Venom's Alliance: Loyalty's Fracture

Chapter 28

Kalia's POV

Standing before the brilliantly lit mirror, Mina holding a glass of champagne behind me, Sofia beaming, and Arch looking a bit uneasy, I said words I never thought I'd hear myself say: "Cut it short."

The hairdresser looked shocked. My hair, a natural, undyed dark brown, flowed past my backside, almost to my knees. I'd been growing it for as long as I could remember, but now, the memories and the weight it carried were too much.

"How short?" the hairdresser asked, eyes wide as she gently ran her fingers through the long strands.

"Up to here," I pointed just above my shoulders. "And can we donate it?" I added, keeping my eyes on the mirror. It was time to cut ties with the past. The old Kalia was gone, and the new me didn't need the burden of long hair and painful memories. She needed a symbol of strength, power, and fearlessness. No one would get in the way of my happiness, and no one would ever use me again.

*

"Mina, you have to try the blue dress; it will match your light skin," Sofia suggested as we browsed through the new collection of a well-known designer. Apparently, Mina had quite a lot of connections in the fashion world. It was only fair, given how elegant and sophisticated she looked. Every day was a fashion show for her, and she never wore the same thing twice in a week.

"Do you think so?" Mina asked, holding the beautiful royal blue dress.

"I think so," I chimed in as she took it and hurried to try it on. Arch was nearby, engrossed in his tablet while we enjoyed ourselves, trying on the most beautiful dresses one could imagine.

Sofia and I seemed to be on the same page when it came to most things, gravitating toward similar styles. It felt strange to feel so close to someone you had only met a few times.

We ran toward each other with arms full of clothes we'd picked, and since we had such a similar frame, we could try on different clothes and decide if they looked good or not. There was no need for me to try on her clothes or for her to try on mine.

"You know, I think from now on, this will have to be our only way of shopping," Sofia remarked, eyeing my red dress. It was simple, elegant, with a deep V-neckline, thin straps, and tight on the waist, then loose from the waist down. It called my name, and now that it was on, it felt so good that I wanted to wear it for the rest of my life.

"We should do that," I agreed, checking my reflection. A loud gasp came from close by as Mina approached us.

"I know, right? This was made for her," Sofia added, looking in awe.

"Let me take a picture; this is just beautiful," Mina confirmed, capturing shots from all sides. I couldn't help but laugh and smile. Looking at myself in this dress made me feel powerful and sexy.

"Can you please pack this dress?" Mina requested one of the shop assistants.

Jay handed me his black card, but Mina ended up paying for all our clothes, both mine and Sofia's. After a few shopping trips, the four of us were starving, so Mina made a call to book—or more like demanded—a table at the restaurant on the top of the huge mall building.

We were on our way there when I noticed man following us. The hairs on my back stood up as a familiar feeling crept in, and only one word came to mind: danger. I carefully watched our backs while Arch and Mina were deep in conversation about dessert.

"Did you notice that man too?" Sofia asked in a low tone. It was one thing if I imagined it, but for Sofia to notice as well meant that it was the truth.

"Hard not to," I replied. He was trying to blend in, but it was difficult not to see a huge man dressed in all black maneuvering through the crowd.

"I will call the police," Sofia added. It seemed like a good idea, but something told me that it wouldn't help. I'd dealt with the police before, and they were often useless. Without proof that he was doing something malicious, just following us wouldn't be enough. They'd let him go in a matter of minutes.