Page 96 of Gamble with Me
“I’m…” he whispered, barely audible. The music and chatter around us killed his quiet words.
“Go do your job, Zyon,” I said firmly. We had time to have this conversation later. “They are waiting for you.”
“We need to talk,” he uttered, tenderly cupping my chin. The familiar touch caused my body to shiver.
“We will,” I promised with a tiny smile, moving his fingers away from my skin. It almost brought me physical pain to push him away, but he had to get to the bottom of my husband’s plans.
Zyon hesitated for a moment but eventually left with Dorian. I stood alone in the middle of the room, surrounded by slot machines and guests who ignored me.
I observed the crowd for almost half an hour, enjoyed colorful drinks, and said hi to my colleagues, but my mind constantly drifted to the VIP room. I fought with myself not to go closer to the saloon where the game was in play, but my legs carried me there anyway.
My curiosity was stronger than anything. I couldn’t imagine why Chester attended this party. And one million dollars was way above his limit to play with.
Maybe he had a few thousand hidden somewhere, but he was nothing compared to Zyon and his filthy rich friends. It must have been something else that brought him here.
My heart clenched with fear when an idea popped up out of nowhere. The last time Zyon threw a party, the Balloon room in his casino exploded. I turned on my heels, staring with dread that clutched my insides at the people enjoying themselves. If I was right, they had no idea what kind of danger they were in.
Finishing my glass abruptly, I felt a burning sensation in my throat when I hurried to the VIP saloon. I had to stop my husband from doing whatever he intended to do.
Two muscular security guys stood at the golden door, but when I approached them, thinking what to tell them so they would allow me to go inside, one of them opened the door for me without any question.
“Thank you,” I said, entering the spacious, gloomy interior.
A smiling girl at the bar dressed like a vampire offered me a drink and motioned behind the corner. My heels dug into the black carpet as I walked around the long glass bar. The shelves on the wall behind the girl contained expensive bottles of alcohol and decorative glasses, and the mirror covering the entire wall provided a secret view of the players enjoying the game.
I continued inside, glimpsing dark walls illuminated by colorful lights. I felt my heart in my throat when I walked from behind the corner and noticed my husband sitting opposite Zyon. They had piles of chips on the poker table, and the atmosphere was tense.
“It’ll be a huge game,” one spectator pointed out excitedly, clinking his glass with another who nodded eagerly. At least twenty people watched the table where Alice dealt cards with a professional expression.
I came closer to see better, spotting my unmasked husband peeking at his cards with a bored look. He ignored the dress code but still wore a pricey designer suit I had never seen on him before. Behind him stood a woman who could easily be my younger sister if she didn’t have her face full of unnecessary Botox.
Her red hair shone against her unhealthy white skin, falling on her naked shoulders. Her black dress was even more revealing than mine, showing off an indecent piece of her transparent bra and barely covering her wide ass. Her hand was placed on Chester’s neck, scratching him with her long nails.
My stomach twisted with disgust, and goosebumps erected all over my body. I had a hard time keeping those drinks down. I almost threw up from humiliation.
Probably everyone in this room knew Chester was married, from the servers to Alice and Zyon and his brothers. And no one said a word to me. They all kept it from me. While I stayed at home with our daughter or spent my nights at work, my husband threw our money on this fucking caricature.
I slammed the empty glass on the high table near the wall, earning a few frowns from the guests. But I didn’t care about them. I wanted to catch the attention of someone else.
Sadly, Chester didn’t look at me. Instead, Zyon noticed me and tensed, his dark eyes jumping from me to my failed copy, who stroked my husband’s shoulder. I stared at her wide plastic smile with all the hatred I was capable of, not because of jealousy but because I felt like a used rag.
Chester dared to blackmail me to live with him. He threatened to take Zara away from me. He beat me. For what? If he had this mediocre replacement, why the fuck did he torture me?
Inhaling a shaky breath to control my emotions and not make an unnecessary scene, my eyes connected with Zyon’s. I knew why I was important to my husband. I was a means to hurt his opponent.
But now, when we both knew he knew about us, the scales turned in our favor. Maybe we could use this advantage and stop whatever he planned. We just had to play it right.
-45-
Valeria
Before I could mingle with the spectators in the VIP saloon, Chester saw me. Initially, I wanted him to notice me. I wished to see how he would react to me knowing about his redhead girl and the one million bucks he put into a poker game. But then, I decided to use a different approach. Sadly, he caught a glimpse of me before I could disappear from his reach.
The moment our gazes met, Chester arrogantly smirked. Despite the heavy makeup, he knew who was hidden under it. He sent my replacement away with a firm wave, and she obediently left his side.
I wasn’t sure if I was furious with her that she had started an affair with a married man or felt sorry for what kind of man she chose.
Chester was a nightmare when he was in a good mood. With his violent tendencies, the girl was in an unenvious situation. Perhaps she was abused more than me, considering he spent more time out than at home.
