Called Off the Wedding, Left Him Bankrupt novel Chapter 293

After Dominic and the others left, Miranda finally let a sly smile curl her lips. She glanced sideways at Cynthia, who was gathering her cards, wearing an expression of feigned concern.

"Now that Dominic's gone, there's no one left to help you with your hand, Miss Tremaine," Miranda teased. "Better be careful, or you might just blow the whole game."

Cynthia offered Miranda a gentle smile, her voice calm and pleasant.

"Thank you for your concern, Miss Kingsley. I’ll try to play a little slower."

Miranda just smiled faintly and continued picking up her cards.

Cynthia turned her attention back to the game. Once she had all her cards, she organized them swiftly and smoothly—nothing like the clumsy display she’d put on earlier in front of Dominic.

Miranda caught the change and stared, momentarily taken aback.

Cynthia drew a card and quickly played it, then noticed Miranda still gawking at her in confusion. With a soft smile, she prompted,

"Your turn to draw, Miss Kingsley."

Miranda’s expression changed ever so slightly as she drew her card. After playing it, she gave a dry laugh, her tone tinged with mockery.

"Miss Tremaine, you don't look like someone who doesn't know how to play. You weren’t just playing dumb for Dominic’s sake, were you?"

Cynthia’s smile didn’t falter. Her voice was gentle.

"Didn’t you remind me this morning, Miss Kingsley, that Nick has a soft spot for women who need a little help? I was just following your advice."

She added, almost as an afterthought,

"Besides, my card skills aren’t nearly as good as Nick’s."

A flicker of irritation crossed Miranda’s face, her brows knitting together. Her chest rose and fell with restrained annoyance, but she forced herself to keep her composure. There was no way she’d lose her temper in front of everyone.

From then on, Cynthia played with a careful restraint. If her hand wasn’t great, she played it safe, always making sure to seize any opportunity to win or fold early. When she had a strong hand, she’d push her luck a little more.

Miranda tried to catch her out, but never quite managed. Worse still, the cards just wouldn’t fall Miranda’s way; she kept drawing late and even when she tried to go for a big hand, she’d end up setting Cynthia up for a win instead.

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