The party was, as the millennials would say, lit af. But since that sort of speech is not my kind of thing, I'll just settle with the word fun.

I'm just kidding. The party was like all the other social gatherings I'd ever attended with my parents. High class, opulent, set in a luxurious and extravagantly furnished country club that whose hiring cost for one night probably exceeded that of an average house in America. The people who attended were even more lavishly garbed, everyone dressed in expensive suits and beautiful dresses, looking like they just stepped off the red carpet (half of which I was pretty sure had). 

Among them all, I stood alone on the balcony, champagne flute in one hand and my other resting on the marble railing. I had on a pretty emerald coloured backless dress with a plunging v-shaped neckline and a slit up the skirt to expose my leg as I walked. Complete with Louboutins, a Chanel clutch, dark-red lips and my hair let loose down my back, I thought I looked - and please excuse my narcissism here - pretty hot. I plucked the satin fabric of the skirt and smiled ruefully - what a fitting colour for my mood these days. The green-eyed monster certainly hadn't left me alone recently. 

I pursed my lips and took a sip from the champagne flute, cringing mentally as the sour taste of alcohol spread across my palate. Why I got a glass in the first place was beyond me. Sighing, I placed the delicate flute on the thick railing, hoping one of the waiters would come and take it away. 

Bored, I looked down from my vantage point of the balcony. Nothing caught my attention. Sighing, I closed my eyes and rested my elbows on the rail, enjoying the light breeze that blew by. 

"Excuse me, miss. Are you done with your drink?" a voice asked me. I opened my eyes to see a young water with blonde hair smiling at me. He gestured to the flute of champagne next to me. I nodded carelessly, about to turn away again when something caught my attention. His hands, or more specifically, his fingernails, were full of dirt and grime. Frowning slightly, I glanced back at the man, taking note of his slightly crumpled shirt hurriedly tucked into his pants, the crooked tie and the light stubble on the man's chin. While I wasn't one to judge based on appearances, I would have thought that as an employee of such a high-end place, especially one that would be frequent with many rich celebrities and aristocrats, he would take more care in his appearance. 

But then I shrugged, disregarding the thought. Maybe he just had a rough day. 

As he retreated, I was once again left alone with my thoughts. Unwillingly, my mind flashed back to the night at the villa, where I'd witnessed a moment between Sehun and Elodie that had my insides twisting with an unidentified ache. It brought a bitterness to my tongue and suddenly, I wished I had my champagne glass back so I could at least wash away the taste. 

"Ari? What are you doing here all alone?" a sweet, feminine voice punctured my thoughts, drawing me back to reality. I turned to see Elodie, dressed in a vintage baby blue dress and cream kitten heels, standing behind me. She looked angelic and beautiful as always, her shiny blonde hair swept back into a high ponytail, the ends curled gracefully as they hung down her back. I took a moment to muse on how different our styles were. 

"I'm just getting some fresh air," I forced a smile in return. I was guilty to admit that since the night at the villa, I'd avoided both blondes as much as I could without making it too obvious. They'd been constantly glued to the hip, going everywhere together and constantly chatting. I'd stopped trying to join in on their conversations and instead, just tagged along silently like an idiot, feeling like a third-wheel. 

I found that it was easier that way, but it certainly didn't hurt any less. 

She took the spot next to me on the balcony. "Where's Sehun?" I asked quietly, hoping my voice didn't sound too strange when talking about my fiancé. 

"He's talking to his parents," she replied, staring out into the view. "He'll probably find us soon."

I nodded silently. "Areum," Elodie's voice was serious and lacked her usual cheeriness. I tensed, a sense of unease sweeping through my gut. "I want you to be completely honest with me."

"W-what?" Somehow, I knew where this conversation was going and I wanted to avoid it at all costs. 

"Do you like Sehun?" She turned and stared me straight in the eye, her gaze dead serious. I opened my mouth to reply but found that I was unable to speak. I blinked at her blankly. 

"I... what?" I asked weakly, hoping that I'd heard her wrong. 

"Do you like Sehun?" she repeated, before sighing, looking away and hanging her head. "Because I'll be honest with you now, I'm pretty sure I do."

"You... like Sehun?" I was unable to explain the sudden chill that settled in my stomach. 

"Yes," her voice was firm and completely certain, without a trace of doubt. I gulped, a lump forming in my throat. "I do. Which is why I wanted to ask you if you did as well."

She paused momentarily, but seeing how I was unable to speak, she continued. "I like you, Areum. I really do. You're almost like my sister and I value our friendship. And I know that you've known Sehun for a lot longer than I have, which is why if you say that you like him, I'm willing to back off and let you have him." She took a deep breath. "However, if you say right here and now, that you do not like Sehun in any way, then I will stop holding back and make him mine."

"So, please be honest with me, Areum. Do you like Sehun?"

Her blue eyes stared into mine and I looked away, unable to handle the determination and clear devotion that shone inside them. My heart was pounding and my palms were clammy. 

'Do I like Sehun? No way, it can't be possible, right? There's no way I like that idiotic blonde jerk...'

But then a stronger voice appeared in my head, proving what I'd been trying to deny for weeks now. '

But what else could those strange feelings mean? The bitter ache when you see the two together, the nervousness whenever he gets too close, the disappointment when he moves away, the giddiness, the happiness, the urge to strangle him and wrap your arms around him at the same time, the tingling feeling in your toes and the butterflies in your stomach...what else would they be if not a crush?'

'And what about the engagement? No matter what, you and Sehun are going to end up married. You can't give Elodie false hope and hurt her like that. You need to tell her.'

"Elodie, I..." I pressed my lips together, clenching my eyes shut and taking a deep breath. "I'm so sorry, Elodie. S-Sehun and I... w-we're en-"

A loud gunshot punctured the air, cutting me off. I froze, eyes snapping open. Elodie's eyes widened next to me as screams began filling the area and the guests all began running away in random directions. My pulse quickened and I inhaled sharply. There were several more gunshots, followed by incoherent screams and chaos. Men in black appeared through the crowd, armed with guns and shooting at anyone they saw. 

"W-What's happening?" Elodie whispered, shaking from fear. Snapping out of my stupor, I grabbed her arm, pulling her along behind me. She stumbled, frozen, as I dragged her along. Adrenalin and fear shot through my veins. Our conversation could wait. If we didn't move, we could potentially get killed. 

"Come on, we have to get out of here!" I urged, momentarily cursing my choice of footwear. These heels would be a deathtrap if I tried to run. Deciding to kick them off, we hurried down the hallway, flinching as we heard every scream, every crash, every bang that pierced the air. Peering around th