Desire Me If You Can-Chapter 29

“Well, maybe...”

Dane recalled the situation again. Of course, if he had given it his all, it wasn’t impossible. If he had defeated Grayson back then and climbed the rock wall first...

But that might have been really dangerous. Someone might have actually fallen off the cliff between the two of them. Dane had no intention of risking his life for such a petty bet. Who would wish for someone to make a misstep and die over a few bucks? Like someone once said, he had to stay in one piece to protect Darling.

Moreover, if he had done that and ended up entangled with Grayson Miller, his future would have certainly been grim.

That guy... his gaze was relentless. Plus, extreme alphas were usually sharp-witted, right? Grayson, being the second son of the notorious Miller family, was the kind of person who hated troublesome and annoying situations.

"If you had really tried..."

Diandre muttered as he glared at Dane, and Dane responded nonchalantly.

"There was no prize on the line. Why would I bother going that far just to beat that guy?"

"If there was a prize, would you have done it differently?"

Ezra asked as if he had been waiting for this question, and Dane nodded without hesitation.

"Of course, I would’ve won. No doubt about it."

It was just when he needed the money for Darling’s health checkup. The 10-year-old cat needed meticulous care in many ways.

The colleagues, unaware of his personal situation, looked at him with blank expressions.

"You should’ve at least put a hundred dollars on the line."

Ezra sighed as he spoke, and Wilkins shook his head.

"It’s too late. Let’s not talk about it anymore."

"Right, what’s important is the future."

As someone chimed in, Diandre sneered immediately.

"Future? Oh, you mean the inevitable reality of having to go out with Miller on site now?"

The moment the words were spoken, the atmosphere at the table grew cold. Only the sound of glasses being tilted and bottles being emptied could be heard. There was no conversation, just a heavy silence. From the next table, however, voices carried over clearly.

"Grayson, you really had a tough day. That course was cruel for a beginner, wasn’t it?"

"How could someone be so narrow-minded and petty? If Grayson had a bigger heart, he wouldn’t be tormenting people like that."

It was a soothing voice, with excessive sympathy and a hint of affection. Rather than mocking, it was a clear and open expression of favoritism. They were belittling the opponent while subtly complimenting Grayson. Then, someone lowered their voice even further.

"After a day of abuse like that, do you still have to release the pheromones?"

The question, asked with a pitiful tone, carried a secretive kind of seduction. A soft, intentional touch moved smoothly as they tilted their body toward him. The back of their hand brushed against his arm, and a low breath seemed to hover near his ear. The men sitting at the table tried to ignore it, but their ears were keen, picking up every word.

"Having to change partners all the time to release pheromones must be exhausting. Isn’t it a hassle?"

The conversation continued, and another voice joined in.

"Yeah, wouldn’t it be better to just decide on a partner?"

"Looking for someone new every time must be a pain. If it were me, I’d seriously look for someone to settle with."

"Extreme alphas are different from us, huh? Do all of you look for someone new every time, like you?"

Curious questions that caused Grayson’s lips to loosen.

"Yeah, most of the time."

Before another speculation could come out, he added quickly.

"But I’m looking for my one true destiny."

"Destiny?"

"One true?"

The women repeated what Grayson had said, their faces filled with surprise. Even the men turned around, clearly shocked by what they had heard, as if they had overheard something they shouldn’t. They were all waiting eagerly for Grayson’s next words, yet he continued as though he couldn’t care less.

"Just like Daddy and Papa. People who protect each other and trust each other no matter what... even if the world ends, they’ll stay by my side."

Grayson placed a hand on his left chest and let out a sweet sigh.

"My other half will be out there somewhere. I’m looking for that person."

"Oh my."

"How romantic."

The women sighed, gazing at him, seemingly moved by his words. However, the men at the other table didn’t share the same sentiment.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

"Why does that guy talk like that? He’s always swapping women, but now he’s talking about ‘other halves’? He should make some sense."

Up until then, Dane had been silently listening. He couldn’t have cared less about how Grayson lived or how messy his relationships were. What mattered to him was not getting involved with Grayson Miller, and he was perfectly content with the current situation. Just as he made eye contact with the waitress who had brought over a new beer, he [N O V E L I G H T] smiled faintly in response to her subtle wink. That was when Ezra suddenly looked at Dane and frowned.

"I’ve never seen anyone worse than Dane."

Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Dane froze, and Wilkins shook his head.

"No, that’s not it. Even with Dane, it’s different."

For a brief moment, Wilkins seemed to be defending him, but then he added.

"Dane doesn’t change partners morning and night."

Dane grimaced, but they didn’t stop there.

"That’s because he’s working. Who knows what Dane does on his days off?"

"That’s true."

"Dane probably switches three times a day. He’s basically a stallion."

"Yoohoo! Dane Striker! The champ!"

The conversation had shifted so much that Dane couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t exactly pleasant, but since they weren’t wrong, he just emptied his beer. Between the loud laughter and playful teasing, Diandre spoke up.

"Do you think there’s really such a thing as fate?"

"It exists."

Ezra nodded firmly. Since he had married his high school sweetheart and now had three kids, everyone had no choice but to believe him. However, Dane’s face was filled with skepticism.

"One love worth risking your life for."

"Exactly!"

Dane’s voice was filled with mockery, but Ezra, perhaps due to the alcohol or his strong belief in himself, cheerfully raised his beer as if to toast.

"Let’s all toast to Dane finding his true match, shall we? Cheers!"

With laughter, everyone raised their glasses and drank. Dane also laughed, but it was closer to a scoff. Seemingly pleased with his reaction, Wilkins laughed and added.

"Speaking of which, isn’t it about time you settled down, Dane? It doesn’t have to be marriage, but wouldn’t it be nice to meet someone seriously? I know a lot of great unmarried women among my wife’s friends. Would you like to meet one?"

"No, thanks."

"Dane, but—"

With the relentless refusal, Ezra tried to interrupt, but Dane didn’t give him a chance and added.

"I’ll tell you this, love is just nonsense. It’s nothing but hormonal reactions."

"What?"

Ezra’s eyes widened in shock, as if he had been hit by a sudden blow. But Dane, unfazed, continued.

"You might get fooled for a while, thinking you’d give your life for that love. But eventually, time will show you that you were doing something absurd, clinging to something that wasn’t worth it at all. After breaking up, you probably won’t even remember each other’s faces."

The colleagues drinking with him blinked in surprise. Dane, who had been spouting such cynical words, crooked his lips in a mocking smile and scoffed.

"Believing in that nonsense is just a waste of life. Either you don’t know the world, or you’ve got nothing else to do."