Chapter 76

Oscar was a die-hard Cole fan. Cole's larger-than-life tale had even hit the silver screen, with flicks like 'The Gambling King's Saga' and 'The Gambler and His Three Thousand Ladies'. He had grown up on those stories and had dreamt more than once of being spotted by Cole, becoming his protege, and ruling the casinos. He imagined striking it rich overnight and living a life dripping with wealth and excess.

The harsh truth was that his job was breaking his heart day after day, and trying to find someone had become as futile as searching for a needle in a haystack, with the constant threat of getting the ax hanging over his head.

The next morning, Walter was up with the stars, waiting outside Evangeline's old place—a charming Victorian house she had lived in as a kid, back when her mother was still around.

Walter remembered how her mother was a woman with flowing hair and warmth that could light up a room.

Staring at the house brought a flood of childhood memories. He had lived just