Chapter 13 Chapter 13.

Chapter 13 Chapter 13.
(Rebecca)

Time seized, my heart racing as his lips connected with mine. In that split second, the cool fruity flavor of the wine mingled with the swirling storm of emotions within me. It felt electric...yet terrifying.

Without thinking, I swallowed, the wine slipping down my throat as his tongue brushed against mine, awakening something inside me that I was trying so hard to suppress.

I jerked away, my insides churning with a mix of confusion and rage. It took every ounce of self-control not to hurl the glass of wine in my hand at his face. How dare he kiss me? How dare a filthy Devil like him touch me?

"Are you crazy?!" I lashed out, my anger bubbling up to the surface. "How dare you kiss me?! The task was to share a drink, not kiss!"

He ignored me, casually dropping his empty glass onto the table, a smug look stretching across his face.

"Hey, Rebecca," a lady chimed in from the side, snapping my attention away from Lucian. "Why do you always have to make a scene?"

I was about to reply when Sia spoke, "As long as you complete the task, it doesn't matter how you do it."

I scoffed so hard I thought my throat might tear. I couldn't fathom how I had gotten myself into this mess.

"This round is now over. Thank you all for participating," Sia announced.

"Dinner is at 7 PM, don’t be late," she added before the screen went blank.

The moment Sia left, Daniel approached me, holding my hand he spoke with a sense of urgency in his voice. “Come with me, we need to talk.”

I yanked my hand away from his grasp. “We will talk, but no touching,” I declared firmly.

I led the way outside to the garden, the skylight casting a soft glow over the blooms, but my heart felt heavy.

Once we stopped, I turned to face him. “I’m listening.”

“And don’t even think about saying you’re doing this for me, because I won’t hear it,” I challenged, crossing my arms to keep my defenses high.

“Actually, you won’t… because I plan on telling you something else,” he replied. My curiosity piqued, I awaited his words, my eyebrow raised as I looked at him.

"Leave the game," he pronounced, his voice laced with finality.

I rolled my eyes, exasperation building up. "Haven’t we been through this already?"

"I already told you, there’s nothing to worry about," I tried to reassure him, though my heart raced with uncertainty.

"Whether there’s something to worry about or not, I don’t care. What I do care about is that you're leaving this game," he declared, his coldness igniting a spark of anger in me.

"Or else what?" I challenged, my voice unwavering.

"Or else I’ll bring to reality the one thing you’ve been avoiding. I’ll call your family," he threatened, a smirk spreading across his face.

"You will do no such thing!" My eyes blazed as I confronted him. "After everything we’ve been through, after everything I’ve done for you, you dare to betray me?"

"And what exactly have you done for me?" he shot back, his tone taunting. "What have you truly done for me, Rebecca?"

I couldn’t believe my ears; disbelief twisted within me. "What have I done for you?" I reiterated, sarcasm dripping from my words. “Wow! Seriously, wow!” I clapped my hands in mock applause.

"You don’t know what I’ve sacrificed for you—oh, how nice," I replied, my smile devoid of sincerity. "Let me remind you of the details, since you seem to believe I've done nothing."

"I found you homeless, discarded by your so-called friends," I continued, my voice gaining momentum. "I picked you up, gave you a home, fed you for months when you were in need. You nearly repeated an academic year over unpaid fees, but I saved you from that. You were on the brink of dropping out, and you owe your degree to me!"

"Go on then," I taunted. "Remind me what more I’ve done for you. I’m sure you remember it all better than anyone."

“Like I haven’t repaid you over the past two years,” he said with a nonchalance that cut deeper than a knife.

“Oh really?” I shot back, incredulity flooding my voice.

"You should be thankful, you know. I’m actually doing you a favor by asking you to leave this game,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I’m actually doing you a favor by asking you to leave the game."

"Doing me a favor?" I scoffed, disbelief flashing across my face. "What kind of favor is that exactly?"

"The kind that keeps your heart from wrenching further," he replied smugly, as if he were some sort of savior.

"Because the more I get intimate with my Tina, the more your flimsy heart will hurt," he added, his words cutting deeper than he realized. In that moment, something inside me snapped, and before I could think twice, I slapped him hard across the face.

He stood there, stunned into silence, as I felt a mix of shock and regret coursing through me. I had never imagined raising my hand against him, but he had pushed me too far.

"You can’t blame me though," he finally said, his gaze unwavering as he turned to face me again. "No one wants to end up with a loser... a loser like you," he spat the words out like poison, and it felt as if a mirror had shattered in my mind. The world around me blurred, my heart pounding faster in response to his cruel taunts.

"You are a loser, Rebecca," he sneered, his words cruel and deliberate. "And losers only attract failure and defeat. I don’t want that."

My fists clenched tightly at my sides, a rush of heat flooding through me as tears threatened to spill. But laughter, sharp and hollow, burst from my lips. It held no humor, only pain.

"Well, I’ve heard your piece, and now here’s my verdict," I began, forcing calmness into my voice despite the turmoil within.

"I will not leave this game, no matter what happens," I stated firmly, my resolve solidifying. "So from here on out, keep your eyes glued to your back, because I won’t let you off the hook when I start trampling on everyone in my path. Stay ten steps away from me," I warned, my voice icy as daggers, my eyes as unforgiving as winter’s chill.

With a final defiant look, I turned on my heels, striding away with newfound determination.