Before Rose could finish speaking, Margaret's lips curved into a smile.
"Of course, I wouldn't be that petty."
She glanced at Henry and shrugged.
"Kiss her if you want. You said it, it's just a game."
"I won't get mad because of a game."
Margaret's easy concession made a flash of triumph cross Rose's eyes, and Henry's lips lifted into a pleased smile. As if satisfied with Margaret's obedience, he even patted his chest in assurance.
"Don't worry, darling. You're the only one in my heart, the only one I love."
"This is just a game. I'm only helping Rose out."
The people around them quickly joined in, urging them to kiss. Margaret leaned back against her chair, watching them lazily.
After all, chances to watch a free show like this didn't come often.
"Wow, how sweet..."
Amid the exclamations, Rose could no longer hold back. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Henry's shoulders intimately. Then, she lifted her head and gently pressed her lips to his.
Henry quickly responded, pulling her tightly into his arms, gripping her so hard that the veins on his arms stood out. It was clear just how excited he was.
With a kiss this heated, there was probably a reaction somewhere else, too, Margaret thought with a cold smile.
Henry's friends continued clapping wildly, cheering them on. Some even slammed the table in excitement.
When the kiss ended, Rose shyly let go of Henry, her lips flushed and swollen, her lipstick smudged. She looked at Margaret like a victor.
The game continued.
This time, it was Margaret's turn to spin the bottle. Calmly, she applied force and sent it spinning across the table.
Clack.
It stopped right in front of Rose.
"This time, what will you choose, Truth or Dare, Rose?"
Margaret raised her brows, smiling gently. A flicker of surprise crossed Rose's face at the unexpected outcome, but she quickly regained her composure.
"I choose Dare."
Utterly confident.
The smile on Margaret's lips deepened.
"Didn't you say you wanted something exciting today, Rose?"
"Then let's continue with the previous punishment. Kiss someone of the opposite sex, for at least three minutes."
As soon as Margaret finished speaking, the private room seemed to explode with reactions. Even Rose hadn't expected her to say that. She glanced at Henry, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
"But..."
Margaret continued.
"You can't kiss the same person as before."
Rose's expression darkened, her smile stiffening. She looked at Margaret in disbelief. Before she could protest, Margaret gave a casual shrug.
"It's just to make things more exciting, Rose. It's just a game."
She took a sip of her drink, her tone lazy.
"If the whole game is just you and Henry kissing, that would be boring."
"The rest of us would just be outsiders, since we don't get to participate."
"Besides, didn't you say you're just as close with the others as you are with Henry?"
"So kissing someone else shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Rose shot Margaret a furious glare, while Henry was equally stunned, yet had no way to refute her.
After all, these were words they themselves had said before. Margaret was merely repeating them.
"That's right, Rose. Look, there are so many people here, you can kiss anyone, right?"
"Rose, what do you think of me? I can reluctantly help you complete the challenge..."
The others quickly reacted, cheering and stirring up the stagnant atmosphere. I casually glanced at them.
Of course, in terms of appearance, none of them could compare to Henry. Not to mention, some were overweight, others rather unattractive, clearly not Rose's type.
Rose also realized she was being put on the spot, biting her lip as she hesitated.
I gave a light cough, pretending to be nervous.
"What's wrong, Rose? You are close friends with Henry, but not the same with the others? Aren't they your close friends as well?"
"Or do you have different levels of 'close friends'?"
My words were like fuel to the fire, igniting dissatisfaction among the others.
"Yeah, what do you mean by that, Rose?"
"Just because I'm not as handsome as Henry?"
"..."
Voices rose one after another. In the end, Rose reluctantly chose Jonathan, who was considered the most decent-looking among the rest.
I leisurely and kindly helped them set the timer.
Rose sat stiffly, like a block of wood, while Jonathan looked at her with infatuation. After all, Rose was beautiful, with a hot figure and a sweet voice. It was only natural for him to be attracted to her.
Jonathan took the initiative to pull Rose into his arms, his large hands wrapping around her slender waist.
Then, unable to wait any longer, he leaned down and kissed her. His hand didn't stay still either, sliding from her waist to her back.
He even wanted to slide one hand across Rose's full chest beneath the thin straps of her dress.
"Mmph... mm..."
Rose struggled to break free from Jonathan, but to no avail. The cheers around them only grew louder, and Margaret joined in with a smile.
Meanwhile, Henry sat in a corner, his face darkened, clearly displeased.
But what did that have to do with Margaret?
When the kiss finally ended, Rose's dress was disheveled, her lipstick completely smudged, even smeared around her lips. Her lips themselves were swollen.
There was lipstick on Jonathan's mouth as well. He licked his lips in excitement, his gaze toward Rose burning with heat.
"Margaret, you've gone too far. You were clearly targeting me!"
At last, Rose snapped, pointing at Margaret in anger, her voice filled with grievance. Margaret merely shrugged innocently.
"What do you mean, Rose? It's just a game. If you play, you accept the consequences."
"Or are you saying that even if you lose, you won't take the punishment?"
Her tone turned colder.
"Or, were you just looking for an excuse to get close to my boyfriend, Henry?"
Rose's lips trembled, but she couldn't say a word in response. In the end, her eyes filled with tears. She abruptly stood up, shouted that Margaret was cruel, and ran out of the room.
"Margaret, you've gone too far! How dare you bully Rose like that?"
"I shouldn't have brought you here!"
Henry also shot to his feet, his eyes filled with resentment as he looked at Margaret, before storming out after her.
Couldn't even handle this much?
The game had only just begun.
Margaret let out a soft laugh to herself.
Round one, victory.
