After my friend Josh Yates fell deep into gambling, he showed up one day wearing a wide, excited grin, insisting on taking me to Macoria.

"I just won big," he said. "My treat. We're staying at the most luxurious hotel."

However, the moment we landed, he led me straight into a private room buried deep inside a casino.

"The truth is, I lost 7.5 million," he admitted. "If I can't pay it back, they'll sell me off to the Mykar Borderlands…

"However, the woman who runs this place is looking for a man with a crescent-shaped birthmark. If they find him, all debts are wiped clean.

"You've got one on your stomach. I saw it when you were showering. I'm sorry, man… I really don't want to die."

Four men pinned me down on a sofa.

That was when I noticed a child's drawing hanging on the wall.

I had made it for my mother before I was taken from her. She cherished it, said she would keep it for the rest of her life.

An icy smile tugged at my lips.

Josh, Josh… this time, you really did place the right bet, I thought.

Too bad the winner would not be you.

...

I sensed trouble too late. By the time I wanted to bolt, the trap had already sprung.

"Chester, we're talking seven million five hundred thousand bucks here. I can't pay that off in ten lifetimes!

"But you, man? You're the lucky one. That crescent-shaped birthmark on your belly is like a golden ticket, meant to bail me out of this mess!"

A chill ran down my spine. Fear gripped my throat so tight I forgot how to breathe.

"Josh, you're selling me out?

"After all these years, with you being my best friend, you'd trade me for a stack of cash?"

He backed away, shaking his head as he stammered, "D-don't give me that look... Ms. Emerson, the casino queen, is loaded–and she has a big thing for guys with your kind of birthmark. She'd wipe out any debt for a chance with one.

"She's got her quirks, and you've got the mark. I figured–hey, maybe she'll dig you. You could end up living the high life as Mr. Emerson!"

The thought of being some rich lady's trophy sent a shudder through me.

I shoved him aside, determined to get out. "Dream on about being Mr. Emerson yourself. I'm out of here!"

Before my hand even grazed the doorknob, a heavy blow to the back of my head sent the world spinning.

"Chester, you brought this on yourself!"

I stumbled and hit the floor hard.

He loomed over me, snatching the lucky coin from my pocket.

"Don't play dumb. You didn't tag along for the sights. You're here to find your real parents.

"You've already come this far. Help me settle my debt, and I'll track down your parents. But make a run for it, and you can kiss your family reunion goodbye."

Pain throbbed at the base of my skull as I fought to move, my lips trembling, a sense of hopelessness washing over me.

I was snatched at five.

To keep his secret safe, the trafficker ditched my clothes, put a long wig on me, and tossed everything I had.

Only the lucky coin, etched with the nickname of my younger years, stayed hidden beneath my tongue.

16 years passed, and the path home grew blurry; memories before five faded. That coin was the last piece of my parents I had.

No lucky coin, no hope.

"You got the picture."

Josh's words hung in the air as the door to the room swung open.

A group of tough-looking guys stepped in. "You're Josh, right? Heard you've got something to cover your debts?"

Josh pointed at me, nodding eagerly.

"Mr. Baker, Ms. Emerson is after a guy with a crescent-shaped birthmark, right? Meet my friend Chester; he's got one on his stomach!

"See, I've delivered. Now, about my seven million five hundred thousand..."

The head honcho did not even glance up as he took a seat. "Hold your horses, let's see the merchandise first."

His goons lunged at me, shoving me onto the couch and stripping off my jacket in a flash.

One reached for my T-shirt, but I kicked him hard in the shin.

"Back off, don't touch me!"

"Son of a... You kicked me?" He spat out and smacked me across the face, twice. My vision exploded into stars, and before I could get a word out, a chilling gunshot echoed. The man's shin exploded in pain, and he crumpled to the floor, howling.

Alex Baker stood there, gun in hand, his face a mask of stone.

"Are you out of your mind, messing around before we're done checking?"

"Get him out of here. We can't have Ms. Emerson's carpet getting dirty."

The others, still rattled, quickly complied and dragged him off.

I was free from my restraints, but I was scared stiff, too intimidated to make a move.

They were armed. If I made one wrong move, I would be the next one catching a bullet.

Josh was scared out of his wits at the corner, but there was a new resolve in his eyes.

"Mr. Baker, he really does have a crescent-shaped birthmark on his belly, just like the one Ms. Emerson is after!"

Alex shot him a chilling look, and Josh instantly shivered and hung his head.

"The rest of you, get moving–and make it quick. Don't waste my time."

Four more guys pounced, and I scrambled back in panic.

Just then, my eyes caught a familiar graffiti on the wall.

A family of three was flying a kite, and the little boy in the middle had a name written above his head, a name I could never erase from my memory.

"Cole."

That was the drawing I had made right before I was taken. It was the one my dad adored, and my mom promised to treasure forever.

It was my mom!

She had been searching for me all those years, I realized.

Overwhelmed with emotion, I tried to sit up, leaning on the couch.

"Is your Ms. Emerson's last name by any chance..."

"All this chatter, you're probably up to no good, aren't you?" Alex cut me off, his gun then aimed at my forehead.

"You, be quiet.

"And you, strip him down. We need to check him out."

…

My head went numb with fear.

He did not hesitate to shoot his own people. I stood no chance!

Josh, trembling, whispered urgently, "Chester, just play it cool. Once they're done checking, I can get out of here. If you don't stop, I'm as good as dead..."

Even then, all he could think about was saving himself!

I gave the graffiti one more look and decided to play it cool.

'If they check this out and it's all good, my mom can finally show up. We'll have our tearful reunion, and this whole mess will be over,' I told myself.

I clenched my jaw and stood still while they yanked up my T-shirt.

Right below my belly button, the crescent-shaped birthmark was unmistakable.

"Mr. Baker, this looks legit!"

Alex hurried over, and his eyes widened in shock when he saw the mark, whispering under his breath, "It's an exact match to Ms. Emerson's drawing..."

Josh, seeing that things were going his way, grinned sheepishly. "Mr. Baker, now that we've confirmed it, about the money..."

Alex fixed his gaze on my birthmark. Then, with a flick of his hand, he said, "We're done here. Beat it."

"Right, right, I'm outta here!" Josh nodded like his life depended on it and spun around to bolt.

However, he still had my lucky coin!

I leaped off the couch and lunged for his jacket. "Josh, you can't just leave..."

"Don't let him escape!" On Alex's order, one of his goons kicked me hard in the gut.

I stumbled backward, unable to dodge, and my head slammed into the corner of a table.

Alex lost it. "You got a death wish or something? How many times have I told you guys–no rough stuff until we're sure!"

The hit I took from Josh was still throbbing, and I could feel something warm trickling down.

Propped against the table, I touched the back of my head, and my hand came away bloody.

My sight started to dim, and my consciousness was slipping away, my body not responding.

'I can't pass out... I haven't seen my mom,' I persisted.

"Shoot. Mr. Baker, he's bleeding out!" someone yelled in a panic, pointing at me.

Alex scowled, his concern evident.

"Okay, you two: hustle and get a doctor. And you two, dash over to Ms. Emerson's and tell her the birthmark's a dead ringer for the one she's after. She needs to see this, pronto.

"Everyone else, play it cool. If this guy's the one Ms. Emerson's been hunting, we don't want to tick him off. The last thing we need is him tattling to her and getting us all in hot water!"

The goons scattered, nearly tripping over Josh, who was frozen like a statue by the door.

It took him a moment to find his voice, shaky and uncertain, "Mr. Baker... I mean, Ms. Emerson's just on the lookout for some arm candy, right? Is snagging a boyfriend really such a big deal?"

Alex shot him a glare sharp enough to cut steel, "Cut the chatter. You think Ms. Emerson would dangle a fortune just for kicks? If this guy's the real deal, he's your golden ticket out of debt.

"But let's get one thing straight–not just any guy with a moon on his skin can clear the slate.

"We've had jokers try to pass off fakes before, clueless about where the real deal should be. They just slapped on a crescent and called it real."

"And Ms. Emerson? She didn't let them off easily."

Josh felt a chill run down his spine as Alex dropped the bombshell.

"Lucky for you, Ms. Emerson has a sixth sense for these things, and this guy's crescent is exactly where she wants it, down to the millimeter.

"Sit tight. If he's the chosen one, you're not just off the hook for the seven million five hundred thousand bucks. Your buddy's gonna roll out the red carpet, and you'll be living the high life together."

Josh's gaze darted around, his face a canvas of fear and hope.

A sinking feeling weighed on me. With the last shred of my will, I forced out the words, "I... I am..."

"Mr. Baker, I'm so sorry!" Josh came barreling toward me, his nails clawing into my leg. "His birthmark is a fake!

"I can't lie to Ms. Emerson. I'll pay back the 7.5 million dollars. I won't walk away from this debt!"

…

Alex's anger flared up in an instant. "Josh, you're playing with fire!"

"It's not me! He made me do it!" The gun was aimed at him, and he doubled over. "He found out where the birthmark was supposed to be, got a tattoo to match, and made me bring him here.

"He said he wanted to get in good with Ms. Emerson, to live the high life!

"It's true. He threatened me, said he'd kill my folks if I didn't bring him!"

Josh's pleas were desperate, tears streaming down his face.

I stood there, gasping for air, shaking my head hard. "I didn't... I mean..."

"Chester, cut the act. You can't fool everyone forever. If Ms. Emerson finds out that the birthmark is fake, you're in for a world of hurt!"

Alex looked down at me, his piercing gaze fixed on the crescent-shaped birthmark, trying to figure out who was lying.

However, he did not seem to get it: the mom was looking for her son, not a lover.

If he would just take a good look at my face, maybe he would see the family resemblance...

Suddenly, a shout came from outside.

"Mr. Baker, those troublemakers from last time are at it again!"

Alex grabbed his gun and headed out.

"Keep an eye on the door, and don't let either of them leave. I'll be back in a flash."

The door to the room shut, leaving just Josh and me.

Josh's voice dropped to a whisper. "I can't believe it. Ms. Emerson's fixation with birthmarks at the casino was so intense that having the right one could skyrocket you to the top."

I fought to stay awake, but my body kept slipping further down. Blood was gushing from the back of my head, and I knew I could not last much longer.

"What... What are you planning to do..."

Madness flickered across his face, and he spoke with his chest heaving wildly, "I got it all wrong. I thought she just wanted a boy toy... No, I can't let you get ahead.

"If you do, you'll never forgive me... just like I can't forgive you!"

I was panting hard, shaking my head. "We're like brothers, man. Just let me go, and I'll forget all this ever happened."

"No way. You've got to despise me!" he shot back.

"Think about it... Without me, how are you going to pay back that 7.5 million bucks? They'll ship you off to the Mykar Borderlands, and that's a fate worse than death!" I was stalling for time, talking to him slowly.

Josh paused, his gaze darting around as he looked down.

Sensing a glimmer of hope, I pressed on, "Let me go, and I swear, I won't breathe a word. I'll make sure we live it up, and I'll take care of that seven million five hundred thousand for you."

Something shifted in his gaze, and he licked his chapped lips.

I let out a silent sigh of relief.

However, before I could even finish that sigh, his hand balled into a fist.

"No, you're too persistent. You've been hunting for your real parents for years and never quit. How could you ever forgive me?

"I can figure out another way to handle the millions, but I can't leave you here!"

With those final words, he whipped out a small knife, and the blade plunged right into my crescent-shaped birthmark!

"Aahh!"

I let out a blood-curdling scream, but his hand clamped over my mouth in an instant.

He traced a crescent shape and then whipped out a tiny bottle of clear liquid, forcing it down my throat.

The bitterness hit my throat, and I knew right away that it was bad news.

"Don't worry, the anesthetic kicks in after twenty minutes. Then you'll be out cold, and you won't feel anything that happens next."