Rebirth of the Deadly Beauty novel Chapter 557

"Got it!" Wilber, the bartender, nodded. He smoothly grabbed a bottle of high-proof whiskey from the shelf with practiced ease.

"Layla, I can't handle strong drinks…" Yvonne protested immediately. Her guard went up as she waved her hands to decline.

"Relax! I've had this one before. Yeah, it uses high-proof liquor, but it's just an ounce—the rest is juice and syrup. Trust me, it won't hit you hard."

Wilbur set two glasses on the counter, and Layla wasted no time grabbing hers.

"What, you don't believe me? Fine. I'll prove it!" she said before throwing her head back downing the colorful cocktail in one swift motion.

Yvonne still looked skeptical.

Slowly, she picked up her glass and took a cautious sip. The fruity sweetness washed over her tongue, masking the bite of the alcohol. It wasn't as bad as she'd feared.

Even so, she wasn't convinced. She set the glass back down after just one sip.

"Forget it. I've got homework to do when I get home, I shouldn't be drinking." She quickly pulled out her phone and pretended to check it in a hurry.

"When's your brother getting here, anyway? I've got an essay to finish…"

Just as she finished speaking, Yvonne's vision swam. The black text on her phone screen seemed to ripple and float.

She blinked hard and rubbed her eyes, forcing herself to focus.

When she looked again, everything appeared normal, but her heart was pounding in her chest. A faint prickle of unease spread through her.

Discreetly, she pressed the recent calls button. Her thumb hovered over the screen.

"Yvonne, are you okay?"

Layla's voice came from beside her, and it was tinged with concern. But Yvonne's breathing quickened. Her pulse raced as her head spun. Layla's voice seemed to drift farther and farther away.

Damn it.

One thought thundered in her mind, "There was something wrong with that drink."

"I… I want to go home…"

Layla finally reached the room at the end of the second-floor hallway—Leonardo's private room.

She dumped Yvonne onto the couch. Then, Layla reached for Yvonne's hand and took her phone. Without a word, Layla stepped out of the room and locked the door behind her with a click.

Out in the hallway, Layla noticed that Yvonne's phone screen was lit. It was displaying an ongoing call. Her expression darkened as she quickly turned the phone off.

Once the phone went dark, Layla pulled out her own and dialed a number.

"Leo, it's done," she said.

Yolanda had just finished eating pasta at the clinic. She stepped into the backyard to check on Kieran.

She was about to head home when her phone suddenly rang.

"Hello?" she answered while glancing at the time. It was late. Maybe Winne was calling to invite her out for a late-night snack.

"Yolanda, something's wrong."