Chapter 60

Sloane flashed Wilbur a mischievous smile and said,"Wilbur.You lose."

"Alas, lose again," Wilbur muttered with an exaggerated sigh.

Catching the defeated look on Sebastian's face,Wilbur still struggled to believe that Emilia had actually won.

"Time to pay," Emilia said, her gaze fixed squarely on Sebastian.

Frustration clouded Sebastian's face. He had been certain he'd walk away with Emilia's red Pagani,yet now he was fifty million in debt instead.

"Emilia! You swore you weren't any good at games,"Sebastian snapped, anger laced with embarrassment. "Did I ever say I couldn't handle a game? It's just not

something I do often. You were the one who said l

was hopeless and not fit to join your team." Emilia

sent him a cold look. "Funny, though. The same so-

called hopeless one just beat you."

Back then, Sebastian had once played games with

his friends, and the group needed another player.

They invited Emilia, only asking her to join as

support, telling her all she had to do was stick around

and not mess anything up.

Sebastian didn't hold back and mocked her right in

front of everyone, telling them she was hopeless.

The whole group broke out laughing.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. You just got lucky,

that's all," said Sebastian, bitterness clear on his

face. The thought of admitting Emilia bested him

stung worse than anything else.

"Let's skip the drama and just pay what you owe,"

Emilia replied, not bothering to trade more words

with him. In her eyes, he would always come up

short. Elias let a smirk play at his lips as he remarked, "The Mitchells are not only shameless, but they're stubborn to the core."

Sebastian retorted, "What makes you think I'm either of those things?"

"You wrote Emilia off, challenged her to play, and then lost. That's pretty shameless. And when you lost,you blamed it on luck instead of facing the truth.That was stubborn," Elias answered, his tone as cold as steel.

Watching the whole thing, Wilbur snickered and said,"It's probably the first time I witness such shamelessness."

Sloane couldn't hold back a laugh, adding, "Same here."

Sebastian was left fuming, his lips pulled tight, but he finally sent the money over to Emilia, swallowing his pride with every tap.

"You just wait!" he snapped, teeth clenched,before storming off in a fury. His pride burned with the urge to redeem himself.

"Ms. Harris, I must say, your skills match mine.Why don't we add each other as friends?" Wilbur said and winked at her.

"Honestly, I haven't touched a game in ages," Emilia replied.

"What a shame. I thought we might pull off a few team runs together," Wilbur teased, though he suddenly sensed the mood shifting.

Suddenly, a prickly tension settled around Wilbur,making his skin crawl. He scanned the group,confused by the sudden chill.

He had no idea that Elias's cold glare was the true source of the uncomfortable feeling.

"I appreciate you all being here today. We'll be heading out now," Emilia said, rising from her chair.

Elias's lips parted as if he wanted to say something,but the words just wouldn't come. "Hold on! After helping you get that money, all we get is appreciation? Come on, you should at least treat us to dinner!" Wilbur cut in, trying to lighten the mood.

"Of course, but not at Gilded Fork. We'll have to pick somewhere more modest," Emilia said, wanting to set the ground rules before anyone got carried away.

"Anywhere works for me," Wilbur said, more interested in the company than the food. Spending extra timne with them seemed like his best shot at earning their trust, and maybe getting the help he hoped for down the line.

"Wait for me outside. I need a quick stop at the ladies' room," Emilia said.

"I'll come along," Sloane said, trailing after her.

As Sloane refreshed her makeup in the restroom,Emilia reopened a gaming account she hadn't touched in years.

Her eyes lingered briefly on the familiar homepage before she signed out again.

Even in that fleeting moment, the gaming circles online erupted with chatter.