Chapter 2
Vivian was still totally hyped, grabbing Edward's hand and whining playfully.
"I want that bracelet, hubb? Win it for me, pretty please?" Vivian pouted up at him.
Without a word, I just took off my diamond stud earrings and set them on the table.
"Congrats on the wedding. Count me in," I said, keeping my voice cool.
The mood at the table froze for a moment.
Edward's grip on Vivian's waist tightened.
He frowned, giving me a warning glare, clearly annoyed.
Vivian blinked in surprise, then giggled and gave Edward a playful shove. "Well, Natalie wants to join the fun? Guess we'd better give her the VIP treatment tonigh?"
Michael jumped in to smooth things over.
"Yeah, let's just have some fun! Natalie, the rules are simple—the highest roll wins, the lowest roll loses. The loser has to drink and then pick something from the pile to give the winner as a wedding present," he explained.
He gestured at the stack of watches and jewelry on the table.
"Of course, if you're too attached to your stuff, you can just drink and skip the gift—but that's no fun, right?" he teased.
"Got it," I said with a nod.
Everyone got a dice cup set in front of them.
Vivian shook her dice cup with practiced ease.
Edward just gave his a couple of lazy shakes and slapped it down on the table.
But his gaze stayed locked on me the whole time.
I turned away, dodging his intense gaze.
When I picked up the dice cup, my movements were obviously awkward—even a little clumsy.
In a break between songs, I could hear people talking under their breath.
"Natalie's the original good girl. What's she doing here? Kind of a mood killer."
"She's here to stake her claim. Too bad Edward's not playing along."
My face turned pale, and I could feel the blood drain from my cheeks.
Vivian chuckled, her tone playful.
"Tsk, Natalie, need me to teach you how it's really done?" she teased.
I ignored her and just mimicked the others, giving the cup a few awkward shakes before setting it down gently.
"Alright, let's open it up," I said, keeping my voice steady.
We all flipped our cups at once.
Vivian rolled a five and a six, making eleven.
Edward rolled double fives—ten.
Everyone else had a mix—some rolled high, some low.
When my turn finally came, I lifted the cup, trying to keep my hands steady.
A one and a two—just three.
The table erupted in laughter.
"Three points! Lowest of the night!" someone shouted.
"Seriously, Natalie, what kind of luck is that?" another person teased.
Michael, barely holding back his laughter, slid a glass of whiskey over to me. "Loser's gotta own it, Natalie. Bottoms up—and don't forget..."
He eyed my diamond studs sitting on the table.
Edward finally spoke up, his voice cold, "Don't push yourself if you don't know how to play. Just drink up."
Snuggled against him, Vivian smiled sweetly, "Oh dear, starting with such a low roll. Looks like our wedding gift is going to cost you, Natalie. These earrings are quite stunning. I suppose I shouldn't refuse?"
I looked at the glass of liquor, then at my pink diamond earring.
It was the same pink diamond earring Edward had dropped a fortune on for me at an auction last year.
Back then, he promised he'd shower me with the best things the world could offer.
A self-deprecating smile touched my lips.
I carefully removed the earring and pushed it gently across the polished tabletop, directly toward Vivian.
"A bet's a bet," I said, keeping my voice steady.
I looked up, my tone flat. "Your wedding present. Take it."
Edward's expression darkened instantly.
With a delighted little laugh, Vivian reached out and picked up the sparkling stud, holding it up to the shifting club lights. "Thank you, Natalie. It's gorgeous!"
"Alright, alright! Round two! Let's keep it going!" Michael urged.
The dice began to clatter once more.