Chapter 1 A Costly Mistake

~Cecile~

"Come on, Ava, let's go"

I whispered furiously to my best friend, Ava who was still bouncing on her toes and looking suspiciously behind her shoulders for any guards that may have been patrolling.

"Cecile, this isn't right. Let's go back in"After looking left and right and seeing no signs of movement, I shuffled closer to the wire fence and lowered my voice so she could hear me clearly without anyone overheating our conversation.

"We have to go. You know that this is not the kind of life I want for myself"She was making us go over everything again despite going over it earlier. The tides were changing and I wasn't so sure if I liked it. She was the confident one always telling me to stand up against the million and one rules that governed my life while I was the scaredy one who remained comfortable in the miserable life that I was living.

"But..."I rolled my eyes even though she couldn't see me very clearly because of how dark it was. " Ava, you're my best friend. It's my birthday tomorrow. Please, let me have a taste of life beyond these walls before I'm signed off to some man"My father was already hinting at marriage. I knew this because he kept telling the maids to make sure that I was always looking prim and proper. How pitiable was it that in 19 years, I had never gone past the walls by myself? I was always accompanied by a host of guards and I just wanted a free night.

She gazed at me for so long that I feared that she was going to turn around and go into the house to tattle on me so I let out a breath of relief when she rolled her eyes with a small smile on her face because I knew that she was as usual, in my corner.

"Fine"I smiled and moved backwards so she had enough space to roll out of the small hole that we created in the only blind spot from the cameras that were in my fathers mansion. She hesitated for a moment before putting one foot through the hole and maneuvering the rest of her body through it. Once she was out, I grabbed her hand and pulled her along with me while I ran, our laughter loud and carefree.

"Where do you want to go, Cecile?"We were finally in the town of Moscow and I was taken aback by the life that was going on around me. Though it was late at night, people still bustled past us like it was only midday. I turned around, my eyes wide and eager to soak in as much of the life that I could see around me.

"Cecile, we don't have so much time. Do you want to go to the movies? I have some money to purchase the tickets"Ava's hand on my shoulder, I turned to face her with the biggest smile on my face.

"We're not going to the movies"She frowned at me and I knew she was confused because when I told her that we were sneaking out, that was what I told her I wanted to do because though the mansion I lived in boasted of a theatre that could house more than 50 people in one sitting, I really wanted to experience sharing a theatre with a room full of people.

"Then, where would we go?"I took my eyes away from her and pointed down the street. Across from us, there was a long line of people queuing up to get into some place. When the door was opened, I could hear loud music coming from inside and I wanted to know what was going on in there if people were so eager to get in that they didn't mind being on a line.

"You want to go to a club? Your father would have my head"Ava was probably right to be scared. For some reason, people trembled when my father walked into a room but I still didn't know why. To me, he was just father. He loved me and took care of me. He made sure to have dinner with me at least once a week and play with my hair while telling me jokes. There was nothing scary about him to me.

"You exaggerate, Ava"While my father wasn't going to be happy finding out that I went past my security detail and left the mansion to go to a club, he wasn't going to be as livid as to take her head off her shoulders. Besides, my father was simply a business man who was guarded by numerous men because of the risky business of money lending that he was involved in.

"No, Cecile, we can't go in there"She shook her head at me and removed her hand that was enclasped with mine.

"Why not?"

"Have you been to a club before? Do you have any idea how dangerous it can be in there?"I understood that she was looking out for me but I rather wished that she wouldn't. I already had millions of people, yes, I was exaggerating but I already had a truckload of people watching every step I made and reporting back to my father. I didn't need her to join them in that.

"You speak like as though it were a shooting range and not a regular club. Besides, you've been to a club before and so, you know how things go down in them. I've not been to a club before and that's why I want to go in and experience it"

Wasn't the main reason for us sneaking out to have an experience? She already had the experience of being to a club because she didn't have the kind of father that I did so why was she stopping me from having fun with my life?

"Ava, this is just one night. Come on"I nudged my shoulder into hers repeatedly until she smiled and pushed me back. We shared a laugh as she let out a huge sigh and conceded. "We're only going to spend an hour. We'll be out before sunrise"I squealed on the spot and gave her a big hug before grabbing her hand again and running into the street.

"Cecile!"

She shouted at me when we were almost knocked down by a vehicle that had to steer very quickly away from us. I laughed at the curses that came out from the drivers mouth as we kept on walking.

"You are bad for my health"

I smiled at her and she couldn't help but return the smiles. My red hair blew into my face from the sudden gust of wind and I rubbed my hands up and down my arms at the goosebumps that covered them.

"I didn't think it was going to be this chilly"

I commented as I wished that I at least had the foresight to grab a jacket to throw on my ensemble of simple black shorts with a net like long sleeved top and finished off with knee high boots.

"Seems like a bad omen to me. Perhaps we should just go. We'll still find some good movies to watch"She was just hell bent on us leaving and not going into the club but I was just as fixated on getting in.

"We're going in"

I pulled her to the line and before long, we were standing in front of the bouncer.

"I.D's"

I looked at Cecile who rolled her eyes. I didn't know that we needed I.D's to go in. I didn't even own one. My good mood plumetted at the next words that he said.

"No I.D, no entrance"

Cecile groaned under her breath before digging her hands into her purse and producing two identical slabs of paper from where I was standing. She handed it over to the bouncer who scrutinized it carefully before giving it back to her.

"Enjoy"

He said as opened the door for us and gestured for us to walk in. Still taken aback by that, I was the one who got pulled inside my Ava.

"Where did you get that from? How did you know to take that with you?"Questions started spilling from my lips the moment we were inside as I whispered to her.

"I had a feeling it was going to be needed"

She looked away and focused on the club that was in full swing. I followed suit and my jaw dropped open at the new life that I was being exposed to. The music was so loud that I could barely even hear my thoughts.

"Let's go get a drink"

I was almost bouncing on my heels because of how excited I was.

"No, Cecile"

"Come on, Ava, what harm can it do?"Oh, it really could do a lot of harm. Looking back at that moment, I wished I had known what was going to happen in less than 30 because maybe then, I wouldn't have known what true fear felt like. But alas, it was already too late and I was living in the consequences of my actions with only regret as a companion.