The unwanted wife’s unexpected comeback

Chapter 103:

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At the gaming table, Alice was outmatched by Mrs. Reyes.

As if that were not enough, Mrs. Reyes was not her only opponent; the others had subtly and unequivocally formed an alliance against her.

Tensions mounted as round after round slipped through his fingers, and his losses numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

Alice squeezed her cards tightly, realizing that she couldn't rely on her skill alone to beat them.

His eyes narrowed as he shifted his attention from the letters to Mrs. Reyes herself.

It was absurd how Mrs. Reyes seemed to win every hand.

Not even the luckiest person could have won so many times in a row.

Alicia's keen eyes soon picked up on a pattern. Every time Mrs. Reyes played a card, she would casually raise her hand to support her head, twisting her jade bracelet in a practiced, almost mechanical motion.

Once or twice it might have been a coincidence, but it always happened without fail.

And what was more revealing: the other ladies only played their cards after Mrs. Reyes made this peculiar gesture.

Before long, Mrs. Reyes was back to sweeping the table, a smug smile on her lips as she carried off the winnings.

It was a trap, plain and simple.

Alice's gaze fell on her dwindling chips, frustration simmering beneath her calm exterior. If this continued, she would be out of every penny.

her

she had been expecting it. She offered Alicia a sweet smile. “Miss

Alice didn't respond immediately.

a hint of feigned sympathy. “You've

small loss, Mrs. Bennett? Please don't spoil the fun. Why don’t you call

arrow, but Alice wasn't about to give

her, but she wasn't going to give them

he said, rising gracefully from his seat. “I need to freshen up. “We can continue

up with a strategy. There had to be a way to turn the tables. Just as I prepared to walk away, the murmurs in the room

"Mr. Ward?"

cut through the din, surprised and excited. She ran to the door. “Randolph said he was inviting you to dinner. He knew you were coming and

that spoke of a calm authority. His

voice calm but authoritative. He stepped forward, his gaze fixed solely on Alicia. “I can

found herself instinctively sitting back down, her pulse quickening unexpectedly. With her back to him, she still felt the weight of his presence

After all, who wouldn't be captivated by a man like that? Caden was one of the most handsome men in Warrington, and his good looks aroused the admiration of women of all ages. They toyed with the idea of

but Caden ignored her. He walked past her, his steps determined, and sat down next to Alicia without hesitation. Alicia sensed his presence immediately, although she kept her face impassive,

raised an eyebrow at his subtle movement. Curiosity got the

even looking at Mrs. Reyes, Caden coldly replied, “She’s

silence. Everyone knew Joshua was Caden's half-brother. As for Alicia… Well,

sitting together so naturally, their proximity comfortable, yet somehow unsettling. The tension was palpable, although no

hooking it around the leg of Alicia's chair and pulling her towards him with firm

his tone dry as

moved her hand to protect the drawer, a reflex gesture that only seemed to amuse Caden even more. She was too slow. With quick efficiency, Caden reached the drawer first and opened

joked, raising an

in annoyance, crossing her arms defensively. “No one's come in.” “I

level of brilliance, even tic-tac-toe seems like a challenge. Why