Chapter 3

Not wanting to kill the vibe, I agreed.

Alex let out a small laugh, while Beth, sitting next to him, looked rather unhappy.

The bottle seemed to have a mind of its own in Alex's hands, always landing on someone other than him.

Maybe it was just a coincidence, but it always seemed to pick out the people who'd been badmouthing me behind my back earlier.

"You're taking the dare—three shots," Alex said decisively, making the choice for them.

The students stared at the three brimming glasses in front of them, their smiles looking more like grimaces than anything else.

But no one dared to cross Alex. Even in college, everyone knew better than to mess with him, so they could only grit their teeth and drink it down.

Some of them couldn't help but stagger off to the bathroom as soon as they finished.

Beth finally seized the chance to play the heroine. "Alex, in Truth or Dare, it's not just about dares, right? We can choose truth too."

Her meaningful gaze landed on Alex, making him let out a sudden laugh.

"You're right," he replied.

The next second, he flicked his wrist, and the bottle spun rapidly across the table.

Everyone held their breath, not knowing what kind of trouble Alex, who'd shown up uninvited tonight, was about to stir up. After the last few rounds, nobody wanted to be the one he picked.

Getting picked by him was no different from being a toy in his hands.

The bottle gradually slowed to a stop.

I heard a sharp intake of breath.

Facing the sympathetic or gloating looks from everyone around, I said calmly, "Oh, guess I'll have to drink."

I reached for the glass to pour myself a drink, but Alex beat me to it, snatching the wine away.

With a playful smirk, he called out, "Bonnie, you're taking the truth. So, how many guys have you ever liked?"

A few stifled laughs echoed around the room.

I stared at him expressionlessly, and his eyes darkened slightly.

"One," I replied.

Alex's face instantly relaxed, and he raised an eyebrow. "Alright. Let the game go on."

However, the bottle landed right in front of me again.

At this point, it was obvious to everyone that he was messing with me on purpose.

The girl next to me couldn't help but whisper, "Bonnie, isn't this just you two flirting or what?"

"Alex!" Beth finally couldn't hold it in anymore, trying hard to suppress the annoyance on her face. "The rules say you can't pick the same person twice in a row. That's not fair to her, is it?"

"The rules? That's on me," Alex said with a smirk.

He stroked his chin thoughtfully, then looked at me. "Bonnie, you're taking the dare. Pick the most handsome guy here and confess to him."

I was annoyed.

"Seriously, does she even need to choose? Alex, just tell her to confess to you," one of the guys burst out laughing.

Now everyone was even more convinced that Alex and I had some kind of lovers' quarrel and he was here to make up by flirting.

But Alex just gave them a casual glance, and the laughter died instantly.

"Man, Alex, you're so generous. This cake is fancy as hell. Guess it really pays to hang out with you," someone said.

Everyone immediately dug into the fancy cake in front of them, pretending to mind their own business.

Now I felt like I was under a spotlight, with Alex's eyes glued to me, making my skin crawl.

"Bonnie," Alex drawled, "a bet's a bet. You know the rules."

I had no idea what the point of this stupid prank was.

Was he really going to make me confess to him in front of everyone, just to shoot me down?

"Fine," I said, "but the guys here are not just the ones in the private room, right?"

Before Alex could stop me, I swung the door open and saw three guys just happened to be walking by.

The one in the middle looked over, surprised. His eyes reminded me of a winter lake, quiet and deep beneath a thin sheet of ice.

I looked at that guy. "Excuse me—"

"Bonnie!" Alex was livid.

With Alex yelling behind me, I told the guy, almost like I was taking revenge on Alex, "You're really handsome. I like you."

"Whoa!" The guy's two friends erupted on the spot, faces full of excitement. "Dude, today must be your lucky day."

The guy met my gaze for a split second, then suddenly started coughing.

His earlobes flushed red like they might burst, and though he opened his mouth, not a single word came out.

"That's enough," Alex growled, clenching his fists. "It's late. Time to get everyone back to campus."

Several luxury cars from the Janssen Group were already waiting outside. The students, looking like they'd just been set free, burst out cheering and made a beeline for the door.

I chuckled and looked at the guy. "Sorry about that, I just lost a round of Truth or Dare."

He didn't say a word, just kept gazing at me with those pure, clear eyes.