My Substitute CEO Bride1-100

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Chapter 76

“Hera…”

Harrison gazed at his daughter, his face ashen with worry.

‘Is she really this naïve? Can’t she see that Helena is pushing her buttons?’

Herman’s expression darkened, a slight frown tugging at his features. “Everyone needs to calm down!”

No matter who lost, it would reflect badly on the entire Lewises. He could not afford such a disgrace.

As he noticed his father’s sour expression, Hubert quickly interjected, “Helena, change your conditions. This game is pointless. No one will benefit from a loss…”

Helena shifted her gaze, her lips curling into a mischievous smile. “How about this? If you lose, you’ll have to kiss Hunter Hill!”

“No way. Choose something else…”

Hera hesitated, the idea of kissing Hunter unsettling her. She couldn’t imagine losing the bet in such a way. After all, her first kiss should be reserved for someone she truly liked.

Hubert leaned in, speaking quietly. “Helena, come on. Mr. Kai is still here. If you lose and go off to kiss Hunter, what will he think?”

Skadi, ever the loyal friend, added casually, “How about we just bet money instead?”

Helena immediately agreed without hesitation, her tone confident. “Alright, money it is.”

Hera turned to her mother, uncertainty clouding her features.

Her mother had always taught her not to gamble, but here she was, caught in a situation she didn’t know how to escape.

Lauren pulled a purple bank card from her bag. “There’s seventy grand in here…”

Harrison’s throat tightened as he swallowed, muttering, “Our daughter may be naïve, but are you also this clueless?”

The seventy grand in that card might very well be Lauren’s last asset.

Lauren turned to Harrison, her eyes narrowing. “Bring out your stash, too…”

“I… I don’t have a secret stash!” Harrison quickly covered his pocket, flustered.

Lauren’s eyes sharpened. “From now on, you’re sleeping on the sofa.”

How could he be so reluctant to support his own daughter? Was he truly her father?

Harrison winced, mentally kicking himself for his lack of tact.

With a sigh, he gritted his teeth and pulled a silver card from his pocket. “There’s forty grand in here…”

Hera, feeling the pressure, brought out her own bank card. “I have one hundred and ten grand here.”

That amount included the payment she’d just received from a supplier and the money her mother had given her to buy some clothes for Nash.

Helena scoffed, her expression full of disdain. “Are you seriously trying to bet 220 grand?”

Without waiting for an answer, she took out her own bank card. “If we’re going to gamble, let’s make it interesting. I’ve got 1.5 million here!”

Hera’s face turned pale. 1.5 million! Even if they sold everything they owned, they couldn’t come up with that much.

Skadi, sensing her friend’s fear, whispered, “Hera, just go for it. I’ll cover the rest.”

Skadi pulled out her own stack of bank cards from her bag. “I’ve got about 1.3 million across these cards.”

Helena couldn’t believe her eyes. Hera’s family was never going to come up with that kind of money, and yet here was Skadi, stepping in.

It took Helena two years to save up that 1.5 million.

Hubert, calmly sipping his drink, added with a dismissive air, “What’s the problem? Mr. Kai’s betrothal gift is 30 million. A mere 1.5 million is nothing to us.”

Rooney, looking worried, added quickly, “But that 30 million is still frozen. We can’t touch it until Helena and Mr. Kai are officially married!”

Hubert laughed lightly. “Mr. Kai already gave the engagement ring. Do you honestly think he’ll back out now?”

He glanced at Harrison, whose face had darkened even further. “Besides, with Mr. Kai here, we’re guaranteed to win.”

Rooney, finally reassured, looked over at Lauren, a smug smile crossing her face.

Helena stood and walked over to Kai, whispering something in his ear before guiding him to the main table, where he held his glass with effortless poise.

Hera gripped Skadi’s hand tightly, her face tense with worry.

They were betting 1.5 million dollars.

Harrison and Lauren stood frozen, barely daring to breathe.

Herman could only watch, helpless, sighing inwardly.

While other families gathered in harmony, his own was filled with tension and strife, each conflict more unpleasant than the last.

Meanwhile, Nash stood silently at the side, arms crossed, his gaze as unreadable as ever.

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