King of Mine: Book 1 In the King Of Mine Series)

CHAPTER 41

"Jesus!" Katya exclaimed as her mouth hung open, her hand quickly covering her mouth as though this action in itself would reduce the volume of the sound that her vocal cords had already let loose into the atmosphere."I thought you were dead!"

"Thankfully I'm not."

Moya nudged at Katya's side, and said in a whisper, oblivious it was loud enough for everyone present to hear. "Is that really her?" she said, her eyes not breaking contact with the stranger that stood by the door.

"Yes..." Katya gasped as she tried to form words in her mouth but her brain simply refused to give her any leeway to speak any further.

"Aren't you going to let me in?" Zadda rose an eyebrow, her action creasing the blood soaked bandage that was wrapped around her head, dried traces of blood visible just below her brow.

"Oh! I...I'm so sorry, please come in," Katya shifted to the side, almost stepping on Moya who had been standing by her side all this while.

Zadda entered the apartment with a limp, still wearing the clothes she had worn earlier in the day when she had spoken to Katya, except that her top had become so creased that it looked as though its owner had been tossing and turning in bed, rumpling its delicate fabric.

"I heard you were in an accident," Katya said as she closed the front door and turned around, looking at Zadda as the limping woman made her way to the couch and sat down slowly, all the while rubbing the side of her head.

"And you thought I was a goner," Zadda smiled faintly and then groaned out loud as her eyes narrowed in a squint.

"The man who picked your phone didn't reveal much, just that you were in an accident," Katya walked over to Zadda and sat beside her on the couch, her arms folded on her chest.

"Well, Sebastian isn't really the talkative type. Never was much of an expressive kind," Zadda remarked as she paused and her eyes traveled to where Moya stood gawking at her. Chuckling rather unexpectedly, she continued, "Hello there!"

"Hey!" Moya broke into a smile as she raised one hand and waved sheepishly at Zadda, and then walked past Zadda and Katya into the kitchen.

"Your friend is funny!" Zadda managed a laugh, as she leaned back on the couch and stretched her legs on the carpet.

"Oh...you can say that again!," Katya grinned as she pursed her lips and furrowed her brows. "So what did happen to you?"

"Someone wanted to get me out of the way," Zadda shrugged as she let out a heavy sigh, then continued, "After I left you in Damien's study, I went back downstairs and finished lunch. I needed to use the ladies after lunch, full bladder and all. Anyway, I rushed upstairs, used the ladies, and as I was walking down the staircase, someone crept from behind me and hit me hard from behind. I lost balance, came tumbling down the stairs and for a couple of minutes, according to those who heard me yelling as I was falling, I was unconscious.

"Oh my God! Someone pushed you? Who?" Katya exclaimed, her eyes prodding Zadda's.

"No idea! I was walking downstairs and whoever it was, was behind me."

"So creepy! But why?"

"I don't know Katya, But whoever it was, must have followed me upstairs and waited in the shadows for me to leave the ladies," Zadda hissed, her hand patting on the bandage as she tugged lightly on it.

"Do you think it was someone from the gathering during lunch?"

"At the beginning of lunch, just before you came in with the butler to join us, Damien announced that besides us, it was just you, the butler and the chef in the mansion.