bChapter /bb534 /b

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    “What do you mean? You made me lose. I told you to shut up earlier,” Lillian pouted.

    Chase nearly lost his temper. “Don’t turn it around on me. How is it my fault? You lost because you didn’t listen to me and yed the wrong cards. That’s what happened!”

    “Who yed the wrong cards? Every move I made was thought through. You don’t get it, so stop talking nonsense.” Lillian refused to admit it.

    She thought she’d yed great. The only reason she lost was that Chase had distracted her.

    Chase ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He tried to hold back but couldn’t.

    He said, “You’re the one who doesn’t get it. No arguing. In this game, you listen to me and we’ll win. If we lose, I’ll do whatever you say for the next few days. I won’t talk back at all. I swear on it.”

    Lillian had just finished arranging her cards. When she heard that, she didn’t hesitate. “Fine. Let’s see you do it in this game. I want to see how good you really are.”

    Chase said nothing. He just rolled up his sleeves and sat beside Lillian to help her look at her cards.

    “Ooh, the lovebirds teaming up? Sabrina, let me help you too. Can’t let them get the better of us,”

    Connor said, picking up a card to y.

    Sabrina was counting her cards. She nced at his card, saw nothing special, and let him go ahead.

    Connor grinned and yed the card for Sabrina.

    Jessica tossed out a card to follow. Brian was busy rubbing her shoulders.

    Spencer copied the move, but his actions looked really stiff.

    With Chase handling the cards, Lillian had nothing to do. So she started picking on him. “Look at Mr. Atkinson, He’s so caring, unlike you, who only knows how to annoy me.”

    Chase scowled and said nothing. When Vanessa yed her cards, he took Lillian’s hand and pped down a set of cards. “I won this hand.”

    Lillian’s eyes went wide. But that was just the start. Soon, when Sabrina yed, Chase helped Lillian

    win another round.

    “Whoa, looks like Chase has some skills,” Jessica couldn’t help teasing as she watched.

    Lillian’s face froze.

    13:18 Wed, 3 Sept

    “I told you to listen to mest game, but you wouldn’t,” Chase said, shooting Lillian a proud look. ‘Now you see how good I am,‘ he thought.

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    Lillian’s expression changed in a sh. Shetched onto his arm, snuggling closely. “Chase, you’re amazing! I was so stupid before. I’m sorry. Don’t be mad, okay? I love you.”

    As she spoke, she leaned up and nted a big kiss on Chase.

    Chase felt instantly better. Remembering they were live, he just bent down and kissed Lillian’s forehead. “Smart girl. Watch, next, I’ll help you win more.”

    “Yay! Go for it. You’re the best.” Lillian waved her hands, cheering him on.

    Chase, even more pleased, picked up the cards to y.

    Raymond quickly spoke up. “Wait, guys can only help, not y for them.”

    Chase’s hand froze, still holding the cards.

    “Huh? Chase can’t y? Boohoo, that’s such a shame. I’ll miss having you y for me,” Lillian

    whined, putting on a pout.

    Thements section exploded with “LOLs“.

    [LOL]

    [Knew it.]

    [They’re such a cute couple.]

    [So sweet. Chillian’s just as shippable as ever.]

    [Lithan’s so adorable, and Chase is iso /ieasy to cheer up. She’s totally got him wrapped around her finger.]

    [LOL, their banter is gold.]

    [Killing me. This is too funny.]

    [For real, Chase looks so deted now that he can’t y for her.]

    [It’s okay. You can’t y for her, but you can be her brain from the sidelines.]

    [Exactly. Go, Lillian and Chase.]

    Just then, Raymond spoke again. “Even helping should be in moderation. It’s a friendly game, but

    +15

    75%

    15

    fairness matters. How about I add a rule? No more than ten hints per game from the sidelines. Anyone got a problem with that?”

    “Fine by me,” Jessica said, not needing any help anyway.

    “No issues here,” Sabrina agreed, having already figured out the rules. She was used to relying on herself. Sideline help was totally optional.

    Vanessa, who wasn’t getting any tips at all, just went with the flow. “Fine by me.”

    Lillian, who’d just won a few games thanks to Chase, looked a little down. But she knew her wins weren’t fair, so she said, “Okay.”

    Chase sat behind her with a dark scowl, practically oozing irritation.

    He thought, ‘I finally found a chance to make Lillian admire me, and now it’s ruined. Really, why does a friendly game have to be so strict?‘

    “All right, since no one has a problem, let’s scrap this game. We’ll start fresh, okay?” Raymond called

    out.

    When Chase heard the game was being scrapped, his face grew even darker.

    Lillian quickly took his arm to calm him. “Chase, don’t be mad. Even with just ten hints, I know you’re good enough to help me win.”

    “Of course, I am.” Chase ate that up. With his confidence in his skills, he perked up again in no time.

    After shuffling, the new game finally started.

    Chase focused even harder on helping Lillian with her cards. “y this one. y that one.”

    Lillian followed his lead, but the next second Sabrina said, “Knock.”

    Lillian’s face fell.

    “Just a slip–up,” Chase’s expression soured too, but he tried to save face. But soon, he saw the game had totally turned around.

    Sabrina, having figured things out, was getting better fast. Before long, she was totally outying Vanessa and Lillian. Luckily, with Chase coaching her from the sidelines, Lillian wasn’tst. But she was nowhere near as good as Sabrina or Jessica.

    “I won this hand,” Jessica said calmly, ying her cards.

    13:18 Wed, 3 Sept

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    Sabrina held a card, calcting quickly. Soon, after Jessica yed her cards, Sabrina won a round.

    Vanessa was gettingpletely dominated, not even getting a chance to y her cards.

    Lillian nced silently at Chase.

    Chase rubbed his face. “Pass.”

    After just a few more rounds, the game turned into a contest between Sabrina and Jessica.

    “I’ll y this one too.”

    “Knock.”

    “False call.”

    15

    Vanessa watched as the two yed faster and faster, her red lips pressing into a thin line. By the end of the game, she’d clearly lost the worst.

    “Sabrina, you’re really good. You picked this up so fast. I’m honestly jealous.” Vanessa couldn’t help striking up à conversation with Sabrina while they shuffled.

    Sabrina was focused on shuffling. When she heard that, she looked up at Sabrina. “It’s pretty simple. If there’s something you don’t get, you can ask. I’ll show you.”

    Vanessa’s expression froze a little.

    She thought, ‘Show me? We were both new to this not long ago. Now she’s offering to teach me? Doesn’t that make me look stupid?‘

    “No, thanks. I’ll just keep trying on my own.” Vanessa forced a smile.

    Sabrina wasn’t the overly helpful type. She nodded and left it at that.

    The new game started quickly. Vanessa, who’d said she’d try on her own, lost a round to Sabrina early ollion. /li/ol

    Before Vanessa could catch her breath, Jessica spoke up. “Sorry, but I won this hand.”

    Vanessa’s face darkened instantly, and thements section erupted.