Chapter 3- good luck

"...give up the pack!" 

Martin smirked devilishly, his eyes darkening with intensity. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "What? Planning to return to Silver Moon Pack?" 

Waldo's thin lips curled into a subtle smile, his posture lazy as he leaned back in his chair. He spoke languidly, "If I go back... I won't just want the pack. I'll want..." 

Suddenly, Waldo's gaze turned icy, his previously mischievous face now exuding the bloodthirsty intensity of a predator, his lips curling into a ghostly, wicked grin. Slowly, he continued, "...Silver Moon Pack's Alpha." 

Martin lowered his head and chuckled, his eyes darkening. His expression was filled with arrogant defiance as he said, "Since you want to play... then have it your way!" 

Waldo's eyes, filled with the wisdom of the deep ocean, studied Martin. This man, who was only three years younger than him, had long shed his youthful arrogance. Now, he had become a predator, a snow wolf ready to pounce at any moment. 

Perhaps, the only thing that mattered to them both was Cecilia. The power... for them, it was far too easy to obtain. 

"You're the guest, so how we play... it's up to you!" Waldo's voice betrayed no real emotion. He casually picked up the glass of red wine the waiter had just placed in front of him, taking a slow sip. The wine's subtle fragrance spread across his mouth, while the smile on his lips grew even more sinister. 

"A single... higher than yours!" 

Waldo didn't respond directly but merely deepened his gaze, his eyes growing darker. They weren't gambling kings—what mattered here was the sharpness of their eyes and the luck they held. "My luck has always been good." 

"I don't think I'm too bad either..." Martin shrugged, his earlier tension completely gone, replaced by confidence. 

Waldo tilted his chin slightly, and the dealer, understanding, nodded. He opened a fresh deck of cards, removing the jokers, and began shuffling. 

"Would you like to cut the deck?" the dealer asked, placing the shuffled cards in his palm as he looked to both Waldo and Martin for confirmation. 

In an instant, Martin's lips curled upward, and with lightning speed, he grabbed a chip and tossed it toward the dealer's elbow. A pained grunt escaped the dealer as the chip hit its mark. At the same moment, the cards flew from the dealer's hands into the air, fluttering down like a shower of falling leaves. 

Neither Waldo nor Martin moved. They merely exchanged smiles, eyes locked on each other. Then, almost simultaneously, both reached forward and grabbed a card from the pile...

Waldo's lips curved into a sly smile as he suddenly hurled the card he had just grabbed, sending it flying directly into another card. The force of the impact caused him to knock the card straight into Martin's hand. At the same moment, he swiftly flipped his hand, deftly pinching the card Martin had been reaching for between his fingers.

It all happened so quickly that Martin couldn't respond in time.

"It seems... I'm having some good luck!" Waldo's smile deepened as he slowly turned over his card, revealing the Ace of Spades.

Martin didn't even glance at his own card, muttering with a hint of frustration, "You really couldn't have let me win this one?"

"You know, when it comes to her... I won't hold back," Waldo casually tossed his card onto the table, his eyes gleaming with a faint smirk. "Martin, she... is mine."

"Is she?" Martin showed no signs of defeat, only a wicked grin in his eyes as he spoke slowly. "Cecilia... she should already be at the airport by now."

Waldo's face darkened instantly. He looked at Martin, who wasn't joking, and anger flashed in his eyes. He growled lowly, "Did she make you hold me back?!"

Martin didn't respond, only offering a wicked smile.

"Very well!" Waldo's lips twitched as his eyes darkened with a bloodthirsty coldness. Without another word, he turned and headed for the door.

Martin, still toying with his card, watched Waldo's retreating figure disappear through the door. He muttered to himself, "Waldo, what to do... I'm starting to enjoy seeing you angry..."

As his words faded, Martin furrowed his brow, a complex mix of emotions swirling in his eyes.

The car sped through the night, the snowflakes gradually growing larger, blurring the view for everyone.

Waldo's lips were pressed tightly together, and his narrow eyes narrowed even further, exuding a strange, ominous air as if a storm were about to break.

"Stop!"

Suddenly, the deep, fury-laden words slipped from Waldo's cold lips.

Greg glanced at him through the rearview mirror. Though unsure of the reason, he slowly began to decelerate and pulled the car to the side of the road.

Waldo got out of the car and stood by the highway railing, his gaze intense and deep as he stared ahead... towards the direction of the Red Moon Pack's airport.

The wind howled, rustling his coat, and lifted his rebellious short hair, revealing his dark, wolf-like eyes that gleamed like black crystal.

The snow was falling heavier now, becoming a blizzard in the deep winter night, biting with bone-chilling cold.

Waldo stood there, as if oblivious to the cold, letting the snowflakes cover his body. To Greg, this sight only evoked a sense of helplessness, and nothing more.

A soft "ding" broke the silence of the night, making the air feel momentarily suspended, as though time had slowed.

Waldo withdrew his gaze and took out his phone. His fingers slid across the screen to open a message...

"Love has never been the focus of my life... Waldo, forget me." 

Cecilia

Waldo's gaze lingered on the brief message under the dim light. His lips curled into a self-mocking smile as he stared at the phone, as though he could somehow see through it and imagine the expression on Cecilia's face when she sent those words.

The grip on the phone tightened, and a "crack" echoed as his bones shifted, his teeth gritted together. His sharp wolf-like eyes narrowed, the darkness within them thickening with frustration and anger.

Minutes passed, and slowly, his hand loosened its hold on the phone. The storm that clouded his face gradually dissipated, leaving only the cold, devil-may-care expression he wore so well.

He cast one more glance toward the airport, then silently turned and got back into the car. With a calm tone, he simply said, "Go back."

"Yes, sir!" Greg responded, noticing the chill emanating from Waldo as he looked through the rearview mirror. He started the engine, turning the car around to head back to the pack.

The night grew deeper, and the snow showed no signs of stopping, blanketing the ground with at least ten centimeters. The roads became emptier, and yet, inside Flank Casino, the noise grew louder—shouts and cheers mixed with the sounds of anger and despair.

Regina watched as security dragged out several troublemakers, sighing quietly. A wave of irony washed over her.

Her father, addicted to gambling and deep in debt, her mother, now sick from working hard to repay those debts... and now Regina found herself here, working at the casino to pay for her mother's medical bills and her brother's tuition.

She smiled bitterly, and the smile faded as exhaustion replaced it. She walked toward the chip exchange area to turn in the tips she had earned that night.

"Nice haul today!" Nelson commented, eyeing the different colored chips. "You've got 1340!"

Regina took the cash Nelson handed her, forcing a smile. "I'll bring you some late-night snacks tomorrow."

"Thanks!"

"I'll head out now. Bye!" Regina stuffed the money into her pocket, exchanged shifts with the next worker in the changing room, and left the casino.

A gust of cold wind mixed with falling snow hit her as she stepped outside. She shivered but smiled at the snowflakes swirling around her. She opened her palm to catch the delicate crystals, watching them melt in the streetlight as her smile deepened, her eyes lighting up with quiet joy.

Life wasn't so bad. At least the money she earned from working here covered her mother's medical bills and her brother's tuition—wasn't that enough?

Suddenly, her phone rang. She paused for a moment before reaching into her bag to pull it out. Seeing a call from an unfamiliar luxury number, she furrowed her brow. "Hello?"

"Is this Regina?" The voice on the other end was unmistakably unpleasant, sending an uncomfortable chill through her.

Regina's brow furrowed even deeper as she asked in confusion, "Who are you...?"

The man's cold voice responded, "If you don't want your father to die, get to the warehouse bar in thirty minutes."

He paused, his tone darkening. "Remember, I don't have much patience for waiting."

"Ah—!"

The moment the man's words fell, a sharp scream echoed through the phone, and Regina's pupils widened in shock. Her face was filled with worry as she screamed into the phone, "What have you done to my father...?! Hello? Hello?!"

The dial tone of the hang-up beeped sharply in her ear, making her even more anxious. Her mind raced with fear, but there was no time to waste. Without thinking further, she rushed to hail a taxi, nearly jumping into the backseat as she shouted, "Driver, take me to the Warehouse Bar!"