# Chapter 9: The Reckoning
Kayla felt herself being pulled back into Roman's embrace, his strong arms encircling her waist as he trapped her against his chest. "Wha... what are you doing?" she stammered, her eyes wide with surprise.
Roman chuckled darkly, taking in her beautiful expression. Wasn't she the one who insisted on playing with fire? So why the scared little mouse now, he thought.
"Roman, get your hands off me this instant!" she yelled angrily, her beautiful lips pouting childishly.
Without hesitation, Roman lifted her as if she weighed nothing, carrying her toward his motorcycle parked nearby. He placed her down on the seat, and Kayla frowned in displeasure as he donned a helmet and then placed one on her head. Oh God, not this ugly motorcycle, she thought. Out of all the rides, it had to be this old clunker. She opened her mouth to protest, but before she could jump down, Roman revved the engine, and they were off.
As they sped away, the wind whipped through her hair, and Kayla clung tightly to Roman's waist, her heart racing for more reasons than one. After what felt like the longest ride of her life, they finally reached the outskirts of the city. Kayla's frown deepened as she jumped off the bike, sprinting toward a nearby secluded area, where she promptly lost her lunch.
Sighing, she turned to find Roman standing there, a bottle of water in his hands, his cold yellow-brown eyes betraying no emotion. Without a word of thanks, she snatched the bottle from him, glaring as she rinsed out her mouth and splashed water on her face. After finishing, she threw the bottle away and slapped him hard across the face.
Roman licked the wet spot off his lips and chuckled dryly. *This girl,* he thought. If it had been anyone else, he would have exacted a harsh punishment. But since it was this tiny, squishy mouse, he decided to let it slide.
Meanwhile, Kayla walked past him, her displeasure evident on her beautiful face, her slightly pointed nose flaring in frustration. Out of all the motorcycles, it had to be that ugly thing. A queen like herself didn't deserve such an embarrassment.
As she approached her house, Akim stepped into her path, arms crossed over his chest. Now that she could see his face without his fake spectacles, she realized he looked remarkably like a younger version of Roman.
"You wouldn't want those frown lines to spoil that beautiful face of yours, would you?" he asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"What now?" he asked, his left eye brows raised.
she sighed, a breath escaping her red lips as she muttered "Nothing," but Akim wasn't convinced since he knows her all too well.
"No, no! Come on, tell me. Or you don't want to? Anyway, we have news for you, but it's both bad and good at the same time." His comment piqued her interest.
"Okay, what is it?" she asked as he pulled her inside, Roman trailing behind.
Soon, they were all seated in the living room. "We checked your Instagram and saw pictures of your boyfriend—oh wait, what's his name again?" Akim looked at Roman, who answered.
"Aaron Taylor," Roman said, his tone flat.
"Right! Aaron Taylor, the guy who dumped you," Akim said, making Kayla's brows furrow in annoyance.
"Who said he dumped me? I was the one who dumped his sorry ass!" she snapped, frustration spilling over. Akim frowned, clearly not buying it, given what had been circulating in the news.
"So, you see, he recently got back with his ex-girlfriend. What's her name again?" he asked, and after a moment, he remembered.
"Chelsea Chelmsford," Roman interjected.
"Exactly!" Akim continued.
"Wait, what?" Kayla's heart raced. It hadn't even been a week since they broke up, and now he was back with her cousin? Had he ever loved her? A pang of jealousy and pain filled her chest.
"And as you can see in this photo," Akim said, handing her his phone, "they're all over each other."
Kayla's eyes widened as she stared at the screen. There stood a stunning girl with jet-black hair and bright, obsidian eyes that seemed to sparkle with mischief. They were at a beach, the sand sculpted into castles around them. The girl wore a red-striped bikini, her hair braided in two. Aaron was dressed in a pair of board shorts that made Kayla roll her eyes in disgust.
Akim continued, "And they're having their engagement party at Macmillan's Hotel."
At this revelation, Kayla's eyes went wide. "What?!" she exclaimed, disbelief washing over her. The audacity! After breaking up with her, he was celebrating his engagement at one of her family's hotels? She would deal with him. Just because her parents were arrested didn't mean he could mess with her.
"Aaron! Aaron! Aaron! I will deal with you," she thought, her resolve hardening.
"So what's the plan?" Akim asked, his impatience evident.
"I say we crash the party," Kayla declared nonchalantly, glancing at Roman, whose expression remained calm.
"What do you guys say?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, let's do it," Akim agreed.
"Kayla, do you have a dress to wear?" he asked, and she nodded.
"What about you two?" she inquired.
"We would—" Akim began, but Kayla interrupted.
"How about I take you to my mom's boutique to pick out some clothes?"
"Aren't you broke?" Roman chimed in, skepticism lacing his voice.
"Of course I am," Kayla retorted, "but I have a friend—more like my mom's friend—who can help us out. Besides, when is the ball?"
"Didn't you read the invitation?" Roman asked sarcastically.
"If I had read it, would I be asking such a question?" Kayla snapped back.
"Guys, don't start," Akim interjected. "It's this Friday."
Kayla's mind raced as excitement and determination filled her. She would show Aaron that she was not someone to be trifled with. The night was just beginning, and she was ready to reclaim her power.