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Genius Kids Scheme: Claiming Daddy’s Billionaire Empre
Chapter 136
Thomas pushed himself away from the wall, intrigued. “What gamee we talking about?” he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
Lucas’s face broke into a sly grin. Poker card challenge!”
Alex stepped forward, bouncing on his toes, “The rules are super simple. We each draw a card and compare–highest card wins.
Thomas considered for a moment. “That’s it? Just comparing cards? le tapped his chin. “How about we add some stakes? Person with the highest card gets to assign a task to the person with the lowest.”
The triplets looked at each other with huge grins. Their eyes lit up if Thomas had just offered them ice cream for breakfast.
“Yes!” Alex agreed, bouncing on his toes. “Way better!”
“Definitely!” Lucas nodded so hard his hair flopped.
Lily just grinned, her pigtails swaying with each excited nod.
Irene caught Adam’s eye, raising an eyebrow. He responded with the slightest lift of his shoulders–a barely perceptible shrug that somehow conveyed both amusement and acceptance.
“I’m in if everyone else is,” she said, settling onto a cushion as Thomas gathered the cards.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Thomas announced with mock solemnity as he shuffled, “let the evening’s entertainment begin.”
For the first round, they each selected a card and held it close to their chest. The room went quiet, everyone trying to keep a poker face – from the five–year–olds with their exaggerated seriousness to the adults with their amused restraint.
“Everyone show at the same time,” Alex directed, sounding like a tiny game show host.
Cards flipped: Irene had the highest – king of Hearts, Alex the lowest- three of Diamonds
“Mom wins!” Lily clapped her hands together. “And Alex loses!”
Alex’s shoulders slumped as he accepted his fate. “What’s my punishment?”
Irene studied her son thoughtfully. The perfect opportunity had just landed in her lap.
“You’re losing an hour of screen time every day,” she announced, trying not to smile at his horrified expression.
Alex’s jaw dropped. “Mom! That’s so not fair!”
“Wanna make it two?” Irene raised an eyebrow.
Alex’s mouth snapped shut. He slumped backward, the picture of dejection.
Thomas gathered the cards again, shuffling with practiced ease. “Round two, everyone. Choose your destiny.”
The tension in the room had noticeably increased after witnessing Irene’s unexpected strictness. Cards were drawn and held close once again.
They revealed their hands. Thomas had the Queen of Spades while Lucas was stuck with the Four of Spades. Irene hadn’t shown her
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Chapter 136
card yet.
“Mom, what’d you get? Lily asked, leaning forward.
Lucas perked up. Bet It’s three! She doesn’t want to show it!‘
Irene’s eyes met Adam’s across the circle. Something playful flickered in her expression as she flipped her card with a flourish, revealing the Joker.
“No way!” Lucas groaned, flopping backward onto the carpet. “How is this happening?”
“And Lucas has the lowest card,” Thomas confirmed, his ps twitching. “Prepare for your doom, little man.”
Irene barely hesitated. “No video games for a week.”
Lucas’s wail echoed through the room. “Nooooo!” He clutched at his chest, eyes squeezed shut. “This is cruel and unusual punishment!”
“Hey, you signed up for this, buddy,” Irene shrugged, not bothering to hide her amusement.
Lily patted her brother’s shoulder with theatrical sympathy. “So unlucky,” she whispered, not sounding sorry at all.
The game continued with varying fortunes. The third round saw Thomas holding the highest card while Lily drew the lowest
Thomas studied the little girl, who gazed back with wide innocent eyes. Her practiced look of angelic vulnerability completely dissolved his resolve.
“Lily,” he announced, “give Uncle Adam a kiss on the cheek.”
Far from looking disappointed, Lily brightened instantly. She skipped over to Adam without hesitation and planted a loud “MWAH!” on his cheek that brought smiles to everyone’s faces.
A hint of genuine warmth touched Adam’s usually guarded expression, softening the lines around his eyes. Irene caught herself staring, struck by the contrast between the formidable businessman everyone else knew and this gentle version who appeared only around her children.
The game continued with varying fortunes. Irene’s luck eventually ran out, while Adam stayed comfortably in the middle of the pack. The triplets took turns being dramatic about their wins and losses, their reactions becoming more theatrical each round.
“Final round,” Thomas announced, checking his watch. “Number twenty–six, then bedtime for everyone.”
Cards were drawn one last time. When they revealed their hands, Lily had the highest with her King of Spades, while Irene had
drawn the lowest with a Five of Spades.
“I won! Lily squealed, practically vibrating with excitement. Her eyes gleamed with triumph as she darted a quick glance toward her
brothers.
The 26th time’s the charm, Alex and Lucas thought simultaneously, barely containing their excitement.
“And Mom’s got the lowest card,” Thomas noted, lips twitching with poorly concealed amusement. “What’ll it be, Miss Lily?”
Lily made a show of thinking hard, though anyone watching could tell she’d rehearsed this moment in her head a hundred times. She tapped her chin, then broke into a smile that was way too sweet to be trusted.
want Mommy to kiss Uncle Adam!” she announced, her voice ringing with triumph.
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Chapter 136
The room froze. Thomas stopped mid–shuffle, cards suspended between his hands. Adam maintained his composed expression, though his grip on his wheelchair’s armrest tightened like a vise gripping steel.
“Lily! Heat rushed to Irene’s face. “That’s completely inappropriate. fick something else, please.”
Lily tilted her head and blinked up at her mother, all big eyes and fake confusion. “Why not? I just kissed him and nobody cared What’s different?”
“That’s Irene stumbled over her words, caught in the parent trap more awkward.
explaining something to a child that would only make things
“But you always kiss Great–grandfather on the cheek in the morning Lily pointed out, her face pure angel mode despite the little devil clearly working behind those eyes. “You said it’s good to show people we care about them. Don’t you care about Uncle Adam?”
Irene found herself cornered by her own previous words. She glanced at Adam, who suddenly seemed fascinated by a spot on the carpet, his expression carefully blank.
“Lily, maybe pick something else-” Adam started, trying to bail Irene out. “Your mom doesn’t have to-
Before Adam could finish his sentence, something in Irene’s expression shifted. The hesitation in her eyes hardened into resolve as she stood up.
Everyone watched, holding their breath, as she moved toward Adam with purpose. No backing down, no awkward hesitation. Just
calm determination.
Thomas froze mid–shuffle. The triplets leaned forward,
eyes
wide.
Irene’s hand settled on Adam’s shoulder as she leaned down toward him.
No one, not even Lily who’d engineered this whole situation, could have predicted Irene’s final move. It wasn’t just about winning or losing anymore–in that moment, Irene Sterling threw the rule book out the window, and nothing between her and Adam Haven would ever be the same again.
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