Your Lucky One

Chapter Twelve: Penthouse Party

Trese Anaya's Point of View

The party was supposed to be small—just the four of us: me, Diego, Yukio, and Kasha. But knowing Yukio and Kasha, I should have expected that "small" would mean half their social circle. The surprise came when Xavierre, her brother Kagan, and a few other familiar faces from business families I grew up seeing at events walked in. Megoli, Alce, and even more followed behind them, though I wasn't as familiar with all of them. It wasn't long before the place was filled with chatter, laughter, and alcohol.

Quatro was also here and his friends Alex and Justine. 

I had invited Praise and Dale after checking with Kasha. She hesitated when I mentioned Praise, but eventually, she agreed. 

I spotted Dale at the mini-bar, opening a can of beer.

"Fonso?" I asked casually, 

He shrugged, his response short and blunt. "Not replying."

I nodded. Fonso had been distant lately, but there was no use in dwelling on it tonight. This was supposed to be a good time. Before I could think too much about it, I heard my name being called.

"Hey! Trese! Kamusta!?" It was Xavierre Andreas, the daughter of a well-known healthcare mogul, and someone Kasha was particularly close with.

"Xav! Hey!" I greeted her with a smile. "I heard you're going to be part of an indie film!" I said enthusiastically. It was a rebellious move for someone whose parents expected her to take over their business empire. Movies are far from healthcare.

"Yeah! You're invited to the screening," she said as she handed me two tickets.

"Two, huh?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"In case you want to invite someone to accompany you..." she trailed off, glancing briefly in Diego's direction before turning back to me with a knowing smirk.

I knew exactly what she was hinting at. The rumors about Diego and me had been circulating for a while now.

"Oh no, no, no. Diego and I? Not happening. There's nothing between us, I swear! It's just rumors!" I insisted, waving off the idea with a laugh.

Xavierre raised her eyebrows playfully. "Oh, I see! Well, in that case, take someone you do like. I'm giving you a free date opportunity here!"

I chuckled. "We'll see about that, but I'll definitely be there!"

"Thanks, Trese!" Xavierre said with her usual energy before moving on to join the others.

As I stood there, holding the tickets and feeling the buzz of alcohol starting to hit, I realized I was getting tipsier by the minute. The room was starting to spin slightly, and the noise seemed louder. I tried to shake it off and focus on enjoying the party, but the growing dizziness was hard to ignore.

I was about to head out of the penthouse to sober up—didn't want to get completely wasted. The idea of the pool outside, with its calm, dimly lit surroundings, seemed like the perfect escape from the dizzying lights and noise. I needed to breathe and clear my head. But as soon as I opened the door, I was greeted by an unexpected sight.

Standing there was a group of professors, people I knew all too well, and not in a good way. At the forefront was Miss Virago Mordale, the owner of a well-known university, alongside Miss Claire de Veyra and Miss Claude Notrez. And to my shock, my sister, Deuce Monforte, was with them. But what really caught my eye—and made my heart skip a beat—was Miss Lenore Everette.