My VIP Ticket Turned Into Their Date

The cab then sped away, shrouding me in its exhaust fumes.

By that time, the sky had gone completely dark.

The music festival was in the middle of nowhere, and the official chartered buses were already long gone. There were fewer and fewer people about, leaving behind only piles of litter and a few drunken rock fans shouting by the roadside.

I crouched in the grass, turned on my phone flashlight, and fumbled for a while before finally finding my car keys.

However, I was still feeling dizzy and weak. I couldn't even grab the steering wheel properly, and I didn't dare to, either.

Instead, I leaned against an abandoned cart and tried to regulate my breathing.

Just then, some of the drunken fans began making their way toward me with swaying footsteps. Two of them reeked of alcohol as they greedily eyed my body.

"All by yourself, cupcake? Stranded? Wanna hitch a ride back home with me?"

I felt my chest tighten as I stumbled backward.

"It's fine. My friend is already coming for me," I said, pretending to be calm.

Another tattooed man reached out and grabbed my arm.

"Playing innocent, are we? You know very well that rock fans like you are always asking for it. Come join us for some drinks."

I flung his arm off as hard as I could and turned to run toward a streetlamp. While running, I called Cornell on his phone again and again.

"Sorry. The person you called is unavailable. Please try again later."

The moment I heard the cold, robotic female voice in my ear, the last of my hopes shattered. I hid between two stationary buses, shaking like a leaf.

The drunk men's footsteps kept getting closer and closer to me.

"Where did that bitch go? She sure knows how to run."

I was desperate. I clamped a hand over my mouth, not daring to breathe.

At the most critical moment, a black Toyota Alphard suddenly made its way toward us. Its blinding lights cut through the darkness and shone directly in the drunkards' faces.

The car then stopped right next to the buses, and the door opened wide.

A man in a black mask and a black cap pulled low over his face walked out. He grabbed the tattooed man by the collar without hesitation and tossed him aside like he was a sack of potatoes.

"Fuck off."

The other drunkards wanted to put up a fight, but when they saw more bodyguards getting down from the Toyota, they got so scared that they sobered up almost immediately and fled.

The man then turned around and took off his mask.

The car lights illuminated his face, and I caught sight of the person whom everyone else had just been cheering for a while ago.

It was Maxwell Swanson, my elder brother.

"Marie? How did you end up like this?" Maxwell asked me when he saw my pale face and scraped knees. His eyes burned with rage.

I fell into his arms as all my emotions and tears that I'd been suppressing all day finally broke forth. I then filled him in on everything that had happened today.

I got into the car, and the bodyguards handed me a warm towel and some water.

Maxwell's phone suddenly buzzed. He tapped into the notification and chuckled coldly.

"This idiot still dared to send me a dm," Maxwell said, tossing his phone onto my lap.

The screen showed Cornell's private message he'd sent to Maxwell's official Instagram account.

"Max! I've been a diehard fan of yours for ten years! And today, I brought the person I love the most to watch your performance in the VIP first row! She even twisted her ankle for you!

"I hope you'll give our relationship your blessings. Rock and roll forever!"

Maxwell's eyes were sharp and cold as he cracked his knuckles loudly.

"That idiot abandoned you in this dark, no-man's land, just so that he could bring another bitch to watch my performance?"

I wiped my tears dry and stared at the private message, feeling the sadness in my heart turn into anger.

"Your band's after-party will be held next week at the Grand Hilton Club, right?" I asked, looking up at him with determined eyes.

Maxwell leaned back in his seat and met my gaze.

"Yes. What are you planning to do?"

"I want him to know that there's a price to pay for trying to show off by stepping all over me."