Five of hearts. The number was right in the middle again.Ivanka did not say anything and raised her hand. She was signaling them to show their cards too.Soon after, they then started to show their cards in clockwise order. The trio on the other end said nothing this time and just flipped their cards over.It was a three and a two respectively. Bert and the man’s other henchman were down for the count. But the moment the man at the head of the table flipped over his card, his eyes lit up. He was snickering with joy in his heart, because he opened a seven. It was a spade too!The man boldly pushed forward another stack of chips worth two hundred thousand dollars. He did not say anything but instead nodded at Michael. Michael ignored it and flipped his cards coldly. A ten! This round, the man’s additional chips went into Michael’s pocket, but the man was upset. “There are three of us and two of you. According to the odds of the cards being dealt out, it’s not fair.”
“Since we have new friends joining us, we can’t just follow the same rules as before…” “Why do you yap so much, woman?” Ivanka had just opened her mouth when Bert, who was beside the man, snapped at her very unpleasantly. He looked mean and fierce. Bam! Michael raised his foot and kicked Bert’s knee. Bert was caught off guard and instantly fell to his knees. “You’re just a lackey. Who are you to speak here?” Michael glared at him. He was totally looking down at him with disdain. When the man saw his lackey being kicked to the ground like this, and with so many eyes in the casino watching, the man felt that his pride had been insulted. “L-Look at you, mister. Why are you so hot-tempered? Casinos are all about fun, so most people here don’t like to drag their feet. They just start immediately!” Michael did not care to show the man any respect. “The man who’s dragging his feet seems to be from your side, right? He isn’t even the slightest bit observant. What’s the point
After saying that, the man placed a five-million-dollar bet before revealing his cards.He refused to believe that Michael and Ivanka could keep riding their streak of good luck!He flipped his cards.A nine of spades.The man raised the stakes by another five million.The seven remaining players only had a one-in-ten chance of beating him. He refused to believe anyone could draw a ten.Feeling confident, he arrogantly said, “Why don’t you both reveal your cards at the same time? Save us some time.”“Aren’t we supposed to go clockwise? Why are we changing the rules now? Can’t we play properly?” The masked man, clearly annoyed by the suggestion, voiced his displeasure.Before revealing his cards, the masked man casually tossed ten-million-dollars’ worth of chips onto the table.The onlookers were stunned.The man at the head of the table had already shown a nine of spades, and yet the masked man raised the bet to ten million before even flipping his cards. Was he just throwing
Ivanka pursed her lips.She was not afraid to drink, but she did not like the sharp scent of alcohol.It reminded her of the times when Michael would rather attend endless business dinners than come home to face her. It brought back memories of the vulnerable and downtrodden person she once was.As she prepared to decline politely, Michael stepped in and took the glass from the man. “She doesn’t drink. I’ll take this one for her.”Since Michael had said that, Ivanka could only manage an awkward smile.The man was not pleased, but he could not push the issue with so many eyes on them.If word got out that he was being petty at Kingzillion Casino and bullying a woman because he could not handle losing, his reputation would be in tatters.“All right, if you want to drink for Ms. Lane, that’s fine too. Here’s to you.As he said that, he raised his glass toward Michael before downing it in one go.Michael followed suit without hesitation.Meanwhile, the masked man crossed his arms
As soon as the man said those words, the onlookers turned the scene. They seemed more nervous than the three people at the table.However, in truth, the only one feeling nervous was the man.Michael and Ivanka had already won too much. If he lost again, it would not just be a blow to his pride, but his very life could be at risk.Therefore, the man was desperate to turn the tide.In contrast to his anxiousness and desperation, Ivanka and Michael remained calm and composed. Ivanka had already won a significant amount, so losing some of it would not matter. It was all winnings anyway.Michael’s true intentions were far from the game itself. His interest in the outcome of this gamble was secondary to the real reason he was here.However, right now, this game had not yet played out the way he intended.“Iv.”Michael’s sudden call caught Ivanka off guard. However, mindful of the audience, she quickly composed herself and suppressed her emotions. Even the man at the head of the tab
Michael coldly made his stance clear. At the same time, he told Ivanka to leave with him.Ivanka was a little stunned.Weren’t they supposed to keep going until they became public enemies? Was he really pulling back now?“Wait, you two lucky charms! We haven’t even had the chance to place our bets with you yet. Why are you leaving? Kingzillion Casino isn’t run by Jackie alone. If he can’t handle losing, others here can!”As Michael was about to lead Ivanka away, someone quickly stepped out from the crowd and tried to stop them.“Yes, stick around and share some of that good luck with us! Let us shake off the slump we’ve been in at Kingzillion Casino and finally get a win!”“That’s right!”...The crowd around Michael and Ivanka was filled with a mix of admiration and envy. Of course, they came out of their own accord to surround Michael and Ivanka because they were hoping to ride the wave of their fortune to win some money.After all, many of them had gambled away everything t
“Haha! Thanks to these two, I finally had a winning streak at Kingzillion Casino!”A voice suddenly erupted from the crowd and interrupted Ivanka’s train of thought.A plump man was waving his chips in the air. However, within seconds, people around him pulled him back.“You must be crazy. Their luck could just as easily turn around. Sure, we’ve won some money thanks to them, but we should quit while we’re ahead. Do you really think they’ll be able to leave Kingzillion Casino with all that cash?”The words hit the man like a cold splash of water and snapped him out of his euphoria.Ivanka, who was standing nearby, heard their conversation clearly despite their attempts to whisper.Soon, the onlookers began to disperse.Soon, the area around the table was almost empty. Only Ivanka, Michael, Evan, and Kingzillion Casino’s men remained.Bert, still seething from the kick Michael had given him and the forced apology by Jackie, made no effort to hide his disdain for Ivanka. The murd
“Turn around.”It was a command.It immediately put Michael on high alert.The sudden demand made Michael instinctively step forward and position himself in front of Ivanka.He did not know what the casino boss had in mind, but there was no way he was going to let anything happen to Ivanka right under his nose.“How may I address you, sir?”Michael pursed his lips and questioned as he attempted to divert the conversation.Ivanka understood what he was trying to do, but she could not help finding it ironic.He was being protective. She had never experienced this from him before. Why the sudden concern? “Sir, I apologize for my earlier staring. I meant no offense. I was just surprised that the owner of Kingzillion Casino is simply a middle-aged man.”Ivanka met the man’s eyes and calmly explained herself.The middle-aged man listened to Ivanka’s words and could not help but take a closer look at her.There was a flash of surprise in his eyes.Ivanka’s expression and feature
Ivanka understood everything just by looking at Stella’s expression.The drinks and pastries had to be the problem. The weakness and fatigue people were experiencing must have come from consuming them. She tested them with a test strip right away.As expected, they had been poisoned.She had not eaten anything, so she was fine. But she was unsure about Vincenzo, so she checked on him immediately. Thankfully, he was unharmed.Stella let out a deep breath.Before she could say anything, Vincenzo scolded her. “You ran back here and left Njord alone? Hurry up and get back there!”“Yes, Boss!”Stella responded quickly and ran off.Ivanka was about to speak when Michael and Evan rushed in.Michael looked anxious and was breathing heavily.Just like Stella, he was panicking.“Come here. Let me check.” Ivanka nodded at him. She knew how stubborn he was.Michael pursed his lips together and hesitated.But Ivanka had already stepped forward and checked on him. His pulse was weakenin
Vincenzo immediately noticed Michael putting some distance between them.It was not out of fear but respect for Vincenzo’s status. After all, he was Ivanka’s only family.Ivanka walked straight to Vincenzo without sparing Michael a glance.Michael could only stand there and watch her leave.Back at their spot, Vincenzo remained silent. Ivanka, however, felt uneasy.She had only gone to the restroom and had not expected to run into Michael.After some thought, she decided to explain.“Uncle, I didn’t go looking for him.”“You don’t need to explain. Even if you did, that’s your choice. I’ve said what I needed to. The decision is yours.”His tone was calm, but to Ivanka, it sounded like he was upset.She wanted to say more, but Vincenzo spoke first. “Don’t blame yourself. I’m not angry. Once the banquet is over, take a few days to rest. Then we’ll head out.”“Alright.”Since he had already said that, there was nothing more to say.Caeser had hosted the banquet to trigger inte
Ivanka saw the grin on Michael’s face and immediately let go of his arm. Her expression darkened with displeasure.Michael looked like he was enjoying her frustration.“I’m not,” he denied at once, quickly adding, “I’m happy because you pulled me away. It shows you care.”Ivanka was speechless.She looked at his smiling face and shook her head. “I just didn’t want you getting into a fight with Mr. George right now. If something happened to you while I was there, I couldn’t just leave. And if I didn’t, that would make me responsible for you.”Michael frowned. “Do you really think I’m that useless?”He had fought Mr. George before and never even saw him as a threat. There was no way someone like that could take him down.“That’s not the point. Mr. George isn’t alone, but you are. This isn’t your territory, Michael. And don’t forget, the drug in your system hasn’t fully cleared, and your gunshot wound—”He cut her off before she could finish.“That injury was a long time ago. I’m
Ivanka had never revealed her identity as Violet Cress. How did Mr. George figure it out just from her treating Caeser?“Mr. Ali, I only gave Mr. Hicks a few herbal prescriptions. It was nothing special.”“Caeser has plenty of skilled doctors, yet none of them could fix his condition. You did so effortlessly. That says a lot. Anyone who can earn his trust must be exceptionally capable. Ms. Ivanka, the Ganoderma Nebula is not something just anyone can use properly, nor does everyone have your level of confidence.”At first, Mr. George had not suspected anything. But after learning about the legendary medical expert, Violet Cress, he started making connections. She was well known by reputation, yet no one had ever seen her face. He had looked into her background and found that she was probably not elderly.There was also the Ganoderma Nebula.So, he made an educated guess.Looking at Ivanka’s calm reaction, he was even more convinced. When he first mentioned it, there had been a fl
A teasing voice broke the moment, interrupting Ivanka and Michael.They turned to look.Standing before them was none other than Mr. George. It had been a while since they last saw him.Michael narrowed his eyes. He had not expected him to show up at Caeser’s banquet.“What? Didn’t learn your lesson last time?” His tone was cold and sharp.As he spoke, he stepped forward. He simultaneously shielded Ivanka behind him.They knew they were in Mirvania, and Vincenzo was nearby. No matter what Mr. George was planning, he would not dare make a move under Vincenzo’s watch.Still, Michael’s reaction was instinctive.“No hard feelings, right? Isn’t this how friendships start?” Mr. George replied indifferently. He stepped to the side and looked at Ivanka.“Friends?” Ivanka let out a sharp laugh. “Be honest, Mr. George. Do you really think we could ever be friends?”She had taken the Ganoderma Nebula. He had tried to steal it by sending his men. She had turned five of them against him a
Ivanka tried to step aside, but Michael blocked her path.The acrid smell of smoke hit her.She instinctively covered her nose and mouth.Michael saw her reaction and put out his cigarette.“If I talk through a third party and they can’t get my point across to my subordinates, wouldn’t it be better to handle it myself?”Ivanka frowned. “Is this really the time to talk about this?”She thought about pushing him away, but she decided against it.“I know it’s not. I also know you did all that to make me give up. But I won’t. It will just hurt.”His voice was hoarse and tinged with sorrow.He looked heartbroken.If this had been before, she might have felt bad for him. But at that moment, she felt nothing. She said calmly, “That’s your problem, not mine. If you want to keep getting knocked out and run around like this, be my guest.”She stepped forward and pulled out her phone.Michael knew exactly what she meant. If he kept blocking her way, she would call Njord, Stella, and t
“Alright, go back to the casino and wait for my order.”The fight between Tanya and Blake had revealed how fragile their relationship was. If Tanya thought the stranger she met at the party was reliable, she would try to leave Blake.She would have thought that she had gotten her freedom. But in fact, it was just another circle of hell awaiting her.By then, Tanya would suffer a worse fate than death.That was what Ivanka wanted to see.After all, Tanya had disguised herself as Ivanka and put a stain on her reputation for a time. Moreover, Tanya was still planning to come after her and Michael.Ivanka would not intervene in the feud between Tanya and Michael, but since she had run into Tanya at the party, she would like to settle the score between her and Tanya.“That’s your plan?”As Ivanka hung up, Vincent could not help frowning.He knew what she was up to when she had asked Njord to assign the job to a man.But the progress was too slow!Ivanka nodded with a smile. “Yeah
Tanya was not a fool.Seeing Tanya’s reaction, the man smiled calmly and said, “Seriously? He’s just your boyfriend. He can’t possibly stop you from making friends, right?”Tanya ignored him and kept walking.She reached a junction and took out her phone to book a ride. But the Hicks family’s mansion was on the hillside. Moreover, Caeser had contacted the Ministry of Transport to impose traffic control in the area. Apart from those who attended the party, no one else’s vehicle was allowed to enter.Seeing that there was not a single car around, Tanya had no choice but to walk down the hill.Blake had told her to get lost, so she would not go back to the mansion to ask for his help.She walked for about five minutes. High heels were not made for long-distance walks, and she was in a long evening gown. She held a little purse that contained her phone, lipstick, a small packet of tissues, and nothing else. Worse still, she could not tear off the long hem of her gown.Tanya had no c
What Blake said struck a chord with Tanya.Her expression was cold, and the look in her eyes was vicious.She did not even love Blake, so everything he did had nothing to do with her. She did not care if he was involved with other women.“Do you have anything else to say? I don’t think I need to be at this party for long.” Tanya averted her gaze so that she did not have to look Blake in the eye.She had made her point clear. If he did not need her around, she would take her leave for the night.Naturally, Blake knew what she meant to say.“Get lost then!”He yelled at Tanya right away. She did not even spare him a look before lifting the hem of her dress, turning around, and walking away.Blake’s voice was filled with disgust, hatred, and rage. But Tanya could not care less about how he felt.She had come to the party with Blake, who arranged their ride. The Hicks, who organized this party, had prepared a parking lot for the guests. There were cars arranged neatly across the p