Ivy was stupefied. She stared at Joshua unable to believe that the man before her had tricked her again. She puffed her cheeks in anger and stormed out of the room without saying another word to him. Though she liked the kiss they had shared just now, she was agitated on getting tricked by him to do as she was told. So, she wanted to retort back and the best way to get back at him was to give him the silent treatment. And she did just the same.

Seeing Ivy storm out in anger, Joshua realized that she was throwing a tantrum and he stifled a smile. His woman was too cute. He couldn't help but tease her to see her cheeks get coated with a tinge of pink whenever she was angry or embarrassed. He had decided and signed a deal with himself to tease her at least once daily to see the beautiful apple colored face again and again. It was as though it was his birthright to do so.

He casually got off the bed and went downstairs. He was already in his pajamas. So, he did not waste his time in changing his attire. He went to the dining hall directly. However, the scene before him made him halt in his tracks. Ivy had already started eating without waiting for him. Every time she took a bite, she would lick her lips. The way her tongue rolled on the lips made Joshua feel hungry again, not for food but her. The woman was seducing him without even doing anything. She did not even know he was in the hall in the first place.

Joshua cleared his throat loudly to gain her attention, but Ivy ignored him clearly and continued savoring her food. She had to commend the maid's cooking, it was really delicious. Even when Joshua sat beside her, she ignored him.

"Are you ignoring me?"

"What if I am?" Ivy answered halfheartedly.

Joshua gave her a look that clearly said: I won't let you ignore me.

And she gave him a look of her own: Is this a challenge?

Joshua: You wanna bet?

Ivy: Sure, but no touching.

Joshua: What? Why?

If there was no touching, then there would be no kissing too. How could Joshua stop himself from kissing her when she was around him? It took him a great deal of effort to not do anything to her. Now, he was not even allowed to touch her, let alone kiss her. How could he control himself until the bet ended? He concluded that he had to win the bet as early as possible.

Ivy: Rules, my dear boyfriend rules. I know your tricks by now. I don't want you to have an advantage over me.

Joshua: What does the winner get?

Ivy thought for some time when finally a brilliant idea came to her mind.

Ivy: The loser will do everything the winner says for a day.

She raised her eyes, daring him to accept her conditions.

Joshua narrowed his eyes on her provocation and he smiled evilly.

Joshua: Are you sure you can handle it if you lose?

Ivy: Who told you I'm going to lose?

Joshua: Me.

Joshua pointed to himself making Ivy scoff.

Ivy: In your dreams.

Joshua: I always make my dream become true.

Ivy: Overconfident.

Joshua: Thanks for the compliment. Now, are you ready to lose?

Ivy: No. I am ready to win, you loser.

Joshua: Let's see about it. When's the deadline?

Ivy: How about tomorrow at midnight?

Joshua: Sure. So, I'll have to make you talk to me before tomorrow ends. Am I right?

Ivy: Right.

Neither Ivy nor Joshua realized that they had stopped communicating with their eyes long back and had started talking to each other. Every time they wanted to express something beneficial for them, the other party would end up getting frustrated.

Joshua: When does the bet start?

Ivy: Right now.

As soon as Ivy said this, the room became silent at once. Now the bet was set and both of them were trying hard to win at all costs. Nobody exchanged a word as they ate silently.

Ivy wondered why Joshua was silent. He could at least talk even though she would not be giving him any reply. She felt weird eating in a silent mood. After she had shifted to Joshua's house, their dinners would be pleasant, with them teasing each other. The atmosphere would be jovial and friendly unlike now, where there was only tension and silence. She found it highly uncomfortable and wanted to say a word about it. But then, she remembered the bet they had just set and she shut her mouth.

Unbeknownst to her, Joshua was finding it highly irritating with the awkward silence. He wanted to talk to her, but to make his plan work he had to sacrifice some things, only now it was his desire to hold her, touch her and talk to her. He fell into a dilemma whenever he thought about how miserable the next twenty-four hours would be until the bet ended. But then he thought about all the things he could get Ivy to do for him once he won, his mood became a little better. The best way to make her come to him is to ignore her until she could take it no longer.

However, that was not the case with Ivy. Her thoughts were completely different than his. She was imagining a scenario where she had won the bet and Joshua was cleaning her bike and her car in the sun while she was sitting in the shade, sipping on some coke and munching on some fries. But soon she realized that this scene would be too problematic for her. With the body like Joshua's she was sure instead of enjoying him following her orders, she would be enjoying and drooling over his naked his torso, that is if he decided to clean her vehicles without wearing any shirt.

Ivy immediately shook her head, confusing Joshua with her sudden actions. However, he just glanced at her before he continued eating his dinner.

Meanwhile, the scene in Ivy's mind shifted to another one. Now, he was helping her with her nail paint while she sat in front of him like a queen as he worked as a servant. But this idea too was discarded when Ivy realized that was a golden opportunity for a man like Joshua who never left any possible chances that could help him get touchy with her. She realized that since the time he had kissed her near the pool, he had taken all liberties with her. So, she did not wish to give him any opportunities on her ow. This idea was discarded immediately.

The scene shifted to another one and this time he was in the kitchen cooking dinner for her. But just the thought was enough for her to put a full stop on it. It was more horrifying than anything. She had no idea how his cooking was and if the food he prepared was even edible. She did not want to become a lab rat for his experiments and end up getting diarrhea. So, this thought left her mind as fast as it came to her.

She could not think of any sort of punishment for the man before her and this made her a little frustrated. She decided to have a talk about it with Kira or Sasha the next day.

Meanwhile, Joshua noticed her varied expressions and he stared at her in amusement. It was just like a kaleidoscope, not knowing when what to expect. Her expressions changed from delight to desire and then from contentment to surprise until it finally ended with a horrified look. But he did not ask her a thing. After emptying his plate, he got and left her alone without giving her another glance.

This was a serious blow to Ivy. She could not tolerate his silence. But her mind had become stubborn. 'Don't fall for his tricks. Endure it, just endure it.'

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Hey guys,

Thank you all for your great support. I am so happy to see that readers are liking this book. Love you all. Your comments boosted my confidence a lot.

Sorry, I could not release the chapters as promised due to some issues with my Internet. Not to worry. I'll be releasing those chapters today.

Also, please read the author's note. It has details about a fun event for the readers.