Chapter 161 Giving Away
Her Victory
“How?” Tracy asked, enthusiasm gleaming in her eyes as she envisioned the challenge ahead.
Rachel, her delicate hands gracefully maneuvering the deck of cards, suggested with a proposal, saying, “Let’s raise the stakes. Should Yvonne hold the victorious card, Tracy will bestow a swift kiss upon one of our attendants.”
Yvonne, along with everyone else, was visibly shocked by Rachel’s suggestion.
“Why aim your challenge at her?” Brian interjected, his look sharp and accusatory.
A wry smile crossed Rachel’s face in response. She had braced for him to defend Tracy, yet his swift, firm reply was still a surprise. He seemed unable to tolerate any distress directed at his beloved Tracy.
“Playing the protector so soon, huh?” Rachel teased. “If she’s that precious to you, maybe keep her safe at home, treated like royalty, rather than letting her gamble with us here. She really shouldn’t have come to the game today.”
Stunned by her words, Brian struggled to respond.
Previously, her love had softened the harsh contours of her personality. Now, devoid of that love, her words became cutting and formidable.
Brian responded, “That’s not my intention.”
Rachel retorted, “I understand, Mr. White. It seems you’re quite bothered by how I treat your secretary.” Without a word, Brian grew quiet. Realizing that Rachel was getting upset and their conversation was going nowhere, he chose to hold his peace. Any further discussion would only worsen the strain between them.
“Tracy Haynes, have you decided yet?” Rachel inquired, pushing for an answer.
Tracy was deep in thought.
She weighed her options carefully and with great deliberation.
Just as the words “I accept” were on the tip of her tongue, she caught Rachel and Yvonne sharing a quick, knowing look. Their exchanged glances seemed to confirm their expectation that she would take the bait.
This realization made Tracy pause, suddenly wary.
The idea of kissing an attendant?
Rachel’s bold challenge indicated her belief that Tracy would not win.
If not for Yvonne’s consistent arrogance throughout, which became evident when Tracy remembered
Chapter 161 Giving Away Her Victory
exchanged glances, Tracy wouldn’t have been so sure that Yvonne held the winning card.
The chances were exceedingly slim, far less than hers had ever been.
However, the unmistakable assurance from both Yvonne and Rachel suggested that Yvonne indeed had the winning card.
This confirmed Tracy’s suspicions, as Yvonne’s confidence throughout was underscored by the meaningful look exchanged earlier–leaving Tracy certain that the card in question was the winning one.
With a heavy heart, Tracy said, “I’m sorry, but I have to decline this.”
“Are you saying you’re backing out?” Rachel questioned.
“I need to sit this round out,” Tracy said emphatically.
Rachel peered at her and asked once more, “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes, without a doubt. I’m stepping aside this round,” Tracy said.
In anticipation of disagreement, Tracy adeptly returned her card to the deck, ensuring it was well integrated with the others.
Grins spread across both Rachel and Yvonne’s faces, sharing a moment of silent triumph.
Eric examined the “5” in his grip and said, “It appears Ms. Marsh and I are out of this round. Mrs. Burke, you’ve won. What’s your request?”
Yvonne gestured towards Brian and said, “You ought to pose that question to Mr. White.”
This time, Eric, normally quick on the uptake, was slow to grasp the implication.
However, Norton, acting quickly, revealed Yvonne’s card.
Displayed before her was a stark “7“, bold and definitive.
It became clear that Yvonne was not in possession of the winning card.
On the table, it was Brian’s Jack that stood as the highest, crowning him the winner by default.
Tracy was the real winner, but giving up meant giving away her victory.
At that instant, Tracy’s complexion turned a deep shade of red with fury. She could no longer contain her frustration and shouted, “How could you manipulate me like this? You’re just playing games with me!”
“Absolutely not,” Yvonne responded earnestly.
“Remember, in both card games and in business, everything is fair. You only have yourself to blame for backing out, and now you must face the consequences,” Yvonne said, her tone leaving no room for rebuttal.
Reluctantly, Tracy realized she had no option but to concede to the results.
Before long, it was time to face the round’s consequences.
For Eric, Brian concocted a challenge–a call to his latest contact with the declaration, saying that he kind of liked them. “No matter the gender!”
With these words, a wave of anticipation swept through the room.
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Chapter 161 Giving Away Her Victory
All eyes were on Eric, secretly hoping his last call had been to a man, simply for the added excitement.
“Come on, Eric, time to find your phone!” Norton cheered him on first.
Given his long association with Eric, Norton noted the absence of women in his usual company.
This only heightened Norton’s intrigue.
Amidst the gathered crowd, Eric retrieved his phone and checked his recent call list.
Eric recalled that his last interaction was a call with Sabrina, the new assistant who had been shadowing him closely since joining the firm a few weeks ago.
How was he supposed to broach this?
Despite Eric’s hesitation, Norton had already scrolled to “Sabrina” in the contacts and made the call.
The phone rang a few times before it was picked up.
“Hello, Eric!” said Sabrina, sparking a flurry of knowing looks and whispered speculations among the group.
Silence followed her greeting, which puzzled Sabrina.
Typically, Eric would immediately dive into delegating tasks or providing directives upon answering.
She wondered if her greeting had been inappropriate. However, that didn’t seem likely. At times, she addressed him as Eric and other times as Mr. Riley, and he had always replied promptly.
With no forthcoming response, Sabrina’s concern grew. “Is everything alright? You haven’t said a word yet.”
A sudden thought struck her, prompting her to blurt out, “Are you drunk?”
Eric found himself cornered; the dare left him with no option but to respond, “I’m not drunk. I actually called you because I need to tell you something. I… I think I kind of like you.”
Silence engulfed the other end as Sabrina processed his words.
Her voice trembled when she finally said, “What do you mean? You must be drunk. Tell me where you are; I’ll come and get you!”
“There’s no need for that; I’ll manage on my own.” With those words, Eric ended the call, relieved to have gotten through the conversation.
It was now Brian’s turn to pose a challenge to Rachel.
