Chapter 8

"Thank you, Nicholas."

Stella watched the lights shifting outside the window, Nicholas's voice coming through the phone warm and unhurried. The tension she'd been carrying all morning quietly loosened its grip.

He laughed softly on the other end. "I'm glad you like it. By the way, are you free tonight? I know this new restaurant that just opened—"

Before he could finish, Stella felt an invisible pressure coming from behind her.

She turned around and met Alexander's deep gaze.

He was staring at her expressionlessly, his eyes unreadable.

Stella's heart skipped a beat. She quickly spoke into the phone.

"Nicholas — something's come up. I'll call you back." She hung up before he could respond, and the office fell into a brief silence.

"Mr. Brown..."

Stella spoke somewhat uncomfortably, not knowing how to explain taking a personal call during work hours.

Fortunately, Alexander didn't seem to care about that. He just asked casually.

"Who was that?"

"A friend."

Her thumb moved along the edge of her phone without her meaning it to.

"A friend who sets off fireworks for you?"

His mouth curved just slightly at the corner. His tone was even, unreadable — somewhere between genuine curiosity and something that might have been amusement.

Stella felt the ground shift slightly under her. Cornered and too aware of it, she bit her lip and said the first thing that came out. "That's my fiancé."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she immediately felt how absurd it sounded, but it was already out and there was no graceful way back from it.

Alexander's brow moved — barely, a fraction — and his gaze stayed on her face for a moment too long, like he was quietly deciding whether to believe her.

Feeling guilty under his stare, Stella looked away.

"Fiancé?"

He repeated it in the same flat tone. But something in the temperature of his voice had shifted, cooled in a way she couldn't quite point to.

"Yes."

Stella lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes.

Alexander didn't push further. He turned and went back to his office, picked up the intercom.

"Chase, send over the gift I picked out. I won't be coming home tonight."

After hanging up, his gaze returned to Stella.

"You're coming with me tonight."

He didn't say where, but Stella didn't dare refuse. She could only nod in agreement.

It wasn't until she followed Alexander into a private club that Stella realized he'd brought her to a drinking party.

However, looking at the group of young people in the private room, she couldn't help but wonder.

Was this really a business dinner?

A man with silver-gray hair broke away from the group as soon as they walked in, his smile easy and practiced, his eyes moving over Stella with open interest.

"Alexander. Haven't seen you here in a while." He glanced between them. "And you brought someone."

"Stella Hall, my assistant."

Alexander introduced her briefly, his tone flat.

"Assistant." The man in gold-rimmed glasses nearby smiled at that, the expression suggesting he'd filed the word away for later.

Alexander didn't acknowledge it. He pulled out a chair for Stella and sat down beside her.

Stella could feel the curious glances from around her, making her uncomfortable all over.

After the drinking party started, the atmosphere gradually became lively. The men chatted about business.

Stella stayed quiet at Alexander's side, refilling his glass when it needed it, trying not to look like she was counting the minutes.

"Alexander, your assistant is quite sensible."

The silver-haired man, named Barry Taylor, came over with his wine glass. "But just being an assistant, isn't that a bit unfair to her?"

His smile carried a hint of teasing.

Alexander looked at him sideways. "What's your point?"

"Nothing, just think you two make a good match. Besides, the way Ms. Hall looks at you doesn't seem like how a subordinate looks at her boss."

Barry's smile was suggestive.

The heat hit Stella's face before she could stop it. She glanced at Alexander.

He raised his glass and took a slow sip. "Don't imagine things."

His ambiguous response only deepened the misunderstanding.

Stella cursed Alexander a thousand times in her heart but could only maintain her smile.

After drinking for a while, someone suggested playing a game.

"Truth or Dare, same old rules. Spin the bottle, whoever the bottle points to chooses truth or dare."

Barry's eyes lit up as he actively suggested this.

Everyone agreed and nodded.

Stella wanted to decline, but Alexander had already nodded in agreement, so she had no choice but to participate.

The first spin landed on a woman in red who chose dare and was required to call the third person in her contacts and confess her love.

The second caught Barry, who answered a question about his recent romantic life with more detail than anyone strictly needed.

The third spin slowed, tipped, and came to rest pointed at Stella.

Everyone's eyes immediately focused on her.

Stella's palms were sweating. She hesitated before speaking, "I'll choose dare."

"Brave choice."

Barry clapped once, slow and satisfied. His eyes flicked briefly to Alexander.

"Then kiss the person on your right for ten seconds."

The person on Stella's right was Alexander.

As Barry's words fell, the air instantly froze.

Stella's mind went briefly, completely blank. She wanted to say something — object, laugh it off, find an exit — but the two people before her had followed through without complaint, and now the whole room was watching with that particular expectant quiet that makes backing down feel worse than going forward.

Stella was stuck.

Alexander turned his head, his gaze falling on her face, his eyes dark and unreadable.

"Can't do it?" Barry asked when she didn't move, his lips curving slightly.

Hearing this, Stella bit her lip. She closed her eyes, thinking it was just ten seconds—she could endure it.

She turned to face Alexander, quietly apologized, then leaned forward. Her lips gently touched Alexander's.

Everything in the room seemed to stop.

Alexander's lips were slightly cool, carrying the sharp scent of whiskey.

Stella had planned to pull away immediately, but just as she was about to retreat, Alexander suddenly reached up and held the back of her head.

The kiss shifted into something else entirely.

Stella felt it move through her like a current, startling enough that she needed a second to remember how to think. When she did, she put both hands against his chest and pushed back. "Time."

Her voice came out steadier than she expected. The room, meanwhile, had completely lost its composure.

"Alexander, that's not fair—taking advantage of the situation!"

The people around teased for a bit, then pushed wine glasses in front of Alexander.

"Ms. Hall's face is so red, you should apologize to her. Three drinks as punishment."

Alexander didn't hesitate. He picked up the glass and drained it in one gulp.

At the same time, at Vanguard Villa, Elodie sat in the luxuriously decorated living room. In front of her were the birthday gifts Chase had delivered on Alexander's behalf.