Nancy grabbed Emily's hand and deliberately moved her to the other side, shielding her from Zack's predatory gaze.

Zack, however, was far from giving up. With a quick step, he once again blocked their path.

"Nancy, don’t be like this! Let’s all have some fun together!"

"And who the hell are you?"

Henry’s icy tone cut through the air as he approached. Without waiting for a response, he shoved Zack to the side. "Every random nobody thinks they can cozy up to us. Who do you think you are?"

"Pfft…"

Linda burst out laughing and, with a playful grin, looked at Zack. "Henry, that’s an insult to cats and dogs. They’re way cuter than him!"

"Haha…"

Henry finally cracked a smile and nodded seriously. "You’re right. I’ll stop saying that next time."

Zack, now pushed aside, could only watch as Nancy led Emily past him without sparing him another glance.

“These stones are ridiculously expensive. I don’t think I can afford to gamble on them,” Nancy muttered, looking at the raw jade stones priced in the hundreds of thousands. “If they were a few hundred bucks each, I might consider buying one for fun.”

“Didn’t you just say you’re not short on money?”

Zack’s voice called out from behind again, making Nancy and her friends frown in unison.

The worst thing about sticky tape isn’t just how it clings—it’s how you can never seem to get rid of it. Zack was exactly like that, irritating to the extreme.

Nancy had finally had enough. She turned sharply to face him. "Zack, don’t you want to play?"

Zack glanced at the jade stones and sneered. "How do you want to play?"

Nancy raised her wrist to check the time. "It’s 11:30 a.m. now. Two hours. Let’s see who can make the most money here."

Zack immediately narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "You’re not planning to sneak away during that time, are you?"

"Why would I run when I can crush you?"

Nancy’s mocking gaze met his. "Here’s the deal: if I win, you stay out of my and Emily’s way for good. If I lose, I’ll treat you to lunch."

Zack’s eyes lit up, his lecherous gaze shifting to Emily. "Will she be joining us?"

Emily could tell Nancy was fired up and determined to teach Zack a lesson. She wasn’t about to back down or ruin Nancy’s plan.

"Sure. If you win, I’ll go too."

"Heh…"

Zack rubbed his hands together, grinning slyly. "Alright, I’m in!"

His gaze shifted to Ashley, who stood beside Nancy. "But Nancy, you have ties to The Thompson family. I don’t know exactly what kind, but let’s make this clear: you can’t use their people or the staff here to help you!"

"Tch!"

Nancy scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain. "Do you think I need tricks to beat you? Don’t worry, it’ll be fair and square. If you’re so worried, you’re welcome to follow us around."

Zack cast a suspicious glance at Ashley, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. "Fine. Two hours. Let’s meet in the cutting room."

Zack had been gambling on jade for years, winning some and losing some. But with his wealth and resources, he could afford the risks and often came out ahead. Against Nancy—a little girl in his eyes—he was confident he could crush her with ease.

He had already scouted the stones earlier, so after agreeing to the terms, he turned and pointed to two raw jade stones on the counter. "This one, and this one—I’ll take them!"