Chapter 52
Cornelia knew this card game differed from the one they had played before, so she didn’t bother joining
As she was about to decline, Marcus said. “Just play for fun. It doesn’t matter if you win or lose.”
Cornelia had no choice but to join, but she dared not to play. She was afraid of accidentally losing a
house.
Steven said. “Marc, life is only a few decades long, be good to yourself while you’re young, and have a
proper romance
Marcus ignored him, only hearing Cornelia’s barely audible cry for help, “President Hartley, are you
going to bet?”
Marcus stretched out his hand and pushed out a stack of chips. ‘Don’t worry, just play casually”
Because he was very close, Cornelia smelled the faint woody fragrance on him. She was a little
stunned for a moment.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtSteven noticed their little interaction and teased with a smile, “Marc, do you have a crush on someone
that’s causing trouble between you and your wife?”
Steven deliberately glanced at Cornelia, hinting very clearly
Marcus gave him a stern lock, “You can say that about me, but don’t damage the girl’s reputation.”
Steven shrugged. “Just go for it if you like someone!”
Marcus said, “Focus on the game”
Steven said, “Alright, alright”
They spent the whole afternoon at the card table. Everyone had a great time except for Cornelia. She
felt like each minute was torture
In the end, Marcus lost all his chips because of Cornelia
Steven was cheerful. “Marc, you finally lost. We need to figure out how much you should pay.”
Marcus gently pushed the silver frame of his glasses up his nose. “What do you want?”
Steven didn’t hesitate, “Just give me the CREST project.”
The CREST project was the Hartley Group’s biggest end of the year project. They had already invested
a lot in the early stages. Cornelia was terrified. It was not just a house at risk, but billions of dollars!
She looked at Marcus with an apologetic expression. She would never have participated if she knew
the stakes were so high.
“I urged you to play. I’m not afraid to lose.” Marcus comforted Cornelia. He then took out his phone and
called someone. “Well withdraw from the CREST project competition”
Steven gave him a thumbs up. “Marc, you’re so generous.”
He continued, “It’s getting late. Let’s go for dinner. After dinner, I still have to have a late night snack
with my wife.”
At this point, Cornelia didn’t know that Steven’s late–night snack was not what she thought of. She only
understood the meaning after she checked in.
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The guest rooms here were in a three–story wooden building, which Marcus used exclusively for
entertaining friends and never hosted foreign guests.
The three couples stayed together. Cornelia was in room 202, Marcus in room 201, and Steven and
Hannah in room 203.
The nights in the mountains were quiet, and the temperature was several degrees lower than in the
city. Staying alone in an empty environment made Cornelia feel scared.
She was about to call Abigail and Zack when she heard some suggestive sounds coming from next
door.
Cornelia awkwardly covered her ears but could still clearly hear those noises.
Ten minutes went by, half an hour, or even longer. The noises finally stoped, and Cornelia thought she
could sleep peacefully. Suddenly, the rhythmic sounds started again after a short
while
She couldn’t stand it anymore. Cornelia put on her coat, planning to hide in the courtyard for a while
and come back after the couple next door finished.
However, she didn’t expect to see Marcus calmly smoking a cigarette at the door of room 201 as soon
as she walked out.