?Chapter 1457:


    Beside him, Katie stared nkly at the screen, the chips in her hand suddenly tasting like dust.


    “How… how did she win? There is no way she should’ve been able to win!”


    A momentter, she mmed the chips down in fury. “That lucky trash!”


    Ynda stered on a smile, but inside, jealousy wed at her ribs like a wildfire. “Christina’s something else, huh? She really flipped the whole game on its head.”


    But what Ynda actually thought was that Christina had stumbled into a win by sheer dumb luck.


    If Noah hadn’t screwed up, Christina would’ve been toast. No question.


    “Total fluke,” Katie scoffed, her lip curling. “Noah messed up, and she just rode that slip-up straight to victory.”


    Brendon’s brow twitched, his pulse buzzing beneath the surface as he fought to stay cool.


    “Nah, that wasn’t luck,” he muttered. “She’s just brilliant.”


    At first, even Brendon had chalked it up to luck. But the more he reyed it, the clearer it got.


    If it was just luck, she wouldn’t have kept her cool like that—or clocked the swapped corner on Noah’s card.


    Noah had his cards locked down tight. Heck, even he didn’t catch the switch—so how the hell did she?


    Only one answer made sense—Christina had pulled the switch herself. She was too slick.


    Her gambling chops were straight-up legendary.


    Brendon couldn’t tear his eyes from the screen. Christina lit up the room, and his heart was thudding like a drum.


    She was absolutely radiant—like the universe hit dim mode just to spotlight her.


    His chest thumped like it was trying to break free. No woman had ever hit him like this.


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    Was it possible that he was catching real feelings for Christina?


    The thought hit like a p. Panic surged, hot and fast. He turned toward Ynda on reflex—and that was when he saw her eyes were drowning in silent heartbreak.


    Guilt mmed into him like a wave. He looked away, couldn’t face her. It was like getting busted mid-affair—raw, exposed, shameful.


    “Are you… going to her?” Ynda whispered, her voice shaking as she reached for his hand.


    Brendon’s instinct screamed to yank his hand back, like her touch burned.


    But he knew that was messed up. He shoved the urge down hard.


    Ynda was his wife. The one he swore he loved above all. What was he even thinking?


    He immediately squashed that tiny, poisonous impulse of rejection aimed at the woman he was supposed to love. That kind of thinking was strictly off-limits.


    “Ynda, I’m not even touching that, okay? Seriously, chill out. I’m staying right here, with you,” Brendon assured her, pulling her close and holding on tight.


    Panic shot straight through Ynda’s chest like ice water. She desperately wed at his shirt and practically devoured his mouth with her own.


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