Reborn To Ruin Her Rivals - Chapter 14: Chapter 14

This was a big no-no for a host, not even knowing who the guest was.
Unsure of the girl's identity, Sierra forced a smile and went straight to the point. "What's your name, miss?"
The crowd downstairs was equally baffled. Even Sierra didn't know who she was, let alone them.
Actually, Sierra thought the gambler would be Vanna and hadn't even noticed the young girl next to her.
"My surname is Bradford," Arielle replied simply.
Sierra was caught off guard by her reply, thinking, 'At least give her full name, right? But she only said her surname. Cool! But hey, the guests at Cloud Nine are all big shots with a unique temper.'
She had to continue the conversation awkwardly, "So, it's Miss Bradford. May I ask who you want to gamble against?"
Arielle looked towards the middle box on the third floor; she knew the person she was looking for was inside.
"Mr. Samson Lowery," she replied.
The next moment, everyone followed Arielle's gaze at the box in the middle of the third floor.
They couldn't see what was inside. But they knew there was a mysterious person staying in that box on the third floor, Mr. Samson Lowery.
In recent years, few had seen him gamble against others. Because no one had dared to challenge him so far.
Sierra and Desmond exchanged glances. Both saw shock in each other's eyes.
Sierra asked somewhat uncertainly, "You want to gamble against... Mr. Samson Lowery?"
"Yes," Arielle said coldly.
Samson's name usually didn't appear on the list, but only on the promotional papers of Cloud Nine.
Because, unless they were having a death wish, no one in their right mind would want to challenge Lord of Gambling.
The crowd was in an uproar instantly.
'What a bold girl!' Lucas thought as he crossed his arms, smirking at the girl on stage who had no clue how cruel the world really was.
He decided to leave right after watching the game and didn't even wanna bother with the final outcome.
'Damn. Who the hell isn't scared of Mr. Lowery and dares to challenge him?' He was excited for a good show.
Suddenly, a smile crept on his lips—he got way more interested in this person now.
He was gonna leave fast just a moment ago. Now? He was staying put.
Samson got mad power. Even Lucas didn't dare mess with him.
He was basically running both the legit and underground scenes.
Rumor had it that he was Lord of Gambling of Cloud Nine, undefeated even in Naflain.
No one had beaten him yet.
Cloud Nine was full of all kinds of people, but no one dared cause trouble because Samson was there—any troublemakers got wiped out with no trace left behind, no drama about it.
The underworld folks feared him like crazy just hearing his name.
Such a big shot was here to hold down the fort; nobody dared challenge him.
One could get anything from him—money, power, info—you name it.
But he had a weird rule: losers gotta leave behind something from their body—could be feet, legs, ears... whatever.
In short, anyone who gambled against him would either be dead or crippled.
It was said that the last person who didn't believe the rumors came to challenge him and ended up losing a hand on the spot.
A few days later, that guy was found dead on the street.
Anyone who gambled against him was literally risking their life for real.
His game was cards too—but different from others: best two outta three rounds won; both shuffle once each; last shuffle done by a dealer—this rule was special just for him in Cloud Nine.
Everyone watching sighed secretly, thinking the girl on stage was simply asking for death.
'A beauty like her missing an arm or a leg? That'd be a real shame. Wonder if Mr. Lowery will change his mind,' they said inwardly.
Sierra's gaze, filled with a plea for help, turned towards the man at the back of the stage.
That guy was Logan Calhoun, Samson's assistant. He handled certain casino stuff, like keeping an eye on special bets at the casino.
Logan caught Sierra's signal, feeling torn.
After all, not just anyone could challenge Samson. But this girl was so dead set on him.
Logan didn't hesitate and decided to report the situation to Samson for his own decision.
He dialed Samson's number.
About ten seconds later, a deep voice came through. "What's up?"
Logan spoke respectfully, giving Samson a straight report of the situation.
In the end, he added, "Number 20's still waiting for your reply."
Samson stayed silent for a bit before agreeing. "I'll be down in five minutes."
"Got it." Logan gave a pitying look at Arielle.
'Such a young life is about to fade tonight,' he said inwardly.
Meanwhile, Samson was excited that someone was finally challenging him again. And it was a girl.
'Interesting!' he thought.
Amid the anticipation of the crowd, the door to the third-floor box swung open.
A sharply dressed middle-aged man with a distinctly chiseled appearance slowly made his way to the center of the stage, surrounded by his bodyguards.
He looked at the girl on the stage. His deep eyes seemed to pierce through her.
His lips curved slightly as he spoke. "You've got some guts. Come on, bring it. You know the rules of betting with me?"
Since he stepped on stage, Arielle's eyes never left him.
Her eyes were like deep, endless whirlpools, with no emotion or warmth.
"Yeah, I know." Her cold voice broke the silence, way too chill for someone her age, which made Samson even more curious.
He gave a slight smile. But it vanished instantly.
Arielle sat down, while Samson stood up.
Looking down at the girl across from him with unseen emotions churning in his eyes, he spoke again. "You got one minute to back out."
Arielle took a deep breath, sneering, "Mr. Lowery, scared? Your time's precious; let's not waste words."
Suddenly, the whole room went dead silent. Everyone was sweating for Arielle. 'How dare she talk to Mr. Lowery like that? Did she wanna die?'
Lucas was shocked, thinking, 'This girl probably doesn't even know who Mr. Lowery is! Young but so bold!'
On stage, Samson's smile vanished completely now.
His eyes burned with killing intent and bloodlust, like he wanted to swallow her whole right then and there.
No one had ever dared talk to him like that before.
They sat on opposite sides of the gambling table now.
Only then did Samson size her up carefully.
Even Sierra and Desmond could feel the cold murderous vibes radiating off both of them like ice and steel clashing.
Sierra tried to calm her racing heart.
She knew Samson's cruelty and was already mourning for Arielle inwardly.
"Round three starts now!" Sierra didn't dare say much and simply announced the start of the third round.
Samson leaned disdainfully against the chair back.
Looking at Arielle as if she were a dead person, he spoke coldly. "Interesting. Hope you don't disappoint me tonight. What's your bet?"
He stared at Arielle with contempt, disdain, and a bloodthirsty gaze.
Arielle's cold eyes met his, not the least bit intimidated.
"I have the person Mr. Lowery is looking for here," she replied.
Were it not for the fact that his status forbade him from losing composure in such a setting, he would have immediately drawn his pistol and ensured that the girl would never get another chance to speak.
'Is that it? Trying to fool me? She must be crazy, here to cause trouble.' Samson rubbed his temples.
His anger surfaced, and he felt like he was being toyed with by the young girl in front of him.
Just about to call the bodyguards, he heard the girl across from him speak calmly.