Dared to Confess to My Boyfriend's Uncle

Chapter 5

My father had been the same way. He played the field while blaming my mother for not being devoted enough at home. I was not about to turn into my mom's carbon copy.

So I steeled myself with my fists clenched and announced boldly under everyone's stare. "Alright, I will go for it. If this works, I will stuff your Christmas cards with cash from now on."

Dylan's smile iced over, and his eyes darkened like a thundercloud.

The comments section went wild.

A: [Haha, karma is a real b***h. All that arrogance, and now who is speechless?]

B: [Go get him, Nia. Watching that jerk squirm just made my week.]

C: [I have always said Silas outshines Dylan by miles.]

D: [He is loaded, gorgeous, and actually cares. And he has known about Nia's boyfriend this whole time. He never crossed a line and just waited patiently from afar.]

E: [Let us just say that Mr. Stone's admiration for Nia's photos is not always strictly platonic.]

My face flamed, but I gritted my teeth and stormed toward the yacht's VIP suite.

"Come in." Silas's rich, smoky voice rolled through the teak door.

I pushed it open just enough to give the peanut gallery a perfect view. There he stood in an immaculate charcoal suit with champagne in his hand, gazing absently at the sea.

At the sound of my entrance, he glanced over and then did a double take. Wildfire ignited in his gaze. His throat clicked as he set the flute down with a soft clink. Those predator's eyes pinned me like a butterfly to a board.

"Yes?" he asked.

My mouth went dry. I stared at his collar and prayed that it would swallow me whole. "Mr. Stone, I... I like you. Will you be my boyfriend?"

Silas turned to stone. His razor-sharp glare shot toward the door c***k, and the eavesdroppers scattered like roaches. He sprawled into the sofa with his fingers laced behind his head, radiating pure, effortless power.

"Now," he drawled, "explain this little performance. You all were causing quite a scene out there. Did you lose some silly game with your coworkers? Tell me what it was, and I will win it back for you."

I swallowed hard and finally dared to meet his gaze. Towering at over six feet, his chiseled features looked so perfect that he might have been a god, radiating an aura of unapproachable elegance and icy authority.

A man like him should have been unforgettable. The barrage of comments claimed that I had saved him once, yet I could not remember him at all. That made no sense.

Outside the door, hushed whispers crept in. "See that? Mr. Stone is giving her a graceful out. If she pushes her luck, he will show her the door in seconds. Big deal that she is the campus 'it' girl. That crown will not pay her rent."

My palms turned clammy. How much of this online chatter could I trust? This was a dangerous move. But I had burned my bridges, and there was no turning back now. I gritted my teeth and said again, "No games. I like you. Will you be my boyfriend?"