Chapter: 252

He paused for a moment before shifting his attention to the visibly rattled Mrs. Reyes. "I heard Mr. Reyes is out of town on a business trip. Do not worry; I will make sure the media receives all the details and send him a special copy of today's highlights."

The mention of her husband sent a wave of fear through Mrs. Reyes.

"Mr. Ward, please don't..."

Rachel quickly realized that Caden was there to back Alicia, leaving her feeling cornered.

With no other options available, she decided to make a concession.

"I just remembered that this card table had some prior issues that I neglected to address. My apologies, Ms. Bennett. I will have Mrs. Reyes reimburse all your losses. We are all here to enjoy ourselves, after all. Let us not allow money to spoil the fun."

Alicia offered a faint smile.

Even now, they were holding her responsible for the turmoil.

“Mrs. Gray," Alicia replied, “since you are being so generous, why don't you refund the money I lost to Mrs. Reyes earlier?"

Now, it was Rachel's turn to blanch.

Mrs. Reyes, relieved that she was no longer in the hot seat, quickly chimed in, "Mrs. Gray, we've been at this for ages, and you only remembered this now? It's clearly your mistake!"

Rachel blinked in shock, momentarily stunned.

She hadn't expected Mrs. Reyes to turn on her so quickly.

Mrs. Reyes's smile was cold, knowing. In her eyes, Rachel was nothing more than an acquaintance-certainly not a friend. And when millions of dollars were at stake, loyalties shifted easily.

Rachel's heart sank, a heavy weight settling in her chest.

The entire scheme had been her idea, but now she was staring down the consequences, and it stung.

But to lose millions of dollars? That was a sum she couldn't easily dismiss.

Randolph had always been miserly, and most of the funds in her account had been painstakingly earned by herself. The thought of parting with that kind of money made her stomach churn.

Mrs. Reyes had powerful connections, and Rachel knew she couldn't afford to fall out with her. That left only one person-Alicia.

Rachel took the path of least resistance. She forced a small, tight- lipped smile. "Ms. Bennett, everyone makes mistakes. Don't you think you're being a little too harsh?"

Alicia's eyes glittered with icy amusement. "What's the problem? Can't you afford it?" She paused before delivering her next words with a pointed sharpness. “It's fine. You can write up an IOU, and we'll calculate the interest based on bank rates."

Rachel's smile faltered, her expression souring. "Ms. Bennett, must you really be so aggressive? Mr. Ward joined us and won quite a bit. It's not like you're suffering any losses."

"That's money he won. What does that have to do with me?" she asked, tilting her head to the side in feigned confusion. She then turned her gaze to Caden and asked pointedly, “What makes you obligated to support me financially? Are you my son?"

Caden's eyes narrowed, his irritation barely masked.

“Alicia, you're so ungrateful," he thought, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes. ‘I'm here to help, and you're turning this against me?*

Sensing an opportunity, Rachel hurriedly said, “Alright, let's drop it. Mrs. Reyes didn't intend to single you out."

Alicia scoffed, her patience thinning. "If Caden hadn't stepped in and noticed, Mrs. Reyes would've kept me playing for hours. I was losing tens of thousands of dollars with each round. How much would I have lost after all that time? How is that not targeting?"

Rachel raised a brow and crossed her arms. "You could've conceded or simply walked away. No one forced you to stay in the game."

Mrs. Reyes, not one to miss an opportunity for mockery, added with a sly grin, “Exactly. If you were losing so much, why didn't you just leave?"

Alicia's smile didn't reach her eyes as she straightened. "Fine," she said icily. "But don't blame me for what comes next."