14 A good experience

When Abigail arrived outside Kelly's door, her façade began to crumble, and the tears she had been suppressing threatened to spill forth.

The door swung open, and as soon as Kelly caught sight of Abi's expression, a worried furrow etched across her face.

"What happened?" Kelly asked as she led her friend to the couch. "Did that Mr. Qinn do something bad to you? Tell me! What did that bastard do to you?!"

Sitting beside her and holding her hand, Kelly asked again. "What happened? What did that man do to you? Did he scare you?" 

"He rejected me," Abi finally confessed.

Kelly fell silent, but inwardly she seethed with anger. Goddammit! Who does that bastard think he is to reject my precious Abi! Is that man blind?!! Damn right, he is! Or maybe, he's gay!! Yes! He is definitely gay!

Kelly immediately felt the urge to go out. She needed to do something to vent her anger or she wouldn't be able to calm down. She was angry - angry at that bastard and at herself. How could she have let anyone hurt Abi on her very first attempt to leave her shell?! She shouldn't have let her go. She shouldn't have trusted an innocent girl's choice of men! 

"I'm so sorry, Abi. Don't be too upset. There are plenty of other guys out there who know how to appreciate a woman. Think about that while I quickly pop downstairs to buy us a drink, okay?" Kelly tried to sound calm and collected but she was still fuming on the inside as she walked out of the apartment and headed towards the elevator.

As the elevator doors slid apart, she stepped inside and found herself pleasantly surprised to discover a man occupying the space, standing lazily in one corner. He stood tall, clad in a white hoodie, and his deep chocolate-colored hair partially veiling his eyes.

He looked cute, but at the same time a little suspicious. Perhaps because of the black mask that was covering the lower half of his face.

"Hey dude, do you want to make some easy money?" she asked and the man glanced at her, surprised. "Let me beat you up and I'll give you as much money as you want," she added, moving closer to him.

The man blinked but he didn't say a word.

"Okay, how about this? Fight with me. I will still pay you for any damage I cause. Don't worry, I'm not going to hit you hard. It will just be a little beating," she grinned and the man in the hoodie seemed to smirk behind his mask as he shook his head in obvious disbelief. 

Kelly like to spar with someone when she was upset. She was good at fighting because she had been training regularly ever since she was a child. This was something her parents made sure she did so that she could protect herself in case of any kidnapping attempts. 

She didn't know when exactly it had started, but seeking someone to spar with whenever she was upset had become a habit. And soon, when she had run out of individuals willing to spar with her, she resorted to paying boys to engage in sparring matches. Most of the men she approached willingly allowed her to best them in exchange for money. She also encountered men who agreed because they believed they could eventually gain the upper hand and make her regret her choice. Some, no doubt, willingly conceded to her for obvious reasons like her looks and status.

Of course, Kelly had some limits. She wouldn't hit their faces unless the man chose to properly fight her and she always compensated them nicely with money, so there had been no trouble about her uncanny habit to date. She knew she was being unreasonable but it was not easy for her to stop. 

"Dude, don't you want to? Are you scared of me?" she taunted him, hoping to get a reaction, even performing the iconic kabedon on him. "Don't worry, it'll only hurt a little. C'mon, say yes now."

The man's eyes glimmered in both amusement and disbelief as he looked at her through the strands of his hair.

"Okay," he then said, and Kelly rejoiced. It seemed like this man was pretty much the same as those other guys who became curious or maybe thought that she was a little crazy, but still wanted to see if she was for real or just flirting. 

"You're not going to fight back?" she asked and the man shook his head.

A smile carved on Kelly's face. "Okay, here we go," she said and without hesitation, she attacked him with the same intensity as her frustrations.

When the elevator doors opened, the man was already leaning by the wall, his hands on his abdomen as he panted and winced in pain.

Kelly, on the other hand, just gave him a check and with a quick 'Thank you', she left the man without a backwards glance.

The man in the white hoodie watched her until the elevator closed again. He straightened up and fixed his clothes and stared at the check in his hand. A soft chuckle left his mouth.

Once the man left the building, he went straight towards the black Lamborghini waiting for him on the other side of the road.

He entered the car and removed his mask.

"She's safe, Alex. She's not with a man. She's with her friend and you don't have to worry, she's with an interesting hooligan girl. I believe she's a capable female bodyguard." He mused and the man in the passenger seat glanced at him.

"And you let the hooligan girl beat you?"

"Well, it was a good experience, for me and for her?" he chuckled. "She just beat a prince and gave him a cheque for five thousand dollars. That was indeed unexpected!" He didn't stop laughing until he looked at the silent, moody creature next to him.

His laughter died and he sighed. "I don't really understand why you let your little lamb go. It's not like you at all."

When the man didn't even reply, Kai sighed and began to drive.