Filed to story: The Heiress Rises From Ashes Book PDF Free
Several had attended Brenna’s welcome party the night before. Now, those same young men sat back, cigarettes in hand. There was an unmistakable edge to them-reckless, dangerous. Hardly good company.
Just then, a red-haired man strolled up to Brenna. He took a slow drag of his cigarette before blowing a stream of smoke directly into her face.
“Hey, pretty girl,” he said.
Brenna’s gaze turned icy, but she said nothing.
The man let out a low chuckle. “Pretty yet so cold,” he remarked.
The room erupted in laughter.
Sylvie stepped in with feigned concern. She said, “Come on, don’t be like that. She’s new to bars. Just a sheltered girl from a good family. Don’t scare her.”
With that, she and Vivian guided Brenna onto the sofa the red-haired man had just vacated.
The man picked up a bottle from the table, casually poured a full glass, and then handed it to Brenna.
“Miss Harper, right? Drink this, and I’ll protect you from now on,” he said.
Brenna studied him carefully. There was something familiar about him, though she couldn’t quite place where she had seen him before.
Her gaze flicked to Sylvie in silent question.
Sylvie smiled and introduced the man in a coquettish voice, “Let me introduce you to him. This is Mr. Harlan Moreno, heir to the Moreno family.”
Recognition clicked in Brenna’s mind. So this man was Thiago’s younger brother. No wonder she found him familiar.
Brenna scanned the room. Rosie was nowhere to be seen, or perhaps she was lurking in the shadows. This was the perfect opportunity to watch her be humiliated, and Rosie wouldn’t pass that up.
Her gaze swept over the group. Seven young men, four women, and herself. Twelve in total.
The table was littered with empty bottles, but what stood out most were the small bags in the center-one filled with white powder, another with yellow pills, and a third with blue pills.
Brenna had worked in bars while studying in Norview. She knew exactly what those substances were. Harmless was the last thing they were. One hit, and a person’s life could spiral beyond repair.
A man with dyed yellow hair, probably in his mid-twenties, caught her attention. He was undeniably handsome, with a mischievous charm. However, that charm faded as she watched him casually sprinkle the white powder onto his cigar.
Brenna recognized him at once. He was Brandon Vargas, the son of Shirie’s deputy mayor.
He was seated at the heart of the group, clearly thriving on attention. His gaze roamed over Brenna with unmistakable intent. With a smirk, he whistled boldly and said without shame, “Nice figure. But I wonder if you’re as exciting in bed.”
The words were vile, but Brenna refused to give him the reaction he wanted. She merely cast him a brief, indifferent glance before looking away.
Sylvie and Vivian, however, noticed Brandon’s comment and exchanged knowing smiles. Sylvie seized the moment to introduce him to Brenna. “Brandon is the deputy mayor’s son. Even the Harper family’s business relies on his father in some ways. Miss Harper, you’d do well to show some respect to him. Wouldn’t want what you do to affect your family, now would you?”
Brenna turned to Sylvie with a look of pure disdain. “You seem quite familiar with him,” she said.
Sylvie instantly caught the insinuation and stiffened. “I am not exactly close to him,” she replied.
The next moment, she turned her attention to the untouched drink in Harlan’s hand. Seeing that Brenna had no interest in drinking, she took the glass herself and held it to Brenna with a sweet smile. “I told you, I invited you here tonight to-“
Brenna watched as the blue pill bubbled and dissolved. Back in Norview, substances like these were common in bars. They were loosely regulated and treated casually by the local youth. But Brenna knew better. These pills were highly addictive. Too much of them could push a person into a dangerous, manic state-or worse, leave them unconscious.
She met Harlan’s gaze resolutely and said, “I’m not drinking this.” A chill settled over the group as everyone’s faces turned cold.
Sylvie immediately expressed her displeasure. “So you refuse to forgive us, Miss Harper? We invited you here in good faith, with witnesses, to offer a sincere apology. And yet, you won’t even show us the courtesy of a drink?”
“Do you think you’re above us? Do you look down on the Morrison family?” Vivian questioned.
“Yeah, what’s the deal, big shot? You think you’re better than me? If you’re too good for a drink, why even come here?” Harlan moved closer and attempted to force Brenna to drink it.
But before he could do that, Brenna lifted the glass and threw its contents straight into his face. “Is this how you apologize? By forcing drinks on me?” she said coldly.
Wine dripped down Harlan’s face, seeping into his floral shirt. He turned to the group on the sofa, and their barely concealed smirks and amused glances fueled his rage. No one had ever dared humiliate him like this.
With a dark expression, he grabbed another glass, this time dropping in five blue pills. He set it down in front of Brenna and declared, “Drink this, or you won’t be leaving here alive tonight.”
But Brenna didn’t flinch. She wasn’t intimidated. In fact, a rush of excitement coursed through her. It had been a long time since someone had the audacity to challenge her like this.
She turned her gaze to Sylvie and Vivian and sneered, “So this is your idea of an apology?”
“So what if it is?” Vivian said. “This is common among the wealthy. You’ll get used to it. If you want to fit in with the elite, this is how things work. Otherwise, no one will want to be around you.”
Brenna let out a cold chuckle, then picked up the heavily spiked drink. But instead of drinking it, she extended it toward Vivian. “You drink it first, and then I will,” she said.
Vivian’s expression shifted slightly. She might have been friendly with these unsavory types, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew what those pills could do. If she drank it, once the pills took effect, she might pass out.
“I won’t drink it,” she said, reclining.
She then lifted her own glass and added, “I’ll stick to this.”
“Your apology doesn’t sound convincing.” With a swift motion, Brenna pinched Vivian’s cheek and forced wine down her throat.
Reacting quickly, Sylvie put down her glass and rushed to separate Brenna from Vivian.
Harlan also joined in to help Vivian, so she managed to ingest only a small amount.