All-In: Rise of the Humiliated Gambler

Chapter 2: A Son’s Humiliation

“Mark… run!”

Mrs. Lawson’s scream echoed across the underground casino, but it was already too late. The moment Mark stepped forward, two guards grabbed him from behind and slammed him onto the marble floor.

BAM!

Pain shot through his ribs as his shoulder struck the ground. “What the hell is this?” one of the guards growled. “Another rat wandering into the wrong place.”

Mark struggled against their grip. “Let me go! Those are my parents!”

The room fell silent for a brief moment. Then laughter erupted from the group of men watching the scene. “A delivery boy?”

“Is this some kind of joke?”

“Ten million dollars, and their backup plan is a delivery driver!”

The laughter grew louder. Mark’s face burned with humiliation, but his eyes remained fixed on his parents. His mother looked completely broken.

His father’s cheek was swollen from the earlier slap. Something inside Mark snapped. “Let them go,” he said.

His voice trembled, but the words were clear. “Please… they didn’t mean to borrow that money.”

The men at the table exchanged amused glances. Tom West leaned back in his chair, still casually shuffling his deck of cards. The soft flick-flick sound echoed through the quiet room.

“So,” Tom said slowly, “you’re the son.”

Mark looked up at him. Their eyes met. For a moment, the room felt colder. Tom studied Mark like a curious scientist observing a strange insect. “You look poor,” Tom continued.

“Tell me, delivery boy… do you have ten million dollars?”

Mark clenched his fists. “No.”

“Then why are you here?”

“I said let them go!”

CRACK!

One of the guards kicked Mark hard in the stomach. Air exploded from his lungs as he curled forward. “You don’t raise your voice to Mr. West,” the guard snarled.

Mrs. Lawson cried out in horror. “Stop! Please stop hurting my son!”

Tom sighed as if the entire scene bored him. “Families,” he murmured. “Always so emotional.”

Mark coughed, struggling to breathe. The guard grabbed his collar and yanked him to his feet. “Maybe we should let him work off the debt,” the guard suggested with a cruel grin.

“Ten million is a lot for a delivery boy.”

The men around the table chuckled again. “Make him clean toilets for the next fifty years.”

“Or better yet… let him serve drinks in the casino.”

“People might tip him out of pity.”

Mark’s fists trembled violently. Every word cut deeper than the punches. He knew they were right. He was powerless.

Just a poor delivery worker standing in front of men who controlled billions. But then his father spoke. “Mark… listen to me.”

Mr. Lawson struggled to raise his head. “Don’t fight them.”

His voice was weak. “Just leave.”

Mark shook his head immediately. “I’m not leaving you here.”

Tom tapped a finger against the table. “You’re very stubborn,” he said.

The deck of cards stopped shuffling. Slowly, Tom stood up. The room immediately quieted. Even the guards straightened slightly. Tom walked across the floor toward Mark.

His polished shoes echoed against the marble. When he finally stood in front of Mark, he looked down at him with faint amusement. “You know something interesting about debt?” Tom said calmly.

Mark glared at him but stayed silent. Tom continued. “Debt is like gravity.”

He flicked a card into the air and caught it again. “No matter how hard you struggle, you always fall.”

The card flipped between his fingers. A Queen of Hearts. Tom slipped it back into the deck. “But I’m not an unreasonable man,” he added.

Mark frowned slightly. “What do you mean?”

Tom’s smile widened. “I like games.”

The room was filled with quiet anticipation. “Games?” Mark asked.

Tom nodded. “Simple ones.”

He gestured toward the large gambling table behind him. “If someone can defeat me in a game…”

His voice softened slightly. “I occasionally forgive debts.”

The men around the table smirked. They knew exactly what Tom meant. Tom West had never lost a game in his life. Not once. Mrs. Lawson shook her head desperately. “No! Don’t play with him! It’s a trap!”

Tom ignored her. His eyes stayed on Mark. “So,” he said lightly, “would you like to try?”

Mark looked toward the table. Cards, Chips, Money. It looked like a battlefield disguised as entertainment. Before Mark could answer The elevator doors suddenly opened. DING.

Everyone turned. A group of well-dressed men entered first, scanning the room cautiously. Then she stepped out. Kitara Vale. Her sharp eyes instantly took in the entire scene.

The kneeling parents. The guards. Mark on the floor. And Tom West is standing over him. Her expression hardened. “What is this?” she asked coldly.

One of the casino managers hurried forward. “Miss Vale, this is just a small debt collection matter.”

Kitara’s gaze moved to Mark. Recognition flashed in her eyes. “The delivery driver.”

Mark looked up, surprised. “You… remember me?”

Kitara ignored the question and turned to Tom. “They work for my company,” she said.

Tom raised an eyebrow. “Do they?”

Kitara’s voice remained calm. “Release them.”

The entire room froze. Even the guards hesitated. No one spoke to Tom West like that. Tom chuckled softly. “My dear Kitara,” he said.

“You still owe me twenty million dollars from our last business deal.”

Kitara’s jaw tightened. “I know.”

“And yet you’re giving orders in my casino?”

Kitara crossed her arms. “I’ll repay the debt.”

Tom smiled. “I know you will.”

Then he leaned forward slightly. “But since you’re already here…”

He gestured toward the gambling table. “Why don’t we make things interesting?”

Kitara’s eyes narrowed. “What do you want?”

Tom placed the deck of cards on the table. “A game.”

The room went silent again. “If you win,” Tom continued, “their debt disappears.”

Mrs. Lawson gasped. Kitara studied Tom carefully. She knew his reputation. Everyone in the gambling world knew it. Tom West was undefeated.

Playing against him was financial suicide. But she looked back at Mark. The soaked uniform. The bruised face. The parents are kneeling helplessly on the floor. Kitara exhaled slowly. “Fine.”

Mark’s eyes widened. “You don’t have to do this.”

Kitara ignored him. Tom’s smile grew wider. “Excellent.”

The cards were already waiting. The battlefield was ready. And no one in the room realized that the most dangerous gambler present was still pretending to be a powerless delivery boy.