Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress novel Chapter 1485

Chapter 1485: Kidnapped in the middle of the night

At the after-party of the competition, eliminated players, finalists, organizers, and a few guests gathered to celebrate everyone’s efforts. Although only one team had taken home the grand prize, many attended just for the fun of it.

"Hey man, congrats on your win. It was well-deserved," someone from Team D said, offering a hive five to a member of Team A on the back. "That was one hell of a round."

"Haha!" The leader of Team A bumped fists with him. "You guys gave us a tough game. I almost broke my fingers in that last round."

Truth be told, the first game was probably the only match that really mattered. After all, breaking through the Fortress’s first layer of defense was nearly impossible. Perhaps, given weeks or even months of analysis, they might’ve left a dent in the system.

Still, luck played a huge role too. No one could tell if the other team could succeed in breaking through the Fortress’s first line of defense. And so, they gave it their all.

"Gotta admit, though — that damn X is really good for pulling off that stunt and managed to infiltrate Fortress," one of them chimed in. "We gave everything we had and still didn’t even scratch the surface."

"Same here. X is really on a whole different level."

"Just goes to show T. Mouse’s skills. Damn, that match was insane! It’s better than watching an e-sport game."

"Haha! That’s true."

Now that the competition had ended and a victor had been crowned, everyone was more relaxed. Any previous tension or rivalry had evaporated. After a grueling week of games, tonight was their chance to finally unwind. Hence, the players casually mingled and exchanged kind words.

"Honestly, even though we won, it kind of feels like that final battle between T. Mouse and X stole the whole show," another admitted. "Not complaining, though. It was exciting as hell."

"Hey, by the way, have any of Prime Group’s reps approached you yet?"

"I don’t think this is the right place to talk about that."

"Haha, fair. Just trying my luck—might start updating my resume after this!" _{freёwebnoѵel.com}

Initially, many had considered getting scouted by Prime Group as a backup plan. Most believed the company would reach out when the time came. But after witnessing the legendary clash between Penny and X, their perspective changed. Now, joining Prime Group wasn’t just a safety net — it was a goal.

Listening quietly from the sidelines, Nathaniel let out a long sigh. A few people had approached to congratulate him or acknowledge his efforts, but with his social awkwardness and lack of interest, they didn’t linger long. Now, he stood alone in a corner, simply observing.

’I’m glad it all worked out,’ he thought, relieved. ’But still... Penny hasn’t contacted me. When will she finally reach out?’

His expression darkened. There were things they needed to talk about—things he couldn’t keep bottling up.

"I shouldn’t think about that right now," he muttered, setting aside the untouched glass of wine he’d only been holding to blend in. "Might as well just sleep before I head out tomorrow."

With that, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and quietly slipped away from the party.

---

When Nathaniel reached his hotel room, another deep sigh escaped him as he collapsed face-down onto the bed. His stomach pressed into the mattress, his head turned to the side.

"Damn it," he grumbled. "I’ve been losing sleep because of her... and she’s just made a billion-dollar deal made from scrap. Not exactly the kind of thing they’ll be thrilled to hear."

’Help! No! Let me go!’ his mind screamed, but it was no use.

Shit.