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Chapter 25
Korey glanced at Jason, his curiosity now piqued.
Estrella, meanwhile, wore a smirk that suggested she knew more than she was letting on. This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.
“Jason, cat got your tongue? Don’t tell me you’re…” Thomas’ voice trailed off as Jason
to sav shot him a frosty look, effectively silencing whatever he was about
After casting an indifferent glance at Jesse, Jason mentally noted the slight, though he
didn’t let on..
In the end, he still didn’t respond to Jesse’s inquiry and simply raised his glass.
off that and had to down at least
The other girls chided Jason, saying he couldn’t get three shots. Without a word, Jason knocked back three shots in quick succession.
The liquor furrowed his brow, an expression that lingered long after the glasses were empty. It was a rough taste to swallow.
His evasion, though, was tantalizing, sparking wild guesses among the onlookers. The girl next to Jason, seeing his discomfort, quickly poured him a glass of water.
Whether it was to defend Jason or for some other reason, in the next two rounds, the girl consecutively rolled three sixes each. First, she chose Jesse to drink, and the second time, she gave Jason the chance. “Mr. Jason, we’re a team here, so who’s it gonna be? Truth or dare?”
“Mr. Jason, ask Estrella something scandalous.”
“Yeah, yeah, go for it.”
Estrella, a stunner in any crowd, was not only smart but quick-witted, making most people hesitant to provoke her. Now that the opportunity had landed in Jason’s lap, the crowd egged him on.
Jason shot Estrella a sidelong glance. He wasn’t really into this game; if he was, he’d win every time. But everyone was having a blast, and he didn’t want to be a spoilsport.
Their eyes locked, and Estrella crossed her arms, leaning back on the sofa with one leg over the other as if to say, “Come at me, I can handle anything you throw.” If Jason asked if she was a virgin, she’d admit it openly. It wasn’t her reputation on the line.
To Estrella’s brazenness, Jason was utterly disdainful and asked, “Did you eat dinner?”
“Come on, Mr. Jason, what kind of question is that? It’s totally lame.”
“Mr. Jason, you might as well have made Estrella drink instead.”
Ignoring the crowd’s disappointment, Jason kept his gaze fixed on Estrella, waiting for her
answer.
15-23
He wasn’t foolish enough to give people a show. If they were going to fight, they’d do it behind closed doors at home. The most pressing concern for him at the moment was whether Estrella was going hungry.
A faint smile played on Estrella’s lips, recognizing Jason’s shrewdness. She replied nonchalantly, “No.” She had told Korey she’d eaten, but that was just a polite lie.
Next to her, Korey’s expression shifted slightly, so it seemed Estrella was still being polite with him, or maybe she was just closer to Jason, despite their constant bickering.
Since Jason and Estrella were not playing seriously, the group stopped singling them out and focused on their own fun.
During a bathroom break, Estrella and Jesse stepped aside, and Jesse commented, “Jason seemed pretty wary of you earlier. He didn’t dare to pick up my line.”
Estrella chuckled and replied, “He’s scared I’ll make a scene and his father won’t let it slide.”
Jason wasn’t afraid of anyone, especially not her; otherwise, they’d already be playing house for real.
Jesse nodded, “The chick with him tonight’s a player, quite the handful.”
Estrella quipped, “He never goes for the easy ones,” and with that, they headed back to the private room.
Shortly after their return, Korey announced he had a meeting early the next day, and Estrella also needed to leave for a court date. When these two key players decided to call it a night, the party naturally wound down.
The group emerged into the KVT’s open-air parking lot, and seeing Jason wasn’t with Estrella, Korey, mindful of her earlier drinks, offered, “Estrella, let me give you a lift.”
“Sure thing,” Estrella agreed cheerfully.
As she and Jesse were about to join Korey, her arm was suddenly yanked. Before she could react, Jason’s voice cut through the night, “Are you his wife? Why are you leaving with him?”
Without waiting for Estrella’s response, Jason bundled her into the back seat of his car. Estrella gasped as her arm thudded against the door frame, and once Jason got in, she kicked out, “You’re out of your mind!”
Jason ignored her and instructed the driver, “Drive.”
The onlookers were left bewildered.
Thomas, standing by with the girl who had been with Jason all evening, answered her puzzled look, “Jason got hitched early, two years ago. None of you stand a chance.”
15:23.
The girl was stunned. So Jason was married, and Estrella was his wife.
No wonder Jason kept glancing at Estrella all evening. No wonder when she said Korey only had eyes for Estrella, Jason’s expression turned sour.
After pulling away from the parking lot, Jason brushed off his trousers and said coldly, “Wasn’t one ride in his car enough? You want another?”
Estrella shot back, “You have no right to talk about this.”
Jason knew she was referring to the time he accompanied Serene to the hospital and explained, “I owed her a favor.”
Estrella laughed sarcastically, “Of course, you’ve got such a convenient excuse, and you can do whatever you want now.”
Estrella’s relentless jabs warmed Jason’s heart. After two years of marriage, this was the first time she truly argued with him instead of brushing things off. This Estrella felt like a wife to Jason.
“I’ll be more careful in the future.”
Caught off guard by Jason’s sudden promise, Estrella was momentarily stunned. He added, “I didn’t know the woman tonight, but yes, I did want to piss you off a bit.”
Korey had just waltzed back into town, and deep down, Jason felt a twinge of unease, worried that he might have left the door open for someone to take his place. Not waiting for Estrella to throw him a lifeline, he swallowed his pride and made the first move.
She rolled her eyes in disdain, too bothered to even grant him a glance.
Estrella’s cold shoulder didn’t soften when Jason leaned back in his seat, exhaling heavily with a groan, “My head’s killing me.”
Still, Estrella remained silent.
Jason, casting a sidelong glance at her, cajoled, “Come on, rub my temples for me, will ya?”
“No way.”
“Come on,” he insisted, gently grabbing Estrella’s hand and guiding it to his forehead.
Estrella didn’t pull back. Though she looked annoyed, she gave his forehead a quick rub. After all, she was counting on him to be the father of her future kids.
Half an hour later, they arrived home, and Marie and the others had already gone to bed.
As Estrella started up the stairs, she noticed Jason hadn’t followed and was instead heading to the kitchen. With a teasing tone, she called out, “Feeling guilty, huh? Planning on bunking in the kitchen tonight?”