Arianna felt a flush of shyness at his compliment. "Thank you."

He really was a natural at this.

The shimmering lights reflected in his eyes, and he held her gaze without wavering, a lazy, charming smile tugging at the corners of his lips. There was so much tenderness and deep-seated affection buried in that look. Even through the screen of her phone, the sparks of attraction were practically leaping across the distance to reach her.

Arianna tilted her head, hesitating before asking, "Can I ask you one more thing? A personal question."

As the words left her lips, she remembered what he had just said to her. She decided to just rip off the bandage. "Have you ever... had a girlfriend before?"

Maxwell paused, then let out a low laugh, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Before? You know the answer to that already."

Arianna only knew that he hadn't dated anyone back in college. Plenty of girls had chased after him, of course, but he had always turned them down with ruthless efficiency, never leaving any room for misinterpretation. And he always used the same excuse: "Sorry, I’m already seeing someone."

Some of the girls would try a different angle, being all breezy and casual: "No big deal. Let’s just be friends then, can I add you on WhatsApp so we can get to know each other?"

But Maxwell, that walking iceberg, would remain completely expressionless. "No need. I’m afraid she’d misunderstand."

Arianna knew, of course, that the "someone" he was seeing had been entirely fabricated. During that period, he was with their group every single day outside of class; there was simply no way he could have been seeing anyone else.

"What I mean is," Arianna lowered her voice, carefully choosing her words, "after you moved abroad, did you date anyone?"

"No," Maxwell replied instantly, his tone resolute.

"Are you sure?"

Maxwell caught the flicker of doubt in her eyes and chuckled. "Why the sudden interest?"

Arianna hesitated for a moment, then spoke her mind. "It’s just... you seem so good at making people feel special. You’re so practiced at it. So... I assumed you must have dated before."

Maxwell gave a soft, helpless smile. "I’ll take that as a compliment. Arianna, you’re the first person I’ve ever said these things to. If you like them, I’ll say them to you every day from now on."

***

The bar was a sensory overload, pulses of loud, bass-heavy music thumping against the walls. A bartender was rhythmically tossing shakers in the air, pulling off flashy tricks that drew whistles and cheers from the crowd. The dance floor was a sea of people, beautiful men and women swaying rhythmically under the strobe lights. It was a paradise of the night.

A waiter set two stiff drinks on the table. "Your order, sir."

Cameron grabbed one and downed it in a single motion.

Alexis reached out to stop him, but she was too late. "Cameron! What are you doing? Are you trying to kill yourself by drinking like that?"

Cameron didn’t answer. He kept his head bowed, his face flushed with a mixture of alcohol and misery. His eyes were bloodshot, and when he finally spoke, his voice was shredded by the burn of the whiskey. "Leave me alone."

Alexis didn’t care; she snatched the second glass away, moving it well out of his reach. "Is she really worth all this? Just for Arianna Stone? Stop drinking. Miles and Noah aren't here today, and I’m not dragging your dead weight home."

Something in her words seemed to snap his resolve. Cameron slumped forward, his shoulders caving in, and he buried his face in his hands. He muttered, "She actually... she really married Maxwell King."

Alexis frowned. "What did you say?"

Cameron kept talking, his voice slurring into the haze. "I thought she was just throwing a tantrum. I thought if I waited long enough, she’d come crawling back..."

Alexis didn't catch every word, but she didn't need to. A bitter, acidic taste rose in her throat. She picked up her own glass and downed the rest of her drink in one go. She forced a hollow, carefree laugh and tapped Cameron on the shoulder. "It’s really not worth it. The circle is full of women better than Arianna, girls who are actually reasonable. If you want, I can introduce you to someone new tomorrow."

The mention of that name again hit him like a physical blow. Cameron’s head was swimming, but he blindly reached for another drink. He wanted to drown the name. He wanted to kill the thoughts. He didn't want the suffocating, crushing pain in his chest anymore. Alcohol was supposed to be the cure for everything.

This time, Alexis didn’t stop him. She let out a sharp, jagged sigh, poured herself a drink, and started matching him glass for glass.

The bar remained chaotic and loud. In the corner, the bartender watched the man and woman silently destroying themselves, wondering if he should step in.

Ten minutes later, Alexis’s cheeks were bright crimson—alcohol always hit her hard. Perhaps it was the liquid courage, or perhaps it was just the sheer exhaustion of hiding her heart for so long. She reached out and pressed her hand down firmly on Cameron’s glass.

"Cameron."

Cameron turned his head, his gaze unfocused and dazed.

Alexis gripped the glass until her knuckles turned white. She was playing a desperate, high-stakes game of 'all or nothing.' "Can you... consider me instead?"

A ripple of shock passed through Cameron’s clouded eyes.

"I like you, Cameron. I’ve liked you for a long time," Alexis’s voice trembled, but she forced the words out, trying to sound as casual as she could. "Let’s be together."

Cameron stared at her for a long, heavy silence. Finally, he gave a slow nod. "Fine. Let’s be together."

Alexis’s eyes widened, her heart hammering against her ribs. "You mean it?"

Cameron just looked at her with a faint, empty smile and nodded again.

***

Alexis didn't sleep a wink that night. After she made sure the driver got Cameron home, she lingered at the bar for a while, just soaking in the impossible reality of the night.

As she sat in the back of the car, watching the city lights blur past the window, her mind drifted back to the past.

Back in high school, Cameron had dated a girl who was the quintessential manipulative sweet-talker—the kind who acted fragile and precious just to bait every man in the room. Behind his back, she’d been cheating on him with half the heirs in their social circle. Cameron had nowhere to vent his rage, and from that point on, he’d developed a deep, visceral avoidance of any woman who seemed even remotely fake.

That was when Alexis had decided to change. She stopped acting like a "girly girl." She cut her hair, adopted a rougher edge, and started acting like one of the boys. She became the girl who would throw an arm around his shoulders, share a beer, and banter like a brother.

The decision had paid off. Over the years, Cameron had burned through countless girlfriends, but she was the only one who had managed to stay by his side, constant and dependable. She’d been content with that.

Until Arianna Stone.

Alexis had never seen Cameron obsess over someone like that. The more Arianna pushed him away, the more manic he became. He’d show up to her classes, haunt the library, bring her breakfast every morning without fail, and stand outside her dormitory for hours just to catch a glimpse of her.

He’d poured every ounce of his soul into Arianna.

For the first time, Alexis had felt a paralyzing sense of threat from a woman she hadn’t even met yet. Especially back then, when Miles would tease him, "Wow, you’re actually serious this time. Did you finally find your true love?"

And Cameron, beaming like a fool, would answer, "I think so. She’s the one."