Reborn To Ruin Her Rivals - Chapter 12: Chapter 12

Theodore snapped out of his headspace, realizing Lucas wasn't dodging a face-off with Cloud Nine's gambling legend.
Nah, the guy was genuinely thanking him.
Here's the deal with Cloud Nine: the last player standing had to throw down with their gambling king. And let's be real—theu were toast.
The gambling lord's the main event, Cloud Nine's golden goose.
Hotshots lined up to take him on, chasing glory. Spoiler? They all crashed and burned.
Beat him, though, and one could name their prize—anything. One could even walk away with Cloud Nine itself.
But nobody had ever pulled it off. Losers either drop 30 million bucks or a hand.
"So, Mr. Hobbs, what's your play?" Lucas asked, cool as ice, eyeing Theodore like a hawk.
Theodore's stomach did a flip, but he was in too deep to bail.
He squared his shoulders. "I want the Walter family backing me," he said, bold and straight-up, catching Lucas off guard.
The crowd caught the vibe too. Getting the Walters' support? That was a big swing for a kid like Theodore.
The Hobbs family might scrape into Theoria City's top ten, but next to the Walters, they were small fry.
The Walters are one of Scoratein's four heavy hitters—way out of the Hobbs' league.
Still, a win here could tie the Hobbs family to the Walters, skyrocketing their clout in Theoria City.
Arielle, watching from the crowd, shook her head. "Money talks, huh?" she muttered.
Theodore had clearly done his homework, tracking Lucas like a bloodhound.
The Walters played both sides of the law, their influence dwarfing the Hobbs family's. A win could pull the Hobbs clan out of their current mess.
Arielle had only met Lucas once, but his rep preceded him. Cloud Nine had Walter family cash in it—not a ton, but enough.
Raised in that world, Lucas was a gambling shark. Theodore taking him down? Fat chance.
Lucas leaned forward, voice sharp. "Alright, Mr. Hobbs, what's your stake?"
Theodore smirked, chin up like he owned the joint. "65 mil."
Lucas nearly laughed out loud. 'Two hundred million from the Hobbs Group to lock in a Walter promise? What a joke.'
Theodore's ambition was plain as day—hitching his wagon to the Walters for pocket change? Lucas wasn't impressed.
His face said it all: Theodore's bet was a non-starter.
If the Hobbs Group's founder caught wind of this, he'd probably bust out of his coffin cackling.
Theodore was sweating bullets. He'd dug deep for this—Hobbs Group's shares were his best shot.
'What if Lucas bailes? No dice. This is my one chance to hook Lucas,' he thought. The Hobbs family needed a big player bad.
"100 mil, Mr. Walter," Theodore blurted, voice shaky. "We're no Walters, but that's my max, I swear." His hands twisted, eyes locked on Lucas, begging for a break.
Lucas, pure business, didn't flinch."Three billion dollars," he shot back, cool as ice.
Theodore slumped, drained. Three billion dollars? Might as well hand over Hobbs Group.
Lucas was going for the throat, and Theodore was shook.
Three billion would sink Hobbs Group, already on the ropes. Their limit was 100 million—this was nuts.
Two minutes ticked by. Theodore was stuck. The host, Sierra, jumped in."Mr. Hobbs, you set? One minute, or you're out."
Theodore wavered. Sierra grinned at Lucas."Mr. Walter, one sec, please."
Time's up. Sierra called, "Alright, I'm—"
"Hold up!" Theodore cut in, desperate. "I'm in for Mr. Walter's deal."
He'd bank on his card game—nobody in Theoria City could touch him. Hobbs Group was bleeding cash. No lifeline, they were done. Go big or go home.
Cards or dice, one round, winner takes all.
Lucas read Theodore like a cheap paperback, already feeling a bit sorry for the guy.
He'd just come to stir the pot and have a laugh, but now he was walking away with a fat stack of cash.
'Jackpot. Hell yeah,' he thought.
"So, what's it gonna be?" Lucas asked, smirking.
Theodore sank into his chair, exhaling hard. A glint of confidence sparked in his eyes.
"Cards," Theodore said.
At Cloud Nine, the rule was one round, no do-overs. Too many players, not enough time.
Lucas gave him a sly nod. "You're up."
Theodore snapped into focus. Cards were his thing—he wasn't worried.
One round, three cards: each player shuffled once, then the dealer shuffled last.
Theodore's shuffle was smooth as silk, cards snapping with a sharp whoosh-whoosh.
The crowd ate it up. Everyone figured the Hobbs family's golden boy was some nerdy bookworm, not a card shark.
'Guess you can't judge a book by its cover,' they thought.
First card. They flipped.
Theodore: King of Hearts. Lucas: Ten of Hearts.
Theodore let out a quiet breath, feeling good.
Round two, Lucas's turn. His hands moved like lightning, cards blurring in a flurry.
Second card. Theodore: King of Spades. Lucas: Jack of Spades.
The big screen showed every detail. The crowd was buzzing—Theodore had this in the bag.
Final card. Lucas stayed chill, popping a shirt button like he didn't care.
Everyone was sure Theodore was about to win big.
Even Theodore was already picturing the Hobbs family climbing Theoria City's ranks with the Walters in their corner.
Lucas caught Theodore's cocky grin and smirked. "Flip them."
They turned their cards. The hosts, Sierra and Desmond, lost it. "No freaking way, Mr. Walter! How'd you do that?!"
There it was: Lucas's King of Clubs. His hand? 10, Jack, Queen—a straight.
Game over. Nobody saw that coming.