?Chapter 146:


    “Anything’s possible,” Davina teased,ughter bubbling. “You really thought a King was enough to beat me? Please.”


    Now, Davina was the smug one. Chin in hands, she beamed at him like a cat who got the cream.


    Ralphy tried to recover. “Fine, yours is bigger. But what about theirs?” He looked at the three remaining yers. “Flip your cards! You guys aren’t considering cheating, are you?”


    Elliott smiled and slowly revealed his card. “Spade Ace.”


    “Ah!” Ralphy yelped. His eye twitched. He turned desperately to Dn and Christina. “No way your cards beat mine too, right?”


    “Joker,” Dn said with a smooth grin, turning his card over like a magician.


    Ralphy let out another howl. “What kind of cursed game is this?” He stared at them in disbelief, his face a mix of shock and suspicion. Then, he turned to Christina, thest yer yet to reveal her card. Hope clung to him like a lifeline.


    “You… You don’t have a higher card too, right? Come on, can’t be that unlucky.”


    Christina gave a soft smile. Calm, unreadable. She held her card with two fingers and flicked it onto the table, face-down. “See for yourself,” she said quietly.


    Ralphy hesitated. His hand hovered over the card, trembling.


    “Oh,e on already! Just flip it!” Davina snapped.


    Ralphy shot her a look. “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one on the chopping block.”


    Davina couldn’t help butugh. “It’s just a drink. Don’t be so dramatic.”


    “Seriously, all of you picked me! It seems every single one of you has a higher card. And now


    “And now I’m the only one who has to drink!” Ralphy cried, pulling a face like he was about to cry.


    New chapters now on gαlnσv??ls?c?m


    “Alright, alright. Tone down the drama,” Davina said, rolling her eyes.


    Ralphy dropped his dramatic act in an instant. “Fine, fine. A loss is a loss.”


    He let out a loud sigh and then pped the card onto the table. Hearts Eight. He blinked and stared at it. Then, he blinked again. Was he seeing things? No. It was real. Smaller than his card. For a moment, silence.


    “YES!” Ralphy leapt from his chair, nearly knocking it over. “I knew my luck wasn’t that bad!”


    Davina rolled her eyes again. “It’s just one less drink. Do you really need to throw a party over it?”


    Ralphy grinned from ear to ear. “Of course I do! This is my ray of hope after all that despair! Even if I drink, I drink with joy!” And with that, he snatched up his ss and downed it in one go.


    Christina smiled faintly as she watched him. Under the table, hidden from view, she held a card—the Joker she had initially drawn.


    “Alright, let’s go!” Ralphy boomed, pounding the table. “Round two! I’m back, baby!”


    Christina’s smile lingered. Quiet, knowing. She slid the Joker back into the deck.


    The game rolled on.


    The drinking games had gone on for far too many rounds, and everyone was more than a little drunk.


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