Chapter 19: Thank You, Good Sir

Boulic raised an eyebrow and said resignedly, "Truth. Go easy on me."

Leonard glanced at Bella. "I'll let Bella ask. I'm afraid I'll get punched if I ask."

Bella was about to decline, but Boulic seized the moment, urging her, "Go on, Bella. Ask away! Lying in a game brings bad luck. He has to answer honestly."

Bella hesitated before turning to Dominic. "Have you ever truly loved someone?"

She couldn't think of anything else to ask, but this was something she had always wondered. If he had experienced a deep, unforgettable love like she had, maybe he wouldn't mock her feelings. Dominic looked at her intently and answered seriously, "Yes."

Bella startled, and it was Dominic's turn to spin the bottle. He skillfully spun it, and unsurprisingly, it landed on Bella. Bella felt he was trying to get back at her, so she chose the safer option. "Truth. Go ahead and ask."

He seemed to have already planned his question and immediately asked, "Do you still like the person you once liked?"

Bella's heart skipped a beat. She had only ever liked one person, and he knew it. He was asking if she still liked him.

For a moment, she didn't know how to respond. If she told the truth, she feared becoming a joke; if she lied, she'd break the rules. She opened a bottle of beer and downed it in one go. "I'm not answering." That was the game's penalty: refusing to answer or failing a dare meant drinking.

Dominic's expression darkened, but he said nothing.

When Bella spun the bottle, it landed on Celine. Celine chose a dare, but Bella wasn't great at coming up with pranks. After thinking for a while, she finally asked Celine to grill some barbecue. Celine was both amused and exasperated. "This is the first time I've seen someone give such an easy dare in this game!"

After completing her dare, Celine kept her eyes on Liam while spinning the bottle, but it ended up pointing at Lia. Lia, who had just been enjoying the show, suddenly stopped smiling. "I don't want to grill barbecue like you did. I choose truth."

Celine smirked. "How many boyfriends have you had? And I mean the kind you've slept with."

Everyone was in it for fun, so Lia didn't hesitate. Smiling, she said, "None at all. I did have two boyfriends, but just when I held hands with one, Leonard messed it all up. Such bad luck!"

Leonard quickly waved his hands. "We agreed not to hold grudges! That's already in the past. Let's continue with the game."

When it was Lia's turn to spin, it landed on Bella. Since Lia was her close friend, Bella wasn't worried and chose a dare. She knew if she picked truth, Lia would definitely ask something outrageous.

Lia rubbed her hands together, excited to prank her friend, but Dominic suddenly cut in, "I'll buy that chance from you. Name your price."

Everyone was stunned. Lia looked between Bella and Dominic before finally giving in. "She's my best friend, so it's going to cost you."

Dominic pulled out his phone, opened Venmo, and placed it in front of Lia. "Put in whatever amount you want."

Bella frantically kicked Lia under the table. Yet Lia, holding back the pain, typed in a string of numbers with tears in her eyes. "Thank you, good sir!"

Bella admitted defeat. "Alright, what do you want me to do?"

Boulic smiled faintly, stood up, and said, "I'll save it for later. I'll let you know when I decide. Game's over for me."

Bella felt a sinking feeling. It seemed like he had just paid for a chance to prank her later, and she had a feeling it wasn't going to be minor.

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