Chapter 146.

“Truth.”

“Mr. Genovese, how many women have you had se-“

“I change my mind. Dare. Just give me a dare instead.”

I was far from willing to answer a question like that.

“Haha. Then I dare you to go on a date with one of your exes excluding Rose.”

“What? I’m sorry... I think I misheard your question.”

“I said, I dare you to go on a date with one of your exes. By the way, you’ve already refused truth so you can’t change your mind again. Also, if you refuse the dare something bad might happen to you.”

I was slightly intimidated by the way she put it. She didn’t feel like the previous her at all when she said that either. Her personality had done a complete one-eighty out of nowhere.

“Tch. Reine, if you make such a dare, he won’t be able to do a thing you know. His first ex is in a coma right now. As for his third and fourth ex, he’s definitely not going to want to meet them either. The only option he has left is his fifth and that one is especially troublesome. You make it seem like he has a choice, but in reality, his only choice is his fifth ex here.”

“How is his fifth ex troublesome?”

“Because her father will definitely kill him.”

“Kill him? Why? Their relationship can’t be that bad, right?”

“You just don’t know about it is all.”

“Wait. Wait. Wait. How does she know about my exes and my prior relationship with you?”

“Well, I naturally told her a bit about you is all.”

“Why would you reveal the personal information of your employee without their permission?”

“I own your life with the contract you signed of course. It’s only natural that I can disclose the history of my belongings to somebody else. Remember? It was all in the fine print.”

“Again with that damned fine print I’ve yet to see?!”

“Belonging? Rose, he’s not one of your belongings.”

With slight reverence in my eyes, I looked over to the holy maiden who was benevolent enough to side with me. She understood me, I thought.

“If he’s not my belonging, who’s belonging is he supposed to be?”

“Tha-That is…”

When I noticed her struggle to answer, all that grandeur I built up for her internally plummeted and crashed to the ground. It was pretty obvious she thought I belonged to someone, just not Val.

“Uh, Rain, just say it. I don’t belong to anyone, right?”

“What are you talking about? After you were so forceful just now. You belong to me now, isn’t that obvious?”

Hah? Wait. Wait. Wait. Those are some rather dangerous sounding words. Is it just me, or did they sound exactly like the thoughts a psychopath would have?

“I didn’t mean that! Sorry, I’m just a bit flustered after what just happened and I’m not thinking straight.”

Strange... very strange… her voice sounded off just now. Slightly different than she had before. Was her voice off-pitch because she was flustered and anxious? Another thing I found strange was how she’d positioned her hand over her mouth whenever she spoke. Was that also simply the result of embarrassment?

“Hey, Rain, why do you cover your mouth all the time like that when you’re talking?”

“After what you did earlier it’s a bit embarrassing.”

“What he did? Mr. Genovese, Reine, please do let me in on this great secret the two of you seem to be hiding from me? Just what is it he did when I wasn’t watching just now?”

““Nothing.””

“I see. I see. Well then... seeing how the two of you are so determined to hide it, I’ll forget about this for the time being. I honestly can’t imagine how much pay I’d have to dock an employee if it turned out he forced himself on a woman in my presence and kissed her. Truly, the amount of money I could save if I had that type of dirt would be pretty amazing.”

A chill went down my back. The legendary so-called women’s instinct was without any doubt one of the most terrifying things known to man.

But... a date with my ex? That makes little to no sense why she’d dare me to do that unless she was related to one of said exes. Initially, I thought she’d turn out to be one of those crazy exes of mine, but Val convinced me otherwise at the start. That said, her actions have been extremely suspicious since she exited the bathroom. Was everything really from the embarrassing situation earlier like she claimed? Her dare also contradicted her own words, despite how she retracted them. Unless... she really turned out to be… one of my exes somehow in disguise.

“Mr. Genovese, my dare just now was only a joke. I just wanted to see how you would react to that dare. I was slightly curious, that was all there was to it. My real dare is, I dare you to take responsibility.”

“Responsibility? For what exactly?”

“Val doesn’t need you today, but I need your assistance. I have a bit of a problem you see.”

“A problem?”

“Yes.”

“What exactly is this problem and why would a stranger like me be able to assist you with this supposed problem?”

“She has a stalker,” Val chimed in.

“A stalker? No thank you! Please allow me to decline. I’ve had enough of my own problems with stalkers, there’s no way in hell I’m stupid enough to get myself involved with someone else’s stalker. You’d have to think I’m a complete and utter moron to do something idiotic like that!”

While I made my position clear on the matter, Rain approached closer to me. She whispered into my ear quietly, “Would you like Rose to learn of what happened earlier in the bathroom? Wouldn’t your pay suffer substantially as she mentioned?”

Had I been played? Why the hell were all women schemers! Even the ones that looked innocent, shy, and normal were devils in sheep’s clothing.

“Will you take responsibility, or not, Dio?”

“Mr. Genovese, you don’t have much choice in the matter, it’s a dare. You’ve already been shown enough leniency. You can’t chicken out of it now.”

I should have just answered her earlier question if I knew the dare would be this atrocious. I wanted absolutely nothing to do with anyone else’s stalker. I have more than enough shit going on around me right now.

“Val, can’t you cut me a break this time? You know my situation right now, don’t you?”

“Sorry, I owe her a big favor so I can’t.”

“Mr. Genovese, when I heard about your experiences in the past with stalkers, I knew you were the only one I could seek out advice from. As a master of escaping one’s stalkers, surely you could assist me in this endeavor.”

You’re bloody breaking my balls here woman.

“I refu-“

“Rose, guess what happened earlier-“

“I accept.” I’m so weak. My paycheck... please spare its feeble little life.