Chapter 68
After they sat down in a corner, Francesca quickly whispered, “Lauren, that sneaky Bernard is clearly trying to drive a wedge between Mr. Thatcher and your family.”
Lauren shrugged. “Let him try. He’s a nobody. If not for Mr. Thatcher, I would’ve slapped him for talking about Andrew like that.”
Francesca turned to Andrew with disgust. “This is all because of you! Thanks to you, Mr. Thatcher probably doesn’t think highly of Lauren anymore!
“Is Mr. Thatcher’s approval really that important?” Andrew frowned.
Francesca sneered. “Are you actually this clueless or are you just pretending? He’s the mayor
of Jayrodale! Haven’t you noticed all those people waiting with expensive gifts just to curry his favors? One word from him can make or break someone’s fortune in this town.”
Lauren intervened, “Fran, stop it. The Rhodes family isn’t going to lose a connection over someone like Bernard.”
“If maintaining good relations with Mr. Thatcher is so important, I might have an idea,” Andrew suddenly commented.
“What idea?” Francesca scoffed, clearly doubting Andrew had anything worthwhile to contribute.
Before Andrew could elaborate, Harvey and Christina’s group of four approached the viewing deck. “Mr. Thatcher, it’s been too long!”
“Ah, Harvey, Jayrodale’s rising star! Now that you’re back home, I trust you’re ready to help contribute to our city’s growth,” Mark responded warmly.
“Absolutely, Mr. Thatcher. I’m always ready to serve our community…”
Watching Harvey’s easy rapport with Mark, Francesca glanced at Andrew and thought there was no comparison. She decided she needed to have a serious talk with her best friend about dumping Andrew.
The races reached their climax as Mark’s favored horse, Number Three, entered the track. People behind him were eager to stay in his good graces and placed their bets on Number Three with big money, making Mark beam with satisfaction.
“Dr. Lloyd, Fran, let’s join in the fun. Things will get more exciting with some bets involved,” Lauren suggested enthusiastically.
Caught up in Lauren’s excitement, Andrew casually scanned the ten horses and placed his bet on Number Seven.
“Look at this amateur trying to act like he knows something,” Dexter mocked from nearby.
Harvey chuckled condescendingly, “Andrew, Number Seven is a mixed breed. Can’t you tell
+26 BONUS
Chapter 68
that? Those horses are just field fillers.”
“Mr. Weller, Mr. Combs, why waste time on this nobody? Mark my words–Mr. Thatcher’s pick, Number Three, will take the crown!” Bernard chimed in with a smirk.
Everyone around eagerly agreed with Bernard, praising Mark’s judgment.
“Exactly! Mr. Thatcher’s got a sharp eye–Number Three is a guaranteed win!”
“I’ve
bet 30 thousand dollars following Mr. Thatcher’s pick. It’s always smart to stay close to someone as wise as him!”
With everyone’s praise, Mark’s smile only grew brighter.
“Come
Francesca nudged Lauren. on, let’s bet on Number Three too!“–
Lauren chuckled. “No way. I’m sticking with Dr. Lloyd and going for Number Seven!”
As the gates opened, all ten horses burst forward. Number Three took an early lead through the first half, seeming to confirm everyone’s predictions about Mark’s expertise.
However, in the second half, Number Seven surged from behind, overtaking Number There and charging toward the finish line. The crowd fell silent in shock as the underdog crossed the finish line first, with the favored Number Three coming in second.
Thanks to that bet, Andrew’turned his modest 15 thousand dollars into over 300 thousand dollars, walking away with an incredible win.
Chapter 69
