Chapter 80

"Ladies first."

Nathan leaned back in his chair, gesturing for her to take her turn.

Evelyn picked up the dice cup with an air of disinterest. Her delicate fingers barely moved as she gave it a half-hearted shake before setting it down. "Done."

Nathan smirked, watching her with amusement. She wasn’t even trying.

The dice hadn’t so much as rattled inside the cup. It was almost as if she wanted to lose.

The crowd exchanged confused glances.

Was that it?

No dramatic flourish, no showmanship—just a lazy flick of her wrist.

Did she really think she could win like that?

Pathetic.

Nathan had no intention of holding back. He needed that exclusive scoop on Simon, and he wasn’t about to let some amateur ruin his chance.

He took a deep breath, then launched into an elaborate routine, shaking the cup with practiced precision.

His height made it difficult to see over the table, but that didn’t stop him from putting on a show.

After several minutes of theatrics, he slammed the cup down with a flourish.

Four fives.

A near-perfect roll.

Victory was his.

The spectators erupted in cheers. "Mr. Sterling is unbeatable! No one stands a chance against him!"

Natalie stood beside Evelyn, arms crossed, smirking. "Don’t celebrate too soon. Let’s see what Evelyn has before you start gloating."

Evelyn didn’t even bother to stand. She simply tilted her head toward the cup. "Open it for me."

Her confidence was unnerving.

Natalie lifted the lid—revealing four sixes.

Evelyn leaned back, a slow, mocking smile curving her lips. "Mr. Sterling, you lose."

Nathan’s jaw dropped.

Four sixes? Impossible.

But there they were, undeniable. No tricks, no cheating—just sheer, impossible luck.

His face darkened as he slumped back into his chair.

"Time to pay up, Mr. Sterling." Natalie held up a professional camera, lenses gleaming. "I’ll make sure this goes viral. Consider it my gift to you."

Nathan forced a laugh. "Ms. Reeves, surely we can discuss this like civilized people?"

"I don’t negotiate with losers. Strip."

Evelyn gave him a once-over, unimpressed. "Honestly, I doubt anyone wants to see this as breaking news."

The crowd jeered, egging him on. "Come on, Sterling! A bet’s a bet!"

With no way out, Nathan reluctantly stripped down to his underwear, face burning with humiliation.

"Seems Ms. Carter doesn’t play games unprepared. Clever girl." A deep, gravelly voice cut through the noise.

The crowd instantly parted.

Alistair Delaney, chairman of Delaney Group, stood there, his presence commanding silence.

Everyone knew the rumors—his granddaughter, Isabella, had been tangled up in Evelyn’s messy divorce.

The air grew tense.

Alistair’s men shoved Nathan aside as he took a seat across from Evelyn.

"He got greedy. I just gave him a lesson." Evelyn met his gaze without flinching.

She knew all about Alistair.

He was the real power behind Delaney Group, the puppet master pulling strings.

And he was the one who had encouraged Nathan to leave her.

"Ms. Carter, since you’re so skilled at gambling, why not play a round with me?"

"Why should I?" She tilted her chin up, unimpressed. "What do you have that I’d want?"

Alistair’s jaw tightened. "The internet is buzzing with lies about my granddaughter harming you."

Evelyn laughed. "Lies? She’s already been convicted, Mr. Delaney."

He slammed his fist on the table. "The case isn’t closed!"

Natalie scoffed. "You think you can silence the truth?"

"That depends on how I handle it." Alistair’s eyes gleamed. "If I win, you’ll hold a press conference. You’ll admit Isabella never hurt you."

He leaned forward, voice dropping to a venomous whisper.

"You’ll confess that you were the one who came between her and Nathan. That you were the other woman."

His smile turned cruel.

"And then you’ll strip naked and walk out of here in front of everyone."