For a moment, the music in the club seemed to disappear.
Not because it stopped.
But because everyone at Ethan's table had gone silent.
Stephanie stood beside the bar counter, her posture calm, her expression steady as she faced the man she had chosen.
Behind her, the VIP section buzzed with shocked whispers.
"Is she serious?"
"No way."
Someone laughed under their breath.
"She's about to get rejected so badly."
At the center of the table, Ethan's smirk had disappeared.
His gaze was fixed on the man standing at the counter.
Unlike Stephanie, Ethan knew exactly who she had approached.
And so did the rest of his friends.
One of them leaned forward, lowering his voice.
"She really picked him?"
Another snorted quietly.
"This will be embarrassing."
"Watch him shut her down."
They all expected it.
Every single one of them.
Because the man Stephanie had approached was not someone who played games with drunk university students in nightclubs.
He wasn't part of their group.
He wasn't someone you dared pull into childish dares.
And he definitely wasn't someone who would agree to something like this.
At the bar counter, the man studied Stephanie in silence.
His dark eyes rested on her face for a moment.
Curious.
Measured.
Then his gaze shifted.
Slowly, deliberately, he looked past her.
Toward the VIP section.
Stephanie didn't need to turn around to know everyone was watching.
The entire table had practically leaned forward to see what would happen next.
From where he stood, the man could clearly see Ethan.
And Ethan could clearly see him.
The two men held each other's gaze for a brief moment.
Something passed silently between them.
Understanding.
Realisation.
The man's eyes flicked briefly toward the empty bottle still spinning lazily on the table.
Then back to Stephanie.
It didn't take long for him to understand what had happened.
A dare.
A game.
Stephanie noticed the subtle change in his expression.
Not annoyance.
Not anger.
Just quiet recognition.
Behind her, Ethan's friend whispered loudly enough for the others to hear.
"Here it comes."
"He's going to say no."
Another voice chuckled.
"Poor girl."
Stephanie didn't move.
She simply held the man's gaze.
Seven minutes, she had said.
Now she waited.
The man looked at her for another second.
Then, slowly, his eyes drifted back toward the VIP section again.
This time, his gaze lingered on Ethan.
Ethan straightened slightly in his seat.
The tension between them was subtle, but impossible to miss.
Then the man looked back at Stephanie.
The corner of his mouth moved slightly.
Not quite a smile.
More like quiet amusement.
The entire club seemed to hold its breath.
Then something unexpected happened.
Instead of refusing…
The man reached for her hand.
The movement was calm.
Effortless.
But the effect was immediate.
A loud gasp erupted from the VIP table.
"What?!"
"No way!"
Someone nearly knocked over their drink.
"He didn't just—"
Ethan's chair scraped sharply against the floor as he sat up straight.
Stephanie barely had time to react before the man's fingers closed gently around her hand.
His grip was warm.
Steady.
As if this decision had required no effort at all.
He glanced down at her briefly.
"You said seven minutes."
His voice was low.
Controlled.
Then, without another word, he turned and started walking.
Taking her with him.
For a split second, Stephanie simply followed.
Behind them, the VIP section exploded.
"What the hell?!"
"That actually worked?"
One of the girls covered her mouth in disbelief.
"He agreed!"
Ethan didn't say anything.
But the expression on his face had completely changed.
The amusement was gone.
Now his jaw was tight.
His eyes followed the two figures walking across the club.
His uncle.
And his girlfriend.
Together.
The music roared through the room as the pair moved through the crowd.
People barely noticed them passing.
But the entire VIP section was staring.
Stephanie could feel it.
The weight of their attention.
The disbelief.
The shock.
Her heart beat faster with every step.
Not because she was nervous.
But because something about this situation suddenly felt… different.
More serious than she expected.
The man leading her down the hallway didn't rush.
His pace was calm.
Confident.
Like someone completely unaffected by the chaos they had left behind.
At the end of the corridor stood a door with a small golden plaque.
Private Lounge.
The man stopped in front of it.
For the first time since they had started walking, he released her hand.
Stephanie rubbed her fingers slightly, still feeling the warmth of his touch.
Behind them, distant voices echoed faintly from the club.
Excited.
Curious.
Watching.
The man turned toward her.
Up close, he seemed even more composed than he had at the bar.
His gaze rested on her face quietly.
Studying.
"You understand," he said calmly, "that they expect something entertaining from this."
Stephanie lifted her chin slightly.
"They're already entertained."
A faint glimmer of amusement appeared in his eyes.
For a brief moment, he said nothing.
Then he reached for the door handle.
But before opening it, he paused.
His gaze moved back toward the hallway they had just walked through.
Toward the noise of the club.
Toward the group that was definitely still watching.
Then he looked at Stephanie again.
"You chose the wrong man for a harmless game."
Stephanie met his eyes.
"Maybe."
He studied her face for another second.
Then he opened the door.
The dimly lit lounge waited quietly inside.
Soft lighting.
A velvet couch along one wall.
The distant vibration of music through the floor.
He stepped inside.
Then glanced back at her.
Stephanie hesitated only for a moment.
Then she followed him.
The door closed behind them.
And suddenly the noise of the club disappeared.
Seven minutes.