Her Purpose || Kai Parker

Chapter 47

The next morning, Estrella woke to an empty bed, the chill of the sheets beside her making her abruptly sit up.

Clutching the blanket around her, she moved awkwardly, her mind still foggy from the previous night's events.

As she headed to the bathroom, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, her hair a mix of colors reflecting her jumbled emotions.

She replayed the night in her mind, expecting to feel weird or maybe even ashamed, given how she was raised.

Instead, a soft giggle escaped her lips. "Scandalous, Ella," she mouthed to herself, a playful glint in her eyes.

The memory of how good she had felt, how free, surprised her.

She knew she didn't have deep feelings for Kai; it was just a physical attraction, the kind Caroline had always told her was normal.

She remembered how the girls once told her that some people can have a one-night thing without any emotional attachment.

Back then, Estrella used to frown upon the idea, wondering how people could do something so intimate without feeling anything more than attraction. But now, she understood it.

After her shower, she packed her things, the house eerily quiet. Kai was nowhere to be found.

She frowned, her heart skipping a beat at the thought of him leaving her behind.

She rushed downstairs, calling his name, her voice growing louder with each unanswered call.

Panic settled in as she sprinted back to her room, tearing through her bag until she found what she was looking for—a small box.

She let out a sigh of relief when she found it still there, the vial of Bennett blood safe inside.

Even though Kai had shown her his vulnerable side, she had kept this box hidden as her only leverage.

It was similar to how Kai had kept the Ascendant with their mutual agreement.

Just as she was catching her breath, she heard a whistle from downstairs, and her hair turned a bright orange.

She hurried down to find Kai unloading some items he had brought back.

He looked up at her and smirked, "Good morning, pumpkin," he said, walking over to her and, to her surprise, planting a quick kiss on her lips.

She gaped at him, momentarily stunned before grabbing an empty bag and playfully swatting him with it.

"Hey, woah. Stop it," Kai protested, trying to fend off her half-hearted attacks.

"You—you scared me! I thought you—ugh," she huffed, her panic giving way to relief.

Kai grabbed the bag from her, "What's wrong? Stop it," he said, more sternly this time.

"I didn't see you, and I thought you left. You scared me," she mumbled, her heart still racing.

Kai stared at her for a moment, his gaze piercing. "Let me guess—you first checked where the box was, didn't you?"

"I searched for you first, then yes, I checked my box because I didn't see you," she admitted, glancing at the items he had brought. "But here you were, shopping for pork rinds and Zima? Sketchbooks and CDs?"

His expression remained unreadable as she sighed.

"I was just scared, okay? Your comment last time about leaving me didn't help either. I'm sorry for hitting you," she added, her voice softer.