I turned to Riley and he instructed me to follow his lead. I did so, and he led me outside where his car, a Mercedes, was parked. It was a gift from my father and I knew his only intention was to get on my nerves. And maybe also an appreciation for Riley’s perfect grades.

“Don’t put your legs there.” Riley said protectively. I rolled my eyes and did it anyway.

“I guess Alexis isn’t Dad’s only favorite.” I said, scrutinizing his car intently. I had never gotten the chance to look at it closely, mostly because I always use the bus or ride with my father’s annoying driver, Benjamin. Or because Riley wasn’t always around, because he worked in my father's company in LA and my father makes sure no one touches Riley’s car. I rarely see Riley, he is only around because my father wanted to see him, and I knew it had something to do with Daniela.

Riley disregarded my earlier remarks and drove at a leisurely, law-abiding pace—something I never did when I persuaded Benjamin to let me take the wheel. Benjamin, an older man, is likely my dad's age, and I find myself talking to him more than my father. It might seem unusual, but I prefer it. I stopped communicating with my father after my mother's death. It wasn't his fault, but I held him responsible for not getting her to the hospital on time. Perhaps, one day, I'll find it in myself to forgive him.

“You drive like a grandma.” I said to Riley as we approached Club Kade, a smile stretched across my face as I spotted Neo and Julian standing outside. They looked excited to see Riley’s car as well, they knew it’d definitely be me in it.

“I don’t wanna scratch my Linda.” He spanked his steering wheel, which was disturbing to look at.

"Goodbye, freak. Or are you joining us at the club?" I asked.

"Nah, I've got a date with Ophelia." he responded.

Ophelia, how could I forget to speak about her? Ophelia was like family, I like her only because Riley does. But I’m also scared for my brother because Ophelia has colon cancer and I’m certain she is going to die. Don’t give me that look, I’m not saying I want her to die. I know she’s going to die because my friend Jared is her doctor and he told me Ophelia is not responding to treatment but her parents have been making him lie to her and she has been telling that lie to my brother, who believes he would someday ask her to be his wife when she is finally cured and healthy.

Poor Riley.

"Have a great time!" I exclaimed, stepping out of the car and waving cheerfully. As he pulled away, he lowered his car windows, casting a disdainful glance at Neo and Julian before disappearing down the road.

“Your brother hates us.” That was the first thing Julian and Neo said as I stood before them.

“But I don’t. What’s the plan to make me rich?” I asked. Julian smirked, which meant it was something crazy.

“We are going to kidnap someone.” Neo said effortlessly, as though we weren’t breaking a very strict law.

When they didn’t laugh, I knew they were serious, so I asked. “Are you guys crazy?”

“No. This is a huge opportunity and they are willing to pay us 30,000 thousand dollars to get him.” I felt like smacking Neo’s head when he said that.

“Are you hearing yourselves speak at all? They are willing to pay us 30,000 dollars to kidnap a person? And you think it’s a normal person? Are you guys insane?” They didn’t look insane, instead, the more I spoke, they looked more determined to go on with their plan. “Are you dummies even listening? I’m sure whoever they want us to kidnap is probably a gang leader or something.”

“No, he isn’t a gang leader but a multi-billionaire. And, my brother is the one paying us to kidnap him, so nothing is going to happen. We only need you to spike his drink and lure him down to the basement of the club.” Neo didn’t sound scared. And Julian looked very much interested in this plan, knowing fully that Neo’s brother had our back.

“Who are we speaking about?” I asked. I can’t lie, I’m interested but I’m scared of going to jail.

“The heir to SilvaGates.” Neo said. I gulped. Silva Gates belonged to the richest man in our town. Their net worth is around six hundred billion dollars. Which makes this more dangerous than I thought. Kidnapping the heir to Silva Gates means getting involved with news reporters, and many more image-wrecking situations. But the payment seemed intriguing and I needed the money right now.

Taking a deep breath, I asked. “What do I need to do?” From the smile on Neo’s face, I could tell I was getting myself into a whole lot of trouble.

KYLIE ROSSA.

I stood within the club, an Air Pod nestled in my ear. The outfit Neo insisted I wear left little to the imagination, a stark contrast to the baggy shirt and mom jeans I initially wore. Neo's plan involved me pretending to be interested in the billionaire, aiming to get him to consume a spiked drink. However, Julian's research revealed the young billionaire abstained from alcohol, posing a challenge to my assigned task.

"Are you sure you want me to do this?" I asked Neo hesitantly, my voice muffled by the Air Pod in my ear. As I spoke, I couldn't help but notice the glances I received from people around me.

“I’ll give you $12,000.” Neo said, sounding frustrated. Twelve thousand dollars sounded so good; it was something I couldn’t possibly say no to.

“Deal. Where is he?” I asked, earning a chuckle from him.

"He's seated at the VIP table to your left," Neo informed me. I glanced over and saw the table, where two handsome men were deeply engrossed in what appeared to be a serious conversation. It seemed unusual for a nightclub, almost like a meeting in an unexpected setting.

“Which amongst them is he?” I asked.

“The one wearing a black shirt.” Neo said, my eyes immediately landed on him. And boy does he look filthy rich, he had dark black hair, dark brown eyes, and a well-sculpted beard line that went perfectly well with his impeccable hairline. Everything about him screamed perfection, and it disgusted me. Such handsome men are never to be trusted.

“He looks like a mommy’s boy.” I grumbled.

“That doesn’t matter now. Go to him, my brother is already calling to know if the task is done.” Neo sounded very impatient.

Remembering I had forgotten to ask why he was being kidnapped, I asked. “Why are you kidnapping him? I hope your brother does not plan to harm him, if that’s the case, then count me the hell out.”

“Ransom money, and no, we will not harm him.” Neo stated. That explained a lot, his brother was a gang leader and kidnapping Silva Gates heir would earn him billions of dollars. I felt cheated after thinking about how much they’d earn, so I made a mental note to question Neo about that later. Now, I needed that money, so without speaking further, I made my way toward the VIP table, swinging my waist while maintaining an elegant posture, which is something I suck at, so I’m certain I looked stupid while approaching them.

As I approached them, the bouncer stood in front of me. “Reggie, what the hell!” I knew him, so I scolded.

"Kylie, they're having a meeting, and they paid me a lot to keep everyone out," he pleaded.

“My dad sent me here, that’s SilvaGate’s CEO huh? My dad wants me to speak to him about something important.” I lied. A very stupid lie that would easily get me caught. Reggie knew that my father was rich and there was a fifty percent possibility of him having something to do with SilvaGates.

"I'll need to ask him for permission to let you in first, okay?" Reggie said. I cast a quick glance at Neo and Julian, noticing their impatience from where they stood.

“Sure.” I agreed. Reggie turned around and made his way toward the handsome young man who looked in his early thirties. The man glanced at me and I waved at him with a very fake smile. Standing up close, I noticed a hot scar laying dangerously on his right brow, which was raised as he stared at me. Looking away from me, he whispered something into Reggie’s ear and Reggie nodded. Making his way to me.

“What’s up? What did he say?” Reggie sighed, then let out a smile.

“You can go in.” he said, I smiled widely at him before patting him gently on the shoulder. As I made my way toward the billionaire, he stared at me intently, carefully observing my steps toward him.

I took in a deep breath as I stood before him. “Good evening, Mr. Silva.” I said, and without hesitation, I sat next to him, his perfume exuding the air and nearly knocking me out.

“Who are you?” His words came out cold and rude. He was lucky I needed him for money, or I would've stood up with my little dignity and left. To make matters worse, his Italian accent made the situation more awkward. His friend, on the other hand, stared at me as though he was trying to remember something, but I made sure not to make any eye contact with him.

“My name is…” I paused. I couldn’t tell him my real name, because if we got caught and I managed to escape, he would easily track me down. So, I thought of a great idea.

“Genevieve Roswell.” I lied, telling him the name of my nemesis, Genevieve, the daughter of Roswell Diam. My father's enemy. I can only hope that Mr. Silva doesn’t know her personally.

“Genevieve?” he asked, his former stiff demeanor becoming nicer and more approachable.

“Yes.” I said confidently, believing he had bought my lie. His friend also nodded his head as he stared at me, a smile spread across his face.

“No wonder you looked familiar.” he said, I gulped. This could mean he had seen me before, which spelled danger.

“Yeah, how are you guys doing?” I asked, trying to kill the awkward moment and the height of nervousness I was currently in.

“Great. I presume your father told you about the yacht right?” I had no idea what he was saying and I nodded.

“Yes. And I called him when I saw you here.” Yet another lie. And the voice of Neo telling me to be quick, rang through my head.

“Do inform him that I and my team are working on it.” He said, his voice guided. He sounded very professional.

"I will. What are you both doing at this club? I've never seen you here before," I inquired. The club is like a second home to me; I come here every day when my family is asleep, and I've never noticed them before.

“We are waiting for someone.” his friend said, his blue eyes carefully scrutinizing me.

"Wow. Why isn’t there any drink on your table? This is a club, and you should have fun; it's not meant for a business meeting," I implored, hoping to encourage him to enjoy a drink.

“I don’t drink alcohol.” Mr. Silva said.

"Oh," I exclaimed, feigning surprise. "That's not a problem at all! They actually have non-alcoholic wine available here. I would be delighted to have a drink with you, especially since it could be the first and possibly only time I'll be meeting the CEO of SilvaGates." I tried to compose my words in a way that would convince him.

“No.” Came his curt response.

"Come on, Alaric, you’ve gotta learn how to have fun," his friend implored, waving at a bartender who promptly approached. His friend ordered non-alcoholic drinks for all of us. The bartender swiftly went to fetch the drinks, and in the meantime, I engaged in small conversations with his friend, Levi, who was a bit fun but quite annoying.

As soon as the bartender returned with our drinks, I quickly collected them, pretending to want to pour for everyone. However, my main agenda was to spike the CEO of SilvaGate, Alaric. He stared at me calmly, his eyes revealing his dislike for me. Without a word, he observed as I poured him a drink and expertly spiked it with the sedative discreetly attached to my long nails.

“Here you go!” I said. I passed it to him and he reluctantly took it, he stared at me calmly before taking a sip. I could feel my stomach twirl in excitement as he took more sips.

“Levi, I think we should get going.” Alaric said to his friend. Who took countless sips before his phone rang, distracting him.

He seemed engrossed in the call, while I observed Alaric, who appeared to be affected by the drug I had put in his drink. Despite that, he tried to maintain composure. I turned my head and glanced at Neo, who gave me a thumbs-up.

“Leave there now!” Neo had said. I took that as a cue and stood up.

"Nice to meet you, Alaric," I said. He stared at me for a while before nodding rudely. Despite trying to act unaffected, he failed miserably, his gaze revealing the impact of the drugs.

"Bye," I waved at Alaric’s friend, who was still on a phone call and immediately ran out of the VIP table. I bid goodbye to Reggie and swiftly made my way to Neo and Julian.

“Done.” I stated the moment I stood before them. “And, I want $20,000.”

“Are you crazy?” Julian asked, earning him a dangerous glare from me, making him look away instantly.

“I risked my life and identity, while you guys stood in the corner.” I stated. Neo sighed.

“Fine. $20,000 it is.” He declared. I smiled.

“What now? He’s getting away.” I said. A sly smile danced onto Neo’s face.

“No he isn’t. My brother is already outside, his friend has been distracted, so it’ll be easy to take him.” Neo said.

“Why didn’t you guys just kidnap him from his home? It would have been easier.” I stated.

“He is always with his bodyguards. But tonight, we lured him into this club and he doesn’t ever go to clubs with his bodyguards.” Neo explained. That sounded smart because I recall hearing Alaric say he was waiting for someone.

“Well, my job here is done. I’m going home, where are my clothes?” I glared at Julian.

“They're in the back.” He stated.

"The billionaire will be taken to the back, so please avoid going there for now. It's important that my brother doesn't see you." Neo said. I fear no one, but his brother freaks the hell out of me.

“You don’t need to say it twice.” I mumbled. They chuckled. They patted my shoulder before telling me they were going to check the situation at the back. I nodded and made my way to the bartender.

“Hey, Mary.” I waved at her. We engaged in various conversations, with my mind drifting to Riley at every second. I needed to get home now, it was already very late and I was sure they were all asleep.

After what seemed like an hour, Neo and Julian returned. “Hey, Mary!” They said in unison. Mary waved at them and focused on the task before her.

“Can I get my clothes now?” I asked and they nodded.

“He is tied up at the back. Make sure you don’t touch him, okay?” Neo warned, I rolled my eyes.

“Okay, Grandma.” I said and Julian chuckled. “And before I go, my money.” I stretched my arm out, and Neo reached for the bag that hung on his shoulder and brought out a sack. He placed it on my palm.

“Nice doing business with you.” I said. I gave them a fist bump before making my way towards the back of the club. I knew my way around this club because I’d been coming here even before I turned 18. The club belonged to Neo's family, so it was easy for us to get in.

Once I arrived at the back of the club, my heart sank as I spotted Alaric, his left arm bleeding and bound. Concern overwhelmed me, and I couldn't help but let out a gasp at the sight of his vulnerability. However, my focus shifted quickly to removing the uncomfortable dress I was wearing, disregarding his presence for a moment. Struggling to take off the gown, I then reached for my clothes, but as I bent down to pick up my fallen shirt, a cold metal object pressed against my neck. The scent of a familiar perfume filled the air, and I knew it was Alaric. Startled, I turned around to find him staring at me with intense rage in his eyes.

"It's not..." I tried to speak, but he silenced me with a gesture, holding the gun firmly.

"You're going to rot in jail," he whispered, his Italian accent instilling fear that made my legs tremble. "Now, come with me."

Refusing to comply, I mustered all my strength and swiftly punched him in the groin. Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, I grabbed my clothes and bolted towards the door, naked except for my panties and bra. With adrenaline coursing through my veins, I sprinted out of the club through the back door. Once outside, I found a secluded corner and hastily dressed, all while reaching out to Riley, urgently requesting that he come pick me up and take me home.