Chapter 3 (Part One)

Lambert's voice was like a dagger, easily shattering Nicole's stubborn facade.

She stared at his hand. It was slender, white, and powerful. It was these same beautiful hands that used to grab her neck fiercely. Even though Nicole would struggle and beg him, he would only squint at her coldly. She had longed to feel his hands on her, but after all these years, it was her sister who settled in his arms. Back then, Lambert had held the daughter of the mistress possessively in front of Nicole. "This is the woman I love. If you do anything to her, I will ensure you have a miserable life," he had sworn.

'Why did God have to give me such an awful man as my first love? It looks like I have come to this reunion party just to humiliate myself!'

Nicole looked at Lambert frostily. Then she picked up her old bag from the sofa and walked out silently.

"Do you hate my face that much?" Lambert asked with a wicked smile.

Samuel hurriedly went to them to smooth things over. "Dear Nicole, it's an honor for us to have Mr. Lambert attend this party, and it's also rare for us to have you here. Let's sit down and catch up. After all, we haven't talked much at this reunion!"

"If you have invited me here just to see this bastard's face, it's not necessary! Samuel, since we have been classmates for several years, I don't want to be rude. Thank you for your hospitality!"

Nicole wanted to leave, but two of Lambert's bodyguards suddenly obstructed her path.

Swirling the red wine in his glass, Lambert sauntered up to Nicole and said in a voice so low only the two of them could hear, "Your mother is dead. Your father abandoned you and your brother for his mistress. Your family's business is down and even your house is mortgaged. Your grandma is sick and needs to be taken care of. Your younger brother is a black sheep. You work in the E Venture Capital Company. As a low-level salesperson, your basic salary is 1500 dollars. After deducting housing funds and insurance like endowment, medical, unemployment, employment injury, and maternity, the rest of your salary is just 900 dollars. Your performance for the last three consecutive months has been zero and you are in danger of losing your job. You are 26 years old and your bank balance is less than a thousand dollars. Nicole, what do you have? Your life is in shambles. Ha-ha!"

Biting back her frustration, she raised her head and glared at Lambert.

He sipped his wine elegantly, showing his superiority, as if he was a nobleman and Nicole was a poor bumpkin to be trampled under his feet.

"I know what you want to do. I can see the rage in your eyes. I can still give you a chance to understand what you should do instead."

Nicole stared at him defiantly.

All of a sudden, he pulled her close to him and whispered gently in her ear, "Play a game with me. If you win, I will let you do whatever you want to do. If you lose, you have to stay here and not run away no matter what I do."

Nicole struggled to free herself from his grasp while Lambert continued, "Didn't you use to drink and play earlier? Do you dare you play with me or not?"

His face was so close to her she could feel his breath. No matter how handsome he was with his angular face and captivating eyes, she detested him. She was fighting the urge to slap him or throw a bottle of sulfuric acid to disfigure his gorgeous face. She hated him enough to actually do something so crazy.

Nicole suddenly laughed. Her voice was bitter, but it held a hint of anticipation. She said in a low voice, "If I win, will you really let me do anything I want to do?"

"Of course. I know you think I am a bastard but when have I ever broken my promise?" Lambert stroked the hair on her forehead gently and spoke to her intimately as if he was talking to his lover.

'He must think that I am obsessed with money. But what excites me more than money is the chance to slap him and throw the bottle of wine at his head. I am just drinking to boost my courage. No matter what happens when I wake up, I will be happy.' One could see just how much she loathed him!

"Okay, it's a deal!" Nicole agreed happily.

Lambert let go of her with a satisfied smile and went back to his table. He gestured with his hands to welcome her.

She strutted up to him. Samuel seemed to have caught on and clapped his hands eagerly to draw everyone's attention to it.

Lambert asked Samuel to get the dice. Before Samuel could do so, the beautiful women on either side of Lambert sprang into action. He looked like an absolute stud with pretty ladies clinging on to his arms. Lambert instructed his male secretary to bring his gloves too. 'Such a jerk! Wearing gloves before playing the game as if he is some kind of a nobleman,' Nicole thought to herself, rolling her eyes.

She waited patiently until the liquor was brought and half of the table was filled with shot glasses. The shot glasses were the perfect size for the highly concentrated liquor they were about to consume.

Nicole asked a waiter to bring her a glass of milk. Lambert nodded slightly as though offering thanks to the waiter. Nicole didn't give it too much thought, but when she drank the milk, she felt that there was something strange and cryptic about his smile.

After rolling the dice, Nicole guessed the number correctly and won. As per the rules, Lambert had to have a shot of liquor. He sipped it casually as if he was drinking water. He licked the corners of his mouth and squinted at her with an evil smile.

Nicole didn't react and set her mind on the second round. She won that round too. Lambert continued to drink the alcohol. Nobody dared to applaud her. Only Samuel cheered occasionally. In the third round, Nicole lost. The girls surrounding Lambert squealed in delight. Nicole raised her glass and drank the milk without hesitation. After drinking it, a peculiar fragrance lingered on her lips, and something felt bitter in her throat. She frowned slightly, but continued.