A faint smile played on Alexander Sterling's lips. He had been drinking heavily, yet his face showed almost no reaction. It was impossible to tell what he was really thinking.
Evelyn Vance kept her head down, eating with focus. It was completely different from last time. Back then, after just two glasses of red wine, she had been a mess.
Tonight, she had already downed four small glasses of liquor. It felt like drinking plain water.
In the end, Owen Clarke and Monday threw in the towel. They couldn't keep up anymore.
Their girlfriends were also drunk. Xin Yuan's eyes were glazed over. Monday's girlfriend, Ning Ning, was passed out on the table.
Lucas Bennett sat alone, watching the chaos unfold. He was the calm observer. His drinking tolerance had never matched Alexander's, but he knew his limits. Right now, he was the most sober person in the room, aside from Alexander.
Evelyn finished eating and looked up. She was startled to see everyone lying on the table.
She turned to Alexander. "What happened to them?"
"You drank them under the table." Alexander looked at her with a smile.
"Ah?" Evelyn stared at him in disbelief.
"Nothing. Are you full?" Alexander touched her head.
Evelyn nodded.
"Let's go." Alexander said calmly.
"What about them?" Evelyn looked around the table, confused.
"Lucas will handle it. Don't worry." Alexander glanced at Lucas and smiled.
Lucas shook his head, a mix of tears and laughter. He had been completely ignored. Now he had to clean up the mess.
He had only wanted to invite Alexander for a casual get-together. He never expected Alexander, with Evelyn by his side, to act like a completely different person. He had fully unleashed his protective nature. Owen and Monday had been like lambs to the slaughter. No wonder they got crushed.
"We'll head out first. Let's catch up another time." Alexander said to Lucas, pulling Evelyn toward the door.
"Thank you!" Evelyn said politely, waving at Lucas. Then she followed Alexander out of the private room.
"Stop pretending. They're gone." Lucas patted Owen on the shoulder.
"Pretending? I was just resting my eyes." Owen sat up straight, grinning. He reached out and patted Monday. "Get up!"
Monday didn't move.
"Come on. You can't be drunk after just a few glasses." Owen looked at him with disdain.
"You shouldn't have ganged up on Evelyn." Lucas pulled out a pack of cigarettes and handed one to Owen.
"We weren't ganging up. Just showing some enthusiasm." Owen took one, still smiling.
"Don't forget what happened with Alexander and Grace O'Sullivan back then." Lucas glanced at Owen, lit his cigarette, and handed him the lighter.
Owen fell silent. He took the lighter, lit his own cigarette, and said nothing more.
Evelyn followed Alexander downstairs.
"Are you okay?" Evelyn looked up at him.
"Why do you ask?" Alexander looked down at her, smiling.
"You drank a lot."
"I'm fine. Worried I'm drunk?"
"No. It's just that drinking too much is bad for your health."
"You did really well tonight." Alexander touched her head.
"Oh." Evelyn felt a little embarrassed. "I don't know why, but I could really drink tonight."
She felt a bit proud. She had no idea she could drink so much. Four glasses of liquor, and she felt nothing. No dizziness, no blurry vision. It was just like drinking water.
Alexander laughed. "Better not drink like that again. Especially when I'm not around."
"What wine did I drink? How are we getting back now? You can't drive after drinking."
Evelyn shuddered, remembering the last time Alexander drove her home from her parents' house. She wasn't going to let him drink and drive this time.
"The driver is coming to pick us up." Alexander said.
Evelyn felt relieved.
When they got downstairs and walked out of the building, the driver was already waiting for them at the door.
Once they were in the car, Alexander asked the driver to take them to the villa.
Evelyn didn't know why Alexander wanted to go to the villa, but she didn't ask.
After getting in the car, Alexander leaned back and rested.
Evelyn wasn't sleepy. She sat quietly, looking out the window.
After a while, she got bored and turned her gaze back. She studied Alexander's sleeping face.
His eyes were closed, his expression calm. She couldn't tell if he was asleep or not. She looked at his face without fear.
His eyelashes were long, with a natural eyeliner. His nose was sharp, giving his features a three-dimensional look. His lip line was attractive, slightly pursed, adding a touch of sexiness.
It was a shame a man like this was gay.
Evelyn couldn't help sighing.
The next second, she suddenly met Alexander's gaze.
At first, she thought she was mistaken. She blinked, making sure she wasn't seeing things.
Before she could look away, the car suddenly braked.
Evelyn lunged forward reflexively. One hand instinctively reached out to protect Alexander. The other hand braced against the front partition.
The car stopped. Evelyn was a little shaken. She looked at Alexander.
The driver's voice came from the front. "I'm sorry, Mr. Sterling. A stray cat suddenly ran in front of the car."
"Is everything okay?" Alexander asked.
"Yes, sir. The cat ran away."
"Good." Alexander said. He leaned back in his chair and easily pulled Evelyn onto his lap.
Evelyn recovered and realized that instead of her protecting Alexander, he had wrapped his arm around her waist, stopping her from hitting the partition.
"Remember to fasten your seatbelt next time." Alexander looked at her, his voice calm.
"I'll pay attention." Evelyn was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear. She sat on his lap, not daring to move.
Alexander's hand stroked her cheek, finally coming to rest on her lips.
Evelyn was so nervous she forgot to breathe. She didn't dare turn her head to look at him.
Just when she thought Alexander was going to kiss her, he moved his hand. He pressed her head against his shoulder. "Sleep for a while. I'll wake you when we get there."
"Oh." Evelyn answered, her face flushed. She nestled in his arms and closed her eyes.
She thought, I'm not sleepy at all. How can I sleep? But right now, it seemed better to pretend to sleep with her eyes closed. Otherwise, she didn't know what to say to Alexander.
As it turned out, Evelyn, who had only intended to pretend to sleep, actually fell asleep.
When she woke up, she was already in bed in the villa's master bedroom. She could hear the sound of waves outside the window. She felt a little disoriented.
After a moment, she remembered she had come to the villa with Alexander.
She got up and went to the window. She looked at the sea not far away. The waves came and went. Several seagulls were flying over the water, searching for food.
A smile spread across her face. No wonder everyone loved buying seaside villas. Scenery like this always made people feel open-minded and cheerful.