Chapter 140 Play Poker
Triston had just received a stern lecture from Branden, and he was finally behaving himself. Now Triston sat obediently beside Aidan. He kept sneaking glances in the direction of Branden.
Triston looked at Branden with curiosity. But he didn’t dare to size up Branden openly. He could only steal glances cautiously.
Although Triston had known for a while that Branden had taken an interest in Catherine, he hadn’t expected Branden to take action so swiftly.
In Triston’s view, Catherine looked incredibly youthful. Branden was quite audacious. Aidan noticed that Triston wasn’t touching his drink. Triston just sat there and gritted his teeth. Aidan found it oddly amusing.
Aidan poured two glasses of whiskey and handed one to Triston.
“Mr. Lambert, have a drink.”
Triston glanced down at the glass and realized it was whiskey. He instantly felt a bit nauseous. “Take it away. I don’t drink this stuff.”
Seeing his reaction, Aidan felt curious and couldn’t help but tease him. He asked playfully, “Oh, look who’s refusing a drink now? Mr. Duncan gave us a big surprise today. Did it inspire you to quit drinking, Mr. Lambert?”
Triston had no intentions of quitting drinking. He was just still shaken by yesterday’s events. Watching Aidan take big gulps of drink, Triston shook his head in resignation and said seriously, “Aidan, it’s okay to drink less. Drinking too much can lead to trouble.”
After saying this, Triston stood up and walked out of the private room. Aidan was thoroughly puzzled. He had no idea what was going on. Aidan stared blankly in the direction Triston had left. He muttered to himself, “Have they all gone crazy?”
Catherine sat beside Branden. Branden was concerned that she might be bored. He placed some hazelnuts in front of her.
Hazelnuts tasted great, but they were a bit tricky to eat. The shells were tough and required a special tool to crack open to get to the flesh inside.
As for pre-shelled products, the flavor suffered due to prolonged exposure to air. To enjoy them, one had to go for these freshly cracked nuts. Catherine glanced at the nuts and frowned.
Aidan noticed that no one was singing and few people were drinking. He silently lamented how age seemed to take a toll on everyone’s enthusiasm for fun. Then he suggested switching to poker.
“Mr. Duncan, how about a few rounds of poker?” he proposed. Triston leaned back and sneered. ” Haha. Aidan, why would you invite us when you’re financially comfortable these days? Playing cards with Mr. Duncan? Who could beat him?”
They had known each other for so many years and played every trick in the book. Branden was simply a monster in everything he did. No one could beat him in business or games.
Aidan knew very well how formidable Branden was. But with Branden here, they couldn’t possibly leave him out when they played games.
After Catherine heard the conversation, she slowly raised her head. She looked at Branden with her clear, dark eyes, which carried a hint of playfulness. She was rebellious and wild-spirited.
Her soft, rosy lips parted slightly, and a fragrance wafted gently toward Branden. She asked, “You’re good at playing cards?”
Branden’s handsome face bore a charming yet somewhat cynical smile. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Catherine gently.
“Not bad. I know a thing or two,” he replied. Triston, Aidan, and the others couldn’t help but feel a twinge of exasperation. They thought inwardly, “Branden is truly something else. He can spin tales in front of a lady without batting an eyelid.” They were almost convinced.
If they hadn’t played cards with Branden for so many years and never gained the upper hand in any game, they might have actually believed him a bit.
They thought Branden was a master at bluffing. Catherine didn’t need to guess. She could tell from the amusement in Branden’s eyes.
On the other hand, as Triston noticed Catherine’s sudden interest, he thought she might be keen. Then he asked, “Catherine, we’re as good as done for when Mr. Duncan plays cards. How about you join for a couple of rounds?”
Catherine shook her head and declined Triston’s invitation. She said, “I don’t know how to play poker.”
Unexpectedly, Triston clapped his hands excitedly and raised an eyebrow. He looked at Catherine with enthusiasm and said, “You don’t need to know much. You play, and Mr. Duncan can be your backer. If you win, it’s yours. If you lose, it’s on Mr. Duncan. How about that?”
Catherine thought inwardly, “If I win, it’s my prize. If I lose, Branden covers it?” She wasn’t about to stoop to playing cards and having someone else foot the bill. Before Catherine could respond, Branden, seated beside her, spoke up, Alright. Let Catherine play.”
Catherine turned her head to Branden beside her and stared at him with a questioning look. But Branden gently looked at her with indulgence. He said, “I’m in a good mood today. Just play a couple of rounds.”
After Branden finished speaking, Triston, Aidan, and the others erupted joyfully. Triston clapped his hands dramatically and said, “I thought I’d never get a chance to dig money out of Mr. Duncan’s pockets in my lifetime. Little did I know that Catherine would bring us such a great opportunity.”
He even prepared to celebrate in advance. “Catherine, don’t worry. Mr. Duncan is wealthy, so feel free to lose. If I win, I’ll give you half of the earnings. Just enjoy the game.”
Hearing what Triston said, Aidan quickly echoed Triston’s words. He said, “I’ll also give half of my winnings to Miss Swann as a bonus.”
Branden gently squeezed Catherine’s tender hand and lightly rubbed his thumb over her palm. He asked in a deep, attractive voice, “Got it? Play boldly. They’ll both give you half their winnings. And you might end up making quite a bit.”
On her cold and stunning face, Catherine didn’t change her expression. But she frowned slightly with a mocking smile. She thought inwardly, “When have I ever been worried?
“How can I not know that?
“Branden sure has quite an imagination!”
Aidan witnessed Branden’s seductive and shameless side for the first time. He turned to Triston beside him and whispered in amazement, “Are you sure this is the same Mr. Duncan I know, the ruthless and indifferent one who considers everything meaningless?
Triston rubbed his forehead with resignation. He raised a hand to pat Aidan’s shoulder and replied in a hushed tone. “Aidan, times have changed.”
As Branden saw the two of them still quietly discussing, he lifted his foot and gave the table a light kick. He asked coldly, “Are you playing or not? If not, leave now.”
Although the force wasn’t strong, the table jolted abruptly and hit Triston’s diaphragm. It nearly caused him to regurgitate last night’s drinks. Triston clutched his stomach and looked in the direction of Branden. He was too afraid to retort. Then he said, ” We’re playing. Let’s get started!”
Triston thought inwardly, “Why does all the bad luck seem to fall on me?” Triston was unable to compete head- on with Branden. He had already decided to regain his pride through Catherine.
Initially, he considered being gentle since Catherine didn’t know how to play poker. After all, he had always been very friendly toward girls. But now, it seemed entirely unnecessary.
Catherine coldly looked at Triston, who was gritting his teeth. Her hand hanging by her side moved slightly. Catherine thought inwardly, “Who can guarantee I will definitely lose?”
