Chapter 4

Across the room, Mia and Stacy noticed the exchange. At first, they hadn’t been concerned—Kaiser looked composed, respectable even. But when they saw Elena struggling to free herself, alarm set in.

The music was too loud to hear anything clearly, but Elena’s discomfort was unmistakable. With Jessica nowhere in sight, Mia and Stacy rose from their seats and headed toward the dance floor.

Kaiser noticed them immediately.

Time was running out. He pulled Elena closer briefly and whispered, “I have to go now. But we will meet again—very soon.”

Before she could respond, he released her and vanished smoothly into the crowd, as if he had never been there at all.

“Elena, are you okay?” Stacy asked urgently the moment they reached her.

“Yes,” Elena exhaled, relief washing over her. “I’m fine.”

“That didn’t look fine,” Mia said, scanning the crowd. “What did he want?”

“Nothing,” Elena replied, forcing a smile. “Just a creepy drunk guy who mistook me for his girlfriend.” Her gaze swept the dance floor. “Where’s Jessica?”

“She’s probably still dancing somewhere,” Stacy said. “I’ll go find her.”

Once Stacy disappeared into the crowd, Elena turned to Mia. “Let’s wait at our spot. I don’t really feel like staying here anymore.”

Mia nodded in agreement.

When Kaiser returned to his private lounge, Marcel watched him closely, visibly confused by how calm he appeared. There was no trace of irritation or frustration on his face—no sign of a man who had just failed in his first personal attempt at courting a woman.

“Surely, that didn’t go as planned,” Marcel remarked casually as he refilled Kaiser’s wine glass. “Yet you don’t seem bothered in the slightest.”

Kaiser reached for the glass, swirling the dark liquid slowly before taking a measured sip. “I never expected to win her over so easily,” he replied coolly.

Marcel leaned forward, curiosity evident in his expression. “Then what exactly did you say to her?” he asked. “She didn’t look pleased—if anything, she looked ready to claw your eyes off.”

“I asked her to marry me,” Kaiser answered, his tone unapologetic—almost pleased.

Marcel immediately choked on his drink.

A few of the bodyguards standing close enough to overhear coughed, some barely suppressing amused chuckles. Kaiser, however, remained completely unfazed, as if he had said something perfectly reasonable.

“Well,” Marcel said dryly once he recovered, “that explains everything. She probably thought you were insane. Now I understand that glare she gave you.”

He leaned back and shook his head. “Honestly, I didn’t expect you to succeed on your first attempt—but somehow, you managed to exceed my expectations and fail spectacularly.”

Kaiser frowned slightly. “I don’t see the issue,” he said. “Isn’t that what I was supposed to say?”

Marcel stared at him in disbelief. “I knew you lacked experience,” he muttered, “but I didn’t think it was this bad.”

He sighed deeply. “You don’t walk up to a woman you just met and ask her to marry you. You express interest gradually. You let attraction build. You court her.”

“That sounds like a waste of time,” Kaiser countered. “And I meant every word I said.”

Marcel closed his eyes briefly, drawing in a slow breath to calm himself. There was no point continuing this discussion—logic had little effect on Kaiser once his mind was set.

“You should have listened to my advice,” Marcel said finally. “Your stubbornness ruined a perfectly good opportunity.”

Kaiser’s lips curved into a faint, confident smile. “Who said this is over?”

Marcel raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

“I told you already,” Kaiser replied, his gaze shifting effortlessly back toward the area where Elena sat. “I intend to make her mine.”

A dangerous glint flickered in his eyes as the smile widened.

“Find everything there is to know about her,” he ordered calmly.

A few minutes later, Stacy returned with Jessica in tow, both of them laughing loudly as they joined Elena and Mia back at their lounge. Despite the awkward incident earlier, the four women quickly slipped back into their celebratory mood.

They had all agreed to go all out that night—after all, none of them had work the next day. It was the perfect chance to reclaim the fun they had sacrificed during years of relentless studying and sleepless nights.

More drinks were ordered. Plates of side dishes followed. Laughter grew louder, stories messier, and time slipped by unnoticed.

Hours later, the effects of alcohol became undeniable.

Elena felt pleasantly dizzy, her limbs heavy and her thoughts blurred. Sensing it was no longer safe to have more drinks, she suggested to the others that it was time they stop and head home. The others immediately agreed without protest.