Ryan’s eyes flicked toward Jessica, his lips curling into a teasing smile. “What’s the matter, Mrs. Clark? Are you afraid of losing? Or perhaps you don’t dare to continue?”
Jessica’s response was swift and measured, her lips curling into a lazy, confident smile. Her eyes locked with his, glinting with amusement as she said, “I just find this little game of cup-by-cup drinking rather dull. How about we raise the stakes?”
With that, she reached for an unopened bottle of whiskey and set it down on the table between them.
“One final round,” she proposed coolly. “The loser drinks the entire bottle. What do you say?”
The booth fell into stunned silence.
Everyone stared at her, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief.
An entire bottle of whiskey?
Was she serious?
Ryan’s jaw tightened as his gaze fixed on the bottle. He was clearly taken aback. Drink the whole thing? Was Jessica out of her mind?
Ethan, who had been observing quietly, furrowed his brows deeply. His voice was low and edged with disapproval as he addressed her. “Jessica, do you really enjoy drinking that much?”
His words carried an undercurrent of suspicion.
Was this just recklessness, or was it calculated?
The idea crossed his mind that perhaps Jessica intended to get herself drunk to justify some scheme—to manipulate the situation in her favor. His narrowed eyes hinted at his growing mistrust.
Jessica, however, seemed entirely unaffected by his remark. Her attention remained fixed on Ryan.
“What’s the matter, Mr. Adams?” she asked with a playful smirk. Her voice was light yet carried a sharp edge of mockery. “Afraid of losing? Or maybe you don’t dare to continue?”
She echoed his earlier taunt back at him, the challenge clear.
“Come on, Ryan! Don’t back out now!” someone from the group chimed in, egging him on. “Since Jessica’s willing to take the bet, why aren’t you?”
“Exactly! Don’t let her intimidate you!”
The jeers of his companions made Ryan’s face darken with frustration.
He was caught in a bind.
Backing down now would mean losing face, and he couldn’t allow Jessica to look down on him. He had started this game to humiliate her, but now the stakes had flipped.
Still, he reasoned, if he played it right, he could win this.
Taking a deep breath, Ryan finally straightened, his voice steady with resolve. “Alright! One last round to decide the winner.”
“Perfect,” Jessica replied, her tone light and unbothered, though her eyes sparkled with a challenge.
Without hesitation, she picked up the dice cup, shaking it expertly.
Ryan followed suit, and the tension in the booth thickened as the two competitors focused on the final round.
The sharp bang of the dice cups hitting the table echoed through the room as both players revealed their rolls.
Ryan, peeking beneath his cup, let out a small sigh of relief.
He had rolled a five.
“That’s a solid roll! You’ve got this, Ryan!” someone cheered, impressed by his luck.
Jessica, on the other hand, made no move to glance at her dice. With calm, deliberate motion, she lifted her cup.
All eyes turned to her dice, the anticipation palpable.
The room collectively gasped.
Jessica had rolled a six.
Ryan’s face fell instantly, the confidence draining from him as the realization sank in.
“Damn it!” he muttered under his breath, frustration etched into his features.
Jessica’s smile widened, her triumph evident.
She ran a hand through her shoulder-length burgundy curls, her grin playful yet radiant. “Seems like luck is really on my side today,” she said breezily.
Across the table, Bethany and Johnson exchanged a glance, barely concealing their amusement.
Bethany’s confidence in Jessica had never wavered. From the beginning, she had known Jessica was playing the long game. The initial losses weren’t bad luck—they were part of a strategy to lure Ryan into raising the stakes.
Ethan, watching silently, narrowed his eyes.
The ease with which Jessica had turned the game to her advantage left him questioning. Was it truly luck, or was there more to her skill than he realized?