LOVE REVENGE

LOOMING TROUBLE

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, Your Highness!" a voice apologized abruptly, breaking the silence.

Dennis's confusion was evident. "What was that for?" he asked, referencing the loud bang on the door.

A police officer stepped forward, explaining, "We received a tip that a fraudster we've been tracking for months was spotted here. We arrived promptly to investigate before he escaped. I apologize for the intrusion."

The officer turned to his junior colleague. "Apologize to the prince."

As the young officer bowed, Sarah's voice emerged from behind Dennis. "What's going on, Dennis?"

Dennis reassured her, "Nothing serious, just a misunderstanding."

As he turned to Sarah, the officers caught a clear glimpse of her. The junior officer's eyes lingered, captivated by her beauty.

"We'll leave you to it, Your Highness," the senior officer said, bowing slightly. "Once again, our apologies."

As they departed, the junior officer, Peter, hesitated. His senior's voice snapped him back to attention. "Come on, Peter!"

"Captain, who was that?" Peter asked, glancing back at the room.

"Who? The prince?"

"No, the young lady inside."

"That must be his fiancée – she's the only daughter of a wealthy family. I heard they've been betrothed since childhood."

Peter whistled softly. "She's so beautiful, must be nice to be born into royalty. You get respect, power, and beautiful partners."

"How about you face why we are here Peter? his captain ordered. "And please stop banging doors. We're dealing with influential individuals here. That's why our target chose to hide here – he knows we can't search the place like any other."

Peter nodded, chastened.

The police officers' departure left Sarah uneasy. The late hour and her mother's impending worry added to her discomfort, she had lied she was going to see Rhoda.

"I should leave. It's getting late," Sarah said.

Dennis apologized. "Sorry about the interruption. Let me drive you home."

"No, my driver's outside," Sarah replied.

"Then let me see you off to the entrance," Dennis offered. "I think I'll stay here tonight."

Sarah agreed.

As they parted ways, Dennis said, "Thank you for coming. Text me when you get home, okay?"

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief as Manuel drove away. She had narrowly escaped getting caught again, but her luck wouldn't last forever.

Lost in thought, Sarah recalled the almost-kiss with Dennis. Juliana's interruption had saved her from a potentially complicated situation.
Sarah questioned her emotions. Would she have let Dennis kiss her if they hadn't been interrupted? Was she falling for him?
No, she couldn't afford to fall in love with Dennis. Their worlds were too different. It would only end in heartache, not even when she had built their relationship on lies and deceit. Dennis would never trust her when he finally found out the truth. She had known this right from the start and was prepared for whatever would happen but it was different now, she was scared of Dennis finding out, she was scared of ruining their relationship. Sarah finally realized she had been caught up in her own lies.

******

A furious voice echoed through the club.

"Where is she? Where is the slut?!" Racheal yelled, frantically searching every room.

Juliana lingered, questioning Tanya. "Couldn't you have gotten here faster?"

Tanya defended herself. "You should've seen the driver's speed! Racheal was frantic in the car; I almost threw up!"

"They just left," Juliana updated. "Dennis might return, but the girl's gone already."

Tanya's frustration was palpable. "Fuck! Racheal could've gotten rid of her easily. Now what?"

Juliana reassured her, "Don't worry, I had Maurice follow her. I anticipated this might happen."

Tanya's eyes widened in approval. "Finally using that brain of yours, huh?"

Juliana shot back, "Shut up. At least we'll know where she lives."

"I'll need that information," Tanya said. "If I have to give Racheal her address, I will."

"Alright, keep me posted," Juliana said. "Now go calm down Racheal before she destroys this place."

Tanya rolled her eyes. "Ugh, she's a piece of work."

Tanya rushed toward Racheal, calling out in a soothing tone, "Girl, take it easyyyyy!"

*******
"Girl, what happened?" Rhoda asked, concern etched on her face. "Thank God you told me you lied to your mom. She's been calling your phone nonstop. I had to cover for you, saying you were asleep."

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. "I didn't realize my phone was off. Thanks, Rhoda."

Rhoda settled back into bed. "What happened? You didn't explain anything on the phone."

Sarah hesitated before revealing, "I went to see Dennis."

Rhoda's eyes widened. "Dennis? At this time? What happened? You didn't tell me you had a date or something."

"It was impromptu," Sarah explained. "His grandfather had an emergency and was hospitalized. He needed someone to talk to."

Rhoda's expression turned serious. "Sarah, how could you take that risk? What if you'd run into someone you know?"

Sarah admitted, "I wasn't thinking. I just felt like I needed to be there for him."

Rhoda's eyes narrowed. "Needed to be there for him? Sarah, are you falling for him?"

Sarah stuttered, "W-what are you talking about?"

Rhoda stood up, her voice filled with alarm. "You're in love with Dennis! Oh my God! You're in love with the Crowned Prince of Edton! This is trouble Sarah! Huge trouble!"

Just then, a sudden creak echoed from the window. Rhoda froze, her eyes locked on the window.

"Who's that?" Rhoda asked firmly, her voice low.

Sarah's heart skipped a beat as they both turned to face the window.