Seeing that Marcus stubbornly refused to admit anything, Talia merely smiled, her expression softening instead of pressing him further. She tilted her head slightly and asked in a gentle voice, "Marcus, you really weren’t thinking about my aunt at all?"

She sounded calm, almost casual, as if the question meant nothing. The sudden change made her seem unexpectedly adorable, and Marcus relaxed a little.

"Of course not," he answered quickly, nodding with absolute confidence. It looked like she was giving him an escape route, a graceful way to step away from danger without embarrassment.

What he failed to notice was the faint cunning hidden in her eyes, or the subtle curve of amusement tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Really?"

Talia’s expression suddenly shifted to exaggerated astonishment. She stared at him as though she had just witnessed something impossible, something deeply suspicious.

Marcus felt his heart skip.

’That look again.’

Whenever Talia showed that particular expression, it usually meant he had already walked straight into a trap without realizing it. Experience had taught him that much. Still, retreat was no longer an option. He could only continue forward and hope for the best.

"Mm-hmm," he replied vaguely, already trying to think of a way to change the topic.

But Talia’s surprise only grew. She even murmured to herself in disbelief, "Marcus... you weren’t thinking about my aunt? About Crestwood University’s number one beauty?"

Then she stared at him as if examining an unfamiliar species.

"You didn’t react to a beautiful woman at all. Are you..."

Before she could finish, she burst into laughter, grabbing his arm as giggles escaped her uncontrollably.

Marcus stood there speechless.

This playful, teasing side of her felt completely natural. This was the Talia he knew best, the woman who enjoyed poking fun at him, joking without restraint, treating him with an intimacy that made his heart both warm and helpless.

Still, the accusation was outrageous.

Mortifying, even.

"You were saying I’m what?" Marcus asked, narrowing his eyes.

This concerned a man’s dignity. Leaning closer, he gave her what he hoped was an intimidating glare, silently challenging her to continue. If she dared to finish that sentence, he would prove exactly what kind of man he was.

But Talia stopped laughing almost instantly. Her playful expression faded, replaced by something softer. She tightened her grip on his hand and spoke quietly.

"Marcus, it’s okay if you think about my aunt."

Her voice lowered, carrying an unexpected seriousness.

"But when you’re with me... don’t think about her. Don’t think about other women."

She looked up at him, eyes filled with tenderness and an unmistakable longing. "Marcus... can you do that?"

The sincerity in her gaze struck him harder than any teasing ever could. Looking at the enchanting woman before him, Marcus felt his chest tighten. He nodded without hesitation.

"Talia..."

Her feelings were impossible to ignore. Even a fool would understand them. Even someone blind or deaf would sense the warmth she directed toward him. He gently tightened his hold on her slender hand, reluctant to let go.

If they had not been standing on a public campus road, if there weren’t students constantly passing by, he might have pulled her into his arms and kissed her without caring who watched.

Unfortunately, reality existed. Rumors would spread instantly. Former campus queen turned dance instructor, the famously enchanting Talia, being openly kissed on school grounds would become the hottest topic on campus before noon.

Even so, their closeness already attracted countless jealous glances. Freshmen who did not recognize them looked on with burning envy, while upperclassmen who knew exactly who Talia was could only sigh in helpless frustration.

Seeing Marcus so clearly moved yet still hesitant made Talia feel a flicker of disappointment. She silently scolded him.

’Coward.’

Still, the desire in his eyes warmed her heart. She slipped her arm through his, leaning lightly against him as they walked. She had already made her decision. She wanted to be with him. As long as her family remained unaware, as long as her relationship stayed hidden from those who would interfere, she no longer cared what anyone else thought.

’Looks like I need to push things a little further,’ she thought.

Her gaze drifted toward the nearby basketball court, and a mischievous idea formed instantly. Smiling to herself, she stopped walking and tugged his hand.

"Marcus. The basketball court."

"Yeah?"

"I want to play."

Her voice carried unmistakable excitement, and before he could respond, she added boldly, "Marcus, I challenge you. One on one."

"One on one?" Marcus raised an eyebrow, surprised but amused.

"Sure," he agreed easily. He had not played in a while, and some exercise sounded refreshing. Besides, Talia’s dance background gave her excellent coordination. She was actually quite decent at basketball.

Although Marcus was no longer officially a Crestwood student, many people at the court still recognized him, especially the upperclassmen from the school team who had played with him back before he started Dominion. After exchanging greetings, they quickly found an empty hoop among the three full courts and six baskets the school maintained.

The basketball struck the painted red floor with rhythmic thumps as Marcus began dribbling.

Talia stood before him in her white tracksuit, the fabric outlining her graceful figure without effort. Her black hair was tied neatly behind her head, giving her a fresh, youthful look that contrasted beautifully with her naturally seductive charm. Every movement she made resembled a dance, smooth and elegant, almost hypnotic.

Marcus sighed inwardly.

He felt defeated before the game even began.

Beautiful women really were dangerous. Every glance, every gesture, every expression seemed perfectly designed to unsettle him.

"Ready, beautiful?" he asked, forcing himself to focus.

"I’m attacking," he announced, beginning to dribble forward.

"Wait."

He stopped immediately. "What now?"

"I’m not ready yet," Talia said seriously.

Marcus stared at her in disbelief. She had been standing in a defensive stance the entire time.

Speechless, he waited.

Instead of preparing herself, Talia walked closer, studying him with dissatisfaction.

"Marcus, is that really how you’re going to attack?"

He looked down at himself, then at the ball, confused. Was there another way?

"Marcus, you’re basically a basketball pro. It’s completely unfair for you to bully me like this."

Finally, she revealed her reasoning. With absolute seriousness, she declared, "To make things fair, you can only use your right hand."

Marcus nearly choked.

That was fair?

"Talia, how am I supposed to play with one hand?"

Before he could finish protesting, she continued smoothly, "I’m a girl, and I haven’t played in ages. There’s no way I can compete otherwise. Unless..."

She paused thoughtfully, then added with a perfectly straight face, "You can choose left hand or right hand."

’Unbelievable.’

Arguing with women was pointless. Marcus suddenly realized something profound: when a woman acted unreasonable, it was frustrating. But when she acted ’reasonable’, it was terrifying.

He exhaled and nodded. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"Fine. Right hand."

He placed his left hand behind his back.

"Marcus, you’re the best," Talia said brightly, flashing a radiant smile that made resisting her impossible. She made him irritated and captivated at the same time.

"Vixen," Marcus muttered under his breath.

"Go!"

The instant he hesitated, Talia lunged for the ball.

’Damn. She tricked me.’

Fortunately, Marcus’s reflexes were sharp. Two quick dribbles later, he leaped and released a clean shot. The ball arced gracefully through the air.

Swish.

Perfect.

"Three points!" he shouted triumphantly.

"Doesn’t count!" Talia protested immediately, waving her hands.

Marcus blinked. "Why not?"

She looked even more aggrieved than he did. "You shot from outside the three point line. How am I supposed to defend that? New rule. You can only shoot inside the arc. And no stepping backward while attacking."

She grabbed the ball and began dribbling. "My turn. Come defend."

Marcus stared at her, utterly stunned. Was this even basketball anymore?

Still, confident in his skills, he charged forward without complaint. Against any opponent, even the opposite gender with constantly changing rules, he believed he could win.

The ball bounced rapidly between them. Within minutes, the score reached six to zero, Marcus comfortably ahead.

"Marcus, slow down!"

"Ah, not again!"

Talia’s helpless protests echoed across the court. Marcus was already holding back. He avoided aggressive drives and softened his defense, barely using half his real ability.

Then suddenly, during an offensive exchange, Talia slipped.

"Talia, careful!"

Without thinking, Marcus rushed forward, bringing his hidden left hand out to catch her before she fell. But the moment he dropped his guard, her body spun gracefully, flowing past him like a dancer mid performance.

She had faked it.

Of course she had. A professional dancer falling so easily was impossible.

Laughing softly, Talia drove straight to the basket and released a gentle layup. The ball traced a beautiful arc that mirrored her elegant movement.

Swish.

"Two points!" she cheered proudly.

Turning toward him, she crossed her arms. "Marcus, you promised to use only your right hand. You used your left. That’s interference. Foul. Two shot penalty."

Before he could argue, she calmly sank two free throws.

Score: six to ten.

Marcus wanted to shout at the sky.

He finally understood a universal truth. Showing mercy to an opponent often meant suffering yourself.

"Revenge," he muttered.

This time, he attacked seriously. No more holding back. A relentless series of drives and shots followed, and soon the score widened to thirty six to eighteen. Talia was visibly struggling to keep up.

Then, once again, as she drove forward, her foot slipped.

"Ah!"

She stumbled toward him dramatically.

’Not again.’

Marcus refused to fall for it this time. Keeping his left hand firmly behind his back, he moved decisively to block every possible path, giving her no opening at all.