?Chapter 1301:


    Joseph had stepped in at just the right moment. If he managed to scatter the crowd now, Damon could spin any excuseter without much resistance. Given time, folks would likely convince themselves Damon couldn’t possibly have lost. The event would slip quietly into the fog of forgotten things. And just like that, the McCoy family’s honor would stay polished and untarnished.


    The sharper minds in the crowd quickly caught on to Hamilton’s ploy. With a knowing smile, someone chimed in, “Exactly! It’s just a family event. We’re here to enjoy ourselves, not to get all worked up.”


    “Yeah, games like these don’t take much talent anyway. No reason to pack in like sardines. Let’s spread out a bit.”


    The man speaking now was a distant McCoy rtive, clearly angling to earn their favor. A smile yed on his lips as he waved his hand, encouraging the crowd to scatter.


    Joseph felt pleased with how smoothly everything was falling into ce. He was just about to suggest drinks and dancing when Dani’s voice sliced through the moment. “You lose and now you’re pretending it didn’t happen?”


    Just then, Carol and Cedric came back in from outside, a shawl draped over Carol’s arms for Dani. The moment they stepped in, they saw Damon snapping, charging straight at her.


    Without missing a beat, Cedric stepped forward, cing himself squarely between Damon and Dani.


    Damon scowled at Cedric, rage ring in his eyes. “Move! This doesn’t concern you. It’s between me and Dani!”


    Cedric met Damon’s re with icy calm. “If you’ve got something to say, say it to my face.”


    A flicker of fury danced in Damon’s eyes. He lifted his hand, poised to strike. “Fine, I’ll tell you…”


    But before he could get the words out, Cedric twisted,unching a swift over-the-shoulder throw. Damon mmed into the floor with a bone-jarring thud.


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    Damon mbered back up, hair tousled and fury ring—his dignity in tatters. He shot Cedric a venomous re. “Dani cheated! And now you hit me too? You people are disgusting!”


    Cedric didn’t flinch. “She cheated? She was mastering the dice long before you even knew what a wager was.”


    Damon reeled, the words striking him like a p.


    Carol, arms folded and smirking, scoffed. “Moron. Haven’t you figured it out yet? She’s Shim—the legendary gambler the world still whispers about.”


    The room froze in collective shock, silence hanging heavy in the air.


    Even those who never touched a dice knew the name Shim.


    Years ago, in a fabled, high-stakes match where lives hung in the bnce, Shim had imed the crown of the world’s greatest gambler—armed with nothing but her dice. But after that triumph, Shim disappeared like smoke, leaving behind only tales and legends. Yet even now, her legend burned bright, etched into the memories of all who had heard it.


    “You’re Shim?” Damon gawked at Dani, his thoughts spinning. “How can that—”


    Shim wasn’t just a name to him—she was his lifelong idol.


    “What proof do you have you’re actually Shim?” Damon tried to sound firm, but his quivering tone and shaken face gave him away.


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