Chapter 1 Drink with me

She didn't know it would be this cold when she arrived. If it wasn't for Riya's sake, she would have not travelled. She hated the cold. All she wants to do on a cold day is stay snuggled under her sheets and sleep her heart away. But here she is threading the snowy streets of New York towards her hotel. It's been a while she has heard from Riya and Rinka was surprised to receive a call from one of her friends saying she is missing. She and Riya have lost contact ever since she came to the States. A misunderstanding have put an axe in between their friendship.

They were inseparable in college but somehow a few circumstances have changed them.

"Hi, I'm supposed to be staying here tonight. Someone made a reservation for me. My name's Rinka Brielle Garcia." she informed the front desk clerk while handing her ID. The clerk took her ID and did a quick search on the computer before handing her the card key for the room.

"Here's your key, Room 415, the elevator is at the right, do you have any luggage?"

"Nope, just this." She replied while showing her back pack.

"By the way, am I still supposed to pay for anything or are the charges already taken cared of?" She asked.

"No Mam. The room's been paid for already. You just need to pay in case you request for room service. Enjoy your stay." The clerk replied.

Rinka placed her backpack on top of the bed, took her shoes off, and went straight to the bathroom. "I need a nice warm bath. I still have time. I'm supposed to meet Riya's friend around 9." She said to herself as she began to fill the tub with water. She had received a text from Riya's friend just as she arrived in New York. Kenji happens to be in New York for work and needed to meet up with her regarding his request. Rinka thought it was the perfect excuse to get away from Jersey for the time being. Especially today. Her aunt and cousin had been bugging her what her plans are for the day. She had none. She just hated the thought of being "forced" to go on a date just so she could be "taken" before Valentines. And she was sure that if she told them she did not have any plans, they would be in frenzy of setting her up with every single male they knew. She'd rather spend her day having a drink with Riya's friend and asking about how her friend is doing rather than endure a dinner date with some guy her aunt and cousin had set her up with. Who knows I might even like this Kenji guy. She thought as she submerged herself in the warm soapy bath.

Rohan was exhausted but he should not stop working out or rather he DOES NOT want to stop. He's been in the gym since one in the afternoon and according to the clock it was now seven in the evening. He wanted to make sure that he's sore all over. He wanted to tire himself out. He wanted to forget this day ever existed. He was done crying but the pain was still there and is even more intense today. He tried to understand the situation but his heart could no comprehend how it ended this way. How everything ended with a single word. GOODBYE. Today was supposed to be their anniversary. They were celebrating their 5th and Rohan thought she was the one. The one he'd be willing to risk everything. Everything, including his career. He thought of the times he envied Satoshi. Even though his relationship was a secret at first, he stood up for it. He wanted a love like that. A love worth fighting for. But he can never have it. She's gone. She left, not because she does not love him anymore but she can't wait. She wanted to make it official, but his hands were tied. Now here he is. Alone, cold and miserable on their so-called Anniversary. He misses her. He tried calling her but she kept dropping his calls. He had to do something. He had to go out. Rohan pressed the off button on the treadmill, got off and headed towards the shower room. I'm going to party this pain away. He thought as he turned the shower knob.

Rinka had just finished having dinner at one of the hotel's restaurants. She checked her phone and re-read the message once more.

From: Kenji

Subject: After Dinner --------------------------------------------

Hey Rinka! Can we meet around 9? I'm having dinner with a few friends and then we're headed to Little Branch at 7th Ave for some drinks. See you.

Rinka hailed a cab as she stepped out of the hotel and told the driver where she was headed. The cab headed towards the West Village. Rinka hesitated as she stood in front of the shroudy doorway. She then descended and was surprised to find a chic and cozy bar. She had arrived a little early so it was not that hard to get in. She found an empty seat at the bar and settle down. She then took her phone out to send a text. Shoot! What a perfect time to have a dead phone. Mental note to self. Buy a new one. This one's been really giving me a head ache since I dropped it a few weeks ago. Rinka thought as she put her phone back inside her bag.

I might as well enjoy my time here. Maybe it wasn't really meant for me to meet this Kenji guy. Well there's always tomorrow. I just call him when I get back at the hotel. She added.

"What can I get you?" the bartender asked her.

"Anything non-alcoholic." She replied. The waiter nodded and began to mix her drink. She wasn't really good with alcoholic drinks. Her alcohol tolerance is below zero if there was even a level like that. She never liked the after effect. Much more the throwing up part.

"Youhhh... goo... tuhh... baa---... to ... to... nomi... nomu... ahhh... dreynk... alcohol... why... you ohrrder... noo alcohol!?" a drunken voice asked.

Rinka turned to her left to see a guy with his head on the bar, holding a bottle of vodka with several glasses of hard drinks in front of him. The guy looked like a total mess. He was dressed in a white shirt with a purple animal print leather jacket on with black leather pants that clung to his legs and shiny silver shoes. You look like a gigolo. Rinka wanted to say but hesitated.

"Excuse me?" Rinka asked.

The guy looked up and with his droopy eyes gave Rinka the most beautiful smile she'd ever seen. If there was a thing called love at first sight then this must be it. Rinka thought as she continued to stare at the guy. She noticed that his moles on his lower and upper lips form a straight line and that his thick eyebrows matched his face perfectly. "I shhhaid... whyy no alcohol?" he asked again.

"I... uhmmm... well..." Rinka stammered.

"Drink with me. My treat."

You'll also like

Too Late: The Spare Daughter Escapes Him

SHANA GRAY

4.3

I died on a Tuesday. It wasn't a quick death. It was slow, cold, and meticulously planned by the man who called himself my father. I was twenty years old. He needed my kidney to save my sister. The spare part for the golden child. I remember the blinding lights of the operating theater, the sterile smell of betrayal, and the phantom pain of a surgeon's scalpel carving into my flesh while my screams echoed unheard. I remember looking through the observation glass and seeing him-my father, Giovanni Vitiello, the Don of the Chicago Outfit-watching me die with the same detached expression he used when signing a death warrant. He chose her. He always chose her. And then, I woke up. Not in heaven. Not in hell. But in my own bed, a year before my scheduled execution. My body was whole, unscarred. The timeline had reset, a glitch in the cruel matrix of my existence, giving me a second chance I never asked for. This time, when my father handed me a one-way ticket to London-an exile disguised as a severance package-I didn't cry. I didn't beg. My heart, once a bleeding wound, was now a block of ice. He didn't know he was talking to a ghost. He didn't know I had already lived through his ultimate betrayal. He also didn't know that six months ago, during the city's brutal territory wars, I was the one who saved his most valuable asset. In a secret safe house, I stitched up the wounds of a blinded soldier, a man whose life hung by a thread. He never saw my face. He only knew my voice, the scent of vanilla, and the steady touch of my hands. He called me Sette. Seven. For the seven stitches I put in his shoulder. That man was Dante Moretti. The Ruthless Capo. The man my sister, Isabella, is now set to marry. She stole my story. She claimed my actions, my voice, my scent. And Dante, the man who could spot a lie from a mile away, believed the beautiful deception because he wanted it to be true. He wanted the golden girl to be his savior, not the invisible sister who was only ever good for her spare parts. So I took the ticket. In my past life, I fought them, and they silenced me on an operating table. This time, I will let them have their perfect, gilded lie. I will go to London. I will disappear. I will let Seraphina Vitiello die on that plane. But I will not be a victim. This time, I will not be the lamb led to slaughter. This time, from the shadows of my exile, I will be the one holding the match. And I will wait, with the patience of the dead, to watch their entire world burn. Because a ghost has nothing to lose, and a queen of ashes has an empire to gain.

She Took The House, The Car, And My Heart

Krishnah Wagner

4.6

After two years of marriage, Kristian dropped a bombshell. "She's back. Let's get divorced. Name your price." Freya didn't argue. She just smiled and made her demands. "I want your most expensive supercar." "Okay." "The villa on the outskirts." "Sure." "And half of the billions we made together." Kristian froze. "Come again?" He thought she was ordinary-but Freya was the genius behind their fortune. And now that she'd gone, he'd do anything to win her back.

The Forgotten Mother's Vow: Taking Back What's Hers

Beckett Grey

4.9

Isabelle's love for Kolton held flawless for fifteen years-until the day she delivered their children and slipped into a coma. He leaned to her ear and whispered, "Don't wake up. You're worthless to me now." The twins later clutched another woman's hand and chirped, "Mommy," splintering Isabelle's heart. She woke, filed for divorce, and disappeared. Only then did Kolton notice her fingerprints on every habit. They met again: she emerged as the lead medical specialist, radiant and unmoved. But at her engagement gala, she leapt into a tycoon's arms. Jealous, he crushed a glass, blood wetting his palm. He believed as soon as he made a move, Isabelle would return to him. After all, she had loved him deeply.

Traded Husbands, Tangled Hearts: Can Destiny Be Changed?

Mia Caldwell

4.8

In their previous lives, Gracie married Theo. Outwardly, they were the perfect academic couple, but privately, she became nothing more than a stepping stone for his ambition, and met a tragic end. Her younger sister Ellie wed Brayden, only to be abandoned for his true love, left alone and disgraced. This time, both sisters were reborn. Ellie rushed to marry Theo, chasing the success Gracie once had-unaware she was repeating the same heartbreak. Gracie instead entered a contract marriage with Brayden. But when danger struck, he defended her fiercely. Could fate finally rewrite their tragic endings?

Destiny's Choice: Married The Man They Called Unlovable

Lila Rivers

4.8

Sophie stepped in for her sister and married a man known for his disfigured looks and reckless past. On their wedding day, his family turned their backs on him, and the town laughed behind their hands, certain the marriage would collapse. But Sophie's career soared, and their love only deepened. Later, during a high-profile event, the CEO of some conglomerate took off his mask, revealing Sophie's husband to be a global sensation. *** Adrian had no interest in his arranged wife and had disguised himself in hopes she would bail. But when Sophie tried to walk away, Adrian broke down and whispered, "Please, Sophie, don't go. One kiss, and I'll give you the world."

Too Late For Regret: The Genius Heiress Who Shines

Nikolos Bussini

4.7

Blinded in a crash, Cary was rejected by every socialite—except Evelina, who married him without hesitation. Three years later, he regained his sight and ended their marriage. "We’ve already lost so many years. I won’t let her waste another one on me." Evelina signed the divorce papers without a word. Everyone mocked her fall—until they discovered that the miracle doctor, jewelry mogul, stock genius, top hacker, and the President's true daughter… were all her. When Cary came crawling back, a ruthless tycoon had him kicked out. "She's my wife now. Get lost."

Tell Me The Words I Want To Hear

Contents

Chapter 1 Drink with me

Other books by RisakoIsabel

The Greek God & The Ice Queen

Tell Me How You Lost Me