?Chapter 1569:

Inside the private room, Corrine immediately recognized the guests. There was Cutler from the northern district, Maxwell from the western district, and, of course, Moses, who had recently taken over the southern district. She had a feeling this gathering wasn’t just a simple party.

What she didn’t expect was to see Karina, evidently attending as Moses’ date for the evening.

When Karina spotted Corrine, her face lit up with delight. However, the moment her eyesnded on Nate, her smile faltered, reced by visible unease. Ever since learning that Amelie had deceived her and used the guise of custom designing a wedding dress to harm Corrine, Karina had been filled with guilt. After she heard the whole story from Moses, the regret had only deepened. She hadn’t had the courage to face Corrine since.

“Are you avoiding me?” Corrine teased, shing a half-smile in her direction.

Karina looked back at her with a pitiful, apologetic gaze. “I’m sorry. It was my negligence,” she responded.

Corrine grabbed a ss of juice from the table and took a sip. “It’s not your fault,” she said gently. “The enemy was just too cunning.”

Who could have guessed Elva would go so far as to use Karina as a pawn in her scheme?

At that, Karina didn’t hold back. She cursed Aliza thoroughly, then threw her arms around Corrine’s neck. “Thank goodness you’re okay,” she said with a relieved smile. “Otherwise, I’d never forgive myself.”

When Karina had first heard about Corrine’s incident, she’d pped herself in distress.

She was convinced she was a jinx to those she cared about.

“This wasn’t your doing,” Corrine murmured, patting Karina’s back in reassurance.

“Miss Hond, care to join us for a game?” someone at the card table called out.

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“You’ve picked the wrong opponent,” Moses muttered, shooting Maxwell a look. “She’s a legend at cards. You’d be better off preparing to lose everything.”

Maxwell’s eyes sparkled with interest. “Then Mr. Hopkins, how about you join us and y a few rounds instead?” he suggested slyly.

Moses kicked him under the table. “Are you trying to go bankrupt?” he whispered.

Nate and Corrine were unbeatable at the game.

Moses looked at Karina. “Karina,e join us.”

But she shook her head, arms folded. “I am not ying.”

Card games were a disaster waiting to happen—for her, at least. They demanded memory, strategy, and sharp attention, all traits she sorelycked when it came to games like this. Whenever she tried to count the cards, the numbers slipped right out of her mind. And when she focused on remembering hands, she would forget the math entirely. No matter how she approached it, the oue remained the same: defeat.

And with this group, losing meant more than just wounded pride. It meant doubling down—literally. Win, and you kept what you wagered. Lose, and your losses automatically multiplied.

It was reckless. Lavish.fnaf00 Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n Find_Novel(./fnaf00

Exactly the kind of madness she had no business joining. If she yed even one round, she might as well kiss her entire wallet goodbye.

Moses, undeterred, crossed the room with a grin tugging at his lips. “No worries,” he said smoothly, taking her arm and leading her toward the table. “If you lose, it’s on me.”

Now that changed everything. Turning him down after an offer like that would only make her seem difficult or ungrateful. She sighed, knowing resistance was pointless. “Fine. Corrine,e keep mepany, will you?”

Corrine rose to her feet with a small nod. “Sure.”

The table buzzed with activity. The game was a straightforward version of poker, but the simplicity of the rules did not make it any less intense.

Each round began with a hole card, face-down, kept secret until the very end. A second card followed, face-up, and the yer with the best showing would set the stakes. From there, the game unfolded—calls, raises, folds, or all-ins thrown across the felt with dramatic ir.

With Corrine at her side, Karina began to gain confidence. Her pile of chips grew steadily, stacking higher with each win.

A smile crept onto her face, soft at first, then blooming fully—a look of smug satisfaction, the kind children wore when handed an extra scoop of ice cream. For a moment, pride glittered in her eyes.

Moses chuckled from across the table, watching her. “Look at you, so easily pleased,” he teased, but there was a flicker of fondness buried in the remark, barely visible beneath his usual cool demeanor.

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