Chapter 2

Sloane's POV

Hampton Villa Bathroom, Night of the Party

I locked the door and leaned against the marble countertop, my heart still racing wildly.

What the hell just happened?

I stared at myself in the mirror—cheeks flushed, eyes still sparkling with the excitement from our confrontation. I had deliberately provoked Jax, following Chloe's plan to trigger his desire to conquer me, but why did I feel that unprecedented thrill myself?

"I fuck whoever I want, including you." His crude words echoed in my mind, along with that dangerous glint in his eyes.

This was the brother Chloe described as her lifelong rival? Definitely arrogant enough.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled out my lipstick from my Chanel clutch to touch up my makeup. The woman in the mirror looked flawless—this was tonight's disguise, party queen Sloane.

"Step one complete," I whispered to my reflection. "Successfully provoked the target and triggered his desire to conquer."

I pushed open the bathroom door, ready to quietly slip away from this party. Passing through the second-floor hallway, I inadvertently glanced through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the terrace below.

Jax stood alone out there, his back to the indoor chaos. His shoulders drooped slightly, and he looked... tired?

This was such a stark contrast to the man who had arrogantly declared "I fuck whoever I want" just moments ago. Right now, he looked more like an ordinary boy?

I shook my head. Maybe this was just another one of his tactics to attract girls—showing vulnerability to gain sympathy.

Walking out of Hampton Villa, the sea breeze hit my face as I remembered how all this began...

One Week Ago, Saint Grove Academy Library

"Sloane! My savior!"

I looked up to see Chloe Vanderbilt striding toward me, her cherry-red Hermès bag particularly striking in the dim lighting. I was still holding books I needed to organize, my fingertips slightly pale from prolonged page-turning.

"Chloe? What are you doing here?" I set down the books, surprised to see her. As my only close friend, she rarely came to the library to find me, especially during my work-study hours.

"Babe, I need you to do me a favor," she glanced around, making sure no one was nearby before leaning closer, "and this time... you'll get a huge reward."

Seeing that mischievous expression on her face, I knew she had another crazy plan brewing. "What are you plotting now?"

"Revenge on my asshole brother." Chloe gritted her teeth, her eyes flashing with fury. "I need you to help me teach Jax a lesson."

I was stunned. Although I knew Chloe and her brother were frenemies who'd been fighting since childhood, this sounded different.

"What did he do now?"

"He ruined my relationship with Ryan!" Chloe kept her voice low, but her anger was obvious. "You know what he did? He showed up during my date with Ryan and told him I was being flirty with other guys!"

"Wait, why would Jax—"

"Because he thinks Ryan isn't good enough for me!" Chloe rolled her eyes. "God, we've been fighting since we were kids. He always thinks he's the protector, but it's really just his control issues! So this time, I want him to taste what it's like to be dumped!"

I frowned. "Chloe, what do you want me to do?"

She suddenly grabbed my hands, her expression turning serious: "Make him fall in love with you, then dump him hard."

"Are you insane?" I instinctively raised my voice, then immediately lowered it. "You want me to seduce your brother?"

"It's not seduction, it's self-defense!" Chloe argued. "And..." she paused, her expression softening, "I won't let you do this for nothing. I can pay you."

"Chloe, no need..." I instinctively refused. She'd already helped me too much—from co-signing my student loan to secretly transferring living expenses to my account. I couldn't let her spend more money on me.

"Fifty thousand dollars." She stated her price directly.

I was stunned. "What? No, that's too much—"

"A hundred thousand dollars." She doubled the offer without hesitation.

"Chloe, you're crazy! I can't take that much money from you!"

"How about one hundred and fifty thousand?" She winked. "Stop refusing, babe. This really isn't much to me, but for you..."

I felt like I couldn't breathe. One hundred and fifty thousand dollars... That wasn't just Mom's rehabilitation costs—it could completely solve our family's debt problems.

"Chloe..."

"Hear me out," she gripped my hands tighter. "I know my brother. He's never truly loved anyone. To him, women are just conquests. But you're different, Sloane. You're exactly his type. You can definitely help me with this."

I looked at my best friend, my emotions a tangled mess.

"And remember," Chloe's voice carried a certain determination, "he has to really fall in love with you for it to mean anything. If it's just playing around, it won't hurt him at all."

Faced with Mom's rehabilitation center bills and Chloe's earnest eyes, I bit my lip and finally nodded.

"Okay... I'll do it."

"Perfect!" Chloe hugged me excitedly. "Let's start planning. Next week's Hampton party will be the perfect opportunity."

So that led to everything that happened at tonight's party.

I lay in bed, staring at the moonlight shadows projected on the ceiling. Tonight's first confrontation with Jax, that complex emotion in his eyes, and Chloe's words swirled in my mind...

"He has to really fall in love with you for it to mean anything."

It seemed like step one was successful. But why did I feel like things were more complicated than I'd imagined?

Jax's reaction definitely matched Chloe's description—his desire to conquer had been ignited. But the way he looked at me...

I forced myself not to overthink it. More challenges awaited me tomorrow.

Next Morning

My phone alarm woke me from light sleep. I hurriedly washed up and headed downstairs, only to see a matte black Tesla parked outside the dorm building.

Jax leaned against the car door, holding Starbucks coffee and an elegant macaron box. The man who had been insufferably arrogant at last night's party now looked... still annoyingly confident.

When he saw me, he walked right over, that smug smile playing on his lips. "Breakfast. Honestly, I rarely buy breakfast for women."

"I'm not used to accepting gifts from strangers." I feigned indifference while internally analyzing the significance of this gesture.

"Last night you said I could never have you," Jax's eyes held that challenging gleam, "but I don't believe it. No woman can resist me for long."

Such insufferable arrogance. But this was the player I knew.

"You might be disappointed then." I accepted the coffee, pretending nonchalance.

"How about we make a bet?" He leaned forward, that aggressive confidence making me want to back away. "Within a month, I'll make you come to me willingly."

Just as I was about to retort, my phone buzzed. A text from Chloe: "How's the progress? Remember, he has to really fall in love with you for it to matter."

"I have to go." I turned to leave.

"Wait," Jax called out, his voice carrying that confident certainty, "at least tell me your name? After all, I like to know what my next conquest is called."

I turned back to look at his handsome but arrogant face. This was right—this was the man who had said "I fuck whoever I want" last night.

"Sloane Winters." After saying this, I walked away quickly.

"You'll soon discover that refusing me was a mistake, Sloane." He shouted behind me.

Damn it, why did this arrogant attitude make me feel... exactly as expected?