The Scorned Heiress's Hidden Empire (by Jade Quinn) novel Chapter 58

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What really pissed Jason off was that a little boy looked at them with a smug look. “What are you staring at? This is my sister. Don’t you have a sister?”

Jason was about to lose it. He was ready to march over and give that kid a piece of his mind. If Ethan hadn’t held him back, Jason would’ve taught that kid a lesson he wouldn’t forget.

So he swore that no matter when he found Natalie, he’d take her to play the claw machines.

Natalie raised an eyebrow. ‘That’s so childish,‘ she thought. But seeing how excited Jason was, she didn’t want to rain on his parade. She nodded. “Alright, let’s go play the claw machines.”

Jason’s face lit up. “Awesome. Let’s go after we eat. I know there’s a huge arcade nearby with tons of claw machines. I’m sure you’ll find one you like.”

After they finished eating, Jason changed into something simple and laid–back, pulled on a baseball cap, and slipped on a pair of sunglasses. Not wanting to draw any attention, he handed Natalie a cap and a pair of sunglasses as well.

Even on a weekday, the arcade was buzzing with people.

Jason grabbed a big basket of arcade tokens at the counter. “Let’s go, Natalie. I’m about to dominate,” he said with a confident grin.

With one hand lugging the heavy basket and the other shielding Natalie from the crowd, Jason led them straight to the claw machine area.

Sure enough, there were dozens of claw machines, each stuffed with plushies, from adorable cartoon animals to fancy anime characters. The selection was insane.

“Take a look. See anything you want? Just tell me, and I promise I’ll snag it for you,” Jason said, sweeping his hand confidently at the machines. He looked like he owned the place, totally full of himself.

The truth was, he’d been secretly practicing for this, though whether he could actually win anything was still up for debate.

Natalie scanned the row of claw machines and then casually pointed at one packed with chubby, adorable white sheep plushies. Natalie said, “That one.”

“You got it. Leave it to me.” Jason was pumped, ready to go. He dropped in a token, gripped the joystick, and zeroed in on his target.

On his first try, the claw snagged the sheep by its ear, lifted it shakily, but let go before it even reached the prize chute. “Dang. So close,” Jason groaned, clearly frustrated.

On his second try, the claw grabbed the sheep by the body, but the angle was off, and it slipped free. After that, be kept trying, but it just wouldn’t stay.

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Chapter 58

30 Apr

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Before he knew it, half the tokens in the basket were gone, and that sheep was still lying there like it did nothing wrong.

Jason was starting to sweat, and his face was beginning to crack. ‘Ugh, seriously, what’s with this evil sheep? I’m embarrassing myself in front of Natalie.‘

Natalie watched quietly from the side. Seeing Jason getting more and more frustrated, she piped up, “Hey, Jason, mind if I give it a shot?”

Jason paused for a second and then quickly stepped aside. “Oh, sure. Go ahead, Natalie. Maybe the machine’s just being weird. No worries if you don’t get it.” He was just trying to play it off.

Natalie stepped up to the machine and slipped in a token.

Unlike Jason, she didn’t rush it. She carefully watched how the claw swung and how tight it clamped. Then, she checked where the plushie was sitting and where it looked easiest to grab.

After a few seconds, she moved the joystick, lined up her shot, and hit the button.

The claw dropped, grabbed the sheep just under its belly, lifted it smoothly, carried it over to the chute, made a tiny adjustment, and released.

With a soft thud, the chubby white sheep landed perfectly in the prize chute.

“You did it,” Jason exclaimed, eyes wide with excitement. He was even more excited than Natalie. He quickly bent down, picked up the plushie, and handed it to her. “Natalie. You’re a total pro. Nailed it on your first try.”

Natalie took the fluffy sheep plush, gave it a gentle squeeze, and nodded. ‘Yeah, it feels pretty nice.’ Seeing Jason grinning even wider than her, Natalie let out a small smile. “Guess I just got lucky.”

Mimicking Jason’s dramatic gesture from earlier, Natalie swept her hand out just like he did. “So, which one do you want? I’ll win it for you.”

Jason froze for a moment and then felt a rush of warmth in his chest. ‘So this is what having a little sister feels like?‘ he thought.

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