Chapter 5

Seeing my pale face, Elena laughed out loud.

She tilted her head, her voice sweet and toxic.

"Alex, she’s your guest after all. If you can't bring yourself to do it, I can gladly do it for you."

My card had definitely been swapped by the dealer under Elena's orders.

She wanted to embarrass me to get her revenge.

I looked at Alex with wide, innocent eyes.

"Alex, this is a bit too much. Why do we have to resort to slapping people?"

Elena slammed her glass onto the table.

"Alex, your girl is such a party pooper."

"Usually, everyone plays along. What, are you trying to make me look bad?"

Alex knew Elena’s temper. If she wanted to humiliate me today, she wouldn't stop until she got her way.

He looked at my hurt expression, then at the stubborn Elena.

"Chloe is shy. Let's change the dare, Elena."

Hearing Alex defend me, Elena rolled her eyes. "Fine. Just slapping is boring anyway."

She smiled like a snake. "Classmate Chloe is a dancer, right?"

"Thirty-two fouetté turns should be a piece of cake for you, right? Do it on the table."

She looked around the room, enjoying everyone’s shocked faces.

"But, if you lose your balance and fall… or if you can't finish them, you lose."

"If you lose, you have to get down on your knees, bark like a dog three times, and admit that you, a cheap rebound, aren't even worthy of dancing on stage."

"So, Chloe, do you dare to play?"

Even Alex frowned at this.

Everyone could tell Elena was actively destroying my dignity.

I looked up, forcing a look of fear and helplessness as I looked at Alex.

"Alex, this is too much. This isn't even a game anymore."

My weakness only fueled Elena's arrogance.

She sneered, "If you can't play, don't come. Why act so pure?"

"Alex, you have two choices. Either you drink these three glasses of neat vodka for her and we end our friendship, or… let her dance."

Alex hesitated for a few seconds. Between Elena and me, I was obviously the easier one to sacrifice.

"Chloe, just dance. I believe in you."

My heart sank, but I almost wanted to laugh.

"What if I can't do it?" I asked.

If I failed, would he make me kneel and bark like a dog too?

Just as he reached out to pull me up, I slowly flipped my card over, a smirk flashing in my eyes.

"Though I’d love to dance, I have card Number 7."

"Oh my gosh, whoever has Number 9 is so unlucky! They have to bark like a dog!"

Since I wasn't Number 9, then…

Everyone’s eyes instantly shifted to the corner.

The man leaning against the leather sofa finally moved. Stuart slowly threw his card onto the table.

He didn't look at Elena. Instead, he looked at me, his tone laced with a faint, dangerous amusement.

"Wow, Elena, you've got some nerve. You want Alex to slap me ten times? Or do you want me to kneel and bark like a dog?"

His voice was ice-cold, sending shivers down everyone's spines.

Did they have a death wish? Slap Stuart? Who would dare?

Elena scrambled to check my card. It was indeed a 7.

Her face turned deathly pale. "How? I thought..."

There was no way Stuart could have swapped cards with me.

It had to be the dealer's mistake.

Stuart stared at her coldly. "You thought what?"

Elena didn't dare admit she had rigged the deck. She could only vent her anger on the "innocent" dealer.

"Nothing..."

Stuart pushed the three glasses of vodka toward Alex.

His tone was absolute.

"Drink."

"And call yourself an Uber later."

Alex looked at the three full glasses of high-proof alcohol, swallowing hard.

"Stuart… I…"

But the moment he met Stuart's dark, commanding eyes, the words died in his throat.

Helpless, Alex closed his eyes and began to chug the alcohol.

As he drank, a cold light flashed in my eyes.

The moment I got my card, I felt a slight crease on the corner and secretly swapped it with Stuart when we touched hands.

I had planned to leave peacefully.

But now, there was no need to be nice.