Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3181

Gonzalez ignored Adrian's thinly veiled sarcasm. He kept his focus entirely on Norah, his voice calm but authoritative. "It's your choice. Who do you want to team up with?"

His tone was casual, but the intense, brooding look in his eyes delivered a clear warning: do not pair him with Sara.

Thinking on her feet, Norah smiled brightly. "We can just play individually! There's no need for teams."

Sara shuffled the deck and set it on the camp table. "Then let's just play a fast-paced game of chance. Winner takes all."

"Perfect!" Norah agreed instantly.

They established the rules and the game began.

A few rounds later, Adrian had half a dozen penalty slips of paper—each with a crudely drawn turtle—stuck to his face. Every time he let out a frustrated breath, the paper fluttered, sending Norah and Sara into fits of laughter.

Adrian glared at Gonzalez, who was leaning back in his chair with infuriating composure. Adrian was convinced the man was doing it on purpose.

After losing several consecutive hands, Adrian had started to notice a pattern. Every time he was dealt a terrible hand, everyone else's was just as bad. But the moment he got a great hand, someone else magically had a better one.

He was furious. Even if Gonzalez was skilled at card counting and sleight of hand, how could he control the deck when Norah and Sara were the ones shuffling?

Yet, as they played a few more rounds, Adrian lost spectacularly every single time. As frustrated as he was, he had to admit defeat to Gonzalez's sheer skill.

Sara had also caught on to what was happening. Her admiration for Gonzalez grew, and she threw a gloating look at Adrian's ridiculous, paper-covered face. "Looks like someone just got put in their place!"

Norah, completely oblivious to the fact that Gonzalez was deliberately targeting Adrian, gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "Adrian, your luck is just awful tonight. Tell you what, if you lose the next round, I'll take the penalty for you!"

Adrian looked like he was about to tear up with gratitude. "You're the only one who cares about me, Norah!"

The very next round, Sara lost.

...

As the game stretched into the night, they ran out of room for paper slips on their faces and switched to taking penalty shots. Adrian and Sara ended up drinking quite a bit. Whenever Norah lost, Gonzalez silently reached over and took the drink for her.

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