She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 175

With Preston's partner gone too, it was just her left on her side. Perfect. The mixed doubles match had turned into a singles match.

Gabriel watched from the sidelines with great interest.

Though it wasn't what he had envisioned, his brother was, at least, playing tennis with Melanie.

But...

He had imagined his brother and Melanie as a team, with his brother playing the hero, saving her from his, Gabriel's, expert tennis skills at a crucial moment.

But now...

Gabriel glanced at Melanie, then at Preston.

Great. They had become opponents.

On the court, the score was tied 6-6, heading into a tiebreak.

Melanie noticed that once she was the only one left on her side of the court, Preston started going easy on her.

So, before serving, she shouted across the net, "Preston, playing your best is a sign of respect for your opponent!"

A moment of silence fell over the court.

The wind carried Preston's clear reply, "Alright."

Off the court, Gabriel shook his head, muttering to himself, "No, no, no, sister-in-law, you don't need to respect me that much."

The tiebreak began, and Melanie and Preston's scores remained tight.

In the end, Preston's superior skill won him the final set.

Melanie let out a long breath, her body relaxing. It had been a long time since she'd had such an exhilarating match.

Looking at Preston on the other side of the net, she suddenly realized that Preston in sportswear, rather than a suit, had a different kind of charm. It was as if he'd stripped away his usual reserved, rational exterior, revealing a raw, primal aggression underneath.

After they both left the court, Gabriel immediately rushed over to Preston's side.

"Bro, what are you doing? You actually won! You're supposed to go easy on a girl to make her happy."

"But Melanie told me to play my best."

"Stop playing the innocent good guy. Nice guys finish last."

"I never thought you'd be my equal."

To Melanie, Preston's compliment felt like flattery. She knew her skills were no match for his.

To Preston, however, the praise was sincere and from the heart. He had never imagined that Melanie, who was a top-tier pharmaceutical scientist, could also play tennis so beautifully.

Seeing his brother and future sister-in-law exchanging intense glances, Gabriel felt like he should just disappear on the spot.

When Melanie finally looked away, she noticed that Gabriel was indeed gone.

Preston didn't ask where Gabriel had gone, as if he had never been there.

Melanie scratched her head but didn't say anything more. She figured Gabriel might have gone to shower first.

Melanie and Preston went to the lounge area together, and Preston entered the men's locker room. Before going into the women's locker room, Melanie bought a lychee-flavored drink, took a few sips, and then placed it on a table without taking it inside with her.

When she came out after showering and changing, the drink was still on the table. She picked it up and twisted the cap.

From the shadows, Emilia watched Melanie's back. She saw Melanie lift the bottle and tilt her head back to drink.