I Refuse to Be Your Second Choice novel Chapter 57

The group looked at Alexander in surprise.

Samuel let out a low chuckle. “Whose truth is Mr. Ramirez so eager to hear?”

“Certainly not yours, Mr. Thompson. After all, you’ve never been known to speak it,” Alexander shot back, his legs crossed as he leaned back against the sofa, a smirk playing on his lips.

“And does Mr. Ramirez even possess such a thing?”

Though both men were smiling, their eyes were cold.

Bruce, loyal to Alexander, chimed in. “Alright, new rule. When it’s Samuel’s turn, ‘truth’ is off the table. He only gets ‘dare.’”

Samuel shrugged, the picture of nonchalance. “I’ll agree to that, if Mr. Ramirez does.”

Alexander just scoffed, his derision clear.

The game began.

For the first few rounds, the spinner landed on others, who chose a mix of truths and dares.

On the next spin, it stopped in front of Bruce’s date.

Before anyone could ask, she volunteered, “I choose truth.”

A woman across from her, after a brief, charged look, asked, “Who is the person you have a crush on?”

A blush crept up the woman’s cheeks as she shyly turned to look at Bruce. The answer was obvious.

Bruce glanced at her and scoffed. “Me? Don’t get any ideas. I’m not the settling-down type.”

Disappointment flashed in the woman’s eyes.

“Keep it moving, keep it moving,” Bruce urged, motioning for someone to spin again.

The spinner whirled rapidly before slowing to a stop. Natalie watched in dismay as the pointer came to rest directly in front of her.

“Ms. Watson, truth or dare?”

She remembered playing this game with friends in school and had seen how outrageous the dares could get.

“Truth,” she decided.

With the question set, Natalie had to answer. Was there anyone in this room she liked?

If this had been the past, she would have said yes without a moment’s hesitation. But now, she didn’t want to like that person anymore. Even if it meant denying her own feelings, she refused to admit it.

Natalie had once believed that scars, once healed, no longer hurt. She had forgotten one crucial detail: even when healed, the scar remains, a constant reminder of the wound.

That was why, even after three years, seeing Alexander again, being hurt by him again, still caused her pain. But she was determined to let him go completely.

She offered a faint, cool smile and answered with unwavering certainty, “No.”

Alexander’s eyes flickered up. He drained his glass in one swallow and set it down. Just as someone moved to refill it, he took the cigarette burning between his fingers and casually dropped the smoldering butt into the empty glass.

The person froze, feeling the sudden, oppressive shift in the atmosphere.

Samuel narrowed his eyes, his voice laced with amusement. “Does Mr. Ramirez have an issue with Ms. Watson’s answer?”

At his words, Natalie’s gaze drifted to Alexander. A flicker of darkness crossed his features, but his lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

“Who she likes is none of my business.”