Not Enough Money

Upon seeing how excited Vivien was, I was overcome by complicated emotions.

I didn't want Shane to lose miserably, but I didn't want Derek to lose money, either.

But a gambling table was similar to a battlefield, where there would always be winners and losers.

I now realized that I had made a mistake by sitting here today.

Before I could even show my cards, Shane lost his cool. He slammed his cards onto the table triumphantly. It was then that some onlookers exclaimed, "A nine! What a lucky man!"

"Damn it!" Louise cursed in a lowered voice, leaning back against her chair in frustration.

"What the fuck? How could that guy be so lucky?" Felix was not convinced, either.

At this moment, I barely had the courage to check my own set of cards.

"Go on," Derek softly muttered as he gave me a pat on the shoulder.

Cautiously, I turned over my first card. I wanted to cry when I saw it. Although I had no idea how to play this card game, I at least knew that a three was the worst anyone could get.

"Keep going." Derek was still as calm as ever.

My second card was still a three. I wanted to tear up when I saw it.

Shane could tell from my expression that my cards weren't good. Thus, he smirked at me with a smug look on his bastard face.

"Hurry up, Eveline! What are you waiting for?" Vivien urged me.

"Show them your cards," Derek said to me with a smile.

I took a deep breath, and gently turned over the third card. Not long after, I heard him chuckle.

When I tilted my head and saw the smile on his face, he stood up, took the cards from my hands, and threw them onto the table with finesse.

All of a sudden, the people around began to laugh and scream! Some of them even jumped around, and others thumped on the table. The onlookers became even more excited than the players, themselves.

My last card was another three. It wasn't until later that Derek told me that my hand was also a nine, but it was a greater form of nine than any other.

Louise breathed a sigh of relief, glancing at me with a smile. "Eve, I don't mind losing to your man."

Felix's mouth was left agape, causing the cigarette to drop from his mouth. It took him a while to regain composure and then he shortly burst into laughter.

"Damn it, Derek! Your woman has the luck of the gods. It seems that she has stacked up all her luck for the last round. You've won another three million dollars," he cursed.

Three… million dollars?! I was so surprised that I could not close my mouth.

Just one round had a wager of three million dollars?

Derek had sat down, with one arm casually placed on the back of my chair. It was as if he barely cared if he won or lost three million dollars.

The second I found out the result, I turned my attention to Shane. At this moment, his face had turned deathly pale. Vivien refused to believe what happened either. She grabbed my cards, staring at them over and over, until she finally sat back down unsteadily.

"Listen, handsome, I don't have that much money with me. Can I just give you an IOU note for now? Or perhaps… I can sleep with you to pay off my debt?"

Louise suggested.

Upon hearing her proposal, the men around us burst into laughter.

Derek licked his lips, grinning like an imp. He gently held me in his arms and said to Louise, "Since you're Eveline's friend, talking about money won't be appropriate. You can pay for your debt by treating us to dinner some other day."

I never expected that Derek would be so generous. In order to save face for me, his fake girlfriend, he generously gave up three million dollars like it was nothing.

At this point, I was becoming more and more confused and curious of his identity. Who on earth was Derek Sullivan?

Though he could waive what Louise owed him, I could tell that he had no intention of waiving the three million dollars that Shane owed.

Just as I had anticipated, Derek finally said, "Doctor Hayes, how would you like to pay me? A bank transfer or would you like to swipe your card now? The staff can help you out."

The second he said that, two employees in black suits came to Shane's side and bowed to him respectfully.

"This way, sir."

Shane's face turned red with anger. He grabbed the bank card he had thrown onto the table earlier with difficulty.

Although he had never let me be in charge of the management of his money, I knew how much money he had. I was certain that it wouldn't amount to three million dollars. At best, it had three hundred thousand dollars.

Meanwhile, Vivien could no longer act arrogantly. She probably knew Shane's background already

The audience's gazes and increasing whispers made Shane shrink down with embarrassment.

I stared at him, different from how the audience was looking at him. Then, I let out a sigh.

He didn't have to take part in this gamble in the first place, but he had already done it. Shane was no longer young and impulsive, and yet he still did something so childish. And now, he couldn't afford to pay for the consequences of his actions.

"Shane, do you even have three million dollars in that card?" Louise declared loudly, deliberately humiliating him.

Shane's face turned red as he held his card tightly. After a long time, he finally said through gritted teeth, "Can I write you an IOU note?"

Derek chuckled, slowly lighting another cigarette

"Shane, you really should know when to admit defeat. If you can't afford to lose, you shouldn't have participated. Since you wanted to play, you must have the courage and the ability to bear the consequences of doing so."

"The fuck? If you didn't have enough money, then why are you even playing here?" Felix cursed impolitely.

Louise smiled and said, "Shane, I have a suggestion. Use that woman by your side and tell her to sleep with another man, so you could pay for the debt you owe." Everyone laughed again.

Vivien was becoming flustered hearing all of this. She held Shane's hand as tight as she could, seemingly afraid that he would really whore her out to pay for the debt.

"Don't do it, Shane." "No?" Derek asked in a slightly loud voice. Then, he puffed out a smoke ring with a smile.

Though his question was simple, it had a deeper implication. It made me turn my gaze towards him with disbelief.