Chapter: Chapter 237: The confessionThe room felt silent except for the faint dripping sound of blood hitting the floor.Valentine let out a broken sound.The knife was blunt.That was the worst part.A sharp blade would be quick.This would be slow.Grinding.Tearing.“Please,” Valentine whispered. “Please don’t do this.”Johnny’s eyes didn’t change.“You traffic people,” he said quietly. “You destroy families. You treat human beings like numbers.”He leaned closer.“And you expect mercy?”Valentine’s lips trembled.Johnny wasn’t doing this for pleasure.That was clear.He was doing it because he believed he had to.Because somewhere out there, there were cages.And men who funded them.Valentine’s stomach turned.He suddenly realized something.The knife was blunt on purpose.It wasn’t an accident.Johnny could have taken a sharper blade from the kitchen drawer. There had been options. Cleaner ones. Quieter ones.But he didn’t.A sharp knife ends things quickly.A blunt one lingers.Pain stretches.It breaks rhythm. B
Last Updated: 2026-02-26
Chapter: Chapter 136: Pain“Who do you answer to?”The question stayed in the air between them.Valentine’s breathing was uneven. His leg trembled where the knife was still buried. Sweat rolled down the side of his face and gathered at his jaw before dripping to the floor.“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said quickly.Too quickly. “I don’t answer to anyone. I work independently. If you want my client list, that’s impossible. They’re anonymous. That’s how it works.”Johnny didn’t blink.From the outside, he looked calm. Still. Almost bored.Inside, his thoughts were sharp.Independent.No one in that business was independent.Men like Valentine didn’t build networks that large alone. They didn’t get protection that strong alone. They didn’t recover that fast after losing a base unless someone above them allowed it.Valentine wasn’t the disease.He was a symptom.If Johnny cut him out, someone else would take his place within weeks. Maybe days.No.He needed the head.And the man tied to the chair
Last Updated: 2026-02-26
Chapter: Chapter 135: Just composure.He had faced guns.He had ordered executions.He had watched people beg.But this felt different.This was personal.John’s face showed no anger.No rush.Just composure.That scared him more.“But that can wait,” John added casually. “I have some more pressing matters to discuss with you.”Valentine exhaled slowly without realizing he had been holding his breath.Of course.If he wanted him dead, he would have done it already.He would not have dragged him here.“What do you want?” Valentine asked, forcing some strength back into his voice.John spun the blunt knife once in his hand.The motion was almost playful.Then—Without warning—He drove it straight into Valentine’s thigh.The blade tore through fabric first.Then skin.The pain came half a second later.White-hot.Blinding.“AHHHHHHHH!” Valentine screamed.His entire body jerked against the ropes. The chair rocked violently.John didn’t flinch.“I want answers,” he said calmly.His grip remained firm as the dull blade sank d
Last Updated: 2026-02-25
Chapter: Chapter 135: Cold air and pain.The first thing he felt was cold.Then—Water exploded across his face.It was not gentle. Not a splash. Not like rain. It slapped against his skin, ran into his nose, and flooded his mouth.Valentine jerked forward with a choking gasp, coughing as water burned down his throat when he tried to breathe. The chair beneath him scraped against the floor.He blinked hard, and tried to see, but everything was blurred and shaking.His head pounded like something had split inside it.Everything was blurry.His head throbbed.For a few seconds, there was nothing. No memory. No direction.He did not know where he was.Just cold air and pain.The air smelled different. Not perfume. Not polished wood and expensive leather.This place smelled like dust. Like old paint. Like something slightly damp.He tried to focus.The room was small. Narrow. The ceiling low. A single bulb hung overhead, casting a yellow light that made the walls look sickly. The paint was chipped in several places. One corner h
Last Updated: 2026-02-25
Chapter: Chapter 134: Valentine povValentine paused at the corner of the hallway.And smiled.It was small. Controlled. Almost lazy.The kind of smile a man gives when he knows he has planted a seed.The applause from the main hall rolled down the corridor in waves. Someone must have finished performing. The sound bounced against the walls and faded into the softer lighting of the restricted wing.He adjusted the cuff of his coat slowly.Margaret’s face lingered in his mind.Confused. Polite. Slightly unsure.Perfect.He did not need her to agree tonight. He did not need her to understand. Curiosity was enough. A business card was enough. People like her always looked things up later. They always asked questions in private.And once curiosity starts, it grows.His men followed a few steps behind him. Silent. Waiting.Valentine kept walking.He did not rush. He never rushed.Valentine Olov did not enjoy leaving his office.Before, he had people for that. Men who moved quietly. Men who understood signals without asking q
Last Updated: 2026-02-24
Chapter: Chapter 132: rare presenceJohnny followed.He kept a safe distance, moving silently.As they walked, Johnny noticed how staff members greeted Valentine with small nods. Not warmly. Respectfully.Too respectfully.This was not his first time here.The corridor grew quieter as they moved farther from the main hall. The sound of applause faded behind thick walls.They reached a restricted door marked “Authorized Personnel Only.”One of the suited men swiped a card.The door unlocked.Johnny slipped in right before it closed.Inside, the lighting was softer. Dressing rooms lined the hallway. Voices could be heard faintly from inside some of them—contestants warming up, managers giving last-minute advice.Johnny’s mind raced.Margaret was somewhere here.Valentine slowed his pace.He looked around casually, like he was browsing options in a store.Johnny felt something cold slide down his spine.Valentine stopped in front of a door halfway down the hall.He glanced at the name taped outside.Johnny couldn’t see it
Last Updated: 2026-02-24
Chapter: Chapter 46: The Commander?The table was dead silent.Every pair of eyes was locked on Jaxon, but Jaxon’s eyes were fixed squarely on Alexander. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what was going on — Alexander was keeping a low profile, hiding who he truly was. But Jaxon’s mind burned with one question: At what cost?Was his reason truly worth sitting there and swallowing insults from people not even worthy to shine his boots, let alone breathe the same air?Seraphina noticed Jaxon’s gaze and followed it. The moment her eyes landed on Alexander, something clicked in her head — faster than in anyone else at the table.And then it hit her like lightning.Alexander… was the Commander?It made no sense. And yet… it explained everything and nothing all at once. Her thoughts tangled. How could her quiet, seemingly unremarkable husband be that man? The man whose name echoed through military history?She remembered whispers, rumors — of a man called the Green Knight, the undefeated strategist of the Eastern Front, t
Last Updated: 2025-08-11
Chapter: Chapter 45 – Dinner with WolvesThe Lockwoods were ushered into the Intercontinental Royale with all the reverence of crowned monarchs. The hotel staff bowed, bellboys whisked away their luggage, and the concierge personally escorted them to the penthouse floor. Champagne was poured the instant they stepped into their suites; silk curtains billowed in the soft breeze of the ocean-view balconies.It was luxury the Lockwoods thought they deserved… and now they reveled in it.Later that evening, Lady Lockwood summoned everyone for a family dinner in the grand, chandelier-lit restaurant of the hotel. The table was long, polished to a mirror shine, laden with silverware and enough gourmet dishes to feed an army.Alexander sat quietly at the far end, as though the whole spectacle were none of his concern. Beside him, Seraphina sipped her wine in silence.The conversation started politely enough. But soon… the fangs came out.“Seraphina,” one of the Lockwood elders began between chews of roasted lamb, “why have you refused
Last Updated: 2025-08-09
Chapter: Chapter 44 – The Silent King’s MoveAlexander stood alone in the parking lot, hands tucked in his pockets, as the Lockwoods stormed off — pride bruised, anger simmering.This wasn’t his problem.He didn’t owe them anything.Walk away, he told himself.But then… he smirked. “I’ll join you in a second,” he’d told Seraphina earlier. “Just need to make a quick call.”Once the coast was clear, he pulled out his phone and dialed a secure number.The line clicked. “Hello, Master Caspian,” came the warm, measured voice of Geoffrey — his butler, his shadow, the one man in the world Alexander trusted without question. “Geoffrey,” Alexander said calmly. “How much would I need to buy to become the majority shareholder of the Intercontinental Royal? And I mean immediately. Two minutes, max.”There was a pause.Then Geoffrey’s voice shifted gears — into that smooth, surgical rhythm of high finance.“Based on current valuation,” Geoffrey began, “the Intercontinental Royal is owned by a conglomerate of luxury investors. The Fisher F
Last Updated: 2025-08-07
Chapter: Chapter 43 – The Intercontinental Royal Incident“Jaxon, what’s wrong?” Natasha rushed to her fiancé, panic flickering across her face.“I think he dropped something,” Alexander answered calmly, almost casually — before Jaxon could speak for himself.Natasha blinked, confusion written all over her. The same expression mirrored on every Lockwood face. Their minds scrambled for answers, trying to process what they had just witnessed.“Yeah… I dropped something,” Jaxon stammered, his voice uneven. “Thought I… thought I dropped something.” His eyes, however, never left Alexander’s.Alexander’s lips curved into a faint, knowing smirk — a silent thank you that only Jaxon would understand.A collective gasp of relief rippled through the group. The explanation, flimsy though it was, was infinitely more believable than the truth. No one pressed further. Not yet.Lady Lockwood cleared her throat sharply, eager to sever the awkward silence strangling the air.“Alright,” she said briskly. “Why don’t we get going? We’ve arranged for your stay at
Last Updated: 2025-08-05
Chapter: Chapter 42 – The Return of the CreedSeven months had passed since the Maverick Contract saga. The Lockwood estate, though as grand and orderly as ever, buzzed with restless anticipation. A new storm loomed on the horizon, whispered in hushed conversations and stolen glances — Natasha Lockwood was coming home. And she wasn’t alone.“Seraphina,” Lady Lockwood’s voice cut through the quiet like a blade. Her tone was calm, but laced with the authority of a matriarch who commanded obedience. “Get ready. You’ll be coming with us — as an elder of the Lockwood family — to welcome your sister and her fiancé at the airport.”Seraphina froze where she stood. Her face betrayed what her lips dared not utter.Lady Lockwood’s gaze sharpened. “What? Do you have a problem?”Seraphina swallowed her words. The last thing she wanted, barely weeks after becoming the youngest elder in Lockwood history, was to say something that would drag her back to the rank of a nobody. But deep inside, resentment churned like molten fire.“No… not really,
Last Updated: 2025-08-03
Chapter: Chapter 41: Elder by force “I must have heard wrong,” Lady Charlotte Lockwood said, leaning forward, eyes narrowing. “No, Grandmother,” Seraphina replied steadily. “You heard me right. I’ll accept the position as project head for the Maverick contract… on one condition.” She paused. “I want to be made an elder of the Lockwood family.” Silence fell. Lady Lockwood froze. She had expected Seraphina to demand something bold, outrageous even—but this… this was beyond anything she could have imagined. It wasn’t audacious. It was unthinkable. “You must be out of your mind. That’s insane,” she finally managed to stutter. In all her long years, no one had ever dared request something so absurd. Seraphina said nothing. Her eyes flicked toward Alexander, searching for silent reassurance. Her heart pounded wildly, her nerves frayed like exposed wire. What the hell am I doing? she asked herself. She didn’t know why she was trusting him—she had no reason to. Except for the fact that Alexander Chase, her enigmatic hu
Last Updated: 2025-07-07
The Gambling System
In a world where gambling dictates status, power, and survival, Peter Donovan—a seventeen-year-old delivery boy who despises gamblers—has spent his life avoiding risks. But when his ailing mother’s life hangs by a thread, Peter is left with no choice but to enter the high-stakes world he’s always loathed. Desperation forces his hand, and Peter bets everything—only to lose it all.
Beaten, broken, and left for dead in a rain-soaked alley, Peter prepares to fade into the darkness. But as the last of his hope slips away, the impossible happens.
A faint glow pierces through his pain—a semi-transparent interface appearing before his eyes.
[System Initialization... Loading T.I.M.E Protocol]
Welcome, Time Gambler.
Welcome to the Gambling System]
Now Peter can wager minutes, memories, even years of his life—to manipulate fate itself. But every second spent is a second he'll never get back.
To save his mother, to defeat the gamblers who destroyed him, Peter must master the cruelest game of all: time.
One wrong move, and his future disappears. One right one, and he might just rewrite destiny.
Read
Chapter: Chapter 145The final rotation slowed...Click.The tile locked.A pause — stretched too long.Peter leaned in.And then — the number flared into view.NEGATIVE FOUR MULTIPLIER.–4XThe red pulsed across the board like a warning siren, deep and final.Peter stared.Froze.Time stopped.“What the fuck...” he whispered, the words falling out of him like broken glass.The crowd gasped — not just surprised, but horrified. A ripple of stunned silence spread through the arena. Even the anchor didn’t speak — for a moment.Then:“...OH NO.”The Anchor's voice cracked with disbelief. “Peter Donovan has landed a –4X! That’s the highest penalty on the board!”Gasps turned to roars. Shouts. Chaos.It was like someone had thrown a match into dry brush — disbelief ignited into pandemonium. The arena screens zoomed in on Peter’s face, pale and stunned. His chest rose and fell, sharp and uneven.Across from him, Chloe didn’t blink. She didn’t smirk.She simply tilted her head. One degree.As if saying: Now we’re
Last Updated: 2025-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 144: What the fuckChloe didn’t hesitate.Her eyes flicked briefly to the board—just once, just long enough to assess the remaining tiles. 5x unflipped, Six unknowns.But unlike Peter, she didn’t pause to consult a system. She didn’t flinch.She moved.A single, fluid motion: her hand rose, fingers curved like a conductor mid-symphony, then drifted downward and tapped tile 4.The crowd barely had time to react before the hum returned.Click—click—click.The flipping began.Peter leaned in.He watched—not the tile, but her.There was no tremble in her hand. No shift in her gaze. But her breath — there it was. A single, almost imperceptible hitch in her inhale. Not fear. Not panic.Just... calculation failing to resolve.Click—click—click.The rotations slowed.Light glinted off the edges of the spinning tile like silver teeth waiting to bite.Click.It locked.A cold pulse spread through the board.NEGATIVE ONE MULTIPLIER.–1XThe number glowed red. A soft, almost mocking tone accompanied the display. An
Last Updated: 2025-06-11
Chapter: Chapter 143: 4x"System, give me the probability odds of the remaining tiles landing a 4X."---[PROBABILITY VISION ACTIVATED]Calculating...Using Probability Vision for 8 tiles will cost 24 minutes.Would you like to proceed?{YES/NO}---“Yes.”---[TIME BANK: 121 minutes → 97 minutes][Skill Activated: Probability Vision (Level 3)]Calculating...---Tile 1: 30%Tile 3: 17%Tile 4: 11%Tile 5: 18%Tile 7: 12%Tile 8: 25%Tile 9: 9%Tile 10: 22%---Peter’s eyes flicked across the shimmering data overlay on his display, absorbing it all in a heartbeat. Sweat prickled beneath his collar, but he kept his breathing steady.His first flip had landed. But Chloe’s cold 5X had already shifted the entire flow of the match.No more room for safe moves.Still… he couldn’t risk a reckless one.Tile 1. Best odds. Highest probability. No hesitation.Peter extended a single finger toward the board. The surface of Tile 1 pulsed faintly beneath the glass-like sheen, as though sensing the weight of the moment.He
Last Updated: 2025-06-10
Chapter: Chapter 142: First flipThe crowd was still vibrating with energy as the Anchor gave a sweeping bow and stepped back from center stage.A quiet hum pulsed through the vast hall, as though the room itself was holding its breath.On the holo-display, the game board flickered into readiness — the sleek digital grid shimmering faintly in the dim light.10 tiles loaded. Coin flip pending.At their seats, Peter and Chloe faced each other across the elevated table — a sleek black surface bordered with thin neon-blue lines. Their personal displays hovered in front of them, responsive to their slightest touch, transparent but pulsing faintly in rhythm with their heartbeats.Peter tightened his grip on the tablet, knuckles white for a moment before he forced himself to breathe. His pulse thrummed painfully in his neck.Across from him, Chloe sat like stone. One leg crossed over the other, tablet resting lightly on her lap. Not a flicker of tension showed in her face — only cold, clinical focus. A chessmaster waiting f
Last Updated: 2025-06-09
Chapter: Chapter 141: The next dayThe next day finally arrived. Autumn had fully set in across Monte Carlo Gambling University — the crisp air biting with an edge of chill, fallen leaves skittering across the cobblestone pathways.And there they were.Peter and Chloe marching through the winding campus grounds toward their destination — the grand Designated Gambling Hall. Their paths aligned, yet their thoughts worlds apart.“I’m going to win this gamble and prove myself.”For Peter, the need was primal. Unquenchable. It radiated from every step, a hunger that no one had to explain — you could see it in his eyes, in the set of his jaw.Chloe’s resolve, though just as fierce, was buried beneath layers of carefully constructed artifice. She wore her usual corporate-inspired attire: a crisp white blouse tucked into a fitted black pencil skirt, tailored charcoal blazer hugging her slender frame. On her feet — sharp black heels that clicked a steady rhythm across the polished floors. Her look was elegant, cold, commanding
Last Updated: 2025-06-08
Chapter: Chapter 140: Later that NightLater that night.Somewhere across a quieter side of the Monte Carlo Gambling University Campus.Chloe sat alone in her dorm room, a small island of light amid the creeping darkness. A vintage brass desk lamp cast a warm, narrow glow across her cluttered workspace. The rest of the room was draped in shadows — the only other light came from her laptop, its screen flickering softly, washing her face in cold blue.A notebook lay open beside her, its pages crowded with scrawled diagrams and hurried annotations. Pen in hand, she hovered just above the paper, deep in thought.She was studying. But not textbooks. Not theoretical models. No — in front of her was something far more specific, more obsessive.A recorded gamble.On screen: Peter Donovan facing off against Noami. The match had long since ended, yet Chloe — known to most by her gambling alias, Noir — had watched this tape at least six times already. Probably more. She clicked the timeline backward again, freezing the frame on Peter
Last Updated: 2025-06-07
