She recalled the amusing scene from earlier and, now, observing the sluggish fish, couldn't resist kicking a pebble into the water. With a splash, the plump fish jerked in alarm, its tail nearly swatting the nearby small koi.Cordelia's eyelid twitched. How much did this impulsive act resemble her mischievous grandson?Stella realized the effect of her action and quickly withdrew her foot guiltily, mustering a smile as she called out, “Grandma."Coco bounded over, clutching onto Stella's leg and chirping, "Stella, why did you take so long to come? I missed you~"Stella tousled the little girl's soft hair and said gently, "I bought you some little gifts, which took a bit of time."At the mention of gifts, Coco's eyes sparkled. She tugged at Stella's sleeve, eager to leave with her."Go with this big brother first. Great-Grandma and I need to talk for a bit."Coco obediently nodded and was led away by Samuel.Once the child was out of earshot, Cordelia inquired, “What did you two
The Crosby family had been declining ever since Dahlia tied the knot. The Crosby siblings, all looks and no brains, would have disappeared from high society long ago if not for the support of the Kane family in recent years.After Keegan cut ties with Dahlia, who was using Cordelia's name to manipulate and deceive for her brother's business, the already struggling company took a further nosedive.But Blake's wife running off with the money? Stella wasn't buying it.They hadn't even gotten a divorce, so where could she possibly run off to with two children in tow? If she was going to leave, why not do it when Blake had money? Without money, where could she possibly go?And Keegan's aunt wasn't that naive.Blake was a gambler, blowing through half of the Crosby family's fortune despite his good looks and respectable background. None of the well-mannered girls wanted to marry a gambler like him.Blake's wife, Kanrara Kent, was introduced to him by someone from the Crosby family. She
Dahlia quietly slipped money to Blake to get him on her side.Quitting gambling was just like quitting drugs. You might manage to stay clean for a while, but one slip and it was tough to regain control.Blake found himself drawn back to the casino, while Kanrara, juggling the care of two kids, had little energy left to oversee him or the company. Just as things were looking up for the company, it teetered on the edge of collapse. Coincidentally, Keegan had already taken charge at the Vinci Rivera Group, and Dahlia began leveraging the Kane family's name to collaborate with Blake.Kanrara shifted her focus to the kids' education, neglecting company matters. Blake gambled recklessly. Even though Kanrara held the purse strings, the money he squandered was all supplied by Dahlia.Recently, Marshall mentioned their impending divorce, apparently triggered by Blake's affair and asset transfers.Later, Stella discussed this with Keegan. He opined that since Kanrara managed the finances, B
Stella grinned, took a sip from her thermos, and remarked, "This is the last time. Keegan's got big dreams, and I won't let Dahlia mess them up."After passing through Blake's hands, ten million came up two million short. There was only one explanation: this guy was still hitting the tables.Stella's hunch was spot-on; Blake had indeed returned to his old gambling habits.Blake was already a regular at the casino, despite being banned before. But in this world, rules and boundaries hardly mattered. If you had the cash, doors swung wide open.Getting into an underground casino wasn't easy; usually, you needed an introduction from someone in the know and had to go through a few hoops blindfolded. But with Vermont leading the way, Stella, a newcomer, got in without a hitch.Vermont was bold, ambitious, and loved a good gamble. In his younger days, he rubbed shoulders with all kinds of people and was introduced to the world of gambling by his pals.There were no guaranteed winners in
Stella furrowed her brow, "Weren't you boasting about your dice-rolling skills?"Vermont replied, "Yeah, but they don't let you roll your own dice at the casino."Stella was speechless."It's all mind games, plus..." Vermont lowered his voice, "a bit of cheating. You just have to play the part. Even a gambling pro would have problems if they depend on just gambling skills."He paused, then whispered, "Here he comes."Following his gaze, Stella spotted a man of average build with his hands behind his back, surveying each gambling table.Vermont gestured for her to stay quiet and led her straight to the high-stakes game.To lure Blake over, Vermont splurged. After losing three consecutive rounds, his one million chips quickly disappeared, drawing more onlookers. Eventually, Blake approached.Stella felt a bit nervous, but Vermont remained composed. He adjusted his cufflinks, chuckled, and said, "Luck's not on my side today."One of the onlookers chuckled, "Is this your first tim
When you think you're about to hit the jackpot at the casino, that's when you've already lost.You might aim to profit, but there's always someone else aiming to profit off you.Blake, a fixture at the casino for decades, had long been seduced by the promises of wealth and luxury. Yet, anyone with a sense to call it quits wouldn't still be gambling after so many years, ending up nothing but a gambler deep in debt.In the end, he squandered all the money he had, owing the house over ten million, even resorting to mortgaging his sole villa to them.With eyes burning red, Blake lunged forward, demanding Vermont to be held accountable, saying that he had set him up and cheated him off his money.But claiming that Vermont had cheated would raise doubts about the casino's management, something they couldn't allow. So, with a sack over his head, they knocked him out and dumped him onto the street.Stella and Vermont, an odd pair of unrelated siblings, swiftly split the ill-gotten gains
Didn’t they agree to have a little fun if they stumbled upon something interesting?The revolution hadn't even succeeded, and they were already turning traitors midway! She couldn’t count on these two!Stella whispered, "Would you believe me if I said I wanted to take your son and daughter out to see the world?"Keegan, his expression cold, just responded with a grunt.Stella was speechless.Felicity chimed in, "Honesty is the best policy. Stella, just spill it."Vermont added, "Stella, remember our deal before we came here? We stick together through thick and thin. You can't throw us under the bus now."Stella shot a glare at the two traitors, then turned to meet Keegan's intense gaze, immediately feeling flustered."Well, actually, I was helping your uncle quit gambling."Keegan replied icily, "How much money did you transfer to her?"Pretending to be confused, Stella asked, "Who? I transferred money to someone?"Keegan took out his phone without a word. "If you won't tell
The voice on the other end of the line wasn't Blake's; it belonged to a stranger.Dahlia furrowed her brow. "Who are you? Why do you have my brother's phone? Where is he?""Him?" the stranger chuckled. "He's currently here learning how to swim."With that, the phone was passed to someone nearby, who called out, "Hey Crosby! Your sister wants to talk to you!"Sounds of splashing water filled the receiver, followed by Blake's panicked voice, "Dahlia! Please, you have to save me, they're going to kill me, Dahlia—uh—"Before he could finish his sentence, there was a sound of something being pushed into the water, accompanied by gurgling noises.Dahlia's face turned pale. "What are you doing? Are you trying to kill him?"The man took the phone back, smiling. "Kill him? Mam, we are law-abiding citizens, not involved in any illegal activities. But your brother owes our boss over ten million. If the boss doesn't get his money back, he won't pay us our wages. We're all waiting on this bi