Chapter 3

I sat with Dane at the long table, the dealer shuffling and dealing cards beside us.

We were playing Three Card Brag—the game most notorious for cheating.

I glanced at the cards in my hand.

Two, seven, five.

Terrible.

If I played with this hand, I had zero chance of winning.

Across from me, Dane's grin made his fat jiggle uncontrollably, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"How about we raise the stakes a bit?"

I looked at him with interest, gesturing for him to continue.

"If you lose, not only does she stay here, but you'll also have your limbs broken and become a plaything for my boys. What do you say?"

I sneered and looked up at him.

"And if you lose, you'll get on your knees and apologize to her, then lick my shoes clean."

When that guy was beaten earlier, his nosebleed splattered on my shoes. They need to be cleaned thoroughly.

Everyone looked at me with disdain, while Melody turned deathly pale, collapsing to the ground in despair.

Dane flipped over two cards—a pair of Aces.

He lit a cigar, revealing his yellowed teeth, "If I'm not mistaken, you've got a lousy hand, not even close to a straight, right? How dare you bet against me?"

I took a deep breath, feigning nervousness.

Seven years ago, Draven was a notorious Card Sharp. He was caught cheating in my casino, and I cut off two of his fingers.

But at that time, he knelt on the ground begging me, saying he had orphans and a widow to support at home, so he had no choice but to resort to desperate measures.

I was young and kind-hearted then, so I kept him by my side and mentored him. Later, I even let him manage some of my businesses.

Little did I know, he secretly taught these underhanded tricks to his son.

Seeing no reaction from me, Dane directly flipped over the cards in front of him.

It was three Aces.

The highest three-of-a-kind possible.

He looked at me laughing, "Did you think you could still beat me? If you don't have the skills, don't try to play hero!"

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and show your cards!"

Everyone present started laughing with him, their eyes already imagining how miserable my fate would be in a moment.

Melody threw herself at me crying, hugging me and whispering in my ear:

"Eames, I love you. You must take care of yourself in the future, forget about me."

From the corner of my eye, I glimpsed a razor blade hidden in her sleeve.

She was planning to take Dane hostage and threaten him to let me go!

What a fool...

But her deep love for me truly touched my heart.

In her attempt to intervene, I gently restrained her hand, offering a reassuring glance before turning my attention to Dane.

"Who says I can't beat you?"

Dane let out a derisive snort.

"Are you fucking blind? I've shown my hand! I've got the highest straight flush, and you think you can win with that garbage hand of yours?"

"Let me tell you, none of you are leaving this room today!"

I couldn't help but chuckle.

Melody, tears streaming down her face, clutched my hand desperately.

"Have you lost your mind? You can't win against him! Run, now!"

I sighed, interlacing our fingers.

"Don't you know the rules of the casino? Nobody leaves until there's a winner."

"But I wasn't planning on leaving anyway."

"Because this hand, I'm the one who's going to win."

I turned over the two cards in front of me, one by one.

A 2 and a 5.

Dane wore an expression of smug certainty, crossing his legs and eyeing me with disdain.

"If you get on your knees and apologize now, I might consider having them use a sharper knife when they cut off your hand. Make it less painful for you."

I remained silent, simply smiling as I revealed my final card amidst the shocked stares of everyone present.

It was a 3.

2-3-5, the perfect counter to three Aces.