"Just to be clear, mom, what you and dad did with Stephan just now is really stupid and really low!" Paris said it aggressively.
"Don't speak to your mother that way, Paris." Mrs. Jade spoke, annoying Paris all the more.
"Shut the fuck up, Mrs. Jade! Your spoilt brat of a son speaks to you in a worse manner, and you stare at him speechless like a non-living object, so don't you ever try to tell me what the hell to fucking do ever again!!" She finally let it out—or maybe half of it—but at least she felt the relief she wanted.
"Paris!" Aurora snapped.
"Leave me alone, mother! I'm the one who graduated after all, not you guys, so please let's get this stupid dinner over with or I might actually lose it!!"
Everyone went quiet.
"Can we play the game now?" Ivan asked, still laughing.
"Ivan, compliment her real quick, please... I'm getting irritated." Mr. Orion said, covering his face with his palms.
Ivan turned to look at Paris, trying his hardest to come up with a befitting compliment, or at least a compliment, but he couldn't.
"Maybe she should start." He pointed his index finger at Paris.
"Put your stupid hands down, bro! And no, the fuck not! You guys should think of another game, or I'm walking away. There is no way in hell I'm complimenting this bitch." Paris said, folding her hands, pissed off.
"What a bundle of joy you are, Paris." Mrs. Jade hissed.
"One last slip up, Mrs. Jade, and you will hate me, I swear!" Paris shouted.
"Stop!! All of you!! This is a goddamn dinner, and you guys want to wrestle? Paris, the next time you raise your voice at anyone sitter here, you will not like me, I promise." Orion shouted, all fed up.
Paris's eyes growled angrily. She sat still, breathing heavily.
"You will compliment each other, and one person must compliment the other so much that he or she smiles; that's how we'll know the winner. Okay? The other person has to drink a bottle of red hot sauce, and if he or she can drink it in one go, they win, and then they can sign this paper and also win a property. The rules are the rules!" Orion said, automatically checking everyone's anger.
Ivan turned his gaze to Paris, cleared his throat, and was ready to speak.
"Paris." Paris turned to him, waiting for the worst possible outcome. "Your eyes are as beautiful as the ocean at night." His gaze remained fixed on her, locking eyes.
Paris frowned in surprise. It's not a stunning compliment, but that's the first time Ivan actually said something nice to her. Well, now it's her turn.
"Ivan, your laugh is cute." She said she was unable to feel any emotion other than disgust. Her straight face spoke all the volumes of sarcasm and anger she put into that compliment.
"Paris, you have a perfect body." Ivan said softly, smiling at Paris, who immediately reciprocated with an irritated look.
"Don't! Ivan, your skin doesn't look that bad."
"Okay okay! New game idea." Aurora interrupted, almost dying of laughter.
"You guys are desperately not into this game, so let's do something else."
"Something like?" Mr. James spoke.
"First to finish a bottle of wine?" Mr. Orion suggested looking at everyone for confirmation.
"Finally!!" Ivan shouted in relief, throwing his hands in the air and resting back in the chair.
Aurora signaled to a stand-by servant, who ran into the room with two bottles of red wine and two wine glasses.
The servant opened the bottles, then placed each before Paris and Ivan before hurrying out.
"On the count of three, you drink. Ready?" Aurora asked, pacing her glance from Paris to Ivan. The two nodded affirmatively. "Alright, one, two, three, go!"
Immediately, Paris and Ivan lifted the wine bottle to their lips directly. Who uses wine glasses in such situations? A whole property is at stake!
The parents watched with prime satisfaction as their children ravaged the wine bottles, smiling and clapping. They hyped the moment up.
"I'm faster!" Paris laughed drowsily, dropping the empty wine glass on the table. All her training in college finally paid off. The people at the club in college would be so proud of her. Just then, Ivan dropped his bottle on the table.
"We have a winner! Paris Zander!!" Aurora laughed, clapping with all her might.
The atmosphere toned down. Everyone giggled heartily.
"Give me my property." Paris said, barely seeing.
"Alright, Ivan, you have to do one of Paris's biddings because you lost." Mrs. Jade said, looking at her son.
"Alright fine! What do you want, Paris?" Ivan asked, trying to keep his eyes open as he leaned forward toward the table.
"Apologize to Stephan now."
"The bitch isn't even here." Ivan laughed, reclining into the chair.
"He is not a bitch! I'll call him." Paris smirked.
"Fine fine." Ivan waved, waiting as Paris dialed Stephan's number.
"Hey babe…" Stephan said this after the phone rang once.
"My love, someone has something to say to you." Paris replied excitedly, tapping the loud speaker icon on her phone.
"Okay?"
"Hey man!" Ivan shouted, twisting his face.
"Who is this?"
"Ivan! The dude you saw at your girlfriend's place not too long ago. I want to apologize, okay? You didn't deserve that, man, and I'm really sorry." Ivan stopped.
"This doesn't feel real, but it's cool. Paris-" Ivan hung up on Stephan, causing Paris to smack his hand off.
"Don't touch my phone."
"Okay okay! All said and done, here are your properties, children." Orion said majestically, standing up from his chair with the two rolled-up papers in his hand. He dropped one in front of Paris and dropped one in front of Ivan.
Pairs picked up the paper, confused as to why it was blank.
"Really dad? A blank paper?"
"I knew you guys were pranking us." Ivan hissed, tossing the paper on the table in anger.
"No! No! The lawyer will come around tomorrow for final documentation. How can you say we are pranking you? Don't say that." Aurora said, waving her hands in the air.
"Are you certain I am getting a new property, mom?" Paris asked, turning to her mother with one eyebrow raised.
"A million percent certain, my love."
With that, Paris and Ivan took a quick glance at each other before proceeding to sign the paper.
"Thank you." Orion smiled while collecting the paper from them.
Mrs. Jade and Aurora began a new chapter of gossip as the feast continued.
A few minutes in, each parent picked up their phone at different random times and smiled at their phones. Almost cunningly. Orion's text sat mischievously on their screen.
The text read:
"Phase one is finally complete."