Chapter 18
Chapter 18
88
55 vouchers
Truth or Dare, as one of the oldest and most traditional party games, had been played to exhaustion at almost every gathering.
What set that instance apart was that the truth or dare choices were not decided by the chosen one but designated by the game master. Failure to comply would result in drinking the wine as a penalty.
Savannah really could not understand it. She thought, “Why? In such a serene place like the Elegance Club, couldn’t these affluent young men just sit down, indulge in refined conversations, and elegantly enjoy their drinks instead of needing to engage in some lowbrow bar game as if they were in Arrats Club?”
So, subconsciously, Savannah immediately wanted to escape.
To her surprise, before she could rise from her seat, Edgar had already squinted his eyes and set the roulette wheel in motion, commencing the game as though he had foreseen her inclination to leave.
Fortunately, after several rounds, the penalties had nothing to do with Savannah, who was merely an onlooker. Instead, Winona got picked multiple times and was even tasked with kissing a stranger. In the end, Channing took on the role of the hero and drank the wine on her behalf, thus sparing her from further penalties.
Instantly, the others teased and laughed, saying, “Oh, look at the hero saving the damsel!”
“Stop talking nonsense!”
Winona held her flushed cheeks and coquettishly protested, “It was obviously you all who were trying to prank me. Channing couldn’t stand it anymore, and besides, Savannah is here!”
“So what?” The seemingly innocent girl next to Edgar, clearly a friend of Winona, chimed in, jesting, “We all know where Mr. Muir’s heart truly lies, don’t we?”
“Yeah, Winona. Don’t be shy.”
“Savannah knows how to keep her wits about her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been by Channing’s side for three years.”
The others joined in, clearly not taking Savannah seriously.
As Winona listened to those remarks, she subconsciously glanced at Channing.
Channing tugged at the corner of his lips, his dark eyes appearing to contemplate something. He neither responded nor refuted the statement.
Seeing that everyone openly paired up Channing with Winona, Savannah sat stiftly on the side, feeling increasingly uncomfortable and even a bit queasy.
Just as she was contemplating slipping away discreetly since they could not force her to participate in the game, the red light on the roulette wheel landed right in front of her, freezing her in place.
“Hey! It landed on Savannah,” someone exclaimed.
7:46 Mon, Sep 22
…
Chapter 18
88
55 vouchers
Edgar, who had been spinning the roulette wheel energetically, eventually focused his sharp, fox–like eyes on Savannah, wearing a mischievous half–smile. “Let me come up with a dare for you. How about this? Pick someone from here and confess your feelings right now!”
They all thought, “That’s it for the dare?
That’s it?
We’re all grown–ups, not high school students in our teenage years anymore. What was the point of confessing our love?‘
Everyone stared at Edgar in surprise. They had not expected him, of all people who usually relished games, to devise such a pure and innocent penalty.
However, as Savannah heard the penalty, her complexion paled, and she clenched her fingertips tightly.
That was because ten years ago, Edgar had stumbled upon her while she was sitting under a big tree in the courtyard, confessing in front of the tree hollow.
Back then, she was just starting to experience her first inklings of love, like any other girl harboring secret emotions she could not vocalize. She dared not write them down, fearing Delia might find out. Consequently, she could only sit on the grass under the night sky, confiding her secrets to the tree hollow, confessing how much she truly liked Channing.
However, Edgar caught her in the act on that particular day.
The disbelief and mocking disdain in his eyes during that moment remained vivid in Savannah’s memory.
Because of that incident, Savannah had been anxious for a long time, worrying that Edgar would reveal it to Channing and everyone else, causing the whole world to ridicule and scorn her.
However, unexpectedly, it had all been a false alarm. For some unknown reason, Edgar had chosen to keep that matter to himself.
Gradually, Savannah had also forgotten about it.
However, she did not expect it to happen at that moment.
“Savannah, didn’t you hear that you have to confess?” Edgar leisurely articulated his words, his tone conveying a peculiar blend of sarcasm and seriousness. “Isn’t Channing right next to you? Even though you two are just a fake couple, you can still confess to him. He won’t take it seriously anyway.”
He continued, “But if you can’t even handle this minor dare, then don’t just drink a glass of wine. You might as well finish off all the wine on that wall!”
The waiter seemed to have received a command when they heard Edgar utter those words, and they began to move the precious bottles of wine from the wall, one by one.
There were roughly over a hundred bottles.
Savannah was utterly flabbergasted.
7:46 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 18
:
A (88)
55 vouchers
In contrast, Channing, who had maintained his silence throughout, raised his gaze meaningfully. In the ensuing moment, he locked eyes with Savannah, who resembled a bewildered beauty in her dazed state. He suddenly reached out, his long arm gently clasping her delicate nape, his voice low as he asked, “Do you want to confess to me, hmm?”
Winona’s expression changed.
Savannah clenched her lips tightly and did not answer immediately.
She knew that Edgar’s selection of this penalty was a veiled mockery of her heartfelt sentiments from a decade ago.
Edgar was making her confess to Channing in front of Winona and the inebriated assembly of scions of a confession that was ten years late. No matter what she said, every word would only be seen as a joke by the others.
However, if Savannah were to refrain from choosing Channing and instead decided to confess to those unfamiliar affluent young men, with her personality, she might not even be able to muster a single word.
Caught in a dilemma and despair, Savannah ultimately closed her eyes with unwavering resolve.
Channing’s dark, profound eyes gradually broke into a subtle smile after seeing that. His hand, which held Savannah’s nape, relaxed slightly, permitting her to proceed.
Edgar, wearing a sly grin, also poised himself, eagerly anticipating the spectacle.
Unexpectedly, right at that moment, Savannah opened her eyes and gazed at him, her eyelids lowered as she softly uttered, “Edgar, I like you.”
Everyone fell into complete silence.
The sly grin on Edgar’s face froze in place.
Because Savannah was facing his direction, even though she wore no makeup and should have appeared rather plain, after uttering “I like you,” she somehow looked breathtaking.
It was especially so with those quivering eyelashes, resembling fragile butterflies fluttering in the breeze.
It was endearing and yet enticing one’s desire to destroy.
However, before long, Edgar’s heart was completely consumed by frustration, and he impatiently loosened his tie, stating, “I don’t accept it. Get lost!”
“Oh.” Savannah nodded and turned away without displaying any traces of sadness, as that outcome had already been within her expectations.
She could not choose Channing, who had trampled on her feelings for ten years. She also could not summon the courage to confess to a stranger. Thus, her only option was Edgar.
Regardless, being reprimanded was nothing new to her as she had grown accustomed to it over the past ten
years.
7:46 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 18
:
88
55 vouchers
However, at that moment, Channing abruptly put down the wine glass he had been holding with a loud thud.
In the ensuing second, he emitted a faint, chilling chuckle. His handsome yet icy countenance, veiled in darkness, sent a shiver down one’s spine. “You like Edgar? Savannah, had you confessed earlier, your daughter might have already taken her first steps by now, don’t you think?”
Savannah choked for a moment, unable to find the words to respond.
However, at that time, it was not because of Channing’s sarcasm that she felt upset. It was because he mentioned the word “daughter.”
Unconsciously, Savannah could not help but recall the words that Shelley had said while touching her belly earlier.
She had been trying hard not to dwell on it in an attempt to steel herself. Nonetheless, at that instant, the notion that her baby was also a lovely little girl pierced through her suppressed emotions, swirling relentlessly in her heart.
It hurt so much that she was almost breathless.
Just then, in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere, a young man turned on the roulette wheel again, and coincidentally, the light halted in front of Savannah.
Having learned from the previous round, that young man no longer suggested audacious dares.
“Savannah, let’s play the truth this time!”
The man smiled and said, “Since you’re living with Channing, why not reveal a recent secret you’ve been keeping from him? It has to be a big secret!”
“Okay…”
Savannah spoke in a hushed tone, keeping her head lowered in silence for a long while before talking.
At that moment, her desire to safeguard her daughter surpassed all her pride and apprehension.
She looked at Channing, tears streaming down her face as she closed her eyes.
“Channing, I’m actually pregnant…”
