Love's Redemption

Redmption 223

Chapter 223

As the door opened, the room was filled with boisterous laughter. I immediately noticed the man sitting at the head of the table.

He looked familiar. Derick introduced him, “This is Eden, a close friend of mine and my regular billiard buddy.”

I focused on the man’s face, and I finally recalled his name–Eden Griffins. He was Arthur’s son and now the head of the Alpha Corporation.

I had read about him online. He was a fan of billiards and even won an amateur tournament championship.

It hadn’t crossed my mind that he would–be connected to Derick, let alone be on such good terms with him.

“And this must be our Maddie?” Eden chimed in with a smile.

Though the term “Maddie” sounded friendly, it sent a chill down my spine. Even though his profile appeared clean, Arthur’s reputation wasn’t, so there was no way he could be completely clean either.

People couldn’t always judge a book by its cover.

“Maddie, from now on, just call him Eden. If you ever run into any trouble, feel free to reach out to him,” Derick said as he pulled out a chair for me to sit down.

Derick also pulled out a chair and was about to sit down when Eden said, “Derick, why don’t you sit here? Let Maddie sit between us so I can get to know her better.”

My heart skipped a beat upon hearing his words. I had always been wary of strangers, especially someone like Eden.

I instinctively glanced at Derick, but he didn’t look up. He calmly set out my cutlery. “You can still talk while sitting there.”

I exhaled quietly in relief. I couldn’t help but think that Derick had lived up to being someone I could trust, keeping me out of an uncomfortable situation.

Eden chuckled. “Derick, this is the first time I’ve seen you being so protective of a girl.”

Derick placed the cutlery in front of me, arranging it very precisely. If anything was slightly out of place, he would adjust it until it was perfect. “She’s my sister. How could any girl compare?”

It was a subtle warning to Eden that I wasn’t someone he could mess with.

To be honest, I was pretty touched. Derick had made his stance clear. Eden, being perceptive, simply smiled and then looked past Derick to focus on me.

“Maddie, Derick is someone you can rely on.”

Before I could respond, Derick started chatting with Eden. The two of them discussed the recent competition.

After they had talked for a while, Eden glanced at me with a smile. “Derick, we’ve been so caught up talking about billiards that we haven’t paid any attention to Maddie.”

He turned to me with a grin. “You’re not bored, are you?”

“She’s definitely not bored. She knows as much as we do. Her skills on the table are top–notch, even among the best female players,” Derick boasted about me.

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Eden looked genuinely surprised. “Really? Well, after dinner, let’s head over to Derick’s place and play a few rounds.”

Derick agreed, “Sure, but here’s the catch. If Maddie wins just one round out of five, it counts as your loss.”

“Deal!” Eden responded enthusiastically.

They didn’t ask if I was interested, but I didn’t object either. This was the perfect opportunity for me to get closer to Eden, and perhaps eventually to Arthur.

After dinner, we headed to the billiard hall together. Standing beside me, Derick whispered, “Just play like you always do with me. No need to hold back.”

I nodded. I grabbed a cue from the rack and approached the billiard table. Looking at Eden, I asked, “So, if I win just one round, I win the bet, right?”

“Of course,” Eden replied confidently. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

I then added, “Is there a reward if I win?”

Eden chuckled and looked over at Derick. “Does Maddie want a prize?”

Derick shrugged. “You’re more than capable of offering one.”

“Alright then,” Eden agreed with a smile. “Name your prize, as long as it’s within my power to give.”

I paused for a moment before saying, “If I win, I’d like you to agree to one request, Mr. Griffins. Don’t worry, it won’t involve anything illegal or unethical.”

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