Chapter 1560:

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Barry paused because he wasn’t sure what to choose. Beneath the table, Rayna caught the edge of his sleeve and gave it a light pull. She moved closer until her hair brushed his arm, and the sweet scent of her fruity shampoo reached him.

“Choose Dare,” she whispered near his ear. “Answering a truth question could be much more embarrassing.”

Barry swallowed with difficulty before giving a tense nod.

However, the moment the group announced his challenge, which was to kiss Rayna for no less than five seconds, every trace of his drunken excitement disappeared.

Color slowly spread across Rayna’s face, yet she kept her eyes on him. She tipped her head slightly and looked at him as though she were daring him to accept.

“Let me get you through this, all right?” she said softly. “Just go along with it, and they’ll finally leave us alone.”

Barry knew he should refuse. For one brief moment, Novalee’s face appeared clearly in his thoughts. Still, the image quickly faded beneath the alcohol and the warmth of Rayna’s breath near his skin.

𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Instead of mentioning his girlfriend and using her as a reason to stop, he moved closer. While everyone around the table cheered, he kissed Rayna without thinking about the consequences.

The challenge was only meant to last five seconds, but the kiss continued. Rayna turned her head and opened her mouth, then deepened the kiss before Barry could react. He gave in just as quickly and didn’t hesitate for even a second.

When they finally pulled away from each other, Barry could hear his heartbeat pounding loudly in his ears. Rayna lowered her gaze while a quiet, knowing smile curved her lips, and her lashes cast faint shadows across her warm cheeks beneath the low light.

His coworkers burst into whistles and cheers. Someone had already taken out a phone and started snapping photos. Barry remained seated in the middle of the commotion with a stunned expression, struggling to understand what he had just done.

Outside the private room, Novalee happened to be walking through the hallway with a half-finished glass of juice in her hand.

She had come with Claire for the wrap party taking place in the room next door. Her newest musical score had just received approval, and the director of the film had personally praised her work. After joining the celebration for a while, she stepped outside to get some fresh air. The moment she rounded the corner, she saw everything through the narrow opening of the room’s partly closed door.

Novalee stopped in place. The glass tipped slightly in her hand, and the juice rose close to the rim before settling again. She watched Barry kiss Rayna, then saw him pull away and return to his seat while his ears remained red. Novalee’s face didn’t show heartbreak or panic. Instead, every trace of emotion vanished, leaving her expression cold and unreadable. Without making a sound, she took out her phone, aimed it through the opening, and captured the scene. Then she looked at them with cold disgust before turning around and walking away.

The gathering continued until one in the morning. Novalee had drunk far more than she should have, and when she stood to walk toward the restroom, her body swayed. Claire quickly reached out and held her arm.

“Stay right here. I’ll call someone to pick you up.” Claire watched her closely and noticed the unhealthy redness covering her cheeks. “Tell me where you live. I’ll ask my driver to take you home.”

Novalee waved her hand as though it didn’t matter and managed to slur out her address. Claire frowned and was about to make the call when Marcus’s name appeared across her screen.

“Is Novalee there with you?” he asked in a firm, direct voice.

Claire looked toward Novalee, who had already leaned back against the sofa. “Yeah.”

“Send me your location. I’m on my way.” His tone made it clear that he wouldn’t accept an argument.

Claire gave a short laugh. “Do you really think I can’t look after her? I never expected love to bring the mighty Marcus under control.”

Marcus offered no reply. He ended the call, picked up his car key from the counter, and left immediately.

By the time he drove into the bar’s parking garage, another vehicle was pulling into a space only a few spots away.

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Message from Noa: My beloved little oneeeees, just letting you know that there’ll be some revamping on the site soon, with lots of new features that I hope you’ll love so so much. It’s taking a little while, but everything will be ready this week. Hope you like them, and remember that most of the options will only be available to the little ones who are registered and logged in. God loves you and Noa wishes you all the best. (>‿=)✌

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