Dynasty Boys

Chapter 21

Elle

I blinked a few times, trying to clear my blurry vision, and a painful moan escaped my dry lips as a strong headache hit me. I moved my fingers and noticed the sheets were too soft and comfortable to be my own. After a few attempts, my eyes finally opened, and my breath caught in my throat. I wasn't in my bedroom. This room was dark and plain, and it didn't feel like a home. There were no pictures, no posters, just dark gray walls. It was massive, though, as big as my entire first floor at home.

Lying in the middle of the king-size bed, I looked down at my clothes. I was wearing only a big shirt that reached my knees. My breaths were shallow, and I couldn't remember anything from the previous night.

I glanced at the nightstand to my right. The clock read 8AM. Where was I? I had been with Lila and Nicole at the part. Then, I saw Carter and his friends... I also took a sip of a drink. I tried my best to recall what had happened after that, but nothing.

I was massaging my temples when the bedroom door swung open, and my jaw almost hit the floor.

Carter.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, holding a glass of water. His voice was raspy, as if he hadn't been awake for long. He was only wearing shorts, and my eyes couldn't help but linger on his bare chest.

"What... what am I doing here?" I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I was still mad at him. He'd played with my heart, and thrown it to the wolves, so there was no way I was just going to forgive him and let it all slide.

"Elle, stop," Carter muttered as I stood up, looking around for my clothes, which were nowhere in sight. I scanned the room until my eyes landed on my shoes.

"You have to stay in bed, Elle!" Carter voiced, his words making me pause.

"What do you want from me, Carter? What am I doing here? What happened?" I shook my head in disbelief. I hated his mood swings more than anything else. This back-and-forth was exhausting, pointless, and cruel.

"Someone drugged you. Please, sit down..." He exhaled hard before running his fingers through his hair.

"Drugged? What do you mean? " I I replied while sitting on the edge of the bed.

"The drink," he continued, and I nearly had a heart attack.

Nicole.

"No! Nicole..." I cried, my hands trembling as I scrambled to find my phone. She'd drunk my drink too, so she was probably in the same state as I was.

"She's fine... she was feeling weird too, but Vaughn took care of her." Carter admitted after blowing out a deep breath.

"What? Vaughn? I swear god if he hurt her I'm gonna kill him!" I blurted out, my chest rising and falling rapidly.

"He won't, Vaughn and Nicole,well they..." He replied but stopped, leaving the sentence unfinished as I stared intensely at him in anger. What was he going to say? Vaughn hated Nicole for unknown reasons. It was simple! He was an asshole.

"Where are my things? I need to get the hell out of here!" I stood up again and walked toward the door, but he grabbed my upper arm and dragged me back to the bed, forcing me to sit down once more. For some reason, I didn't protest.

"Please, just listen to me," he said, his voice barely a whisper.

"First, drink this... it'll help with your headache, and you'll feel better," he clarified, likely noticing the confusion on my face. I reluctantly gulped down the thick, brown liquid, trying not to frown. It was disgusting as hell.

" Why? Why do you treat me like shit and then five minutes later you are nice to me? Are you lunatic? I'm confused. I hate your jokes so now I need you to stop. Stop trying to scare me it's—" I started to speak, but then I heard two knocks on the bedroom door. I froze instantly. Carter inhaled deeply before reluctantly opening the door.

"Carter, did I tell you—Oh!" A middle-aged, elegantly dressed man said as he entered the room. His gaze immediately swept over me, and I could see the smirk forming on his face.

He probably thought I was just one of Carter's one-night stands.

"Hi, I'm Elle... Madden's friend," I added nervously while tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. He was wearing a black suit and holding a phone.

"I've heard a lot about you, miss Taylors." he said, his tone almost condescending. "I'm Thomas Knight. Carter and Madden's father. Nice to meet you in person." His eyes remained locked on mine as he continued, "Carter, we need to talk. Now." His voice was commanding, and his gaze was still fixed on me, intense and unblinking. Carter's body stiffened beside me.

Carter straightened his shoulders, staring back at his father. Thomas Knight was a tall, imposing figure, but Carter... Carter was taller by about three inches, more built. His gaze met mine for a brief moment before he walked out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Thomas seemed fine, but something about him felt off. I highly doubted I'd be sitting down for tea with him anytime soon, chatting about the weather.

My eyes wandered around Carter's room. It was massive, but apart from that, it looked pretty typical. The room screamed "teenager," but I knew Carter was far from typical. I hated his mood swings. I hated how he acted so differently with his friends, like he was a stranger, but when we were alone, he could be so loving.

Every time he sweet-talked me, I just wanted to hold onto that version of him forever. He was my weakness, but I wasn't going to let him treat me like trash anymore. I wasn't one of his playthings, unlike Billie. I couldn't stand the way he let her touch him, sit on his lap like it was her throne. He knew how much I hated her, and he used that to his advantage. That was what boys like Carter did.

They played with their food before devouring the whole plate like a starving wolf.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice Carter reentering the room until he was standing in front of me, holding my bag. I wondered what his father had said to him because Carter was seething, his anger practically radiating off of him.

"Let's go!" Carter said, his voice leaving no room for argument.

"Where?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I have to drop you off at home." He admitted, spitting the word drop like I was some object he wanted to get rid of.

"What happened? Carte—" I started speaking, never taking my eyes off him.

"It's none of your business, Elle." He deadpanned, his voice cold and sharp, cutting through the air. The words hit me like a slap, and I flinched instinctively, my heart sinking. I could feel my pulse racing, a knot tightening in my chest. His tone was so distant, so unrecognizable, it made my stomach churn.

I blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the tears that suddenly burned behind my eyes. How could he just flip like this? One moment, he was here, soft and caring, and the next, he was a stranger. I couldn't wrap my mind around it, and the confusion only made it worse.

"Never mind. You don't need to give me a ride home." I voiced my thoughts. Then, without waiting for a response, I turned on my heel and strode toward the bedroom door, my hands trembling slightly as I gripped the handle. I yanked it open with more force than necessary, the sound of it echoing in the silent room, as if trying to break the heavy tension between us.

___