A Second Life, A New Power novel Chapter 295

"What's wrong?" George asked, his tone cool but laced with disbelief.

"I think you guys are pretty much neck and neck," Demi replied evenly.

George fell silent for a beat, and the rest of the group exchanged awkward glances. Meanwhile, the live chat exploded with comments.

"Haha! They're equally handsome!"

"Demi's answer is genius. She offended no one!"

"I swear, she isn't just being diplomatic. She really means it."

"Honestly, if you weren't such die-hard fans, even an outsider would agree—they each have their own charm."

...

Maria teased, "George, do you seriously think that you're the second hottest?"

George grinned and nodded without hesitation. "Yeah," he said, clearly reveling in his self-confidence as the others laughed good-naturedly.

"Come on, Demi. Choose me! I'm your perfect match," Tyler complained, pouting playfully.

"Sorry. I promise that you'll be my pick next time," Demi quickly apologized, remembering that she also needed to plug in her upcoming movie.

"What about me?" Sam asked innocently.

Demi shook her head. "You're the adult lead's guy, so you're out of the running for the teen role."

Tyler added with mock seriousness, "That's the way it is. She's with the teen lead, and you're just a supporting act!"

The group burst into sympathetic laughter at Sam's expense.

Before long, the game turned serious. The spoon spun in Maria's hand until it finally landed on Ana.

Everyone fell silent.

"I choose 'dare,'" Ana declared, her voice trembling slightly. Truth was, she couldn't bring herself to reveal too much.

"Honestly, Demi's judging someone with such a petty mindset!"

"Demi and the others got it all wrong about Ana!"

"I say, Demi should be the one apologizing now!"

"Let's be real. Ana doesn't care about that necklace. Some people are just mean and love to stir up trouble!"

"Fanboys will always defend their idols, but come on! You Demi fans are reading too much into it!"

...

Inside the tent, Demi offered Ana a small smile that, though kind, carried an unmistakable cool edge. "I believe you," she said quietly.

At those words, not only did Ana freeze for a moment, but the entire group also fell silent.

Alex and Thomas exchanged surprised, delighted looks. They had secretly hoped that if Ana apologized, Demi would soften—but none of them had known about this misunderstanding until now.