Chapter 8

Upon hearing the dare, Ashley's lips curved in a sly smile. Her eyes landed on the untouched slice of cake in front of Sienna. The next second, she suddenly grabbed the cake and swiftly smashed it straight onto Sienna's face before anyone could react. Caught off guard, Sienna let out a startled cry. A thick layer of cream was instantly smeared across her face, leaving her in a humiliating mess. The entire private room fell silent in shock. "What the hell are you doing, Ashley?" Lance was the first to react, shooting to his feet and yanking Ashley back with anger and disbelief. But Ashley just looked innocently at him. "Didn't you all tell me to do the most thrilling thing I could think of? Isn't this thrilling?" Sienna's whole body trembled—not because of the sticky cream, but from the raw, blatant humiliation. Slowly, she wiped the cream from her eyes. When her vision cleared, she locked her gaze on Ashley's expression of fake innocence. Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, Sienna raised her hand and delivered a tight slap across Ashley's cheek. The sharp smack echoed throughout the room. "Is this thrilling enough?" Sienna's voice was icy, carrying a faint tremor but cuttingly clear. Without looking at anyone else, she grabbed her bag and turned to leave. She headed straight for the restroom. She rinsed her face again and again with cold water, trying to wash away the sickly sweetness and the stench of humiliation. When she was finally clean, she planned to go straight home, but Lance caught up with her at the hotel entrance. "Enna! I'll drive you back." "No need." "Don't be upset at me. It's late. How are you going to get home?" Without waiting for a reply, Lance forced her toward his car. Just as he opened the passenger door, Ashley came running after them. Tears swam in her reddened eyes pitifully. "I'm sorry, Sienna. I was just joking earlier. I didn't think you'd be so angry. I'll never do it again. Please don't be mad, okay?" Sienna stared at her frigidly, saying nothing. Ashley then turned to Lance, her voice softer and more fragile. "Lance, it's hard to get a cab here, and I'm a little scared. Could you give me a ride, too?" Lance glanced at the icy Sienna, then at the tearful Ashley. In the end, he sighed and said to Ashley, "Get in." Sienna looked at him in disbelief and felt her heart break painfully. He had seen everything. He had been there when Ashley had provoked and humiliated her. But still, he agreed to her request. Upon getting Lance's consent, Ashley immediately broke into a smile. But instead of opening the back door, she turned to Sienna and said, "Sienna, I get carsick. Can I sit in the front?" Lance barely hesitated before turning to Sienna. "Enna, you sit in the back." In that instant, a crushing sadness swept through Sienna. She suddenly remembered the night Lance had first gotten his driver's license and secretly taken her for a drive. That night, under the dazzling starry sky, he had pulled her excitedly into the passenger seat. "Enna, this is my passenger seat. From now on, it's yours alone. No one else can ever sit here." His eyes had been bright and sincere, with her smiling face reflected in them. His words still echoed in her ears, yet now, he was personally letting another girl take the seat he had sworn belonged only to her. It seemed that promises only counted when love still existed. She laughed, and tears began to fall. Lance caught that fleeting smile and felt a sharp stab in his heart. Meanwhile, Ashley was already covering her mouth and getting into the passenger seat, pretending to feel unwell. He had no time to think further and quickly got into the driver's seat to start the car. The vehicle moved smoothly down the road, but the atmosphere inside was heavy and silent. Halfway through the ride, Ashley suddenly let out a pained moan and shifted slightly in her seat. Her voice trembled with feigned agony. "Lance, I think my skin hunger is acting up again… I feel so awful. Please, help me…" As she spoke, her hand began to reach toward Lance. Lance immediately swerved away, his voice sharp. "I'm driving! Don't mess around!" Through the rearview mirror, he shot a glance at Sienna. She was staring out the window, as if she was completely unaware of what was happening in front. Ashley whimpered louder and louder. "But I really can't stand it! Ugh… Please, just once! Help me…" Lance's brows became tightly knitted, his expression strained. The car was filled with Ashley's muffled sobs and moans. At last, he seemed to yield. He took a deep breath and said to Sienna, "Enna, close your eyes. Don't look." Sienna jolted slightly, but she gave no response. Taking her silence as consent, Lance steadied the wheel with one hand and lifted the hem of his shirt with the other. He caught Ashley's groping hand and pressed it firmly against his taut abs. "Go ahead," he said.