Chapter 789 Sore Loser?

Chapter 789 Sore Loser?

"What's wrong, Emily — don't tell me you're getting cold feet?" Simon's voice dripped with satisfaction. "That little threat earlier? Total bluff. I gave you a chance to walk away before we started, but that window's closed now. Look around you. See all these people watching? See how badly they want this? You back out now, and you've made a whole lot of enemies tonight."

He was practically glowing as he said it, already playing out the scene in his head — Emily losing, peeling off her jacket, her face crumpling into that perfect mix of humiliation and helplessness.

That was always his favorite part. He'd done this before, with other women. That look — the one where they wanted to fight back but knew they couldn't — God, he lived for it.

"Don't worry, I'm not backing out." Emily's voice was steady, not a flicker of embarrassment crossing her face. "But that server clearly doesn't have the authority to hold either of us accountable. I want to make sure you don't go back on your word when you lose — so a verbal agreement isn't enough. We need the manager over here as a witness, both parties write down their terms, sign off, and then we play. Sound fair?"

Simon blinked.

He hadn't expected that.

A ripple of surprise moved through the crowd. So Emily actually had the nerve to say it out loud. Every head turned toward Simon, waiting to see if he'd flinch.

Simon let out a cold laugh. "Oh, so I hit a nerve. You're stalling to psych yourself up. Fine — you want a witness?" He pointed at the server standing nearby. "You heard what Emily said. Go get your manager. Now."

"Yes — yes, of course."

The server looked like he'd been handed a get-out-of-jail-free card. He was gone before anyone could blink.

Within minutes, the bar manager came briskly through the crowd — and he hadn't come alone. A handful of security guards fanned out behind him.

Simon's eyes flicked over the scene. The manager's presence, fine. But the security detail? His brow furrowed slightly. A low, quiet irritation settled in his chest.

It was just Emily. One woman, no backup, no threat. With him here, nobody in this room would dream of causing a scene. So who exactly were all these guys here for?

He didn't ask. Instead he got straight to it. "Your server told you why you're here. You see the woman across from me — we've got a bet, the rules are already set, and we need you to witness it. Both parties sign a written agreement. Three-way signature."

The manager smiled warmly. "Simon, it's truly an honor to serve as your witness tonight." He produced a folded document from inside his jacket. "I've already taken the liberty of having the contract prepared. Please, both of you — review it carefully. If everything looks good, you each sign, and then I'll countersign."

It was a smooth, well-played line, and Simon felt it land exactly right.

But the manager didn't let his attention linger there. He turned to Emily with the same measured courtesy, handing her a copy with a small, respectful nod. "Emily, please take your time. If anything needs to be adjusted, speak up now."

Emily caught the genuine warmth in his tone. She gave him a brief nod in return — a quiet acknowledgment — then quickly scanned the contract and signed it without hesitation.

Simon didn't even glance at his copy. He handed it off to one of the guys beside him, waited for the nod that said everything checked out, then scrawled his signature. His copy he didn't bother keeping — just tossed it to his assistant.

Emily's copy sat in her hand. She glanced around for somewhere to set it, and was still figuring that out when Kaia appeared beside her, right on cue.

Kaia held out both palms, her eyes bright and grinning. "Emily. Hand it over. I'll keep it safe."

Emily blinked — she hadn't expected to see her here.

But she didn't hesitate. She placed the contract in Kaia's hands without a second thought.

The manager had actually started to step forward himself when he noticed Emily searching for a place to put it. He stopped when Kaia moved first.

The lighting in the bar was low, and Kaia had done her makeup heavy tonight. If you weren't paying attention, you might not place her. But a manager who kept a bar like this running smoothly didn't stay in his position by missing things. He had the kind of eyes that caught everything — because failing to recognize the wrong person even once could cost you dearly.

He recognized her.

Kaia Harvey. The most favored one in that entire family. And she was standing here, deferring to Emily like it was the most natural thing in the world.

This Emily, the manager thought, recalibrating quickly, is more than she appears. A lot more. Treat accordingly.

Simon, predictably, hadn't looked twice at Kaia. His mind was already past it.

He was ready to play.

In the interest of fairness, the manager personally handled the dice and the shaker — rolling himself, keeping both hands visible.

First round: guess the total. Whoever's number came closest to the actual roll won.

Simon leaned back with a lazy shrug. "Ladies first."

Emily's response was immediate — both players write their guesses on paper and hand them to the manager simultaneously, face down.

Simon watched her, and that familiar smirk tugged at his mouth. "You sure are cautious for someone who just made all those demands. What is it — you already know you're going to lose and you're trying to buy yourself time? You scared?"

Emily didn't dignify that with eye contact. She gave him the briefest sideways glance — the kind that said she'd already moved on from him — and said flatly, "Save it. Just wait."

She turned to the manager and gave a small nod. "Go ahead."

The manager opened the result.

"Sixteen."

Simon's expression lit up.

Fifteen. He'd guessed fifteen. One off. There was no way Emily beat that. Best case, she'd tied him.

"You're done," he said, almost cheerfully. "I'll give you this round as a freebie — no forfeit, you keep your clothes on. Aren't you touched?"

"Pass." Emily's voice was flat. "The only person losing tonight is you." She nodded toward the manager. "Read it."

The room went quiet. The energy shifted — everyone holding still, holding their breath.

Ollie's palms were actually sweating. He leaned close to Kaia and dropped his voice to barely a whisper. "Kaia — you really think Emily's got this? Because if things go sideways, I'm thinking I create a distraction, you grab Emily, and we make a run for it. I'll cover the exit."

Kaia turned and stared at him. "Shut. Up." she said quietly. "Watch the result. And stop making plans nobody asked you for."

Ollie pressed his lips together. He wanted to argue. He didn't.

Then the manager's voice cut through the silence.

Emily had won the round.

The room erupted.

"That's impossible." Simon's voice cracked with disbelief. "I was one point off — don't tell me she guessed it exactly —"

The manager had barely finished speaking before the whole bar broke into noise.

Simon's composure cracked. He rounded on the manager, his voice dropping to something with an edge in it. "Think very carefully about what you just said. Because if you're calling this in her favor as some kind of favor to her — you know what happens to people who cross me."

Emily had seen this coming from a mile away. She let out a short, humorless laugh. "So you lost, and now you can't own it. Fine. Then there's no point finishing this — just forfeit, sign the paperwork, and run a lap around the bar in your shirt. We'll call it done."

She said it calmly. Almost bored.

And underneath that calm, she was already thinking ahead. She hadn't really wanted this contract in the first place — deals with men like Simon had a way of unraveling into headaches. She had better leverage now, better tech. The right partner would show up eventually. When they did, she'd be ready.