Chapter 236 Game
Unlike Loraine, Catherine did not go directly to the billiard table. Instead, she turned her head and looked at Branden standing beside her. âPlease, explain the rules to me.â
The people around were all shocked when they heard Catherine say this.
âDoesnât she know how to play it yet? âHow dare she agree to participate in such a high-stakes event without understanding the rules?
âShould I praise her bravery and courage or just call her a young and fearless newbie?â thought they. Loraine fixed her gaze in the direction of Catherine with a hint of coldness in the corner of her mouth.
âHow dare she bet against me without any knowledge about billiard? Sheâs biting off more than she can chew,â said Loraine inwardly. Compared to the astonishment and ridicule of others, Brandenâs gaze at Catherine was much more meaningful.
On that stunning face that looked like a sculpture, his eyes sparkled like gemstones as he smiled at Catherine. This girl really has some guts!â he thought.
He explained the rules of snooker to Catherine with great patience. His voice was deep and magnetic, and the two seemed to be flirting rather than teaching.
âFrom low score to high score, hit the balls in. Among them, the red ball has the lowest score, and the black ball is worth seven scores. The person with the highest score in the end wins!â
Catherine listened attentively to what Branden had said. On one hand, his explanation was concise and clear, while on the other hand, his voice was undeniably pleasing to the ears.
âIf he were to be a singer in the entertainment industry with such a voice, Iâm afraid Grayson wouldnât stand a chance now.
âWith his voice alone, he can slay every competitor in an instant,â said Catherine inwardly. Catherine raised a brow and confidently glanced at Branden opposite her.
Then, with a pompous stride, she walked toward the billiard table. Triston and the others noticed that when Catherine turned around, Branden glanced at Paxton.
Paxton nodded silently.
Inwardly, they were pretty shocked. There should be no need to worry about Catherine anymore. As was widely known, Paxton was a master of a unique skill. He could accurately nail a grain of rice-sized stone into a wall.
With Paxtonâs covert support, Catherine would not lose too badly, even if she lost the game. However, what surprised them was that Branden was actually willing to go to such lengths for Catherine.
He had always detested these things, yet he was now willing to cheat for Catherine. This demonstrated how significant Catherine was in his heart.
As Catherine approached, Loraine was filled with such intense hatred that she almost snapped the cue she was holding.
She forced herself to put on a smile and looked at Catherine. âMiss Swann, have you finished consulting? Or perhaps, let Mr. Duncan give you a head start of two strokes?â
This statement sounded really arrogant. One could detect an air of confidence and assurance on Loraineâs face, as if victory was already within her grasp. Even before the game had begun, she was already behaving like someone giving an acceptance speech.
She was truly arrogant. Perhaps someone else could get away with it, but Loraine was confronting Catherine. Who could be more audacious than Catherine?
Catherine lazily picked up a cue and leaned on it, putting her entire body weight on it. She was like a soft-bodied animal.
Her voice was also lazy, cold, and void of emotion. âWell, thereâs no need for that. I donât even think his skills are worth mentioning!â
Standing on one foot, Aidan fell directly onto Triston next to him upon hearing this.
âThis girl surely knows how to stab people in the heart. âLoraine was arrogant, but Catherine was a hundred times more arrogant than her. âThere was no doubt about Brandenâs abilities.
âWho among the present can match him?
âCatherine actually said that she looked down on Brandenâs abilities,â thought Aidan. Catherineâs words were much more meaningful than Loraineâs blunt and harsh remarks.
Branden chuckled slightly. In all his years, it was the first time he had ever heard of someone not impressed by his abilities.
âMy woman is quite interesting. âForget it. Itâs fine that she looked down on my abilities. Anyway, I like her. Thatâs all that matters,â thought he.
Initially, the onlookers thought that being looked down upon like this would anger even the calmest person.
To their surprise, Branden was laughing when they looked over.
âThis frosty iceberg laughed when he was scolded.
âThis is a rare sight!
âIndeed, anything that seemed impossible for Branden became possible when it came to Catherine,â said they inwardly. Loraine held her cue, took a step forward, and looked at Catherine. â Miss Swann, after you.â
With a casual nod, Catherine fiercely swung her cue toward the white ball. The neatly arranged triangle of balls suddenly scattered like a startled school of fish.
Upon witnessing this scene, Ronin was the most exhilarated. He could not help but let out an exclamation of astonishment. âWow, amazing!â
Triston and the others couldnât help but applaud as well. Catherine started off well, and the positions of her balls were all good. Loraine snorted coldly. âIs it really necessary to be so happy about a decent shot?
âSo spoffish!â said she inwardly. She simply didnât believe that Catherine, a novice, could perform any remarkable shots. Catherine remained remarkably calm, maintaining the same expression even when she hit a good shot.
After glancing at the overall situation, she chose the ball with the greatest difficulty on the edge of the table as her first ball. With one forceful shot, the ball was flawlessly hit into the hole.
Loraine was still calm and composed. â It is just one score. Even if Catherine scores three more goals, I can handle it, thought she.
As time passed, Catherine hit more balls into the holes. Moreover, she did it super quickly. One shot at a time. The people around were all amazed.
âWith such precision and the ability to score even in the trickiest routes effortlessly, is she really a novice?
âCould it be that she is a big shot acting dumb to deceive others again?â thought the onlookers. Loraine couldnât sit still as she watched Catherine finish hitting all the red balls on the table.
However, Catherine did not even give Loraine a moment to be surprised before she quickly hit the remaining colored balls with the fastest speed possible. On the table, there was only one black ball left, which had the highest score.
At this moment, Catherine stopped and set down her cue. Ronin was thoroughly enjoying the spectacle before him. Seeing Catherine cease her actions, he couldnât help but exclaim in frustration, âBoss, why did you stop? Go on!
âClearance!â
He was waiting for Catherine to clear the table so he could harshly mock Loraine, who had just acted so arrogantly. But unexpectedly, Catherine stopped. Catherine glanced at the roaring Ronin, causing him to shut his mouth immediately.
After he had quieted down, Catherine yawned tiredly and turned to Loraine, softly saying, âMiss Sanford, itâs your turn for the rest of the game. I feel bad for making you wait so long and not even giving you a chance to hit the ball.
âOh my God!â said Ronin inwardly. He was applauding Catherine fervently inside. Grayson raised the corner of his mouth and smiled disdainfully.
Triston and Aidan silently gave a thumbs up to Catherine, thinking that the title of Sharp-tongued Boss was well-deserved.
âShe is phenomenal!â thought they. Branden gazed fondly in the direction of Catherine. âIf she were to invest her efforts in the business world, her achievements would likely surpass mine,â thought he.
A question suddenly occurred to him. â Should I perhaps put more effort into my business?
âIf I donât start getting serious about my career, Iâm afraid that she will really look down on me.â