[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-four-of-a-kind":3,"chapter-four-of-a-kind-four-of-a-kind-chapter-154":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Four Of A Kind",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1529848,1985,"Chapter 154: [3.56] I Lied","four-of-a-kind-chapter-154",154,"\u003Cp>\"What? No! Shut up!\" Cassidy’s ears were practically glowing. \"I just think it’s stupid to change the rules in the middle of the game!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You literally just changed teams.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s different!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because...\" Cassidy struggled for words. \"Because it is!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I cleared my throat. \"Your turn, Sabrina.\" I nodded to the pile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sabrina played a yellow three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassidy followed with a yellow six.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My turn. I had one yellow card left – a yellow four. I played it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uno!\" Cassidy announced triumphantly, holding up her final card.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sabrina’s eyes narrowed. \"Don’t get cocky.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She played a yellow skip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My turn got skipped. Back to Cassidy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassidy’s hand hovered over her last card. Victory was one move away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait,\" Sabrina said. \"Before you play, let me ask you something, Cass.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassidy paused. \"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This morning, when you were texting Isaiah about the photos. What did you tell him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassidy’s face went blank. \"Nothing important.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Really? Because you seemed quite... invested in those photos. Especially the ones from the ice cream shop with Harlow.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tensed. This was a distraction technique. Classic Sabrina.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I told him the photos were fine,\" Cassidy said, avoiding eye contact. \"That’s all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm. Interesting.\" Sabrina tapped her remaining cards against the table. \"Because Harlow told me you said something else. Something about sharks circling bait?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassidy’s eyes widened. Her hand with the final card trembled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s... that’s not...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What did you mean by that, Cass? What sharks? What bait?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassidy looked at me, then quickly away. \"Nothing. It doesn’t matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think it does. I think you’ve been planning something.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cassidy,\" I interrupted, \"it’s still your turn. Play your card.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassidy looked at her final card like it might bite her. \"I...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Play the card,\" I said firmly. \"Don’t let her distract you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sabrina smiled. \"Yes, Cass. Play your card. Show us what you’ve been hiding.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassidy’s face went through a series of expressions – panic, resolve, defiance, then finally, resignation. She placed her final card face down on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can’t play,\" she said quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean, you can’t play?\" I frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I mean I don’t have a match. I have to draw.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sabrina’s smile widened. \"How unfortunate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassidy drew a card from the pile, her victory evaporating. Her shoulders slumped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My turn now. I had four cards left: a red seven, a green seven, a wild card, and a draw four. The top card was a yellow skip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t play on yellow. But I could change the color.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I played my wild card. \"Red.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sabrina played a red four.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassidy, now with two cards, played a red reverse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The order flipped again. Now it went from Sabrina to me to Cassidy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sabrina played a red 9.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My turn. I played my red seven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassidy played her final card – a red five.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uno out,\" she said, voice flat. \"I win.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sabrina stared at the pile in disbelief. \"That’s impossible. You said you couldn’t play last turn.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I lied,\" Cassidy said, smirking. \"Isaiah taught me about bluffing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I did no such thing, but I wasn’t about to correct her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sabrina’s eyes narrowed to slits. \"You cheated.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I played strategically,\" Cassidy countered. \"House rules.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sabrina looked at me. \"Did you know she was going to do that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shrugged. \"I suspected. But you two know each other better than I know either of you. I was just playing the odds.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The odds.\" Sabrina repeated the words like they tasted strange. \"You turned this game into a probability calculation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn’t that what you did?\" I raised an eyebrow. \"You were counting cards from the beginning. Tracking our hands. Reading our faces.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small, genuine smile crept across Sabrina’s face. \"You noticed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m not an idiot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No. You’re not.\" She gathered the cards, shuffling them back into the deck with expert motions. \"Well played, both of you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassidy was practically bouncing in her seat. \"So no studying today? We can just hang out?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That was the deal,\" I confirmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sweet!\" She pumped her fist. \"I’m thinking video games. Or the tennis courts. Or maybe we could—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Actually,\" Sabrina interrupted, standing up, \"I believe I promised to help you study if you won.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassidy’s face fell. \"But... but we said no studying today! That was the whole point!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, we said no studying with Isaiah today. You still have a test Friday, and we agreed I’d help you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassidy looked like she might explode. \"That’s not fair!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Life rarely is.\" Sabrina tucked the UNO deck into her skirt pocket. \"Isaiah can go home early. I’ll handle your test prep.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I opened my mouth to protest, but Sabrina held up a hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ve been looking exhausted all day. Whatever happened with your phone has clearly drained you. Go home. Rest. We’ll see you tomorrow.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t a suggestion. It was a command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassidy looked between us, conflict clear on her face. \"But...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s fine,\" I said, standing up. \"Sabrina’s right. I’m not at my best today.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But you promised we’d hang out,\" Cassidy said, her voice smaller than I’d ever heard it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Rain check,\" I offered. \"After you ace your test on Friday.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes lit up slightly. \"Promise?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Promise.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sabrina watched this exchange with unreadable eyes. \"I’ll walk you out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we left the library, I glanced back at Cassidy. She was already opening her textbook, a determined look on her face. Whatever Sabrina had planned for her study session, Cassidy wasn’t fighting it anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She’ll be fine,\" Sabrina said quietly as we walked. \"I’m actually a very good tutor when I want to be.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I believe it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sabrina stopped halfway down the hall. \"Isaiah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The next time someone tries to contact you that you don’t want to speak to, you can come here. I’m always willing to listen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared at her. How did she know so much? How did she always know?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you,\" I said finally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s nothing.\" She turned to go, then paused. \"Just one more thing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My invitation stands. The Botany Garden exhibit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I could respond, she was gone, gliding back toward the library like a ghost.\u003C\u002Fp>",1020,"2026-06-06T06:03:59.990Z",1,"novelbin.me","daa878d997d74e184325ec12124d09147b51fef1096ed85655e68e0f6333acd8","four-of-a-kind-chapter-155","four-of-a-kind-chapter-153",251,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ffour-of-a-kind-cover.jpg"]