Awakened Housewife Ignore Betrayer's Begs (Scarlett) novel Chapter 298

A playful smile touched Zachary’s handsome face.

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Beside him, Damian was slowly peeling an orange, his movements careful and deliberate, as if handling something fragile. Though his attention seemed fixed on the fruit, his gaze kept drifting toward Scarlett.

Since the night before, he had sensed something was off with her. But she had always been reserved around him, making it hard to pinpoint exactly what had changed.

Even with Zachary here and Scarlett smiling in response, Damian still felt an underlying distance.

Then again, he reasoned, she wasn’t really familiar with Zachary.

Responding to Zachary’s light teasing, Scarlett said with a polite smile, “You’re quite the charmer, Mr. Graham.”

Hearing the formal address, Zachary wrinkled his nose. He gave her a friendly wink. “Just call me Zachary like Damian does.”

Scarlett took another small bite of her cupcake with the spoon. “Alright,” she said pleasantly.

When Damian heard that “alright,” his fingers tightened slightly, piercing the orange peel.

A little juice spurted out, landing on Scarlett’s sleeve.

Zachary quickly passed her a napkin, shooting Damian a look. “What’s with the assault on the orange, man? You got juice on her.”

Damian set the damp, partly peeled orange aside. He wiped his hands clean with a couple of tissues, then looked down at Scarlett. “Sorry. Are you okay?”

Scarlett glanced up, shook her head, and offered a faint smile. “It’s fine. I’m not that fragile.”

Seeing her smile–and remembering how readily she’d agreed to use Zachary’s first name— Damian wondered if she was just feeling under the weather. The thought eased his mind a little.

Noticing the quiet exchange between them, Zachary couldn’t resist chiming in. “Scarlett, you’re a lady–you’re supposed to be pampered. Damian messed up; don’t let him off easy. In my book, men need consequences when they slip up. Otherwise, they’ll keep pushing boundaries.”

Damian shot him a warning look. “You could always choose not to talk.”

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Chapter 298 Game of Strategy

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Knowing better than to escalate, Zachary turned back to Scarlett. “See? That’s exactly the attitude that needs correcting. You’ll have to train him properly.”

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Scarlett watched their back–and–forth with an amused smile, understanding more than she let

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But she had no interest in calling anyone out.

Claire would be here soon anyway, and then Damian wouldn’t need to stay.

Seeing Zachary so relentlessly chatty, Damian not only glared but gave him a light shove.

Zachary exaggerated a wince and ducked behind Scarlett playfully.

Worried he might jostle or bump her, Damian growled, “Get over here.”

Zachary stayed put behind Scarlett, sticking out his tongue. “No.”

Damian rubbed his temples, a sign his patience was thinning.

Seeing this, Scarlett stepped in to diffuse the tension. “Zachary, how about a game of five–in–a- row later?”

Among the things Zachary had brought was a compact Go set she could use for the simpler

game.

Claire had said she’d arrive within the hour. A game would help pass the time.

Zachary’s eyes lit up. “Sure! I’m practically unbeatable at that, though. Don’t come crying if you lose too many rounds.”

Scarlett smiled mildly. “I won’t.”

In truth, she was quite good at five–in–a–row–she just hadn’t played in years.

Seeing Scarlett initiate the game, Damian let his irritation with Zachary fade.

Soon, Zachary had the grid drawn and the pieces ready.

Scarlett took white; he took black.

She lost the first three games, though each match was closely fought.

By the fourth game, Damian had quietly risen from his chair and settled beside Scarlett on the bed.

Though it was a simple game, it required focus when played seriously.

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At first, Scarlett and Zachary were evenly matched. But as the board filled, a single move could decide the outcome.

Just as Zachary seemed poised to win again, Damian reached over, gently guiding Scarlett’s hand to place her white stone on a specific intersection.

As he leaned in, his lips accidentally brushed the curve of her ear. His voice was soft, meant only for her. “Here. That’s the winning move.”

His tone was warm, sending a faint shiver through her.

For a moment, she lost her composure.

But she masked it well, simply replying in an even tone, “That is a clever move.”

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