Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 161615 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 539(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 161615 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 539(@300wpm)
The corner of his mouth kicked again, and for a single second his handsome face softened.
Hmmm. I don’t know the song, but he owned that super-fast.
“Twenty seconds.” Reo wrote down something in his notebook.
The test beat in my ribs.
Two truths. One lie.
I considered the first statement. That death body count was insane, but it seemed real. I went back to the two hearts inked under his jaw and the two jeweled piercings.
And that quick glance at Kenji when he said, “three girlfriends.”
I considered the karaoke part. I had no idea if the song he said was even a real song, but he answered so quickly. . .it just felt right.
Fuck. This is actually pretty damn hard considering the fact that I can’t get one wrong.
My heart boomed in my ears.
Which statement should I pick?
Reo adjusted his glasses. “Time is up. What’s your answer, Nyomi?”
Shit. I don’t know.
Kenji let my waist go, stepped back, and studied me.
That made me even more nervous.
I let out a long breath. “Two hundred and thirteen men. I believe it. Your voice and delivery said that was real.”
I tapped my foot. “And the karaoke? You rattled off the title too fast. I feel like. . .that’s a man who’s done that song a dozen times.”
Kaoru pursed his lips.
“But three girlfriends. . .” I took a breath and let my eyes linger on the hearts at his neck. “I may be heavily assuming and completely wrong, but there are only two hearts inked into your skin. And those studs through your ears—diamond and ruby—look a lot like offerings chosen by two different women who like to mark what they own and both be included together. Plus, you looked at Kenji when you said three which was odd. Maybe, it’s hard for you to look at the person directly when you lie to them. If that’s true, then you must be a pretty honest person.”
Everyone remained silent which made my nerves even more frazzled.
I hope I don’t sound dumb as fuck.
I sighed. “So here’s my guess: you have two girlfriends that know about each other. Not three. Which is still quite impressive, but. . .that statement is the lie.”
Silence hesitated at the door like it wanted to come in and sit with us a while. But maybe I was imagining it, twisting doubt spiraling into insecurity because my pulse couldn’t calm down.
What if I had misread everything?
How bad would it be to get the first guy wrong?
Test over. You’re an idiot. Thanks for wasting our time.
If I were wrong, it wouldn’t just be failure—it might be disappointment in Kenji’s eyes, and that was worse than any punishment. I could live with Kaoru laughing at me, even Reo smirking in his notes, but the thought of Kenji’s cold gaze slicing into me made my stomach knot so tight I thought I might throw up.
And wasn’t that the whole damn ridiculous story of me?
A girl still chasing the one look she never got from her father, still craving the warmth her mother had rationed like it cost too much to give. Neglect had carved a hollow in me, and every man since had either fed it scraps or ignored it completely.
But Kenji?
The Dragon was the only one whose approval and admiration felt like oxygen—and the thought of losing them made my ribs ache like they were collapsing inward.
My chest tightened as the silence continued.
Reo finally broke the quiet. “What was the lie, Kaoru?”
Kaoru’s serious face cracked into something bright and indecent, the charmer peeling itself back on command. “She’s right. Two girlfriends. Not three. That was the lie.”
This great relief poured over me.
Then, Kaoru winked. “But I am looking for a third, if you know a good woman who would love to share a good man.”
Kenji rolled his eyes.
I nervously laughed before I could stop myself.
Holy shit. I got it! Go, Nyomi! Go, Nyomi!
Reo tapped his notebook. “Nyomi: 1 point. Liars: 0. Great start.”
Kaoru stepped back. “It’s not a victory yet, she still has two more.”
Wow. Are you on my side or not?
I filed away that tiny, private victory like a jewel slipped into a hidden sleeve. The first hit. The first high. The game had teeth and I had fingers in its mouth.
Let’s fucking go!
As far as I was concerned, even if I got the others wrong. . .I didn’t look like a complete idiot. I could leave the test with some sense of dignity.
However, I looked to Kenji again, and his expression was cool enough to frost glass. No praise. No warmth. Only that unreadable, imperial patience of the Dragon.
He would not be feeding me on easy wins.
I would have to fully earn his praise.
God. He’s so hardcore. Being one of his men must be hard as fuck to endure.
But that didn’t matter right now. I had to focus only on the test and one man at a time.