Chapter 788 Reactions from All Sides

Chapter 788 Reactions from All Sides

Kaia arrived at the scene but didn't rush in to drag Emily away.

Instead, she found a spot where she could watch Emily and Simon compete, then dropped a huge amount of money betting on Emily to win.

Ollie stood beside her, completely stunned.

"Kaia, what are you doing? Why do I get the feeling you're absolutely certain Emily's going to win?" Ollie asked, baffled.

Kaia smiled confidently. "She's my boss. The boss is naturally in a different league than you underlings. She's got skills you can't even imagine. If you've got cash, you should bet too—you could win big. Emily's odds are definitely sky-high right now."

She clapped Ollie heavily on the shoulder. "Trust me. Emily's going to win."

Ollie had never seen what Emily was capable of.

But he trusted Kaia. Since she was so sure, he'd do exactly what she said.

Kaia had forgotten to give Gilbert a heads-up before she left.

Her sudden use of such a large sum naturally didn't escape Gilbert's notice.

If it were just normal spending on clothes or luxury cars, Gilbert wouldn't care. But this kind of sudden, massive expenditure in a shady place obviously required his attention.

So when his assistant reported it, Gilbert immediately frowned.

"What's going on? Did you look into it?"

Gilbert's voice was low and serious.

The assistant, who hadn't become his right-hand man for nothing, had already launched an investigation the moment he discovered Kaia's activity.

So when Gilbert asked, he reported back immediately.

Gilbert was somewhat surprised.

What a troublemaker.

She'd just arrived in Emerald City and was already causing this much of a scene.

"Go make sure someone's protecting Kaia discreetly. And any news about Emily—report it to me right away."

Gilbert was worried that if Kaia lost, there'd be trouble. And if she won that much money, someone might get greedy and cause problems.

"Yes, sir. I've already arranged for someone to protect Kaia's safety discreetly."

The assistant replied.

Gilbert waved him off, dismissing him.

Then he dialed Daniel's number.

To get to Emerald City as soon as possible, Daniel had been working overtime almost every day lately to wrap up his work.

He was still working overtime now.

If it weren't Gilbert calling, he probably wouldn't have even answered.

"Get to the point. I'm busy."

Daniel's tone was ice-cold.

Gilbert seemed to do it on purpose. "Since you're so busy, looks like I'm interrupting. Never mind, then. I thought you'd care about news regarding Emily, but I see you're still the same workaholic Daniel as always. I'll hang up now."

"Gilbert, seems like you're not interested in that new project anymore. Forget it, then."

They were old friends.

They knew each other best.

Gilbert knew Daniel's weak spots and who he cared about.

Daniel knew which projects he cared about right now.

Besides, Gilbert had been teasing Daniel to begin with, so naturally, hearing that, he quickly said, "Hey, wait! I'm calling out of the goodness of my heart to help you, and you don't appreciate it at all."

"Cut the crap. What's going on?"

Daniel didn't have time to waste with him. His tone was firm.

This time Gilbert didn't drag it out. He told him straight about Emily's bet with Simon at the bar.

"I know Emily's impressive, but has she always been this bold? Maybe she's good at dice, and maybe people would go easy on her, but someone like Simon—she dares to provoke him so casually? It's way too risky, especially in front of all those people."

Gilbert hadn't witnessed Emily's abilities firsthand, so he couldn't help but doubt her skills.

Hearing it was about dice, Daniel wasn't too worried.

Still, he didn't want her taking even the slightest risk.

So he said directly, "As long as I'm around, she can play however she wants. I owe you one for this. That new tech sector project—I'll discuss it with you once I get to Emerald City."

When it came to Emily, Daniel could be genuinely generous.

Gilbert had done this for Daniel, but he also had his own motives.

After all, Kaia really cared about Emily.

"You're coming to Emerald City? Chasing your wife all the way here—guess you really are whipped."

"I still have some loose ends to tie up. Two days max."

Daniel knew the other man was teasing him, but he was stating facts.

When it came to Emily, so what if he was obsessed?

She was worth it.

What could Gilbert say? Only congratulations.

After ending the call with Gilbert, Daniel immediately dialed the person in charge behind Neon Lounge.

That's right—Daniel's business empire spanned the globe.

Naturally, he owned quite a few properties in Emerald City, and Neon Lounge was one he co-owned with a friend. He was the majority shareholder, but he left most of the operations to his partner.

"Ace, give me access to Neon Lounge's surveillance. And Emily is my woman—make sure she's protected."

As soon as the call connected, Daniel stated his demands.

Ace didn't usually get involved in the bar's affairs. Unless something major happened, the bar manager handled things without reporting to him.

"You're serious? Alright, I'll make sure Emily's protected. Don't worry."

Ace didn't waste words and agreed.

From how urgent Daniel's call was, Ace knew something big must be happening at the bar.

After ending the call with Daniel, he immediately granted Daniel surveillance access. Then, besides checking the feed himself, he called the manager to ask what exactly was going on.

Specifically, he asked if there was anything involving a beautiful woman named Emily.

The manager immediately reported the details.

Ace became curious about Emily. He'd heard plenty about Simon's reputation.

The Long family had only Simon as the grandson in this generation. His grandfather spoiled him rotten, so he acted recklessly and arrogantly.

What kind of confidence did she have to dare compete with Simon like this?

Was she overconfident, or did she actually have the skills?

Still, Ace had known Daniel for years. He knew what kind of man Daniel was.

Daniel didn't like those delicate, clingy society girls. He liked women with backbone. If this was the woman he'd chosen, she couldn't be some helpless vine.

"Send someone to maintain order. Unless her safety is threatened, don't interfere too much. If she has any requests, accommodate them as much as possible."

The manager hadn't known Emily's background. He'd thought she was just a bold, beautiful girl. He hadn't expected her connections to be this powerful.

For Ace to personally give instructions.

The manager immediately replied, "Boss, don't worry. I'll make sure Emily's protected."

"Don't be too obvious about it. I'll be there shortly."

After saying that, Ace hung up and headed to the bar.

Since Emily was there, he should meet her and make a good impression. And he certainly couldn't let Emily get bullied on his turf.

Back at the bar.

Emily's nose itched.

She rubbed it. She had the feeling someone was talking about her behind her back.

But it was just a fleeting thought. Her attention quickly shifted to Simon across from her.

The game was about to start.

"Wait!"

Emily stopped the server's motion.