With

Chapter 41

+15 BONUS

Soon, the game began.

At first, Calla was in front, with Mercer behind her. The balloon was wedged between her bottom and his abdomen. This immediately drew laughter from the crowd,

However, this method proved too slow, so they changed tactics. They faced each other, and the balloon was now squeezed between their bellies as they held hands to synchronize their movements.

Calla’s hands were enveloped by his warm, large hands. Their faces were so close that they nearly touched.

Suddenly, she felt a flutter in her chest, and her face flushed. She didn’t dare look up at his eyes. His warm breath brushed against her cheek, making her feel a little ticklish.

However, she had no time to dwell on these feelings. Even the slightest lapse in attention would cause the balloon between their bodies to drop.

Encouraging cheers filled the air around her. Coming in last meant facing a penalty, so she was determined not to lose.

Their coordination was quite good. Though not first, they maintained second place comfortably. Just when Calla thought they could relax, disaster struck.

“Ah…” Calla twisted her ankle and fell to the ground in an awkward position.

The crowd gasped, and Calla’s face flushed with embarrassment. She cursed herself for deciding to wear these three–inch heels today.

Just then, a pair of strong arms helped her up. Calla looked up and found herself staring into Mercer’s deep eyes.

“Are you hurt?” His brow furrowed, adding to his allure.

“I’m fine.” Calla quickly shook her head.

“That’s good.” He nodded.

Now that the race was nearing its end, Calla noticed they had fallen to last place. She urgently tugged at Mercer’s arm. “We’re last now! Let’s hurry!”

But Mercer shook his head and gestured to Toby, indicating they were withdrawing from the game.

“Why give up?” Calla asked with dissatisfaction. She definitely didn’t want to be punished, especially not knowing what the punishment might be.

Mercer suddenly put an arm around her shoulder and whispered, “Don’t push yourself if you can’t. Remember the baby.

Upon hearing that, Calla could only lower her head and accept defeat. Luckily, she hadn’t hurt the baby earlier. How could she have forgotten about the baby in her belly in a moment of panic? She scolded -herself silently.

Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of the game. The winning pair each received a brand–new iPhone. They were ecstatic.

1/2

+15 BONUS

Calla stood there stiffly, worried about what their punishment might be. Would they have to pay for those iPhones? Each would cost at least 600 dollars, and she couldn’t afford that.

She glanced at Mercer, thinking he would surely cover her share if needed, right?

Toby finally spoke up. “Everyone, the punishment for the last–place team is… a bucket of ice water!”

Calla frowned at those words. Even though it was spring, getting drenched in ice water could lead to a

cold..

“Are you ready?” After Toby called out, someone brought up a large bucket of ice water. Another staff member placed a chair in front of Calla and Mercer.

Seeing the staff member holding the bucket and standing on the chair, Calla could only hug her body with both arms and close her eyes.

She could only leave it to fate now. She hoped she wouldn’t catch a cold, especially with the baby in her belly.

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