Chapter 303: The Consequences of Chivalry

Unfazed by their behavior, Kyle managed to maintain his friendly smile. He turned the tray around and directed the last glass in front of Eve. "I mean, there's still one more left in case you want to loosen up a bit. I'll gladly give it to you."

Cale shot put his arm and blocked Eve from taking the drink. "Many thanks for the drinks, Mr. Kyle, but there's still modelling sessions tomorrow. Eve needs to abstain from any alcohol until the weekend."

"Oh, come on," Kyle fussed, raising the drink in her direction. "It's only a little—"

"Fruit punch!" Tiffany exclaimed. She seized the glass and drained half of the beverage. Her foot stumbled back a step. "Oh, wow. I probably shouldn't have done that. But this is really good."

Kyle dropped the tray to his side, resting it against his hip. The smile on his face stayed up but it no longer reached his eyes. He didn't seem to be aware of it but the rest did.

Eve gritted her teeth. He must be frustrated by the continuous interruptions. 

"It seems like I'm all out," he said, attempting a laugh. "I should have prepared more."

"It's quite a popular drink indeed," Cale played along. He took another sip and wrapped his arm around Eve's shoulders. "We'll see about next time."

"That's a good idea. I should go back and see what else we have for the party. Maybe there's enough to whip something up."

With that said, Kyle made his escape.

Eve watched him disappear. It was a sight she never got tired of seeing. Then her eyes glared at the two servings of fruit punch. "Are you guys feeling okay?"

Tiffany arched an eyebrow. She looked at Eve while drinking from her glass. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"Like… I don't know. Do you taste something weird?" Eve couldn't help but ask. When Mikael had taken the drink, she wondered if he thought there was something wrong with it. Why else would he grab that one instead of the others?

"Not that I can tell." Tiffany peeked at the fruit punch through the opening. Then, she flickered her gaze towards the other glass. "What about Cale?"

Cale sniffed his drink and frowned. He shook it, the ice rattling together. "I also can't tell. Mikael might have it."

Eve shook her head as they finished the rest of the fruit punch. "I can't believe you guys actually drank them when you're also suspicious that he messed with the drink."

Tiffany scoffed, rolling her black eyes. "Oh, please. We'll be fine unlike you, Ms. Popular. You would have been vulnerable. We don't even know how strong the dosage is."

.

.

.

.

.

At the first sign of heavy breathing, Mikael ran away to his hotel room. He alerted no one about his absence at the party. It should be easy enough to figure out. Jordan had been talking to a staff member and failed to notice him make his escape.

Mikael wobbled while walking down the hallway. The walls bent in different directions, curving like worms. He pressed a hand against one wall to know if he was walking straight—until he found the door to his hotel room.

He crashed onto the bed and kicked off his shoes, closing his eyes. Heat pooled at this stomach. He lied on his side and hugged his knees in hopes that it could lessen the sensation. Beads of sweat trickled down the back of his neck. 

His two rows of teeth gnashed together. A strangled cry rumbled in the back of his throat.

'That fucking bastard!' He roared in his head. 'When this is over, I'll beat the shit of him!'

For a second, Mikael wondered if Kyle had tricked him into taking that first drink. It would have been the smart thing to do given how they were suspicious of him—which was why he took the other glass and used Jordan as an excuse.

He dumped both contents in the nearest washroom away from the studio, hoping Cale didn't get the contaminated drink.

But to think that Kyle had fully intended to give this drink to Eve. Mikael tasted vile in his mouth. He only drank a little but the effects were stronger than he anticipated.

Mikael opened his eyes and stared at the wall. Another wave of heat flooded over his abdomen. He felt it crawling into his veins and rush over more parts of his body. It became harder and harder to resist. He should have gone to the bathtub when he had the chance. 

At this rate, he might not be able to stand up. 

His hand shook as he reached for his phone. He scrolled through his recent contacts and searched for the number he wanted, leaving the call on speaker and next to his head.

A female voice came from the other end.

"Hello?" Rose greeted. "I have to admit. Based on how our conversation ended last time, I didn't think I'd hear from you again. Now, I got a call? Is the world ending?"

Mikael groaned at his mistake. He opened his mouth and tried to speak in between labored breaths. "Even if—the world—was—ending—I wouldn't—call you—at all—"

Rose sat up on her bed. She glared at her bed sheets, listening intently to the call. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I-I—" Mikael uttered out incoherent noises. The heat intensified near his lower abs. He bit his tongue so Rose wouldn't be able to hear him.

Unfortunately for Mikael, her sharp ears picked it up. "Dude, speak up. Tell me what's wrong. Do you need 911? I can call them for you. Just tell me what's wrong."

"NO!" Mikael objected. "It's nothing. It'll pass."

Rose bit on her thumb. Her curiosity couldn't let the issue go. Not to mention that Mikael could be in trouble but only refused to admit it to her. She thought of a number of reasons as to why his breathing was irregular.

"Are you about to give birth?"

"What?! Why would I even—"

"Sheesh! It was a joke," she defended. "Don't be too serious. But, if you were offended by it, I'm sorry. I won't do it again while you're in pain."

Mikael glared at his phone. "So it would be okay if I wasn't in pain?"

"Of course."

He scowled. The tight muscles above his eyes caused pain in his head. "I'm getting off. Don't speak about this with anyone."

"Hey, wait!" Rose protested. She folded one arm below her chest. "If you're going to be like that, there should be an exchange. A favor for a favor."

"I'm currently struggling here and you have the audacity to ask for something back?"

"Other than your breathing problems, you sound perfectly fine to me. Let me stay on the line until you feel better."

"Are you crazy? I'm about to go take a bath."

"A bath hmmm…" Rose contemplated, thinking it could be a clue on his situation. "Hot or cold?"

Mikael opened his mouth. Then, he caught himself and closed it. That was too easy. He could have given himself away. It would only be a matter of time before a rumor would spread about his dilemma—

"It's cold, isn't it?" He heard her guess. The call became quiet for a while. In that moment, Mikael almost forgot about the heat that erupted his insides. He waited for her reaction. His mind couldn't move on to the next thing without him knowing.

"I think…" Rose whispered, pressing her lips together. This wasn't what she had in mind when she saw his name flash on her phone screen. But she also couldn't leave him alone like this. "I think I know what's going on. I could be wrong! Of course but… you don't have to tell me anything. Just let me stay on the line."

Mikael shut his eyes. 

'What did this girl want?' He wondered to himself. There was nothing to gain from keeping the call open. It had to be a trick. Maybe to get more information on his activities based on the sounds? He could just mute his microphone.

"Hey," Rose interrupted his thoughts. "I don't have bad intentions. I could be wrong but, if I am right on what you're experiencing, it's easier to abstain by having someone to talk to. If you just need me to babble, I would. Just. Stay. On. The. Line."

"What makes you think I'm abstaining?" Mikale challenged.

Rose snorted at his weak rebuttal. "You wouldn't be having this problem if you weren't."

He chose not to respond to that. She could think of him in any way that she wanted based on the silence.

Sure, this dilemma could have been fixed easily—or could have been less discomforting—but he didn't like how the situation happened. That alone gripped him not to surrender to the effects of the drug. Although it had missed its target, it would still feel like letting Kyle win. He had taken that resolve the moment he grabbed that drink.

"So… want to hear about my day?"