Chapter 512:
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Allison sat silently, her gaze darting between the community cards and her own hand, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. It was the clear giveaway of a novice.
Even the dealer shook his head and declared, âThe final round of betting is closed. The pot stands at two million and four hundred thousand. Please reveal your hands.â
Fay eagerly leaned in, ready to reveal Amorâs cards. The entire roomâs attention fixed on the table.
Amorâs hand, paired with the community cards, revealed only a pair of Aces, with the rest of her hand utterly flatâfar from formidable.
But when Allisonâs hand was revealed, any lingering tension instantly dissolved. Her hand was worseâa disaster, to be blunt.
âAll sheâs got is a high card, a King, at best. Why didnât she fold earlier? Betting against Amor? Is this âScarlet Snakeâ out of her mind?â one onlooker muttered in astonishment.
âClassic rookie mistakeâthinking sheâs got the poker face down, but her every expression tells a story,â laughed another. âWhatâs a perfumer doing at a poker table? Sheâll probably still be blinking in confusion by the end of the game!â
âOh, this is my jackpot!â another laughed, eyes gleaming.
The dealer, ever the professional, compared both hands and pushed the mountain of chips to Amorâs side. âAnd the first round goes to Amor.â
Colton, watching from the sidelines, studied Allisonâs furrowed brow and troubled silence. His own brow tightened as frustration bubbled within him, his fists clenching.
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This was no ordinary gambleâthis was high-stakes, life-changing.
A wild thought crossed his mind: should he consider pleading on her behalf, using the Stevens family name to sway Amor? He dismissed it almost immediately.
He must be out of his mind.
Allison had made it clearâtheir ties had been severed after the divorce.
âItâs over. Allisonâs clueless about the rules. This isnât even fair,â Melany murmured with a resigned sigh, shaking her head. âBut itâs her decision to make,â she added, almost as if to reassure herself.
Colton kept his gaze lowered, responding coolly, âYeah.â
Meanwhile, Melany felt a quiet surge of satisfaction, tightening her hold on Coltonâs arm as she looked toward the poker table. Fayâs laughter filled the room.
âScarlet Snake, Iâve got to hand it to you! Who else would have the guts to go head-to-head with Amor with skills like yours? Youâre just wasting her time!â Fay couldnât fathom how Allison could have shown up with such a weak hand.
âWhy not just concede? Even in defeat, hold on to some dignity!â Amor, eyes twinkling with amusement, rested her chin on her hand and looked at Allison with almost maternal patience. âDonât discourage a rookie too much. Bad luck if you ask me. I might just change my mind,â she teased with a faint smile.
Truthfully, Amor was too uninterested to take advantage of such an amateur.
âScarlet Snake, sweetheart, if you lose to me again, how about a round of bowling?â
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