Chapter 5

NELLY:

When I walked out of the elevator with Maeve following beside me, my heart skipped a beat as Elena led us to an exclusive VIP room.

The room had a snooker room label above the entrance.

My heart raced as I wondered if Rowan had truly sent for me. Was Elena trying to set me up? Had she found out that Rowan and I weren't in communication, and did she want to use this opportunity to humiliate me?

My hands grew sweaty, but I steadied myself and accompanied Elena into the room after she showed her VIP card to the security guard on standby.

Once inside the room, the atmosphere shifted as most of the people there were men.

Rowan stood in the middle of the room. He wore only his black undershirt and trousers, as he had taken off his black coat before our arrival.

His hands clutched a cue stick, and he leaned over the snooker table and fired a precise shot, aiming directly at multiple red balls. He scored perfectly.

"Babe! I arrived with the girls," Elena said, breaking the tension in the room as the men were busy playing snooker.

Dim light filled the room as Elena walked over to stand beside Rowan.

Once Rowan raised his head and looked up, our gazes locked, and my heart did a flip.

I steadied myself, feeling like an unwanted guest as my cheeks flushed. I swiftly lowered my head, thinking I should leave, but Rowan replied in his deep voice, "Good to see you brought them over."

He didn't utter my name. I hardly ever heard him mention my name.

Even at home, Rowan sent the maid whenever he wanted to pass any information to me, or when my mother made a request. He never approached me personally to speak to me.

The room felt hot as I felt the weight of everyone's stares on me.

Rowan wasn't alone in the room. His two best friends, Dave and Pablo Carlos, were there, too.

Both men wore dark suit shirts and trousers, and recalling my earlier confrontation with Dave, the room felt suffocating.

"Isn't this Rowan's stepsister? It's my first time meeting you, beautiful," Pablo said, stepping away from the snooker table as he strode up to meet me. He was strikingly handsome, fair-skinned, and tall.

His teasing words made my cheeks flush, softening the tense atmosphere in the room.

"You shouldn't deceive the girl," Rowan stated dismissively, and my heart tightened as I wondered what he meant by that.

Did he mean I was ugly? Was he mocking my size?

My face heated up as I lowered my head and avoided meeting Rowan's striking blue eyes. He set down the cue stick, completely unfazed by how much his spiteful remark had hurt me.

"Hey, you shouldn't listen to the guy. I know beauty when I see one. I've been asking Rowan for your contact, but he didn't want to give it to me. I'm Pablo Carlos. Gianna's older brother." Pablo pointed at his sister, completely unfazed that Rowan now stood glaring at us.

"Alright. Nice to meet you, Pablo," I replied, catching Gianna glaring at me, too.

"Your skin is so soft, like a baby's. Do you mind sharing your contact with me? I like you, and I'd like us to be friends," Pablo said, flashing me a handsome smile that made my heart race after shaking my hand.

Was Pablo playing games with me? Was this all part of Rowan's trick to have his friends humiliate me?

"No... I..." I stammered, looking for a better explanation to avoid giving him my contact.

Under the weight of everyone's stares, I didn't know whether Pablo was being sincere or not. I knew he was the heir to Carlos Group, a powerful mafia family, too, but I didn't know what his company controlled. It was a big organisation, too.

"Pablo," Gianna snapped, unable to endure her brother's pursuit of me.

"Nelly doesn't have a phone, so you shouldn't worry about getting her contact," Gianna stated, stepping forward to stand between me and her brother.

I felt a wave of relief wash over me. At least, Pablo would back off. But his brows furrowed deeply.

"I find that hard to believe. How can a pretty girl like Nelly not have a phone? Or are you lying to me?" Pablo asked, his eyes glancing between me and Gianna.

"She's not lying. My phone developed a fault recently, and I haven't repaired it yet," I quickly replied, my heart pounding faster.

Pablo's intense gaze settled on my face as he towered over me. I expected him to snap, show some arrogant jerk behaviour, and mock me for refusing to give him my contact.

But his lips curled into a smile.

"It's alright. I can always get your contact later. Here's my card. When you repair your phone, you should give me a call."

Pablo dipped his hand into his trousers pocket and pulled out a blue card. Then he pressed it into my hand, leaned closer to my left ear, and whispered, "Don't forget to call. If you don't, I'll get a new phone for you."

My jaw dropped as I watched Pablo move away from me. Was he being serious? I pondered silently, unable to reply.

I caught Rowan glaring at me. His blue eyes clashed with mine, and he stared at me with disappointment, as though I were a cheap whore.

I opened my bag and kept the blue card inside as I breathed a sigh of relief.

Gianna's glare was the worst, as she clearly disliked the thought of her brother pursuing me. But her lips remained tight, and she said nothing.

Noticing the tense atmosphere, Elena broke the silence and spoke.

"Guys, let's play a game. Truth or dare. Who's in?"

I froze. I didn't want to participate in any such game as Maeve stood beside me. Before I could respond, Rowan's deep voice broke the excitement on Elena's and Gianna's faces.

"Only truth. No dares."

"Aww. Why, babe?" Elena pouted like a child, stomping her foot. But Rowan remained unfazed as he picked up the snooker cue and fired another precise shot. He was playing the game with Dave, while Pablo just stood watching them.

"No dares, sis. Only truth. We can use that opportunity to learn more about ourselves and our hidden secrets," Dave chimed in as he finally pulled out of the game and moved to settle into a chair in the room.

Elena pouted and moved to sit down next to Rowan, while Maeve and I sat beside her.

We didn't belong there, but since no one had sent us out, I wondered why Rowan had asked Elena to send for me. What game was he playing?

When I looked at Rowan, he was seated across from Maeve and me at the long table, while Pablo and Gianna sat beside me.

Dave sat beside Maeve, while some men in black stood at a distance like bodyguards, not joining the table.

I lowered my head, not wanting to meet Rowan's direct gaze.

A waitress in a skimpy red dress moved forward to serve a bottle of wine on the table, and I frowned at the sight.

I didn't want to eat or drink anything at Elena's party. Who knew what she had planned?

It was getting late, past 10 p.m., but the group didn't seem ready to return to their homes. Besides, this wasn't the first time they had stayed out late.

"Fine, truth," Elena murmured, clearly disappointed, as the two men agreed with Rowan. They didn't want any dares, and I felt a little relieved.

"I'll be the one spinning the bottle. Whoever it stops in front of will answer my questions," Elena said, stating the rules. Her lips curled into a smirk. "If you don't want to reply, you'll have to finish a full glass of this wine."

She pointed at the bottle on the table and uncorked it.

"Are you ready, guys?" she asked, her eyes glinting with interest as she looked at all of us. Then her gaze settled on me.

Once Elena spun the bottle on the table, it rotated, and I silently prayed that it wouldn't stop in front of me.

But my luck was ruined as the bottle rotated to a stop in front of me.