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Chapter 4: Flirting Games
Huling Na-update:
2025-03-17 13:46:00The air inside Ms. Hayes' classroom was charged with something unspeakable, something neither of them were ready to name. Vivian could feel it the moment Ethan Carter strolled in, his usual cocky smirk in place, his movements slow and deliberate as if he owned the space around him.
She hated that her pulse quickened when he entered. Hated the way he looked at her like he was already undressing her in his mind. But what she hated most was the way her body reacted, betraying her completely.
“Ethan,” she warned, not even looking up from the stack of graded papers on her desk. “I need to speak with you.”
He smirked, tossing his bag onto a nearby desk before sauntering toward her. “That sounds serious.”
“It is.” She finally lifted her gaze, leveling him with a stern look. “Your behavior in class is inappropriate.”
Ethan placed a hand over his heart in mock offense. “Inappropriate? Ms. Hayes, all I do is ask questions.”
She exhaled, leaning back in her chair, fingers threading together. “You know exactly what I mean.”
He took another step forward, his tall frame now looming over her desk. His scent—something woodsy and sharp—filled her space, and she clenched her fists to keep from reacting.
“Maybe I just like your attention,” he murmured, voice lower now, dangerously smooth.
Vivian’s jaw tightened. “You need to stop.”
“Stop what?” He leaned down, just a little, his eyes dark with something wicked. “Looking at you? Talking to you? Thinking about you?”
Her breath hitched, and she hated that he noticed. The slow curl of his lips told her he was drinking in every single one of her reactions.
“This isn’t a game, Ethan,” she managed, voice firmer than she felt.
“Isn’t it?” His voice dropped another octave, sending something unwanted and warm through her veins. “Because it sure feels like one.”
Vivian swallowed hard, pushing her chair back abruptly to put space between them. “Go sit down. Now.”
For a moment, she thought he’d press further, that he’d take this dangerous dance one step too far. But then he straightened, smirk still in place. “As you wish, Ms. Hayes.”
She exhaled once he turned away, but deep down, she knew this wasn’t over. It was only just beginning.
Ethan didn’t sit right away. He took his time, moving to his seat with a slow confidence, dragging his fingers across a nearby desk as he passed, as if to remind her that he wasn’t finished playing with her yet. He slid into his chair, leaning back lazily, his piercing gaze never leaving her.
Vivian busied herself with her papers, but she could feel his eyes on her, burning through her composure. The room wasn’t full yet—just a few early students scattered around, oblivious to the silent war waging between them.
When she finally looked up, she regretted it instantly. Ethan was watching her with an intensity that sent a flush up her neck. He smirked when he saw it.
“You look flustered, Ms. Hayes,” he said smoothly, voice pitched just low enough for only her to hear.
Vivian’s jaw clenched. “And you look like you’re trying too hard.”
He chuckled, tilting his head. “Trying? Oh no, Ms. Hayes, this is effortless.”
Her fingers curled around the edges of her desk. “I don’t have time for your games, Ethan.”
He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his desk. “Then why are you playing?”
Before she could answer, more students filed in, forcing her to pull away from the moment. She straightened, smoothing down her blouse, trying to ignore the way Ethan’s gaze lingered on the movement.
Class began, but the tension didn’t fade. Every time she looked up, Ethan was already watching her. Every time she turned, she swore she could feel his presence like an invisible force pressing against her.
Halfway through the lesson, she called on him for an answer, hoping to break his focus.
“Ethan, what’s the main theme of this passage?”
He grinned, resting his chin in his palm. “Temptation.”
Her breath caught. He wasn’t wrong—the passage did touch on that theme—but the way he said it, the way his voice dipped just slightly, told her he meant something else entirely.
She forced herself to nod. “Correct. Now, let’s move on.”
Ethan just smirked, clearly enjoying every second of this. And Vivian knew, with absolute certainty, that this was only going to get worse.
Because the more she fought it, the more he would push.
And deep down, she wasn’t sure how much longer she could resist.
Kaugnay na kabanata
The Price of A Bet Chapter 5: Unexpected Chemistry
The classroom was quiet except for the sound of the rain tapping gently against the windows. Most of the students had left, their chairs pushed back haphazardly, the faint echo of laughter still lingering in the halls.Ethan Carter, however, had stayed behind.Ms. Vivian Hayes sat at her desk, flipping through a well-worn copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray, oblivious—or perhaps pretending to be—to the young man watching her intently from his seat. The moment was thick with unspoken words, an undercurrent of something neither of them wanted to acknowledge.Ethan leaned back, his chair tilting onto two legs as he stretched, his voice smooth as silk. “You know, Ms. Hayes, I never thought I’d actually enjoy a book you assigned.”She arched an elegant brow, not looking up from the pages. “That’s because you haven’t really been reading them, Mr. Carter.”He smirked, letting the chair fall back onto all fours with a soft thud. “Ouch. You wound me.”Finally, she glanced up, her hazel eyes loc
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-17The Price of A Bet Chapter 6: Teacher’s Past
Vivian Hayes stood in front of her mirror, running her fingers through her dark auburn locks, her reflection staring back at her with tired eyes. The glow of her bedside lamp cast soft shadows across her delicate features, but there was something distant in her expression—something fractured.Tonight, the past clung to her like a ghost she couldn’t shake.She sat on the edge of her bed, her silk robe loosely draped over her shoulders, revealing the delicate lace of her slip underneath. The room was silent except for the soft hum of the city outside, but inside her mind, voices from the past whispered mercilessly.“You’ll never make it on your own, Vivian. You need structure. Stability.”Her mother’s voice echoed in her ears, laced with disapproval, the same tone she’d always used when Vivian had dared to dream outside of the life mapped out for her. A respectable marriage. A man with power. A life of luxury. A world where feelings were secondary, where duty outweighed desire.Vivian e
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-17The Price of A Bet Chapter 7: The Pressure Mounts
Ethan Carter slouched in the back of the dimly lit diner, his long fingers drumming against the surface of the table. His usual confidence was intact, but underneath, an unspoken tension simmered. Around him, his friends were laughing, slapping each other on the back, carefree in their teasing.But Ethan could feel the weight of their words."So?" Troy leaned forward, a cocky grin on his face. "Where’s the proof, Carter? You working your magic, or is the ice queen still untouchable?"Ethan smirked, swirling the straw in his soda. "Patience is a virtue, boys."Dylan snorted. "Patience doesn’t win bets. We want results."Jaxon, the most ruthless of the group, leaned in closer. "You’re not chickening out, are you? Because that would be—" He made a dramatic pause, tapping his chin. "Embarrassing."Ethan’s jaw ticked, his blue eyes darkening. He wasn’t about to lose face in front of these guys. He had built his reputation on being untouchable, always in control, always winning.And yet…He
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-17The Price of A Bet Chapter 8: First Date Setup
Ethan Carter wasn’t used to waiting. He was the kind of guy who snapped his fingers, and things fell into place. Girls, parties, favors—it all came easy. But Vivian Hayes? She was different. And that difference made him restless, made him itch with the need to push further, to see how far he could go before she broke.That was the real game now.After their last heated exchange, he knew he had to be smart. Vivian was strong, disciplined, always in control. If he came on too strong, she’d shut him down immediately. But if he played it just right, if he gave her a reason to spend time with him outside of class, she wouldn’t even realize what was happening until it was too late.He needed an excuse. And he found one in the most unexpected place.The next day in class, Ethan took his usual seat at the back, twirling a pen between his fingers as he watched her. She was dressed in a fitted blouse and a pencil skirt, her hair neatly pinned bac
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-18The Price of A Bet Chapter 9: A Moment of Weakness
The air between them was thick with something unspoken, a slow-burning fire that neither of them dared to acknowledge outright. Vivian sat across from Ethan in the dimly lit café, her fingers gripping the spine of her book a little too tightly, her breath just a little too uneven.She had been careful. She had told herself that their interactions were nothing more than tutoring—a professional obligation. But there were moments, fleeting and dangerous, when she wasn’t so sure anymore.And Ethan? He could sense the crack in her resolve.“Ms. Hayes,” he murmured, his voice like velvet, smooth and rich. “You seem distracted.”Vivian cleared her throat and forced herself to focus on the open book in front of her. “I’m not distracted. Maybe you should be focusing on the material instead of whatever game you think you’re playing.”Ethan leaned in slightly, elbows resting on the table, his proximity making it harder for her to ignore the pull
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-18The Price of A Bet Chapter 10: Crossing the Line
The night air was cool against Vivian’s heated skin as she stepped outside the café, but it did little to calm the storm raging inside her. Her hands trembled slightly as she clutched her bag, her heart still pounding from the moment she had fled.Ethan Carter had nearly broken her.And the most dangerous part? A part of her wanted him to.She pressed her fingers against her temples, inhaling deeply. This had to stop. She had to be the adult, the professional, the one in control. If she let herself slip, even for a moment, everything would crumble.But as she turned to head toward her car, she found herself face to face with the very temptation she was trying to escape.Ethan.He had followed her outside, his hands casually tucked into the pockets of his leather jacket, his dark eyes gleaming with something unreadable beneath the streetlights.“Running away, Ms. Hayes?” His voice was smooth, teasing, but there was someth
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-18The Price of A Bet Chapter 11: Avoidance
The morning after the kiss, Vivian walked into the school building with her head held high, her spine rigid, and her pulse hammering against her throat. She had spent the entire night berating herself, dissecting every moment, every mistake. She had sworn to herself—sworn—that she would not let it happen again.And the only way to ensure that was to stay as far away from Ethan Carter as humanly possible.She clutched her coffee cup like a lifeline as she made her way to her classroom, her heels clicking against the tile floor in a determined rhythm. She ignored the curious stares of students who noticed her slightly frazzled demeanor, the way she seemed to move with more purpose than usual. No one could know. No one could suspect.Especially not him.She stepped inside her classroom, shutting the door behind her with a relieved sigh. Safe. She was safe here. She could lose herself in lesson plans, in literature, in anything but the dark eyes
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-19The Price of A Bet Chapter 12: The Apology
The tension between them lingered like an unspoken secret, an invisible thread pulling them together no matter how hard Vivian tried to sever it. Avoidance hadn’t worked. Indifference had failed. And now, as she sat at her desk long after school had ended, grading papers with a half-hearted focus, she wasn’t prepared for what came next.A soft knock at her door startled her. She looked up, expecting another teacher or maybe a student needing help. But when her eyes met Ethan’s, her pulse stuttered.He stood in the doorway, not with his usual smug confidence, but with something softer, something careful.“Ms. Hayes.” His voice lacked its usual teasing lilt.Vivian inhaled sharply, forcing herself to remain composed. “Ethan, what are you doing here?”He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “I needed to talk to you.”She set down her pen and folded her hands neatly on the desk, ignoring the way her palms felt clammy. “Etha
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-19
Pinakabagong kabanata
The Price of A Bet Chapter 41: Bread and Battles
The sun beamed through the filthy blinds, casting lines of illumination across Ethan's chest. Vivian awoke, her eyes squeezed shut against the light, and sat up on the edge of the bed. The apartment was quiet save for the soft groan of the ceiling fan and the distant honk of traffic below.For the first time in days, she slept peacefully, without a feeling of foreboding closing her chest.No yelling downstairs.No calls from her mom.No threats.Just Ethan.She opened her eyes and stretched, muscles sore from sleeping in a new bed, but heart somehow at peace.Behind her, Ethan groaned and rolled over, face planted in the pillow. His words were muffled but teasing.**"You get up early nowadays? Who are you and what have you done with Vivian?"**Vivian smiled, her voice gentle but playfully protective.**"I didn't exactly sleep well with your arm lying across my entire back."**He sat up and screwed his eyes at her.**"You mean my loving hug?"****I mean your Hulk-strength grip,** she s
The Price of A Bet Chapter 40: Constructing Dreams Out of Ruins
The rain continued unabated.It beat against the hood of Ethan's truck like an angry drummer as they cruised through the tight streets, out of the gold cage of Vivian's past and into a future she and Ethan could barely imagine.Vivian hugged herself, looking out the window.She had no suitcase. No clothes. No clue.Nothing but the clothes on her back, the shattered phone in her pocket, and the boy sitting next to her.But for the first time in her life, she didn't feel trapped by what she lacked.She felt free.Ethan's hand brushed against hers along the bench, hesitant.Vivian intertwined their fingers without hesitation.He smiled, weak, tired smile, and squeezed.They traveled in silence for a great length of time, the only sound the repetitive slap of the windshield wipers and the rush of water underneath the tires.Finally, Ethan cleared his throat.**"There's not much at my place,"** he said. **"But it's dry. And it's ours."**Vivian's throat tightened.**Ours.**As if a promise
The Price of A Bet Chapter 39: The Storm We Began
The rain-tossed world outside was gray and shaking, but within Ethan's arms, Vivian was warm for the first time.For a few precious minutes, they just stood there in the doorway, clinging to each other like shipwreck survivors.Breathing each other in.Recalling.Vivian didn't want to move.Didn't want to break the magic.But the real world, as always, was in no mood to wait.Her phone buzzed wildly in her coat pocket. Again. And again.Ethan recoiled, his face darkening.Vivian pulled out her phone.Forty-two missed calls.Texts upon texts piling up like a tidal wave.From her mother. Her father. Daniel.Her chest tightened painfully.She knew what they were saying without even looking.Where are you?What are you doing?Come back now.**You don't have to answer them,**" Ethan breathed, his gaze on her face.Vivian hesitated.The weight of years of obedience was crushing her shoulders.But then she remembered the dead-eyed girl looking back at her in the mirror at the dress fitting.
The Price of A Bet Chapter 38: The Morning After
Vivian woke to the soft touch of fingers trailing down her naked back.For a moment, she was still, eyes closed, soaking up the feeling—the warmth, the gentleness, the safety.For a moment, she permitted herself to believe that this could be forever.But reality was a cold, unwelcome guest.The engagement.Her family.Daniel.Vivian's heart hurt badly.She opened her eyes slowly.Ethan lay on his side next to her, propped up on an elbow, his brown hair mussed, his blue eyes warm and impossibly wide as he looked at her.**"Good morning,"** he murmured, voice rough with sleep and affection.Vivian swallowed the sob in her throat and smiled.**"Morning."**For a few minutes, they just lay there, silent except for the sound of their breathing and the faint rain tapping against the windows.Ethan traced slow circles on her shoulder.**"You’re quiet,"** he said gently.Vivian stared at the ceiling. She could still feel him everywhere—on her skin, in her blood, woven into her bones.She wa
The Price of A Bet Chapter 37: Cracks Beneath the Surface
The days following Vivian's public commitment to Daniel Ashford were like navigating through heavy, sticky fog.Ethan had trouble faking indifference. He teased his friends. He flirted with women. He played the part of the charming, unattainable Ethan Carter.But inside, something was leaking, raw and ugly.Every time he looked at Vivian—her thin hand on Daniel's arm, that civility stretched so tight across her face—something inside him cracked a little more.And Vivian?She felt every inch of that space, too.She sat at the back of her classes these days, mute, mechanical.Her laughter was gone. Her smiles artificial.The fire that had once blazed between them was reduced to furtive glances, agonized silences, and heavy stares that said everything and nothing simultaneously.---Late one afternoon, when the spring rain lashed against the windows and most of the students had long since deserted the halls, Ethan found her.Vivian was sitting in the library, books spread out in front of
The Price of A Bet Chapter 36: Confessions in the Dark
The darkness was heavy with a suffocating tension as Ethan sat on the steps of the faded bleachers at the rear of the school gym. The field was painted in hues of gold by the sunset, and the gentle thrum of the cicadas vibrated in the night. His elbows on his knees, he drew a hand through his rumpled hair, gone into his mind. His universe had tilted, and for the first time, he had no idea how to get his balance back.Vivian.Her very name sent a searing pain through his chest. All that time with her had blurred the lines between the game he'd started and the feelings he couldn't deny any longer. The bet had been stupid, childish, and callous. And now? Now it was like a knife twisting in his guts whenever he even considered it."You're here," came a soft voice from behind him.Ethan stiffened, then turned. Vivian stood a few feet away, her arms wrapped across her chest, her expression wary but her eyes spilling over with emotion. The fading light made her seem almost ethereal, her dark
The Price of A Bet Chapter 35: Desperate Measures
Ethan's fingers drummed anxiously on the steering wheel as he sat outside Vivian's house, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios. He had watched her enter, seen the tense exchange through the large living room window, and now, he could feel the weight of something slipping away—something he wasn’t willing to lose.His phone buzzed. A message from Ethan's friend.Did you do it? Got proof?Ethan scowled and shoved the phone aside. None of that mattered anymore. This wasn’t about a bet. It hadn’t been for a long time. He had fallen for her, hard, and now she was being ripped away from him.His grip tightened around the wheel. He needed to see her. Needed to talk to her. Needed to do something before it was too late.Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the car door and stepped onto the damp pavement. The night air was cool, and a slight breeze carried the scent of rain from earlier. He moved toward the side of the house, search
The Price of A Bet Chapter 34: Confrontation
Vivian’s hands trembled as she gripped the steering wheel, her father’s voice still echoing in her ears. She knew she had to face him, but she wasn’t ready for what awaited her at home. Every step toward the front door felt heavier, her heart pounding in her chest. The moment she stepped inside, the weight of the atmosphere crushed her.Daniel Whitmore was already waiting in the living room, his arms crossed, his face set in an unreadable expression. Their father sat nearby, his expression one of disappointment and quiet fury. The room felt colder than usual, and Vivian instinctively knew this wouldn’t be just another lecture."Where were you?" Daniel demanded, his voice sharp as a knife, slicing through the tense silence.Vivian hesitated, forcing herself to remain calm. "I told you. I was with a friend."Daniel’s eyes darkened, his jaw tightening. "Don’t lie to me. I know exactly where you were. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?"
The Price of A Bet Chapter 33: The Consequences of Passion
Ethan lay beside Vivian, their bodies still tangled beneath the sheets, the heat of their passion lingering in the air. He traced slow circles on her bare shoulder, his fingers reverent as if memorizing every inch of her. Vivian sighed, her head resting on his chest, her heartbeat gradually slowing from the intensity of their night together. "This is crazy," she murmured, her voice laced with contentment and dread all at once. "We shouldn’t have done this." Ethan shifted, lifting her chin with his fingers so she would meet his gaze. "But we did. And I don’t regret a damn thing." She searched his eyes, and for a brief moment, she allowed herself to believe in the illusion that this could be more than just a mistake. That this could be something real. Then the sound of a car door slamming outside shattered the illusion. Vivian's body tensed instantly. "No..." She bolted upright, dragging the sheets over her chest as she listened. Ethan sat up too, brows furrowed. "What is it?" F
