Chapter 180
Trance rolled up his sleeves, grabbed two glasses, popped open a bottle of champagne, and deliberately filled them both to the brim.
Joshua casually undid a few buttons before accepting the glass Trance handed him. His eyes remained icy, showing complete indifference to Trance’s provocation.
He thought to himself, “It’s just drinking. I’ve been drinking since childhood. I’ve never been afraid of anyone!”
Meanwhile, Shermaine was teaching Summer and her classmates how to play pool.
At first, one of the guys who knew how to play challenged Shermaine to a game of pool.
Shermaine, intrigued by the challenge, agreed to play a round with him.
But in the end, that guy got utterly wrecked.
The guy pocketed the first two balls, but missed the third. After that, once Shermaine took over, he was left with almost no chance to score.
Beating Shermaine was seriously tough!
Summer and the other girls were totally blown away by how badass Shermaine looked playing pool. They all crowded around her, begging her to teach them.
At the moment, Shermaine was too tied up teaching to slip away and find Joshua and the others in the private room.
In the blink of an eye, an hour passed – it was already past ten.
As their fun-filled day was drawing to a close, the classmates – though reluctant to say goodbye – gathered around Shermaine and sang her a heartfelt “Happy Birthday.”
“Wishing Shermaine, our dear Shermaine.”
“May joy and laughter fill your days so bright.”
“May sun, moon, and stars guide your way right.”
“With every step, may your fortunes rise ever higher.”
“And may happiness forever chase your worries away.”
If Shermaine had initially stayed for her senior year just to go with the flow, now she genuinely felt this decision was totally worth it.
Meanwhile, the table was already littered with empty bottles, most of them drained dry.
Trance was one sip away from collapsing – but Joshua, damn him, kept drinking like it was water. Jaw clenched, Trance forced his trembling hand to refill his glass.
Joshua put away his glasses, revealing sharp, unreadable eyes with upturned corners – radiating both danger and allure.
His black shirt hung open at the collar, exposing a sweep of skin and the faint outline of a dragon tattoo. Tipping his head back, a trail of liquid slid down his jaw, vanishing into his chest – the bob of his throat damnably sensual.
After downing yet another glass, Joshua set it aside, his voice hoarse yet bone-chilling, “Keep up.”
Trance’s hands trembled again.
He felt like he was challenging a god of wine to a drinking contest.
Refusing to admit defeat, Trance forced down two more drinks.
But he really felt like he was going to throw up.
Noticing his distress, Danielle quickly set a trash can beside him.
After forcing down several more drinks, Trance couldn’t hold it in and threw up.
“Shit, this is killing me!” After throwing up, Trance felt a bit more clear-headed, but seeing Joshua still stone-cold sober made him nearly lose his shit.
“Damn it! Jesus Christ! For God’s sake, just get drunk already, you bastard!” Trance gritted his teeth and kept drinking, refusing to back down.
In the end, far from getting Joshua drunk, Trance was the one who ended up under the table.
Trance’s head slumped heavily onto the table, his golden hair the only thing visible as it wobbled unsteadily.
Though barely conscious, his body had completely betrayed him.
Joshua leaned back in his seat, perhaps a little tipsy. The hint of intoxication made his already intense eyes even more dangerously alluring.
Roy held out a cigarette. “Joshua, want a smoke?”
Joshua waved him off. “No, Sheary won’t allow it.” He thought to himself, “Gotta keep myself in good shape and save my energy. When the time comes, I’ll make sure Sheary is completely convinced.”
“Ugh.” Roy thought, “I’m so sick of being force-fed all this PDA. It’s fucking disgusting.”
“Ugh… I wish I had a fiancée too,” he wondered, feeling a little sorry for himself.
Joshua paused briefly, then forcefully draped his arm over Trance’s shoulder. “Stay away from my Sheary,” he commanded in a low, icy tone. Rising immediately, he pulled out his phone and called Bradley, ordering him to have the helicopter ready at the Galaxy Club.
Roy asked again, “Joshua, where are you headed?”
“Rooftop. I have a date with Sheary.”
Roy thought to himself, “Never again will I be that nosy guy asking all sorts of questions.”
Ross, who had been observing the whole scene, spoke up to warn him, “Sheary is still young. Don’t take liberties with her.”
Joshua said, “I know.”
He thought to himself, “I won’t do anything she disapproves of.”
Trance lay slumped on the table, his body wracked with nausea and his heart heavy with defeat.
Trance thought to himself, “Sheary’s brother clearly approves of Joshua.”
“And Sheary seems to have feelings for him too.”
“No wonder Joshua had been keeping a low profile tonight – he must have already planned a date with Sheary!”
“Damn, his alcohol tolerance is insane! After drinking so much, he can still walk as steady as a rock,” Danielle thought as she watched Joshua’s retreating figure.
Trance slumped over the table, too drunk to stand. Danielle patted his shoulder. “Need me to take you back to the hotel?”
All Trance could muster was a slurred grunt.
The hotel was close by. Danielle stood up and said to Ross, “Lend me a hand, will you?”
Trance was, after all, a guest from afar. Other than his intention to whisk his sister away to Ustrana, Ross found nothing particularly objectionable about him, so he nodded.
Ross hauled Trance up and out, with Danielle grabbing her bag and following close behind.
Joshua stepped onto the rooftop, the strong wind whipping away any trace of alcohol from him.
There was still half an hour until eleven.
He popped a mint into his mouth to freshen his breath, then sent Shermaine a message: [Waiting for you on the rooftop of Galaxy Club.]
After dropping Summer off herself, Shermaine was on her way back to the Galaxy Club. With music playing in the car, she missed the ping of her phone when a message came in.
By now, Trance had been brought back to the presidential suite. Danielle noticed his dejection, sighed softly, and said, “Trance, just give up this time. Sheary’s just not into you – no matter what you do, it won’t make a difference.”
“Danielle, I’m crazy about Sheary.”
“But I lost to Joshua. It just… really hurts,” he thought.
“Damn it! That guy can really hold his liquor – no wonder he was so cocky about going head-to-head with me in a drinking contest.”
“Damn myself for being so careless.”
“I should’ve been more cautious,” Trance thought bitterly.
Danielle said gently, “Trance, honestly, Sheary does have feelings for Joshua. Unless something unexpected happens, they’ll probably become an official couple.”
Trance’s heart turned to ice.
Seeing he offered no reply and worried that Ross might get impatient, Danielle said gently, “Get some rest, okay? We’ll head out now.”
As soon as they left, Trance staggered, simply unable to accept defeat. Maybe, driven by the petty jealousy of a rejected suitor, he panicked at the thought of Shermaine meeting Joshua tonight. With trembling hands, he pulled out his phone and dialed Shermaine’s number.
The phone rang three times before Shermaine finally picked up.
Trance whispered weakly, “Sheary… I drank way too much tonight. My stomach’s killing me, and I think I might be having some kind of reaction. Could you please come check on me?”
Shermaine checked the time. “I’ll be right there.”