Natalie smiled and nodded. "Sure, but that would be too easy for you. Anne may be an old-fashioned person, but you can easily seduce her."

My heart slowly sank into my gut while anger simmered within me. I wanted nothing more than to burst out of the closet and tear them apart with my bare hands.

"What do you suggest then?" Justin asked.

Natalie turned around and planted herself on Justin's lap. "I also want you to dump her and make her beg you not to break up with her in front of everyone."

Justin smiled, asking, "Aren't the two of you best friends? You're being quite terrible right now."

Natalie scoffed. "I got sick of her following me around a long time ago."

"How will you reward me if I win the bet?" Justin asked, chuckling.

Natalie pinched his cheek, saying, "If you win, I'll stop chasing after your best friend, Chase. I'll also get together with you officially. But if you lose, you have to help me get together with Chase."

"Deal!"

My entire body trembled while tears streamed uncontrollably down my cheeks. Sadness and fury raged within me, making me feel incredibly uncomfortable. I was nearly overwhelmed with the urge to throw the closet door open and catch Natalie and Justin red-handed.

Suddenly, I felt a pair of warm and large hands cover my ears. The world went silent as the disgusting noises disappeared.

Was the man trying to help me? Regardless of his intentions, I could feel my heart calming down.

A few moments later, the man retracted his hands and opened the closet door.

I squinted against the sudden return of light. However, before I could react, the man gripped my wrist and said, "Let's go."

I finally snapped back to my senses when I was pulled into the next room. I looked up at the man and took in his tall and broad figure, handsome features, and cold and regal air.

I couldn't believe my eyes. It was Chase Grant, the genius of the School of Finance, Justin's best friend, and also the man whom Natalie wanted to get together with.

"You—"

I couldn't get another word out before Chase pressed his index finger to my lips. He then tilted his head slightly in the direction of the door, listening to any sounds beyond it.

As I stared at his reddened lips, I was suddenly reminded of how I had forcefully kissed him in the dark. My face burned as I recalled the softness of his lips.

"Alright. They're gone now," Chase declared in a magnetic voice.

My face had turned as red as a tomato. I stammered, "I'm sorry about what happened earlier, but thank you. I—"

I sniffled when I thought about what had transpired earlier. In the end, I couldn't hold back my tears.

"I'm sorry. I must be having an allergic reaction to the scent of the closet. I'm definitely not crying because of those two scumbags," I explained while wiping the tears from my eyes.

Chase lowered his gaze and glanced at me before nodding lightly. "You should be grateful that you found out about them sooner rather than later."

As I carefully studied his expression, I realized that there wasn't a hint of disdain in his eyes. I couldn't help but feel touched at the realization.

As I thought back to what else had transpired between the two of us, I hung my head in embarrassment before saying, "The wine I fed you had been spiked. If you get sick, I'll cover your hospital bills."

Chase immediately rejected my offer, seeming to be opposed to the idea of visiting the hospital despite what had happened to him. "No need. I'll be fine after taking a shower."

I nodded quickly. I was about to leave when Chase asked, "What about you?"

"I only swallowed a little. I should be fine," I replied while curling my toes. "I should get a cab and leave before those two scumbags come back."

A long silence descended upon the room. I looked up. When I made eye contact with Chase, he turned his head away stiffly. His earlobes had turned pink.

"Okay then."

He then turned around and entered his bedroom. A few moments later, the sound of running water echoed through the room.

I sank onto the couch and tapped on a ride-hailing app.

It was raining heavily outside. On top of that, the concert nearby had just ended. No one was accepting my request.

I felt like crying again. I was incredibly upset. I was also feeling parched from all the tears I had shed.

I looked at the canned drinks on the coffee table before padding over to the bedroom door and asking carefully, "Can I have one of your drinks?"

A long moment passed before a muffled voice echoed from the bathroom. "Sure."

Assuming that they were energy drinks, I took a large gulp from one of the cans, only to realize that it was actually alcohol.

I received a message from Justin that read, "Something came up. Don't come over."

I had been a little distant from Justin since I had been busy helping my teacher with his research. We weren't even able to go on a date today.

To make it up to Justin, who had been upset, I had made plans to ensure that there would be a surprise waiting for him when he returned home. I had also wanted to take the next step in our relationship.

The experiment had ended early, which ultimately led me to stumble upon Justin and Natalie having their private moment.

It was obvious that Justin was reluctant to return after sending Natalie home. As expected, Natalie posted a new update on her alternate account soon after.

"Managed to take a picture with the campus heartthrob! Got a little too excited and went a little overboard."

She had attached a photo with the update, showing her leaning against Justin's shoulder while making a peace sign. Although Justin's face wasn't shown in the photo, I recognized the necklace around his neck. I had given it to him a long time ago.

Fury burned within me.

"You jerk! We're breaking up!"

After sending Justin that angry message, I blocked him on all platforms and deleted everything that was related to him. I then took another gulp of alcohol.

I no longer felt heartbroken. "I don't need a cheating man who only lasts one minute. My next boyfriend is going to be better!" I thought to myself.

The bedroom door suddenly swung open, revealing Chase with damp hair and a towel wrapped around his waist. He was incredibly handsome. He had a defined chest and abs, and his legs were thick and muscular.

It was an overwhelming sight to behold. It felt like an explosion had been set off in my mind. Only a single thought remained in my mind as I stared at him unblinkingly—I wanted him.

Chase was obviously stunned when he noticed me. "You're still here?"

I couldn't help but feel upset when I heard his question. "Are you going to chase me away too?"

However, I immediately felt like something was amiss after the words left my lips.

Chase's phone started ringing then. Justin's frustrated voice echoed from the receiver when he picked up.

"Chase, can you help me check if Anne's still at my house? She actually lost her temper just because I stood her up. Can you make up an excuse for me?"

I lunged forward and was just about to snatch the phone out of Chase's hand and chew Justin out when Chase disconnected the call.

Unable to stop my momentum, I crashed into Chase and sent both of us to the ground. I propped myself up before demanding angrily, "Why did you hang up? Did you pull me into the closet because you actually wanted to protect them?"

"No."

Chase immediately denied my accusation and looked up at me. "I just wanted you to see what was actually going on."

I felt confused as I studied his serious expression. "Aren't you and Justin best friends?"

Chase frowned slightly before replying, "We're just acquaintances. Besides, they don't deserve any of your time or effort."

My confusion only intensified as I stared into his eyes that were as deep as an abyss. His skin was cool to the touch, filling me with the urge to press myself closer to him.

The atmosphere suddenly shifted.

Chase grabbed my misbehaving hand and asked, "What are you doing?"

I couldn't hold back my true feelings. "I want you. Happy Valentine's Day. This is for you," I said as I pulled out a small tool.

Chase pursed his lips.

Although I couldn't discern the emotion in his eyes, it was blatantly obvious that he and I weren't on the same page. This made me feel incredibly awkward.

He was Chase Grant, after all. He was the man whom even Natalie had to put in effort to pursue. I couldn't believe how recklessly I was behaving just because I had drunk some alcohol.

"I'm sorry. I'm just talking nonsense because I had too much to drink," I stammered. "I'll just swim back to my place if I can't get a cab."

I staggered up to my feet as I continued to explain. "It doesn't have to be you. It's not like I'm undesirable. I'll just pay for it in the worst-case scenario."

A hand wrapped around my wrist, making me look down.

Chase sighed before saying, "I didn't say no."

I didn't let him say anything else. I lunged forward and kissed his soft and rosy lips. When I snapped back to my senses, I realized that Chase had already carried me into his bedroom.

I sat on his lap and kept kissing him. A few moments later, he pushed my shoulder, putting some distance between us.

Chase was breathing heavily as he ran his hands up and down my body. Things had already escalated to this point. Why was he trying to stop now?

I couldn't help but wonder if Chase was regretting his decision. My mind buzzed as I stared at his swollen lips. My entire body was tingling as if ants were crawling all over my skin.

"I want more," I said.

Chase's Adam's apple bobbed as his eyes darkened significantly. "Anne Silva, do you know who I am?"

His low and hoarse voice was magnetic and seductive. I couldn't really process what he was saying. All I knew was that I wanted him desperately.

"Are you going to give me what I want, Chase Grant?" I demanded.

The world spun in the next second as my lips were captured in a searing kiss. A strong and warm hand slipped between my legs, pushing my skirt up. He then pulled my underwear down.

The house was empty when I woke up the next morning.

It was blatantly obvious that Chase wanted me to leave of my own accord. It made sense. He had always been cold when we met in the past, and we hadn't talked much at all. If I didn't know any better, I would have assumed that he hated me. He might have just slept with me last night because he pitied me.

My mind went blank when I noticed all the condoms in the trash bin. A wave of embarrassment crashed over me in the next second. I hastily got to my feet. I had nothing to complain about. After all, I had slept with the campus heartthrob multiple times last night.

I was utterly exhausted when I made it back to my dorm. I collapsed onto my bed and slept till the afternoon. As a result, I was still dazed when Natalie shook me awake.

"Anne, have you finished my final project for me?" she asked, becoming visibly upset when I didn't respond.

"Why are you like this? Don't tell me you forgot about me just because you got a boyfriend?"

Her questions got the attention of the other people in the dorm.

"How dare you prioritize your boyfriend over your best friend? How dare you betray me just because of a man?"

I couldn't believe how shameless she was.

Natalie had been pretty since she was young, and she was constantly surrounded by her admirers. On the other hand, I was fat and ugly when I was young. Out of the kindness of her heart, she had befriended me.

"Don't worry about them, Anne. I think you're really cute!"

Her words had essentially turned me into her slave all the way till university. The entire situation was incredibly ridiculous when I thought back on it.

I was just about to make a retort when she sighed and said, "Forget it. I guess it's not that surprising that you're obsessed with men, given your personality. You should leave the team and let me check on your boyfriend."

My temper exploded. If I left the team now, I would basically be serving all the fruits of my research to her on a silver platter. How would I get into graduate school then?

I scoffed before rising to my feet. "What do you want to check? Are you going to help me check how big he is and how long he can last?"

A deathly silence descended upon the dorm the moment the words left my lips.

Natalie's face had turned a ruddy red. "What nonsense are you spouting, Anne?"

"I meant every word that I said," I replied with a scoff. "Also, stop showing up at our dorm whenever you please!"

I got to my feet, threw the door open, and left for a meal. I hadn't eaten anything yet, which made me worried that I wouldn't have enough strength to slap Natalie across the face if a fight ended up breaking out between us.

I didn't expect to see Justin waiting downstairs. He looked tall and handsome as he cradled a gift box in his arm. He looked exceptionally eye-catching.

"Anne."

Justin walked over to me. His voice was no longer impatient like yesterday. Instead, he sounded gentle. He spoke in a comforting tone. "I've been waiting for you for a long time. I'm sorry for giving this to you so late. Don't be angry with me, okay?"

He then offered the gift box to me.

I felt sick to my stomach just thinking about what had transpired between him and Natalie last night. Not wanting to spend another second looking at him, I stepped around him and tried to walk away, only for him to grab my wrist.

I swung my hand with all my might, freeing my wrist from his grasp.

Justin arched an eyebrow. "You're still not done throwing a tantrum?"

I scoffed. "What tantrum? Didn't you understand what I meant last night? We're over."

Justin raised his eyebrow even higher, asking, "Are you sure you're willing to break up with me? Don't you want to keep working with my uncle?"

I paused.

Justin's uncle was the teacher overseeing my research, and also the teacher I wanted to study under for my graduate program. That was one of the key reasons I hadn't caused a bigger fuss last night.