"The fourth question is: What is Miss Burt’s favorite thing?"
"Bags! It must be bags. There’s no woman who doesn’t love them."
"I bet on cosmetics. Who doesn’t know that Miss Burt adores beauty?"
After the round of guesses, I raised my hand.
"Adam."
The man’s smile froze, his expression tightening. The room fell into an uneasy silence.
The next moment, everyone burst out laughing.
"Are you out of your mind? The question was about Miss Burt’s likes, not Adam!"
"Caitlin, have you gone mad from losing? Don’t blame us if you lose your arm over this."
I simply stared at the host.
"Please announce the answer."
The host hesitated, then smiled awkwardly.
"Congratulations, Miss Nolan, the answer is correct!"
The crowd erupted in shock.
"Damn, Adam spoils his wife this much? Who could have guessed that?"
"Right, he even said it was a thing for himself. That’s just too crazy."
"A blind cat stumbles upon a dead mouse! Caitlin got lucky this round, but don’t worry—there’s no way she’s getting out of here alive tonight!"
Just as I let out a breath of relief, the host spoke again.
"But even with this win, the stakes are only rising."
"This time, it’s your heart."
The audience cheered wildly.
"Adam is incredible!"
"If someone dies, the twenty jars I just won will be voided. Why not divide them among us all!"
The host turned to me, uncertainty in his gaze.
"Miss Nolan, do you want to continue? If you lose this round, the chips from the previous game will also be forfeited."
"Continue."
The murmurs around me grew louder.
"Has this woman lost her mind? She’s willing to sacrifice her life for twenty jars of ashes?"
"Does she have some trick up her sleeve? I heard the Dark Magic Guild can tell fortunes, but only once a year. Is she going to cheat?"
Amid the chatter, the host asked the final question.
"The finale: When was Miss Burt’s first night, accurate to the minute?"
The room fell silent. All eyes turned to me.
I simply shook my head.
"I don’t know the answer to this question."
Adam smiled, and Janelle playfully punched him in the chest.
"How do you remember it so clearly? It’s so annoying."
Laughter echoed throughout the hall.
"I admit it, I lost to Adam! Is Caitlin here just to mock me?"
"I was really tricked by her. What’s wrong with me? At least I could guess the answer."
"If you don’t want to die, just jump into the sea. Don’t make Adam dirty his hands."
The bodyguards began to approach, their presence chilling. The host kept his fake smile, barely concealing his amusement.
"Miss Nolan, I’m sorry. You lost this round. Now we must fulfill the bet. Please cooperate."
As the blade neared, I laughed coldly.
"Who says I lost?"
"The game isn’t over yet, is it?"
The crowd groaned, their patience running out, and they cursed simultaneously.
"You said you don’t know the answer. Why are you still pretending?"
"Get it over with. It’s bad luck to watch this."
"If you don’t want to die, kneel and beg us. Tell us you’ll sleep with us tonight, and maybe Adam will let you live a few more days."
I pushed the man's hand away.
In the next moment, the wooden hairpin appeared before me, floating in mid-air. A flash of golden light surrounded Adam and me, and the searing pain in my soul caused me to scream in agony.
Adam’s face drained of color, his voice strangled.
"How could this happen?"
