William glanced at Alexandros Dimitrios, smiling as he turned to Alexander and said, "Dear, let me show you my card skills. That guy over there is an easy mark. Let's fleece him, and I'll take you shopping in Miami."
Alexander gave William a knowing look. "You're a billionaire, and yet you still want to fleece us ordinary folks."
William leaned in and whispered into Alexander's ear, "That guy isn't just an ordinary person." With that, he stopped Alexander from saying anything more.
Feigning a reach into his coat pocket, William actually retrieved £20,000 from his personal space and handed it to the bartender to exchange for chips. He then took Alexander over to Dimitrios's table.
Placing his chips on the table, William asked, "Good evening, everyone. May I join you?"
"Good evening," replied the middle-aged men and women at the table, warmly greeting William.
The others at the table just shrugged, indicating it was fine, so William took a seat. Alexander sat beside him, and not long after they started playing, our new Bond, carrying a stack of chips, approached. "Mind if I join?"
William smiled. "Of course not."
The dealer said, "Small blind and big blind to the two players to the left of the dealer."
"No problem," Bond replied.
As the game commenced, William focused on Bond, not wanting him to disrupt his plans.
After just a few hands, William bluffed Bond into going all-in. Bond's three Kings with a single Ace couldn't hold up against William's straight flush. Frustrated, Bond shook his head and walked over to the bar, where he immediately started flirting with Dimitrios's wife.
True to his reputation, Bond quickly had Dimitrios's attractive wife laughing behind her hand, and soon, the two of them snuck out of the casino together.
Since Dimitrios had his back to the bar, he was oblivious to what was happening. William gave Dimitrios a meaningful look, thinking, "This is what you get for messing with Ambrosio. Enjoy wearing a cuckold's hat, you scoundrel."
Dimitrios, sensing something was off, looked puzzled under William's gaze. He was already interested in Alexander Ambrosio and didn't have a good feeling about William.
William, however, was plotting to squeeze more profit out of Dimitrios.
"£5,000," the dealer said to William. "Dimitrios has bet £5,000. Your turn, Mr. Devonshire."
William counted out £5,000 in chips and tossed them into the pot.
The dealer revealed the fifth card, a King.
"It's your turn to act, Mr. Devonshire," the dealer prompted.
"Check," William said.
"Mr. Dimitrios, Mr. Devonshire has checked. Your move," the dealer announced.
"All in," Dimitrios said. Then he hesitated, pulled out a check, and after glancing at the chips in front of William, added, "I'll raise £50,000."
"No, Mr. Dimitrios, we only bet with what's on the table," the dealer declined.
William interjected, "Mr. Dimitrios, you can have the waiter exchange more chips. I'll give you a chance to win your money back."
The dealer, seeing William's agreement and knowing the house profited from chip exchanges, nodded and signaled to the waiter.
Once the chips were exchanged, Dimitrios pushed £50,000 worth of chips onto the table. "I'm betting everything you've got."
William glanced at his own chips. "Sorry, Mr. Dimitrios, but I have £80,000 in chips. You're short."
Dimitrios, clearly irritated, stared at William before tossing his car keys onto the table. "A 1964 Aston Martin. That should cover everything you have on the table."
"Alright," William grinned, pushing all his chips into the pot.
"Show your cards, gentlemen," the dealer instructed.
Dimitrios revealed his hand: a pair of Kings.
The cards on the table were a 9, 3, A, 7, and K.
"Dimitrios has three Kings. Your turn, Mr. Devonshire," the dealer said.
William flipped over his cards, revealing three Aces.
"Three Aces win. Mr. Dimitrios, Mr. Devonshire takes the pot," the dealer announced, then began clearing the table.
Dimitrios looked at William with a sour expression, feeling utterly defeated. He pulled out a check, still hoping for a comeback.
At that moment, a waiter handed Dimitrios a note. After glancing at it, he muttered a curse under his breath, gathered his coat, and with one last resentful look at William and Alexander Ambrosio, walked out.
"Wait, Mr. Dimitrios, you forgot your parking card. Thank you," William called out.
Dimitrios retrieved the parking card from his pocket and tossed it onto the table before leaving without looking back.
As William watched Dimitrios depart, he knew the man was on his way to meet Le Chiffre.
Turning to Alexander, William said, "Dear, can you keep everyone entertained for a while? I need to make a call to the crew and confirm if we can take off for America tonight."
"But I don't know how to play," Alexander replied, looking bewildered.
"Darling, you've been watching for a while. You'll be fine. The dealer will guide you. Just don't bet unless you have good cards," William reassured.
He stood up, kissed Alexander, and tossed a £500 chip to the dealer. "Please help her out, Miss. Anything she doesn't understand, guide her."
"Of course, Mr. Devonshire. Don't worry, I'll assist Miss Ambrosio," the dealer said, gratefully accepting the tip.
The other players were more than happy to have Alexander join. A newbie at the table meant a chance to win back what they had lost to William.
William exited the casino and called Barney. When Barney answered, he reported, "Boss, we lost track of Dimitrios. He boarded a yacht and is now at sea."
"Damn it," William swore. Le Chiffre was being more cautious.
On Le Chiffre's yacht, Dimitrios faced an irate Le Chiffre. "I find it hard to see how this is my fault. Everything was your plan. All I had to do was find someone for you."
"Find me someone under surveillance by American intelligence? Someone targeted by the best American mercenaries? It's a good thing your man is dead; otherwise, I can't promise what I would have done," Le Chiffre snarled.
"I'm not sure I can trust you anymore, Dimitrios," Le Chiffre added.
"Then don't. I don't care if you trust me or not. What matters to me is my reputation in the mercenary world. And just so you know, I have another man willing to take the job. He only needs a few details and the payment," Dimitrios countered.
"This is your last chance, Dimitrios. You know the consequences of failure. Those warlords and drug lords won't spare you or your beautiful wife," Le Chiffre warned.
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