Chapter 6

Alex leaned in. "Chloe, I just didn't want us to fight because of me. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Elena has always had a bad temper. If you want to be with me, you have to tolerate these things."

Taking advantage of the dim light, I rolled my eyes.

Elena was still looking for a chance to target me.

But this time, both Alex and Elena fell into a trap.

Someone suggested a couple's push-up game. Elena feigned annoyance at the guy who made the rule.

"Oh my god~ my boyfriend is literally right here!"

Even so, she didn't try to avoid it at all. She covered her face and lay down on the floor, ready.

The guy smirked. "Doing it face-to-face is boring! You should do it the other way around!"

Elena squealed and stomped her foot.

"Ugh, you guys are too much!"

Elena put on a high-pitched, fake voice, while her broke boyfriend’s face grew darker by the second.

Before Alex started, he glanced at me.

I was eating fruit, occasionally clapping along.

I looked completely indifferent to the fact that he was about to get physically intimate with another woman.

Alex walked over to me, explaining, "Chloe, it's just a game. If you mind, I won't do it."

Everyone was waiting for me, the loyal puppy, to look devastated.

Instead, I smiled brightly.

"I don't mind at all. Go ahead."

Alex’s eyebrows knitted together.

"You're not jealous? You're just going to watch me touch another woman?"

I replied calmly, "Didn't you say it's just a game?"

"I can handle it."

His expression turned complicated.

"Right. It's just a game."

My reaction was too calm.

Usually, a girl who liked a guy would show some emotion, right?

A seed of doubt planted in Alex’s mind, but it quickly vanished.

Chloe was just too obedient.

Girls like her were too easy to control.

He’d make it up to her later.

The game started, and the two of them ended up flushed and panting.

Alex’s ears were red, and Elena looked thrilled.

She didn't want to admit she was blushing, so she pushed Alex off her.

"Enough! Alex, I told you to work out more. Are you trying to crush me to death?!"

Alex sat up.

"Elena, you're blushing. Didn't you say you'd never fall for me?"

He looked mockingly at Elena's boyfriend.

A month ago, this would have broken my heart.

But now, it just looked childish.

Soon, the bad luck of the card game fell on me again.

This time, the dare came from another guy.

"Either drink three glasses of vodka, or grab any guy in this room and hot kiss him for three minutes. Choose."

Disgusting.

I scanned the faces of the men. Alex looked annoyed.

And Stuart sat there, expressionless.

Everyone started chanting.

"Alex, you gotta save your girl!"

Alex picked up his glass but didn't drink.

"Who else would she choose besides our Alex?"

Just as I took a step forward, Elena and her boyfriend started screaming at each other over the push-up game.

They slammed a glass, shattering it all over the floor.

Crying hysterically, Elena pointed at the guy who was about to walk out.

"Leave if you dare!"

He gave her a cold look and slammed the door behind him.

Elena collapsed to the floor, sobbing.

Alex frowned and immediately rushed to her side.

A smug smile flashed across his face.

"See? I told you he wasn't right for you..."

Slap!

Elena swung her hand and slapped him hard across the face.

The slap was so loud that even I winced at the red mark blooming on Alex's cheek.

"You're happy to see us like this, aren't you?!"

"If we break up, it's all your fault!"

Being slapped in front of everyone made Alex snap. He grabbed her slender wrist.

"How long are you going to degrade yourself for that loser?!"

"Can't you see me?!"

Alex’s eyes turned bloodshot. He grabbed her neck and kissed her brutally.

It was a messy, heated kiss, and Elena melted in his arms.

"You bastard!"

She sobbed, pushed him away, and ran out.

The room fell into complete chaos.

At that exact moment, a warm scent of pine enveloped me, and a large hand cradled the back of my neck.

Before I could react, Stuart pulled me into the dark corner of the hallway and kissed me.

When it ended, I looked around in panic.

Fortunately, no one saw us.

Wait, actually, I saw one petrified face.

It was one of Alex's friends.

Stuart noticed his gaze. He slowly raised a finger to his lips, his eyes full of silent warning.

The guy nodded frantically, watching us slip out of the lounge.

Back in the booth, Alex wiped the blood from his lip.

The room was dead silent.

When he finally snapped out of it, he looked around for me.

"Where’s Chloe?"