"Unfortunately, Iāll prefer to leave behind a hundred bucks."
Hearing this, the lit eyes and attentive ears instantly dimmed and fell.
Holding the microphone while streaming, Celeste quickly formed a smile.
"How unfortunate. Tonight would have been unforgettable."
There was a shared feeling of agreement as people sighed.
"Next spin."
The projected image on the pool floor began to spin and quickly selected a name.
"Eric..."
"What a lucky night."
One of the boys shouted as he raised his arm to draw attention while a scheming smile played across his lips.
"Celeste, is that your brother?"
This question caused a wave of silence to descend and everyone quickly looked in the direction of the boyās pointed finger.
Meanwhile, Celeste almost choked on nothing and her face flushed slightly before she forcefully composed herself.
Next to Miles, Oliver had a shocked look while holding his breath as this moment finally came through.
Like those beside him, Miles also looked on with interest as the highlight focused on the two siblings. Celeste, apparently struggling with what to say, eventually seemed to give up.
"Iām sorry, guys. Iāve never really got the chance to introduce him. Indeed as you might all have guessed, heās indeed my younger brother."
Flashing a smile, she said, unable to hide this fact.
"Hissss, donāt tell me..."
There were sounds of sucking breath and it was as if a play button had been pressed, instantly chasing the silence to be replaced by a chaotic atmosphere.
"Hehehe, didnāt I tell you? I knew they resembled each other."
"What a big reveal."
At the same moment, in the eyes of some girls, Oliver became more handsome and their interest in him grew.
āHuh? Whatās happening?ā
Having expected a wave of laughter to follow, Celesteās eyes trembled when she noticed that no one cracked a joke about Oliver like she always thought would happen.
"Cāmon. Next spin! I canāt wait for my turn. Iāve got a question in mind."
"Yeah!"
"Me too!"
The guys cheered while the girls looked towards her with expectation.
Celeste quickly smiled and held up the microphone, unaware of what happened on Wednesday morning.
"Okay! Letās go!"
The wheel spun and this time the name it settled on drew surprise in their eyes.
"Josephine... Sinclair!"
Celeste forced a smile and called out the name despite the bitter aftertaste it left on her tongue.
At one of the VIP tables, Josephine paused and slowly raised her head, feeling everyoneās gaze on her.
"What?"
She muttered, a little dumbfounded before the girl beside her secretly pinched her thighs, whispering a few words while arching her neck a bit in Celesteās direction.
āOh.ā
Josephine seemed to grasp something and a look of realization flashed across her face, followed by an amused smile.
Her eyes didnāt have to search through the crowd before instantly landing on Miles.
"Miles Sinclair. Whatās the name of the prettiest woman or girl you know?"
At this moment, many who didnāt know about the relationship between the Sinclair siblings were stunned, feeling overwhelmed by the discovery streak.
"What? Miles is Josephineās brother?"
"Fuck no."
"How is that possible?"
Outraged cries rang out, but the girls were more focused on Milesā answer.
āPhine, just how petty can you be for your jealousy. Fuck.ā
Feeling the eyes of Chloe beside him also peek, her attention solely focused on him, and Josephineās cold smile as she squinted her eyes.
āDamn, it feels like I am being pierced by countless needles.ā
Without hesitation, Miles slipped his hand inside his pocket and brought out a minted 100-dollar note from his wallet.
He didnāt talk; he shamelessly raised the dollar bill for all to see and placed it on the table.
"Fuck, not again."
"Damn, my girl broke up with me yesterday for him. I hoped she would commit suicide to know he doesnāt give a fuck about her."
This time the boys were more displeased than the girls due to their girlfriendsā nonstop blabbering about Miles.
Unfortunately, things didnāt play out as they wished.
Seeing Milesā refusal, Josephine huffed, feeling victorious.
"Thought so too."
Beside Miles, Chloe lowered her eyes slightly, a bit down that he didnāt answer.
āIām so stupid. We just hung out tonight. What was I thinking? Besides, his sister, Josephine? Sheās probably prettier than me.ā
Chloe thought with a bit of self-loathing.
However, as if reading her mind, Miles leaned close.
"To be honest, I think youāre the prettiest," he whispered.
Dazed, Chloe blushed hard, losing the cold composure she always put on.
"Fuck, look, Chloe is blushing."
"What did he tell her?"
"Miles, what a bastard. He stole her from us."
The boys from Junior Year class 1 who had been staring intensely in jealousy all felt their hearts ache.
The wheel spun again and another person was selected.
"Celeste, would you rather date Miles or Jason?"
Celeste almost choked on the mic but managed to compose herself.
"Jason, of course."
Secretly glancing at Jason, she replied but saw not a flicker of emotion in his eyes, so she quickly added, "Besides, donāt you see Miles and my brother are pals."
Much was left unsaid, but everyone understood the underlying meaning.
āI am pretty much sure that Oliver wouldnāt mind me cracking you up. As for the age difference? Iāll fuck even your mother if I want to.ā
But of course, he had to respect Oliverās dignity, so he withdrew his interest.
āWe shall see.ā
Beneath the table, Chloe made a bold move and slid her fingers between his, trying to express that with her presence, āfuck Celesteā.
Miles didnāt refuse and held her tight.
"Sorry, excuse me," Theo said politely, standing up from his seat with a secret wink that the boys understood.
However, Oliver and Simon exchanged a glance then adjusted their sitting position with no motion to get up.
Theo could only shake his head and walk away, feeling pumped about Milesā surprise.
In the pool, three girls noticed and walked out, causing a couple of whistles to sound, but no one bothered to approach them since this was quite normal.
The game went on, but this time everybody seemed to have agreed that they wouldnāt get Miles or Jason to say anything, so they shifted to easier preys, using the opportunity to ask a girl they were interested in.
"Alright, everyone. Itās time to head inside for the main fun of the party to begin."
For tonight, thrilling fun games have been specially selected. With a smile that wasnāt a smile, Celeste winked to her viewers, hinting at what was going to happen.
"Oh, oh, oh, where are my manners. The birthday girl has to smash her cake and give us a proper fun opening."
Following this announcement, everyone, including those that had been lingering in the parking lot, quickly and excitedly began walking towards the mansion.
With more than 180 students presentāa total from sophomores to senior studentsāthe grand mansion was quickly occupied.
At the center of the interior, a big round space was made. The dance floor.
"Alright, everyone. In 1, 2, 3!"
"Happy Birthday!!!"
A chorus shout reverberated through the mansion as everyone screamed out loud.
Smiling, Rachael swung the aluminum bat at the center of the huge cake, managing to destroy the top layer, and cheers rang out following the confetti pops.
"Let the dance begin!"
Music played and many quickly led their partners to the dance floor; some picked up small dishes and received a huge slice of the cake alongside another cup of vodka.
"May I?"
Stretching his hands towards Chloe, Miles bowed slightly.
Chloe quickly nodded and held his hand, stepping onto the dance floor.
Following the swift beat of the ongoing music, they both merged into a popular dance style.
Miles held her waist from both sides and Chloe placed her hands on his shoulders.
Across the dance floor, many did the same.
Thirty minutes later, dripping with sweat, the dance finally subsided.
Heaving while exchanging a smile, Miles led Chloe to exit the dance floor.
Celeste grabbed the mic again. This time there was an employed cameramanāmore of a fawning male student who had offered to ease her troubles.
Sweeping her hair in a sexy manner at the stream camera, she tapped the mic, drawing everyoneās attention.
"Alright, alright. That was fun!"
"Yeahhhh!!!"
"Calm down, guys, because now itās time to have even more fun."
"Drink and donāt be caught while driving. Now, in order for diversity, we have several rooms for different games."
"Spin the bottle? 7 minutes in heaven? Truth or Dare? I have you covered!"
The moment the crowd heard this, a roar of cheers and claps erupted.
"Yeah! Thatās what Iām talking about!"
"Also, for our little nerdy and smart asses, Rachael understands your plea, so there are Trivia Challenges, Escape Room Puzzles, and Hunt Murder Mystery Games just for you."
"Please have fun."
Blowing a kiss, Celeste dropped the mic.
Meanwhile, noticing Celesteās uncomfortable look at the games being mentioned, Miles smiled and leaned closer.
"Should we make a run for it?"
Chloe, after a stunned moment, nodded excitedly and they both moved in opposition of the crowd, exiting the mansion.
āYes! Yes! Yes! The bastard is heading outside.ā
Tyler could barely control his excitement when he saw this, and excitedly phoned those outside.