All-In: Rise of the Humiliated Gambler

Chapter 7: The Price of Victory

The casino erupted into chaos. Voices overlapped in every direction. “That’s impossible!”

“Tom West lost?!”

“The delivery boy actually won!”

Mark stood beside the gambling table, staring down at the four Kings still spread across the polished surface. The cards looked ordinary.

But they had just changed everything. Across the table, Tom West remained seated. His laughter had faded, but the faint smile still lingered on his lips. “You’re quiet,” Tom said calmly.

Mark looked at him. “Shouldn’t I be?”

Tom leaned back in his chair again, folding his hands in front of him as if nothing had happened. “Most people would be celebrating right now.”

Mark glanced around the room. The men who had mocked him earlier now avoided his gaze. Even the guards looked uncertain. “I’m still waiting,” Mark replied.

“For what?”

“For you to keep your word.”

The room fell silent again. Tom studied him carefully. Then he sighed softly. “You really are an interesting young man.”

He gestured toward Mark’s parents. “Release them.”

The guards hesitated. For years, they had followed Tom West without question. But tonight was different. Tom’s voice turned colder. “I said release them.”

Immediately, the guards stepped back. Mr. Lawson slowly pushed himself up from the floor, helping his wife to her feet.

Their faces were pale, their movements weak from hours of humiliation. Mrs. Lawson rushed toward Mark and wrapped her arms around him tightly. “Mark… Mark…”

Her voice trembled with relief. “I thought we were going to lose you.”

Mark hugged her gently. “It’s okay, Mom.”

His father stepped closer, his eyes filled with disbelief. “When did you learn to play like that?”

Mark smiled faintly. “Long story.”

Behind them, Kitara finally exhaled. Her bodyguard Leo ran a hand through his hair, still stunned. “I can’t believe this actually happened,” he muttered.

Kitara walked toward the table slowly. Her heels clicked softly against the marble floor. Tom watched her approach. “Well,” he said lightly, “congratulations.”

Kitara crossed her arms. “You lost.”

Tom nodded. “Yes.”

“And according to your own words…”

Her gaze hardened. “…the company belongs to me now.”

A murmur spread through the room again. Tom stood up slowly. He was taller than Mark had realized earlier. More imposing. For a moment, the atmosphere felt tense again.

Then Tom simply shrugged. “A deal is a deal.”

He gestured toward one of his assistants. “Prepare the transfer documents.”

The assistant hesitated. “Sir… are you sure?”

Tom’s eyes turned cold. “Do I look like someone who repeats himself?”

The man immediately nodded and rushed off. Kitara watched him carefully. “You’re taking this loss very calmly.”

Tom smiled slightly. “Losing money doesn’t bother me.”

His gaze shifted toward Mark again. “But losing games…”

His smile thinned. “…that’s rare.”

Mark stepped forward slightly. “Maybe you should practice more.”

A few nervous laughs escaped from the crowd. Tom chuckled. “Careful.”

His voice carried a faint warning now. “Confidence is a dangerous habit.”

Mark didn’t respond. For a brief moment, the two men simply stared at each other. The tension between them was thick enough to feel. Finally, Tom turned away. “Well, this has been entertaining.”

He began walking toward the exit. But before reaching the elevator, he stopped. Without turning around, he spoke again. “Mark Lawson.”

Mark frowned slightly. “You know my name?”

Tom glanced over his shoulder. “I know many things.”

His eyes gleamed with quiet amusement. “For example…”

He gestured toward the table. “You didn’t just win because you caught my cheating trick.”

Mark’s expression didn’t change. But inside, his mind sharpened. Tom continued. “You allowed me to win the first round earlier.”

The room fell silent again. Kitara turned sharply toward Mark. “You what?”

Tom smiled slightly. “Yes.”

He pointed at Mark. “This young man knew exactly how the cards were stacked.”

His voice carried a strange respect now. “He could have exposed the trick immediately.”

“But instead…”

Tom’s smile widened. “…he let me win.”

The whispers in the casino grew louder. Leo looked at Mark like he had just discovered a different person. “Is that true?”

Mark scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “Well… yeah.”

Kitara stared at him. “You let me lose ten million dollars?”

Mark shrugged. “I needed to confirm the cheating first.”

Kitara’s eyebrow twitched slightly. “That was expensive confirmation.”

Tom laughed again. “You see?”

He looked around the room. “This delivery boy isn’t just lucky.”

His gaze returned to Mark. “He’s dangerous.”

Mark tilted his head. “Funny.”

Tom raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

Mark gestured toward the casino. “Because you’re the one who lost everything tonight.”

Tom’s smile slowly returned. “Did I?”

He tapped the side of his temple. “You’re thinking too small.”

The elevator doors opened behind him. Tom stepped inside. Before the doors closed, he spoke one last time. “You’ve won the table.”

His eyes locked on Mark. “But the game…”

His smile sharpened. “…has only just begun.”

The elevator doors slid shut. Silence filled the casino. Kitara looked at Mark slowly. “Do you have any idea what you just started?”

Mark exhaled quietly. He honestly didn’t know. But he could feel something in his chest now. Something unfamiliar. Confidence. Maybe even excitement.

He looked down at the four Kings still sitting at the table. Then he smiled faintly. “Yeah.”

He looked toward the elevator where Tom had disappeared. “I think I do.”

Across the room, his parents still looked shaken. But they were free. And for the first time in his life, Mark Lawson no longer felt like a powerless delivery boy.

Because tonight, the entire underground gambling world had just learned something important. The man they humiliated was now the one they should fear.