The Queen Back From Hell - Chapter 102: Chapter 102

Across the table, Arielle still hadn't so much as glanced at her cards.
Gavin thought to himself, 'She must be too scared to look at her cards, or maybe she's just inexperienced, that's why she's putting on such a calm front.'
Before he knew it, the third card had already been dealt.
Gavin glanced at his card, an Ace.
'Not as good as I hoped,' Gavin thought to himself, 'but still a decent hand overall.'
Gavin flipped over his three cards.
In an instant, the big screen flashed, a pair of tens and an ace.
Meredith practically jumped out of her seat, clapping wildly in excitement as she prematurely celebrated Gavin's victory.
But then, the unthinkable happened.
Arielle flipped her cards over with a nonchalant air.
The big screen lit up, revealing a pair of Jacks and an Ace.
In the next instant, the entire venue erupted like a bomb had gone off.
Gavin's eyes widened in disbelief as he muttered, "How... how is this possible?
"She actually won?
"And by just a hair's breadth, too!
Sierra knew all about Arielle's gambling skills.
But she never expected Arielle to play the card so flawlessly, completely outmaneuvering her opponent.
Arielle curled her lips into a mocking smile as she saw Gavin's stunned expression.
She said, "I won. Get 30 million ready, I want to see the transfer confirmation before we're done here."
With that, Arielle gave a casual wave to the audience below but remained firmly on the stage.
Meredith, sitting in the audience, was utterly flabbergasted.
'That bitch got so lucky! She actually beat Gavin!' she fumed.
"Meredith, how could this be? She must've just gotten lucky to win!" Mya huffed angrily.
Perla never expected this outcome. She was certain Gavin would win. "She just got lucky!"
Meredith was deeply disappointed, her displeasure plain on her face.
Georgie scoffed at this.
He thought, 'I have just watched Arielle shuffle the cards on stage, her movements were so clumsy and awkward. Total amateur. The only reason she beat Gavin this time was pure dumb luck.'
Someone nearby fawned over Georgie, whispering, "Mr. Tate, you'll avenge Gavin later, show that woman what you're really capable of!"
Georgie curled his lips into a smirk and scoffed. "Like that even needs saying?"
Gavin stepped down from the gambling table, his face etched with defeat.
Seeing this, Meredith hurried over and began cooing words of comfort to him.
At that moment, the host's booming voice echoed throughout the casino. "I hereby announce the start of the second round!"
The moment these words were spoken, the entire casino fell silent.
All eyes were riveted on the gambling table.
Arielle remained at the table, poised to face off against her next challenger.
The high-stakes match proceeded seamlessly, following the established protocol.
With a sweet smile, Sierra politely asked, "Miss Bradford, may I ask which contestant you'd like to choose as your opponent for this round?"
"Miss Bradford, may I ask which contestant you'd like to choose as your opponent for this round?"
"Number five," Arielle replied coolly.
The moment she spoke, a spotlight zeroed in on VIP Section Five.
Under the expectant gazes of the crowd, Georgie strolled onto the gambling table with effortless composure and leisurely grace.
As far as Georgie was concerned, the outcome of this game was already in the bag.
Georgie was the crown prince of Konis's underworld, instantly recognized by many in the audience.
The moment he appeared, all eyes were on him.
Everyone knew his gambling skills were second only to the legendary King of Gamblers himself.
Some VIPs unfamiliar with Arielle shook their heads in disbelief.
"She may have scraped by on luck in the first round," they muttered, "but up against someone as skilled as Georgie, luck alone won't be enough."
"Please welcome our VIP Number Five, Mr. Tate, to the stage," Sierra announced, recognizing him at once.
Two years ago, Georgie came to Cloud Nine to challenge the King of Gamblers. Though he lost, he walked away unscathed after forfeiting 30 million.
He lost that match. But his gambling skills were formidable, second only to the legendary King of Gamblers.
But his gambling skills were formidable, second only to the legendary God of Gambling himself.
Little did he know, tonight he was up against someone even more formidable.
Sierra thought to herself, 'I can't even imagine how Mr. Tate will feel when he loses...'
Georgie took his seat, propping his chin up with one hand, not even sparing a glance at Arielle.
"Woman, you'll be mine soon. Don't try to back out," Georgie sneered.
Arielle didn't like the look in his eyes. She replied coolly, "Don't try to weasel out. Remember, I want Golden District property."
Georgie let out a scornful laugh. "This woman... Already doomed, yet still putting up a fight. Pathetic."
Without further ado, the two got down to business.
As the host announced the start of the second round, both players dropped their previous airs and grew serious, their expressions sharpening in anticipation.
The dealer placed a fresh deck of cards on the gambling table.
The first round began with Arielle shuffling the cards.
Unlike the first round, Arielle's shuffling this time was noticeably masterful.
Her movements flowed with effortless grace, revealing her true expertise.
Georgie's heart skipped a beat.
He thought, 'Was she faking it all along?'
Gavin, Meredith, and the others in the audience gasped as they witnessed the scene.
"Wait, Arielle actually knows how to play cards?" Meredith blurted out, eyes wide.
"And she's really good at it!" Gavin added, stunned.
Judging by her smooth, practiced moves, there was no way she mastered this overnight.
As the crowd watched in stunned silence, Arielle calmly placed her first card on the table.
Her unshakable composure made Georgie, seated across from her, grow increasingly unsettled.
"You..." Georgie bit back his words, forcing himself to stay silent.
In Georgie's mind, even if Arielle had just been playing the "wolf in sheep's clothing" trick, it would be futile against him.
"Go, Mr. Tate! Take her down!" someone in the audience whispered excitedly.
Meredith clenched her fists, silently cheering for Georgie in her heart.
One spectator remarked, "Look how calm Miss Bradford is, she must have a winning strategy."
Another countered, "I wouldn't be so sure. Georgie's skills are second only to the Lord of Gambling. I think she's just bluffing."
"Let's see, Georgie's dealing this round. This might be where Miss Bradford meets her match."
Someone muttered, "Man, I'm so nervous just watching, how come she isn't nervous at all?"
Another replied, "You just don't get it. It's all about mind games. She's putting on a poker face, but inside, she's probably freaking out."
The VIPs in the audience leaned in close, whispering among themselves.
Now it was Georgie's turn to shuffle the deck for the second round.
Georgie picked up the deck, his fingers darting between the cards with practiced ease.
His fluid motions exuded calm confidence.
He fanned out the cards and snapped them back together in one seamless motion.
The crowd gaped at his masterful technique.
Next, he dealt the cards.
Neither Arielle nor Georgie bothered to look at their cards.
For the third round, the dealer shuffled the cards.
As the third card hit the table, the tension in the room reached its peak.
Both Arielle and Georgie simultaneously flipped over their face-down cards.
Three Kings for Georgie.
Three Aces for Arielle.
Once again, Arielle's hand was the perfect counter, three Aces trumping three Kings by the slimmest margin. With that, she claimed victory in the second round.
The cards were revealed.
Georgie's face froze in shock.
He thought, 'How could this be? I have lost!'
Arielle stood up with a knowing smirk.
"Better luck next time," she said, her words laced with irony.
Those words from her struck Georgie like a slap in the face. She was clearly mocking him.
His face dark with rage, he glared at her, thinking, 'I wish I could tear this woman limb from limb.'
She had stolen his undisputed title as the Gambling King of Konis, shattering the legend he'd built over the years.
He could already imagine the whispers spreading through Konis's underworld once the news got out.
There was no way in hell he could let this stand.