2025-03-20 22:56:26
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 107: Shards
A few minutes earlier—right after forfeiting the round—Naomi had bolted out of the hall and into the restroom, her heels echoing like gunshots down the corridor. The moment the door shut behind her, the weight of everything came crashing in.Her chest tightened. Her head spun. Her thoughts collided like cars on a freeway, no direction, no control. She staggered toward the sink, clutching its edge with white-knuckled desperation.What the hell am I doing?What the hell is Peter doing to me?She could barely think straight. Her heart was racing, her mind unraveling. The image of Peter—those cold, searching eyes that seemed to peer directly into her soul—clung to her like a parasite. Why was it so hard to follow Viktor's orders this time? She'd obeyed him without question in the past. She'd surrendered her will to his control because it felt safer than being lost.So why couldn’t she do it now?“WHY?!” she screamed, a raw, guttural cry that ricocheted off the walls.She dug her fingers i
Chapter 106: The Fracture
What the hell? She has to be joking… right? Why the hell would she do that?Peter couldn’t believe his ears. For a split second, his brain refused to register the words that had just been spoken. The arena, too, reacted with matching disbelief—like a hive kicked at its core.The crowd erupted.“No way—”“She’s bluffing!”“Did she just—?”“No. No, that can’t be right!”Gasps cracked through the tension like thunder. Confused murmurs turned to stunned exclamations. The very air in the room grew tight, like it didn’t know how to breathe anymore.“Naomi!!!” Viktor’s voice boomed with a mixture of rage and disbelief. His composure—always pristine, always absolute—was shattered like glass under a hammer. “What is the meaning of this?!”But Naomi remained still.Still, and silent.And somehow, that silence was louder than the uproar. She didn’t flinch. Didn’t defend herself. Didn’t explain. That made it worse. That made it real.The betrayal wasn’t just strategic—it was personal.Even Peter,
Chapter 105: Weaker hand
Gasps rippled through the crowd like a sudden gust of wind.“Weaker hand?”“Is he insane?”“Who the hell bets one chip and chooses weak?”But Peter didn’t flinch.He wasn’t playing for approval. Not anymore.He kept his eyes on Viktor.That one twitch — the faintest shift in posture — was all he needed.He’d seen it in Naomi once, too. That subtle crack in the armor. That brief moment of calculation derailed by unpredictability.Peter had learned something Naomi never realized: the one thing people like Viktor feared wasn’t strength.It was chaos.Because chaos couldn’t be controlled.And chaos couldn’t be predicted.“Weaker hand it is,” the dealer confirmed, still unsure whether she should be impressed or terrified. “Reveal your cards.”Peter laid them out carefully:Ace of Spades. Joker. 7 of Hearts. 6 of Clubs. 4 of Spades.Unorthodox. No pairs. No combos. A high card and a wildcard. A hand that could’ve gone either way — but in this game, it was weak.Very weak.
Chapter 104: Viktor's fury
The sound of Naomi’s heels echoing off the stage faded into stunned silence. For a few seconds, no one moved.Then—Viktor stood.Slowly.Deliberately.Like a storm rising.The air in the room thickened. The crowd that had moments ago gasped at Naomi’s surrender now sat paralyzed, unsure whether they’d just witnessed a victory, a rebellion… or the beginning of something much worse.The dealer blinked. “Mr. Viktor—”Viktor raised a hand.She fell silent.He didn’t speak.He just stared at Naomi’s retreating figure. His jaw clenched. His eyes darkened.Then, finally, he turned his gaze to Peter.And smiled.But it wasn’t the smug smirk of a man in control. It was thinner now. Stretched tight across his face like a mask trying to hold together a crumbling expression.“You’re clever,” Viktor said.Peter didn’t answer.“You didn’t beat her with cards. You beat her with memories. With feelings.” He said the word like it was an insult.“I didn’t beat her at all,” Peter replie
Chapter 103: The Mirror Breaks
Peter didn’t speak.He didn’t fidget. Didn’t sigh. Didn’t crack a joke.He just stared at his chips, at the rising tower across the table that now belonged to Naomi.And behind her…Viktor.He hadn’t said a word since sitting on stage. He hadn’t offered a nod, a smirk, or a twitch of condescension.He simply watched.Like a king at court.Like a god behind glass.Peter had never feared silence until now.Because in that silence—there was no reassurance.No mockery to sharpen his edge.No reaction to push against.It was Naomi’s game now.Naomi, with her red ruby necklace glinting under the stage lights.Naomi, who once trembled in his arms after a stormy night.Naomi, who now looked at him like a rival she intended to erase.The dealer reshuffled."Next round," she said simply.They both submitted their participation chip and the cards were dealt. Naomi gave up one card.Peter stared at his hand.9-Spade, 9-Heart, 7-Diamond, 3-Club, 2-Spade.Another pair.Anot
Chapter 102: Another Break
During the break, the crowd buzzed with unease, trying to make sense of the exchange. Naomi had won the round, yes—but barely. And not convincingly. She didn’t celebrate. She didn’t even smirk. She simply gathered the chips with a mechanical hand, her mind elsewhere.Peter could see it. The flicker behind her eyes. The tremble she was trying to bury beneath bravado.And that’s when Viktor moved.He didn’t speak. He stood.Slowly. Deliberately. Like a king rising from a throne he never doubted was his.The lights of the hall seemed to bend toward him. Eyes turned. Voices hushed.Even the dealer, ever expressionless, paused mid-shuffle to watch.Viktor stepped onto the edge of the raised platform, not breaking eye contact with Peter. The distance between them was wide—but somehow, Peter felt like the man was breathing down his neck.“You’re clever, Peter,” Viktor said softly.His voice didn’t need to be loud. It carried.Too well.The crowd leaned in.Naomi’s spine went rigi
Chapter 101: Hunting
The next round began with the quiet tension of a lit fuse. The crowd, now too stunned to keep up their commentary, watched in breathless silence. Naomi’s win had widened the chip gap again — Peter’s stack sat noticeably shorter, Viktor’s calm presence looming larger behind Naomi’s chair like a shadow.But Peter wasn’t fidgeting anymore.He sat still. Thinking. Observing.No more frantic energy. No more reactive betting.This time, Peter was hunting.They both dropped their participation chip for this round and the dealer laid down the cards, smooth and methodical. Five cards each.Peter didn’t even glance at his hand right away.Instead, he studied Naomi.She shifted her chair an inch back. Adjusted her sleeve. Looked at Viktor for a brief second — and in that blink, Peter saw something she didn’t mean to show.Uncertainty.She was no longer gambling for herself.And it was breaking her.“Will you trade?” the dealer asked.Peter didn’t hesitate. “One card.”Naomi blinked
Chapter 100: Just Pressure
The next round was quieter.No shouts from the crowd. No big swings of excitement.Just pressure.Thick.Heavy.Alive.Naomi shuffled her cards with perfect grace, but her hands betrayed her — just slightly. A tremble in the thumb. A hitch in the wrist.Peter caught it all.This was new.Naomi had always thrived under risk. But now? The weight wasn’t just the money or the game. It was Viktor.The puppet strings were showing.Peter leaned back in his chair, deliberately casual, stretching his arms like he was lounging at a café.“I have to admit,” he said, eyes on Naomi but voice aimed at Viktor. “I thought you’d be scarier than this.”Viktor didn’t rise to the bait.But his fingers paused their motion along the rim of his untouched glass of water.Peter had noticed that too.No alcohol. No erratic behavior. Viktor didn’t gamble like Naomi.He didn’t chase the thrill.He chased the certainty of power.The illusion of invincibility.And illusions?Peter was learning
Chapter 99: After the Break
The 10-minutes break elapsed soon enough and the dealer reset the table.Cards shuffled. Chips stacked. The next round loomed like a guillotine blade, swinging lower and lower with each tick of the clock.Naomi’s fingers tapped lightly on the felt table. Her ruby necklace — the same fake one she’d worn since childhood — glinted under the spotlight. It was a small, meaningless trinket to anyone else. But to her, it was a reminder:You chose this life. You chose the gamble.Peter was silent, staring at his untouched chips.He had 75 billion left.Naomi had over 200 billion.It was a massacre waiting to happen.But Naomi didn’t look smug this time.She looked… hungry.“Shall we?” the dealer asked, almost too polite.They both dropped their participation chip for this round and the cards were dealt.Five each.No words exchanged.Peter peeked at his hand. Two pairs. Not bad. But nothing to write home about.Naomi looked at hers and — to Peter’s shock — laughed.Not a polit
You may also like
The Legendary System
KazuhiroSeijuro41.3K viewsThe Vampire System
Dragonslav28.2K viewsLevel Up With My Bastard System in Fantasy World
Oceanna Lee25.0K viewsSUPER FARMING SYSTEM
Shame_less00752.6K viewsAscension of the Lost Soul
Ramutshatsha Arikonisaho132 viewsRevenge system: Pharrell Crowley on top
A J styles8.9K viewsRegressor
glory437 viewsAbystella - The Star of The Abyss
John R. R. Knaus871 views