Celestial Queen: Revenge Is Sweet When You’re A Zillionaire Heiress

Chapter 1717:

Judson was quick to latch onto the idea.

“Yeah, you’ve never gone up against Cillian, right? This is the perfect chance!”

“That’s right, Harlee. You and Cillian should go head-to-head and see whose card skills are sharper,” Patrick quipped, his voice carrying a sly undertone. The words had barely settled before another chimed in, echoing the sentiment with equal enthusiasm.

Cillian, though unfamiliar with Harlee’s prowess at cards, quickly caught on. These three wanted him to be overwhelmed by frustration over the game losses, a sacrificial lamb to her skill. He exhaled slowly, then turned to Harlee.

“How about we play together?”

Harlee didn’t miss the subtle yet telling shifts in their expressions. A knowing smile played at the corners of her lips, a spark of mischief dancing in her eyes as she settled beside them with an air of effortless ease. Her posture was relaxed, almost languid, as if she had all the time in the world. She was enjoying this far too much.

“You’ll take turns playing with me.”

Aldrich’s first instinct was to refuse outright—no hesitation, no second thoughts. But the moment his eyes locked onto Harlee’s teasing yet unreadable expression, his resolve crumbled.

“Alright, I’m in.”

Harlee arched a delicate eyebrow, her gaze sweeping over the remaining three. She didn’t speak. She didn’t need to. The weight of her stare carried enough unspoken command to press down on them, heavy yet intangible, like the quiet before a storm. One by one, as if drawn by an invisible thread, the three nodded.

“Cillian, you go first.”noveldrama

Every chapter lives on g a lno vels ; comm

Cillian exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck as if that could somehow dissolve his reluctance.

“My card skills are trash. I’ll go last.”

“You go first.”

Harlee’s delicate finger pointed directly at Judson before she gracefully lowered herself into the chair opposite him. She raised an eyebrow, silently urging him to begin shuffling the cards.

Seated behind Harlee, Rhys watched with a soft gaze full of adoration. His wife was tirelessly working to earn money to raise Felix. She was putting in so much effort tonight. As a reward, he planned to make her favorite lobster. Nothing else mattered.

Rhys’ gaze flicked toward the three reluctant men as he said, “Begin. One after the other. Don’t waste time.”

And so, Aldrich, Patrick, Cillian, and Judson played at a breakneck pace. They lost over twenty million in just two hours.

Aldrich, Patrick, and Judson, who had become well-acquainted with Harlee’s exceptional card skills, didn’t show much more than a grimace at their losses. They were used to it, even though the sting of losing still lingered. But Cillian, having never engaged in card games with Harlee before, was a different story. He had confidently entered the game with the naive hope that at least he could win a few hands. But he was mistaken. He didn’t manage to win even a single round!

Even Aldrich, known for his recklessness in games, managed to secure a couple of wins. However, Cillian was on a losing streak that seemed endless. Doubt gnawed at him with each hand. Of the twenty million lost that night, ten million was his.

After just two short hours, the light in Cillian’s eyes had faded, replaced by a look of utter defeat.

Aldrich, Patrick, and Judson weren’t quite as shattered, but their expressions weren’t much better. After all, they had lost nearly ten million in just two hours. Who wouldn’t be upset?

Harlee glanced at the three men who wore their disappointment like a heavy cloak and then at Cillian, who seemed especially broken. With an air of nonchalance, she said, “I want the money you lost transferred to my account within the hour.”

She had originally intended to toss a tip Rhys’ way, but at the last moment, he had slipped upstairs to deal with a project for the new company in Uwhor. Since he was no longer around to claim it, she naturally pocketed the tip money instead.

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