Chapter 230

The twenty contestants were evenly divided into two teams of ten for the upcoming group challenge, a feddenduak competition consisting of five consecutive rounds. By the first stage, only three contestants would remain, and the champion would be determined among them.

Team allocations were assigned by random draw. However, each participant was granted one opportunity to switch teams, conditional on the consent of the individual they wished to exchange with.

Shermaine offered no response to any of it. Kylie’s presence barely registered on her radar.

Her phone vibrated.

A message appeared from Joshua: [Sheary, it’s only been ten minutes without you and I already miss you!]

A faint smile played on Shermaine’s lips.

He was getting dangerously good at sweet talk and flirting. What amused her most was that she wasn’t the least bit tired of it.

She sent back a soft, playful emoji in response.

Joshua: [How’s everyone over there? Are they easy to deal with?]

Shermaine: [They’re fine.]

A few had taken the initiative to greet her, with reasonable warmth. The rest either nodded in passing or chose not to engage at all.

It was neither particularly welcoming nor openly hostile, somewhere in between.

But she wasn’t here to make friends, nor did she feel any need to extend unnecessary warmth.

Her reasons for attending were pragmatic, and among them, the most persuasive was the considerable prize money.

Joshua responded: [Win it, and take me to a hot spring.]

[Deal.] Shermaine replied.

Roughly twenty minutes later, the remaining nine contestants arrived, completing the roster.

Meanwhile, audience members who had managed to secure tickets were filing into the venue, and the global live stream had officially gone live.

The number of active viewers had already exceeded ten million and was still climbing rapidly. Each country had its own access portal, and the broadcast was being pushed in real time across all major networks.

At that moment, in Basterel, the clock had just passed eight in the evening.

Janice had invited Danielle over for dinner at the Jean residence.

The meal was nearly finished.

Janice, who had gone dancing the previous night, had twisted her ankle during the outing.

Though she had received immediate care, the pain persisted, and her movements remained restricted.

Ross had been working late at the office when the housekeeper called to inform him of the injury. Without hesitation, he left the company and returned home. Fortunately, the sprain was not serious and would likely heal within one to two weeks of rest.

After dinner, Danielle had offered to massage Janice’s ankle. Janice was somewhat embarrassed by the gesture. Danielle was, after all, attending dinner as her grandson’s girlfriend, not in any professional capacity.

Nevertheless, Danielle’s gentleness and attentiveness left a strong impression. Janice found herself growing increasingly fond of her. If it were up to her, the marriage would be settled without delay. Unfortunately, her grandson did not appear to share that sense of urgency.

“Danielle," Janice asked as she watched her carefully, “What do you think of Ross?”

Danielle gave a faint smile. “He’s wonderful.” She truly did have feelings for him. Since the day she brought him lunch, she had continued to express interest in subtle but deliberate ways. But lately, none of it seemed to matter. Ross remained completely unresponsive.

Danielle lowered her gaze, though her demeanor remained composed. She was not discouraged. She believed some things required time. However, if Ross continued to show no interest, she would not insist on pursuing him further.

She was not the type to degrade herself for affection. She had never been the kind of woman to cling to someone who clearly did not reciprocate her feelings.

She was proud, accomplished, and entirely capable of walking away when necessary.

Janice leaned back slightly and asked, “Would you marry him, if he asked?”

Footsteps echoed from behind them. It was Ross, returning from the kitchen with a plate of fruit.

Without turning her head, Danielle responded calmly, “If Ross wanted to marry me, I wouldn’t be opposed.”

Janice’s expression lit up with quiet joy at the answer.

But behind them, Ross paused mid-step. He hadn’t expected her to say that.

The idea of marrying Danielle had never once occurred to him.

He had said it before. He was content with how things were and had no plans for romance, and even less for commitment.

Ross’ gaze dimmed slightly, but he acted as though he hadn’t heard anything. He returned with the bowl of fruit and set it down. “Grandma, here are the grapes.”

It was June, grape season. They were sweet with just the right hint of tartness.

Janice smiled. “Peel one for Danielle.”

Ross took a seat and quietly got to work.

He’d fed her strawberries before, so this didn’t seem out of the ordinary.

He fetched a clean plate, carefully placed the peeled grapes on it, and slid it toward Danielle. “Here.”

Danielle blinked at him. “I just gave Janice a foot massage.”

Without hesitation, Ross picked up a toothpick, skewered a grape, and held it out to her.

Janice couldn’t help but smile. She loved watching them like this, soft moments of closeness.

Since Danielle had made it clear that she’d be willing to marry Ross if he asked, Janice had started seriously considering matchmaking. It was time, she thought, to gently nudge her grandson forward.

Not everyone was like Joshua, who stayed single into his thirties before finally meeting Shermaine.

And besides, the Jean family needed fresh blood.

A grand estate like this deserved more than just silence echoing through its halls.

Once the fruit was gone and the small talk faded, Janice gave Ross a subtle push to take Danielle upstairs, spending some time together.

She had no intention of playing chaperone.

With no excuse to refuse, Ross brought Danielle into his private study.

As soon as the door shut behind them, Danielle wrapped her arms around his waist and whispered near his ear, warm breath brushing his skin. “Ross, you know Janice is practically counting down the days until your wedding.”

Ross maintained his usual calm composure, graceful as ever. “Dr. Shelly, you’re a woman. You shouldn’t be throwing yourself at a man.”

Danielle raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying you’re not interested?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“You think I’m being inappropriate?”

Ross didn’t respond, which in itself was answer enough.

Danielle let out a short, breathy laugh, more frustration than amusement. “If I didn’t like you, do you think I’d be holding you like this?” She paused, then asked softly, “So… are you going to let me or not?”

This was her last try. If he still kept his distance, she’d stop trying altogether.

“Danielle," Ross said quietly, “let’s not turn this into something messy.”

She stepped back immediately. “What are you so afraid of? It’s not like you’re planning to marry me.” She flopped down onto the sofa, crossed her legs, and folded her arms. “But Janice seems pretty set on the idea.”

“She’s just trying to play matchmaker.”

“Then maybe it’s time we ended this little act, before she gets her heart set on something that’s never going to happen.”

In truth, Ross had been thinking the same thing.

He’d been trying to find the right moment to bring it up, something gentle that wouldn’t hurt her feelings. He knew she’d hoped their fake relationship might evolve into something real. What he didn’t expect was for her to be the one to end it first.

He couldn’t quite place the feeling that followed. Watching her sitting there, warm one moment, detached the next, made everything feel strangely distant and unreal even.

After a pause, he said, “I’ll handle it.”

“Alright.” Danielle nodded, her voice steady, though her heart was sinking. She was ready to walk away from the Jean residence and everything that came with it, but for now, she was stuck. “Where’s Shermaine’s room? I’d like to rest.”

“I’ll show you.”

“Thanks.”

When they reached the guest room, Danielle turned to him and said, her tone cool and composed, “I know I’ve made things difficult lately. I’m sorry if I crossed a line.”

Ross stood silently in the doorway.

Danielle had no idea what was going through his mind, nor did she care to find out. She simply closed the door in his face, quietly but decisively.

And with that, the world went still.

She’d fallen out of love, and this time, for real.