Chapter 3

With all three players committed, the dealer dealt the third cards.

They landed faceup.

Julian received the jack of spades. Together with his jack of diamonds, that gave him a pair of jacks—the strongest exposed hand at the table.

Victoria received the eight of hearts. With her exposed ten of hearts, she had the beginnings of a possible straight flush.

I received only the three of diamonds. Beside my ace of spades, it looked scattered and weak. I still held the highest single card, but my prospects seemed far worse than theirs.

In an instant, the balance had reversed.

The dealer gestured toward Julian.

“A pair of jacks is currently the strongest exposed hand. Mr. Hayes, you may bet or fold.”

Color rushed back into Julian’s face.

He glanced at the pathetic three in front of me and nearly laughed out loud.

Then the insults began.

“An idiot’s always an idiot. Did you think getting an ace meant you’d win?”

“No wonder Dad doesn’t like you.”

He lifted his chin and gave me a vicious look.

“Adrian, since you love raising the stakes, let’s make this simple.”

“I’ll wager every piece of clothing I’m wearing against yours. The loser strips naked and crawls all the way around this banquet hall. Let everyone see exactly what you look like with nothing on!”

“Do you dare call?”

Under the crowd’s burning stares, I lowered my head and said nothing. My shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly. I looked too humiliated to speak—or perhaps utterly terrified. My face was pale.

Victoria had been watching my apparent collapse without a trace of sympathy.

But a shift in the chandelier’s light caught my lowered face, and something about my eyes suddenly seemed familiar.

Something stirred in her, and she spoke before she could stop herself.

“Adrian, if you fold now, I’ll let you keep the three percent in the waterfront project out of respect for your grandfather.”

“But our engagement ends. And you’ll get down on your knees in front of everyone, bow your head, and apologize to Julian and me!”

“Then we can consider this settled.”

Victoria leaned back in her chair, her tone gracious, as though she were offering charity.

“Think carefully before you answer.”

A frightened silence fell over the hall. Everyone assumed I would take the escape she’d offered.

But she had misunderstood.

My shoulders weren’t shaking from fear or humiliation.

They were shaking with excitement.

It had been years since I’d met an idiot like Julian—someone willing to place his own fatal weakness directly in my hands.

I slowly raised my head.

Once again, I ran through every possible outcome at the table and confirmed the inevitable result.

Good. Not a single loose end.

“I call.”

The words rang out.

Everyone looked stunned, including Victoria and Julian.

Victoria sneered openly.

“You really have a death wish.”

I didn’t care. Watching her dark expression, I spoke with amusement.

“Miss Sterling, I’ve made my bet.”

“Since you want me on my knees apologizing, let’s wager that too. If I win, you stop using your supposed love for your mentor as an excuse to find trash like Julian and turn him into a stand-in. It’s disgusting.”

“That isn’t gratitude. It’s revenge.”

The moment I questioned her feelings for her mentor, Victoria flew into a humiliated rage.

Her eyes blazed as she snapped:

“Shut up! What do you know?”

“You have no idea how I feel about my mentor. You’re an outsider. Who gave you the right to comment?”

Her chest heaved with anger. Abandoning all restraint, she fixed me with a venomous stare.

“Fine. Very good!”

“Since you refuse to appreciate my generosity, Adrian, don’t blame me for showing no mercy!”

She whipped toward the dealer, speaking through clenched teeth.

“I call!”

“Deal the fourth cards!”