Chapter 36
Chapter 36
The new Gambling King couldn’t be more furious, thinking, ‘So Solar’s just straight up looking down on me, huh?”
So he went all in too, ignoring the looks from the people behind him.
Half an hour later, the new Gambling King lost. “This can’t be happening. No way. I want a rematch.”
“Sorry. We said from the start it was one round to decide it all. No regrets once the bet’s placed,” Cameron said.
Watching from a distance, Richard didn’t even look surprised. He turned and left without a second thought. There was really no point sticking around- he’d rather head back and hang out with Sharon instead.
With the match won, Sharon actually felt kind of bored. The opponent was way too weak. She realized that even after five years away, there still wasn’t any opponent worth her time.
She pulled off her wig, her long hair falling neatly down her back, and slipped right back into the look of an innocent, sweet girl.
Before long, Richard returned. He smiled at Sharon, “Come on, let’s go check out the place downstairs.”
Sharon, David, and Jannie followed him. The gaming floor was packed, everyone with chips in hand.
After Richard showed up, the people around them instinctively kept their distance, sneaking glances at them every now and then, whispering among themselves as they tried to guess who Sharon was.
Someone muttered, “Why’s Richard sticking to her like glue?”
Another said, “Whoa, did I see that right? Richard’s actually smiling so softly at a girl? Is that his girlfriend?”
Someone else added, “So Richard’s into cutesy girls, huh.”
While everyone was quietly gossiping, Richard suddenly looked up, his eyes cold as he swept his gaze over the crowd. “What the hell are you staring at? Never seen a pretty girl before? Keep gawking and I’ll dig your eyes out.”
He thought, ‘Shari’s kind, sweet, and pure as hell. These filthy looks are disgusting. They’re not allowed to look at her.‘
Richard switched from badass tough guy to overprotective brother in the blink of an eye, like it was second nature.
Sharon was already used to it, but her friends were starting to worry, wondering if Richard might actually be losing it.
“Shari, you wanna play a few rounds yourself? I’ll go with you,” Richard said as he led Sharon to the nearest table.
The random crowd hanging around scattered instantly, like they were being chased by wild dogs. They had no choice as they all caught that murderous
look in Richard’s eyes.
A curvy dealer swayed over and leaned close to Richard on purpose. “Mr. Vance, it’s been so long since you came looking for me.”
Sharon widened her innocent, pretty eyes, wondering, ‘Whoa, that’s a lot to unpack.‘
Richard stayed deadpan. “I don’t know you.”
He thought, ‘Shit, I swore I’d be a great big brother in front of Shari and set a good example for her.‘
The dealer pouted. “You don’t know me? That’s not what you said last time when we were in bed.”
Richard shoved her aside. “Somebody get this crazy woman outta here. I don’t wanna see her face again.”
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Before long, another woman showed up, her body just as smoking hot. Even Sharon couldn’t help sneaking a few glances.
Right then, Richard spake up again, “Swap her out too. What, you think I paid you to forget your clothes? Put some damn clothes on.”
He pondered, ‘No way I’m letting these women mess up Shari’s view of the world. Those girls showing up dressed like that is gonna be a bad influence on
her,
Soon, a man walked over and greeted respectfully, “Mr. Vance.”
“Yeah. Deal the cards. You know how to deal, right?” Richard said, practically about to blurt out what he was thinking.
He pondered, ‘This girl’s under my protection. You better deal carefully. If she loses because of you, you’re dead. This is my little sister we’re talking about. Of course I want her to win.”
Everyone around here was sharp enough to catch the drift immediately. Thanks to that, Sharon racked up a nice pile of chips. Even though she knew Richard was going easy on her, she was still thrilled.
But not everyone was happy about it–like the Pierce family, who had just lost a match and were being laughed at,
Nolan walked over with a sour face. “Well, well, so this is your type, Richard? Is she even legal?”
Richard said coldly, “Watch your mouth. She’s my sister. Say another word of that crap, and I’ll knock your front teeth out.”
“So this is the sister you found in some poor village, huh? She doesn’t look a damn thing like you guys,” Nolan remarked, his stare hostile and unsettling
Sharon hated that kind of look. She lifted her head and shot him a cold glance, her beautiful eyes sharp as blades, carrying a force that was impossible to ignore.
Nolan blinked, wondering, ‘Did I just imagine that? It had to be. No way a girl from some poor village could have that kind of presence. No way!
Then he turned to Richard. “Richard, wanna play a round? You seemed to get a good laugh earlier. How about we gamble too–the loser backs out. Are
you game or not?”
Richard raised an eyebrow. “What’s the game?”
Nolan said, “Poker. I heard you used to play with Wayne but lost. Guess you got some trauma from it, huh?”
Richard sneered, “Only one way to find out.”
Sharon glanced at Richard, a shadow crossing her eyes. Earlier, when the live bet was going on, she had caught a glimpse of Richard in that room. She wondered, ‘Could it be that Richard has a stake in this place too?‘
She took a step back, and David quietly said behind her, “Cameron said this place has three owners. Your brother’s one of them, along with that guy just
now.”
Sharon pondered, ‘Richard’s actually one of the owners here?‘
She cleared her throat and kept thinking, ‘If my friends hadn’t gotten into trouble back then, I would’ve tried to take over this place myself. I almost. made a move against Richard. Thank goodness I didn’t.‘
Sharon lowered her voice. “Help me look into it. What really happened when Richard played poker with Wayne?”
The group headed into a private room.
Richard’s expression was unreadable, but when he turned to look at Sharon, his voice was gentle. “I’ve got some stuff to deal with here. I’ll have someone show you guys around. Play whatever you want. Don’t worry about money.”
“Looks like the tables are about to turn. On my turf, no one gets to throw games,” Nolan said with a click of his tongue, his words begging for a punch, like he was sure Richard was about to lose.
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Sharon masked the dark glint in her eyes and answered sweetly. “It’s fine. I’ll just watch
Richard didn’t say no either. After all, this place was full of all sorts, and he had made plenty of enemies. He didn’t want to risk Sharon getting into trouble if she wandered off on her own.
The game started. Two players sat in as fillers. It was a four–person poker game, but in the end, only Richard and Nolan’s chips would be counted.
Sharon sat behind Richard, watching the game. Behind her, Jannie tapped her fingers on the table in a steady rhythm, using Morse code to communicate. “Boss, Richard did lose to Wayne before. Word is, he’s got terrible luck when it comes to poker,”
Sharon glanced at Richard’s cards. It wasn’t just bad luck—it was catastrophic. She thought, I’ve never seen anyone draw cards this horribly before.
In just half an hour, Richard’s stack had dwindled down to a single chip.
Nolan laughed smugly, clicking his tongue, “Still want one last round? Richard, looks like you really did lose back then. You lost your shot at inheriting the Vance family, and now you’re losing your share here too. How about betting your little sister next?”
Richard’s face turned cold. He was just about to snap when a petite hand pressed down on him. Sharon’s soft voice rang out. “Richard, let me handle this last round.”
Sharon was fiercely protective of her own. Showing off wasn’t really her thing, but if someone insisted on asking for it, like Nolan just did, that was on
them.
She thought, ‘Beating a nobody like him? Easy. Some people just don’t know when to quit. All I ever wanted was to be a sweet, innocent girl who needed. protecting.‘
