?Chapter 401:


    The night unfolded with several rounds of drinks before the group shifted to dice games with drinking stakes.


    Jaxon, always the liveliest, eagerly grabbed the dice and teased Wesley, “You should sit this round out. Otherwise, we’ll all end up too tipsy.”


    With a mischievous glint in his eye, Jaxon suggested, “How about yourpanion ys? If she loses, you’re up for the drink!”


    Jaxon, feeling clever, thought this would make Wesley drink more than his share. It wasn’t about outmatching Wesley directly but about winning against hispanion. He didn’t take Elena seriously at all.


    Elena nced at Wesley, who was leisurely drawing on his cigarette, his face partly hidden in curling smoke. After a pause, hezily agreed, “Alright.”


    Elena subtly arched her brows, clearly surprised. Was Wesley truly indifferent to the possibility of her losing? Losing meant downing a hefty ss of strong liquor, which could easily lead to intoxication.


    When Wesley nodded in agreement, Jaxon practically beamed. “Ha-ha! No turning back now, Wesley!”


    Elena lowered her voice and murmured, “Aren’t you worried that I’ll lose?”


    A haze of smoke softened Wesley’s features, making his reaction unreadable. Elena heard him say, “Feel free to y however you want.” The message was clear—whether she lost or not didn’t matter.


    A slight smirk tugged at Elena’s lips. Since that was his stance, she saw no reason to hold back. She couldn’t tell if Wesley trusted his own drinking ability or had confidence in her.


    The game was simple—roll the dice andpare the numbers.


    Whoever had the lowest number each round had to drink.


    Jaxon went first. He lifted the cup to reveal triple fives—fifteen points.


    His grin widened. “Luck’s clearly on my side tonight.”


    Malcolm followed. “Don’t get too cocky.”


    Malcolm tossed the dice and rolled two fives and a six—sixteen points. His smile remained sharp. “Seems fortune favors me a little more.” Exactly one point higher.


    Jaxon’s confident grin faltered immediately.


    where stories grow


    Next up was the quiet, short-haired man.


    “Your move, Kason,” Jaxon said.


    Kason Garrettzily rattled the dice before releasing them—two sixes and a five, totaling seventeen.


    Jaxon’sposure almost shattered. How were they all rolling so well? Luckily, the following yers scored less than fifteen, with the lowest showing a twelve.


    Finally, it was Elena’s turn.


    Jaxon straightened, confident she couldn’t beat his fifteen. “Your turn, Elena.” Without hesitation, Elena grabbed the dice cup and gave it a swift shake.


    Jaxon chuckled at her rxed technique, assuming shecked skill. He reached to lift the cup, joking, “Wesley’s cool with this, so no hard feelings if you lose, Elena. Why the silence, everyone—”


    Jaxon froze mid-sentence as the group’s expressions shifted. His eyes dropped to the dice. Three sixes—eighteen points. Jaxon blinked, stunned. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”


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