Chapter 217
“If I say we can get in, the Yates family will too,” Jessica said with a smirk. “Want to bet?”
“Name your bet!” Scarlett snapped, her temper flaring, nearly bringing Diablo to tears again.
Scarlett declared fiercely, “Brother, don’t be afraid! When they go hunting later, we’ll sabotage their efforts. If we can’t qualify, the Yates family won’t either! If it comes down to it, we’ll all face the consequences together!”
Jessica chuckled. “Interesting. Fifteen minutes, then–try and stop us if you can.” Grinning, longbow in hand, she turned to her team. “Let’s meet back here in fifteen. Loser buys tonight!”
“You’re on!” her team responded as one. With a united cry, the five riders dispersed, disappearing in the blink of an eye and leaving only swirling dust behind. Even the spectators were stunned into silence, wondering where they had gone – one moment there, the next, only dust.
“Hurry, after them! Stop them! I’ll make sure they return empty–handed! If I fall, they’re coming with me!” Scarlett, swinging onto her horse and screaming furiously, yelled, “I swear I’ll get even today! They’ll pay!” But despite her shouts, Scarlett didn’t move.
Diablo looked utterly defeated. “But… but where am I supposed to find them?” he asked. ‘They’ve completely disappeared! This hunting ground is enormous–how am I ever going to track them down?‘ He wondered, feeling lost.
Fifteen minutes later, the Shaffer family members straggled back, breathless from the pursuit, while the Yates family returned, all smiles and looking victorious.
Garbisch was on edge, caught between excitement and anxiety; Monica and Nolan, the backup team with two guards, had entered the hunting grounds intending to transport game, but with their masters focused on revenge, they’d spent most of the day simply idling.
Now, they were all stunned: Garbisch had taken down a monstrous wild boar, an intimidating beast in itself, but what game had the others managed to bag?
Karlie returned with two massive wild boars, while Alivia marched back, hauling a stag and two wild boars on her shoulders, and Leanna arrived with two wild deer draped across her horse and a wild boar slung over her shoulder.
Jessica escalated the situation dramatically by dragging back a black bear, but this only marked the edge of the “Beast Zone“-where did she even find the bear? Did she dare venture into the hazardous territory where wild beasts roam, and all in such a short time?
Leon’s expression darkened. ‘This woman truly has no fear of death,‘ he thought. ‘No one, not even the guards, has entered the core Beast Zone today. If something happens to her, who will protect her?‘
Waldo’s expression mirrored the grim situation as he thought, I had no idea Jessica was such an accomplished horsewoman and archer! Her speed is incredible–she completed everything in under fifteen minutes. How did she manage that?
‘Could a black bear have wandered into the outer perimeter, and she encountered it? Where did that bear even come from? Even experienced hunters would need fifteen minutes to reach the core zone and return, leaving no time to hunt. Did she stroll in and find it lying on the ground? That’s impossible!‘
Jessica surveyed the panting members of the Shaffer family, who had pursued her relentlessly, and erupted in laughter, nearly unseating herself. “Perish together? Just you lot? You’re a complete joke!”
Exasperated by Jessica’s antics, Monica internally facepalmed, dismayed. ‘What about your ladylike image? After cultivating such a refined and ladylike image for so long, were you really about to shatter it all in one day?‘ she thought.
Jessica was enjoying herself. With a flick of her wrist, she gestured towards Scarlett, saying, “Apologize to Leanna and recount every single detail of what happened this morning to everyone. After that, you have the next half hour to do whatever you wish. But if you refuse, the Shaffer family won’t even a sparrow today! Don’t think I’m serious? Test me!”
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