Kaia slapped Philip hard across the face , her eyes cold . 55 vouchers Philip's eyes bulged as he stared at Kaia in shock . " You hit me , huh ? " he growled , burning with rage as he reached out to grab her collar . Before he could touch her , Kaia slapped him again - then again and again . Each hit landed with a loud smack , jerking his head to the side . His cheek swelled up " Kaia ! " Philip shouted , his voice shaking with fury . fast . " What ? " Kaia snapped . " Want a few more ? " She raised her hand again , and Philip instinctively ducked . Kaia scoffed and turned to leave , not even sparing him a glance . Philip stood there , teeth clenched , eyes bloodshot . He wanted nothing more than to wring her neck . You bitch , just wait ! ' he thought . ' I'll make you pay . I'll make you beg for my attention . ' ******* It was the 20th - just a few days left until the 28th . Lately , the news had been buzzing about a breakthrough in nanomaterial research . That night , the Bennett family members were eating dinner together while watching TV . [ Earlier this month , the research team led by Dr. Bennett at the National Research Institute finally developed a brand - new nanomaterial after a year of nonstop work . The discovery has shaken not only Wustriland but the entire scientific community . ] " Wow ! " Lincoln said , " Only a year to develop something that major , huh ? I heard the lead scientist , Dr. Bennett , is really young - around Andrea's age ." " For real ? That young ? " Andrea looked genuinely surprised . Ruth scooped some beef stew onto Andrea's plate . " Don't go comparing yourself . You're smart too , Dr. Bennett's just one of those once - in - a - generation types . " " She's right , " Lincoln added , topping off Andrea's plate . " Just focus on your studies . If you play your cards right , you might land an internship at Dr. Bennett's lab in your junior year . " " Don't worry . " Andrea said proudly , " I'm president of the science club now , and everyone knows I'm the best . My professor says I've got a real gift for research . He's already planning to recommend me for an internship at Dr. Bennett's institute . " 1/4 11:46 pm Chapter 12 55 vouchers Then she glanced over at Kaia , who was quietly eating her dinner . A sly glint flickered in her eyes . " Actually , Kaia's not bad either . " The moment she said Kaia's name , Lincoln and Ruth's expressions shifted . The room fell quiet . After a beat , Ruth frowned . " What's so great about her ? " " She's got big dreams , " Andrea said sweetly . " Didn't you hear ? She wants to get into Morganburg University and become the top student in the city . Honestly , I admire her confidence . I barely scraped my way into that school , remember ? " Andrea pinched her leg under the table to keep from laughing . Ruth's face darkened even more . Lincoln stayed silent . But Andrea didn't let up . " Hey , Mom , Dad - we got invites to the press conference , right ? Since Kaia's so driven , why not bring her along ? It might open her eyes a little ." Lincoln and Ruth exchanged a hesitant look . Kaia was their daughter - they knew exactly what she was like . She was reckless , impulsive , always skipping class or getting into fights . Half the time , she was lying or bragging about something that couldn't possibly be true . Sometimes she'd come home waving around a trophy , saying she won some big international competition . Or she'd suddenly have a medal from some chess tournament no one had ever heard of . There were too many of those stunts to count . Taking her to the press conference was a risk . They didn't know what kind of scene she'd cause . With that in mind , Ruth's face turned stern . " Kaia , your SAT is coming up . You should stay home and study that day . Don't go . " Kaia looked up at her , one brow slightly raised . She stared at Ruth like she was an idiot and didn't even bother to respond . *** On the 25th , it was Casey's birthday . Philip had booked the fanciest private room at the Hart Club . Lucy held Kaia's hand , looking a little guilty . " Sorry , Kaia . I was the one who talked you into coming . You're my best friend - I'd be bored out of my mind without you ." " It's fine . We're friends . No need to make it a big deal ," Kaia said . Before she could say more , Noelle's mocking voice cut in . "Oh , please , Kaia . Don't act like you're all 2/4 11:46 pm Chapter 12 55 vouchers that . So what if you're pretty ? If it weren't for Casey , do you think you'd be setting foot in a place like this with Mr. Snyder , her boyfriend ? " A few classmates , eager to suck up to Philip , chimed in . " Don't be so sure . The other day , someone picked Kaia up in a Maybach ," one of them said . Another laughed dryly . " Oh , come on . If she really had a boyfriend like that , the whole school would know by now . Anybody with half a brain can see that was just her putting on a show . Otherwise , where's that guy been these last few days ? " Mr. Snyder booked the most expensive room in the Hart Club . This place is already crazy pricey , and that's the priciest one . Don't tell me Kaia isn't curious to see it , " another teased . Kaia listened to their jabs , then glanced toward the lavish private room at the end of the hall . Actually , she'd been to plenty of places like that before . Philip noticed her look and assumed she was impressed . Feeling smug , he decided this was the perfect chance to flaunt his wealth and make her fall for him . ust then , the club manager walked up . " I'm sorry , Mr. Snyder , but our most expensive room has lready been booked by someone else . " Casey clung to Philip's arm . " What do we do , Mr. Snyder ? I told everyone we'd be in that room . " Don't worry . I'll handle it , " Philip said , giving her waist a squeeze . Then he turned to the manager , his face dark . " I booked this room in advance . We're using it today . " I'm very sorry , Mr. Snyder , " the manager said with a bow . " But there are some important guests nside . I can arrange another luxury room for you instead ." Philip scoffed , " Important guests ? And what am I ? " His classmates quickly backed him up . That's right . Isn't Mr. Snyder important ? His dad owns the Snyder Hotel ." Better watch yourself . If you tick off Mr. Snyder , you might not even be allowed in the Hart Club anymore ." ' Don't bother talking - just go in , Mr. Snyder . " Philip's gaze swept over the group , pausing on Kaia for a couple of seconds . Then , gritting his teeth , he shoved past the manager and threw the door open . " We're taking this room today . You'd better- " He froze mid - sentence . The moment he saw who was inside , the words died in his throat . 3/4 11:46 pm Chapter 12 Confused , the rest of the students peeked inside . 55 vouchers Several men and women were lounging on the sofas . One girl , with an air of arrogance , stood up and said coldly , " Philip ? Trying to take my room , huh ? You've got guts . " Philip's face drained of color . He looked like he might drop to his knees . He hurried over to the girl , head down . " Miss Crawford , I would never dare take your room . I ... I didn't know you were here ." Then , without hesitation , he slapped himself across the face . Casey and the others all stared at the floor , silent as statues . If even a rich kid like Philip was this scared , they could only imagine how powerful this girl's background must be . While everyone stood frozen , the girl on the sofa suddenly glanced at their group and looked stunned . She jumped up , hurried over , and bowed slightly . " Coach ! I can't believe it's you ! " 4/4 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!