"Hit me!"
"Hit me!"
"Hit me!"
"Busted!" The dealer, KK, announced emotionlessly.
Bertman broke into another layer of sweat. Penny, even more anxious, stood up, gasping for air as if she couldn't breathe. She practically wished she could lie down on the gambling table and somehow get x-ray vision to see KK's hidden card.
KK remained as calm as a mountain, pursing his lips as he looked at the two people across the table, as if they were mere clowns.
"Deal!" he commanded coldly.
The dealer handed him two cards, one face-up and one face-down, just like Bertman's.
Bertman was about to call for another card when Penny suddenly shouted, "No! Since you're the gambling god, you're definitely going to swap cards and cheat! Even if we don't bust, we'll never win against you!"
KK didn't speak, but in another room, Capone let out a cold laugh.
"What's so funny?" Sophia murmured in displeasure, noticing that Capone's clothes were damp, his black hair dripping with water. He was sitting there, watching the gambling game, and still laughing.
Capone raised an eyebrow, pulling her into his arms and whispering in her ear, "Once you see KK's skills, you'll understand what's so funny."
Sophia could feel a wave of warmth spread from her earlobe to the rest of her body, his heat pressing against her, and she couldn't pull away.
At the gambling table, KK raised both his hands. "Alright, I won't place my hands on the table. Later, you can help me flip the bottom card. How's that?"
Bertman's hand was decent. After standing, he had 19 points. He sighed with relief, thinking he was sure to win.
Penny, however, flipped KK's face-down card and gasped!
"21 points!"
KK's lips curled into a smile, a look that clearly read, "You flipped it yourself," as if winning was an absolute certainty.
Capone, watching from the monitor, nodded with a smile, and Sophia's eyes widened. She, too, was impressed by the sheer skill on display!
Bertman's handkerchief was soaked through with sweat, and Penny bit her lip, thinking for a long moment. Finally, she said, "I'll take control of my own fate. I'll bet against you myself!"
"I don't gamble with women," KK replied lazily.
"What does gender have to do with a gamble?" Penny exclaimed, nearly jumping to her feet in frustration.
KK looked at her, then suddenly smiled. "Alright, I'll bet with you. I'll let you be the dealer! Bertman, you deal the cards, so no one can accuse me of cheating."
Bertman, now thoroughly caught up in the heat of the moment, was beyond rational thought. KK's words were like an imperial decree. As Bertman shuffled the four decks of cards, his hands fumbled, clumsy and slow, adding to the tension. But KK remained completely at ease.
He didn't call for cards or announce any decisions, instead tapping his fingers on the table—two taps for a hit, one tap for a stand.
When it came time to flip his hidden card, he had 20 points. Penny's face-up card was an Ace, and she was hoping that her hidden card would be any one of the K, Q, J, or 10. But it wasn't. She had no choice but to ask for another card, and in the end, she busted.
She sat frozen, unable to believe that she had lost everything.
KK glanced at the dealer, who silently understood and handed all of Penny's chips to Bertman.
"We're just here to have fun, sometimes you don't need to take it too seriously. Bertman brought such a stunning beauty, I had to show a little appreciation! Take your money back, I only wanted Penny."
Bertman felt as if a great weight had been lifted. His tense nerves finally relaxed, and his body felt like it was turning to jelly. He nearly collapsed, his legs buckling.
"Thank you... thank you, KK!"
The man walked off, thanking KK profusely without even looking at Penny, as though she were a poisonous snake or a wild animal in the room.
Penny had been terrified, but after hearing KK casually call her by name, "Penny," she started to relax a little. She tried to remember if there had been any past guests at the nightclub who had taken a special interest in her, setting up such an elaborate scheme just to gamble with her.
KK sat before the table, playing with a deck of cards in his hands, smooth and effortless as though every card held a life of its own. He made no further moves toward her, so Penny, taking matters into her own hands, leaned closer and, in a coy tone, asked, "Mr. Jin, I wonder what you would like me to do for you?"
KK felt a shiver run down his spine. He turned to glance at the direction of the camera, sending Capone a look through the screen that clearly said, "Your taste is terrible."
This kind of woman, he thought, and he had kept her around?
Capone's face turned dark, and he cleared his throat before glancing at Sophia. Fortunately, she didn't seem to catch the expression on KK's face.
"For people who are useless, I usually just sell them off," KK said, his voice dripping with cold detachment. "You seem healthy—liver, kidneys, spleen, stomach, heart, and corneas should fetch a good price. Don't worry, I'll make sure they get you a good doctor. It won't hurt much, and you'll still be alive!"
Penny, who had thought the black market for human trafficking was the worst possible situation, was stunned into silence. The very idea of a black market for organs nearly made her lose her composure. She forced a smile, "Mr. Jin, I'm still young. I've been a nightclub manager for many years and can help you with your troubles. Please, spare me, and let me stay by your side."
"It's not that I can't, but I heard you used to work at ROYAL. I can't mess with people from the Franklin family! Even though I don't like Capone, I don't do that kind of thing. You were with him, right? I don't steal other people's women."
"No, I've already cut ties with him!" Penny hastily explained. "He's got a new lover now, and he doesn't even look at other women!"
Capone's expression fluctuated between pale and green, while Sophia, still angry, shot him occasional glares.
"Oh? You seem a little reluctant there. I thought you could help me take him down since you were close to him. I've wanted to teach him a lesson for a long time," KK said, his tone as casual as if he were discussing tomorrow's weather.
Penny sneered, "What's so hard about it? His weak point is the woman by his side. Take her down, and it'll hurt him more than anything! I have things that can ruin him. He nearly turned against the Diaz family in Hokkaido because of the stuff I have!"
"What stuff?" KK asked.
"He sent his new lover to ROYAL, and I was the one who trained her and introduced her to clients. I have pictures! I also have photos of him and that girl getting intimate. If you use them right, not only will it embarrass him, but you can also stir up trouble with the Diaz family!"
KK's voice grew colder. "Sounds like you really hate him. Is this how you treat your benefactors? And how did you get hold of such private photos?"
"It's because he was unjust that I became so ruthless! For that girl, he sent me to work as a cleaner in the housekeeping department, leaving me with no place to stand! I installed a camera in his regular room, so those photos are real!"
"I see…" KK exhaled deeply. That should be the job done, right? "Since you've been so clear, I have no reason to doubt you. But I wonder if the person involved has any more questions. Perhaps you should discuss it directly with him."
As soon as KK finished speaking, the heavy door was kicked open, and Capone, as cold as an iceberg, stepped inside. His eyes were heavy with stormy emotions, and his presence seemed to command the room with an oppressive weight.
Penny's face drained of color, as if she had been frozen in place by some kind of spell. She couldn't move, unable to stand or leave, and eventually, her strength seemed to drain away. She slumped softly, kneeling to the ground.
Capone walked up to her, his expression chillingly stern, while Sophia followed him, her steps stiff and cautious.
KK met Capone's gaze and shrugged nonchalantly, "Here she is. How you want to deal with her is up to you. Miss Sophia, would you like to step outside for a coffee? In case things get too bloody in here, I'd rather not have you witness it."
Sophia froze for a moment, instinctively glancing up at Capone. The fury in his eyes and the tension in his clenched fists told her that he was capable of turning this place into a scene of carnage.
Her breath became heavy, and she couldn't bear to imagine how the hands that had held her so gently just moments ago would be used in violence, how cruel it could be.
"You…" she started to speak, but her voice faltered.
"I won't lay a hand on her." Capone seemed to sense what she wanted to say. Her world had always been one of sunlight and peace, and she couldn't stomach the darkness and bloodshed, nor did she like him being stained by violence.
He didn't want to live in two separate worlds with her. The road to cleansing himself was long and difficult, and of course, he couldn't bring himself to kill anyone in front of her.
Even though he would take no pleasure in her death, Penny's demise wouldn't quench the hatred that burned in his chest.
But he needed Sophia to stay here, to witness the truth and the misunderstandings that needed clearing between them.