At that moment, Maria’s phone vibrated. She cursed under her breath, knowing that her agent had chosen the worst possible time to call.
But it was too late now. The two men in front of her had already heard the noise and were heading towards her.
Maria gritted her teeth and didn’t hesitate for a second before turning around and running outside.
“Get her!”
She could hear the man’s voice behind her as she gasped for air, sprinting towards where she knew her agent was waiting.
The agent hadn’t even looked up from her phone when Maria arrived, but she jumped when she heard someone pounding on her car window.
“Quick! Drive!”
Maria yanked open the door and dove inside just as the driver hit the gas pedal. She collapsed against the seat, panting heavily with exertion.
“What’s going on? Why are you so panicked?” Her agent frowned at Maria as they sped away from danger.
Maria told her everything that had happened while they were driving away from danger. “I don’t know if they saw me or not,” she finished with a worried expression on her face.
Each artist in the company had a different car. Even if those two people didn’t see her face, they could probably identify her just by the car.
In an instant, Maria’s palms became covered in cold sweat.
“Did you get a clear look at their faces?” the agent asked anxiously.
“No,” Maria sighed, “but if you let me hear their voices again, I might be able to recognize them.”
Rubbing her cheeks with her hands, Maria couldn’t help feeling uneasy.
Seeing this, although the agent’s expression was serious, she still reached out and patted Maria’s shoulder to offer comfort. “I will inform Miss North about this. Don’t worry.”
…
On the other side, at Prosperous Jade Bar.
Jane sat beside Patrick, her expression calm, but her attention was constantly drawn to the distant scene of gambling.
Meanwhile, Patrick was engaged in a conversation with Kevin.
“Mr. Pansy, we haven’t interfered with each other before. Besides, you’ve already obtained that piece of land from New Covenant Ventures. Why not let go of those things for me?” Kevin maintained a smile on his face, but a dangerous aura was perceptible in his eyes.
Glancing at the several men in black behind Kevin, Patrick remained unfazed, his hands crossed in front of him.
“As businessmen, we prioritize our interests. I won’t mention these things, and you’re well aware of that, right?”
Hearing this, Jane recalled the matter Patrick had mentioned to her earlier. Since Kevin became the current head of the Duncan family, they had gained considerable momentum, even directly suppressing other families.
Now, they were clashing with the Pansy family. Others might avoid crossing paths with the Duncan family due to their current influence, but not Patrick.
“Mr. Pansy, I know how you obtained that piece of land in your hands, and I see it as a favor,” Kevin said, looking at Patrick. He had known that Patrick was a tricky character, but he didn’t expect him to be even more difficult to deal with than he imagined.
“Favors aren’t usually repaid this way,” Patrick chuckled lightly, speaking slowly. “I was destined to get that piece of land, and now it’s just a bit cheaper.”
“Moreover, this is considered a quid pro quo, Mr. Duncan. Since you know we haven’t interfered with each other, you shouldn’t actively overstep boundaries, and the same goes for your nephew.”
The smile at the corner of Kevin’s mouth froze for a moment. He swirled the drink in his hand, his expression becoming ambiguous.
“Mr. Pansy, I am discussing this with you calmly.”
However, Patrick ignored Kevin’s words and turned to Jane, “Would you like to try?”
He had been paying attention to Jane, and since he brought her here, he wanted her to experience it.
“Of course, I’d love to. This is my first time witnessing a live jade gambling scene,” Jane’s eyes sparkled. Patrick noticed and, in the next moment, chuckled with a hint of helplessness.
Then, he turned to Kevin and said, “Mr. Duncan, how about we make a bet?”
“What kind of bet?” Kevin asked with interest.
“Since you invited me to this place, it wouldn’t be proper not to play a little, would it?” Patrick picked up a strand of Jane’s hair and played with it between his fingers. “Three pieces of rough jade. The one with the higher appraised value wins, and the winner gets what they desire.”
“You want to gamble on jade with me?” Kevin tapped the table with his finger, interested.
Patrick crossed his legs, exuding a powerful aura. “Mr. Duncan, afraid?”
Suddenly, Kevin burst into laughter. “It seems you’re quite confident. Since you say so, I have no reason to refuse.”
However, as Kevin finished speaking, a soft and enchanting female voice came from the shadows.
“If we’re going to gamble, it should be on a larger scale.”
The sound of high heels approaching gradually, Jane looked up and saw a glamorous woman walking over. She sat on the armrest of Kevin’s sofa, her chestnut long hair hanging to one side.
Her eyes were full of charm, and she cast a gaze at Patrick’s face.
“A single piece to determine the winner is more thrilling,” Katherine Maltz said, lifting her red lips and smiling.
“Mr. Pansy, I don’t know much about jade gambling, so let her represent me,” Kevin said, looking towards Patrick.
“I didn’t expect you to know Miss Maltz,” Patrick said casually.
Observing from the side, Jane couldn’t help but sneer.
Kevin surely had his reasons for inviting Patrick to this place. Even if Patrick didn’t bring it up, he would have mentioned the jade gambling. What surprised Jane, however, was how well Kevin and Katherine knew each other.
Others might not be familiar with it, but if you were in the jade gambling circle, you would definitely have heard of the Maltz family. Katherine was the most famous person from the Maltz family in recent years.
At the age of sixteen, she had cut open a glass-type emerald, creating quite a sensation.
In the following years, she had consistently unearthed many valuable materials, earning her the title of the youngest jade gambling master.
“I didn’t expect to be so famous that even you know me.”
Katherine’s eyes sparkled as she blinked playfully at Patrick.
Observing this, Jane’s eyes couldn’t help but darken.
“Mr. Duncan, this doesn’t seem very fair,” Patrick raised his head.
“If that’s the case, you can also find an assistant,” Kevin suggested, but he was already confident of his victory.
Hearing this, Patrick smiled and turned to Jane beside him, “Want to give it a try?”