บท 12: The Game Has Begun
Alla had assumed that Billie and Casiano were close, but it turned out that Eric had introduced them. It appeared that Billie's plan for this gathering was not just to introduce her to his friends; he also wanted to secure a project from Casiano. However, this was advantageous for her too. Discussing the project would take some time, giving her the opportunity to devise a way to escape. With this thought, Alla, who had been tense all along, slightly relaxed.
Just as she let out a sigh of relief, Billie gestured to her with his chin. "Drink up." Alla had no choice but to play dumb anymore. She picked up her glass and drained it in one gulp. She rarely drank, as Casiano disliked the smell of alcohol, and she had adapted to a teetotaler lifestyle. The sudden gulp of strong liquor choked her, bringing tears to her eyes. Seeing her predicament, Billie quickly held her, patting her back to help her catch her breath. Casiano's cold gaze landed on the hand that was holding Alla.
Through her tear-blurred vision, Alla thought she saw a murderous look in his eyes. But when her vision cleared, she saw nothing in his eyes but indifference. Alla laughed at herself. Casiano only saw her as a substitute, he never cared for her. What was she still hoping for?
Seeing that Alla had recovered, Billie held her and said to Eric, "This girl hasn't been out much, she can't handle her liquor. Please forgive her." Eric just smiled and said nothing, but the woman next to him suddenly became angry. "Mr. Roman, what do you mean by that?"
Billie raised an eyebrow and said nonchalantly, "Lady, I didn't say anything about you. Why are you so agitated?" The woman who was called 'lady' was immediately infuriated. "I'm so much younger than you, how could you call me 'lady'?"
"Well, you may be younger than me, but you look older than me. If I don't call you 'lady', should I call you 'miss' instead?"
"You -- "
The lady was left speechless. She stamped her foot and turned to Eric, pulling at his sleeve in a playful manner. "Eric, look at him. He's so mean to me. Let's not play with him anymore. Let's go."
Eric gently patted her hand. "Lilianna, you know Mr. Roman's personality. He means no harm."
Lilianna was not ready to back down. Although she was a top performer at Nightfall, she didn't want to hear the phrase 'has been out' now that she was with Eric. While she couldn't argue with Billie, she could certainly deal with his woman.
"Never mind, I won't fuss over it with you. We're here to have fun. But sitting here is a bit boring, why don't we play a game?"
Upon hearing the proposal of a game, everyone present perked up.
"What game?"
Lilianna took out several decks of cards and placed them on the table. "We can play cards in teams. Whoever loses has to take off a piece of clothing."
"Interesting."
Billie, naturally, would not refuse such an exciting scene and immediately agreed. Eric, fearing that Casiano might feel uncomfortable, turned to him, "Brother, they always play quite wildly. If you don't want to..."
Before he could finish, Casiano took the deck of cards that Lilianna was offering. "How do you play?"
Eric was stunned. His brother always despised such places. Today, Billie merely mentioned a woman who resembled Ms. Reed, and he agreed to come. Not only did he obediently follow, but he was also patiently playing games with them. This was far too abnormal.
Lilianna also didn't expect that Casiano, who was reputed to be indifferent to women, would be so easygoing. She immediately broke into a delighted smile. "It's very simple, I'll teach you."
After explaining the rules, Lilianna gathered everyone to draw lots for teams. Alla sat stiffly on the sofa, a little at a loss. Just as she was hesitating about how to refuse, Lilianna seemed to read her mind and spoke first.
"Everyone who came has to participate. Ms. Barton, you wouldn't refuse to extend even this small courtesy?"
At her words, all eyes turned to Alla. Alla felt uncomfortable under their gazes, as if her refusal to play would be a killjoy. Everyone present was not someone she could afford to offend, so she had to participate.
Seeing her complying this time, Lilianna finally let her go.
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