Michael looked at me and sneered. His gaze seemed to say I was a fool who had gotten cocky and reckless with a good hand.

"Alright. Since you brought it up, go ahead. What stakes do you want to raise?" he asked.

I met his mocking gaze and tapped lightly on the ace of spades in front of me.

"For the new port project at Moria, Shaw Corp holds 5%, while Jackson Group holds 3%.

"I want to bet Jackson Group's 3% against Shaw Corp's 5%. How about it, Mr. Shaw?"

As soon as I finished speaking, the entire lounge erupted.

"Nancy has lost her mind! That's the new port and a strategic project! The Shaws, Jackson, and several other major families have spent a lot of money fighting over for years. And she's just betting it away like that?"

"No wonder Mr. Shaw doesn't want to marry her. How is there such an idiot in the Jackson family?"

Someone clicked their tongue. "Mr. Jackson Senior built this business with his life, but Nancy is betting it away like it's nothing. If I were him, I'd claw my way out of the grave and strangle her."

Michael clapped his hands, the crisp sound silencing the noisy crowd.

"Alright! Fine! Since Ms. Jackson is so 'courageous,' how could I refuse? I'll call!"

I nodded in satisfaction and slowly turned to look at Willow.

"Willow, Mr. Shaw has called. Will you?"

Willow bit her lip.

She was a fake heiress, and the Jackson family's fortune had nothing to do with her. Her father, Peter Baker, had married into our family, so what could she possibly bet with? The 30 million dollars in chips was already the most money she had ever seen.

She opened her mouth, then helplessly glanced at Michael for help.

Naturally, Michael didn't want his beloved Willow to suffer, so he immediately said, "Willow, go ahead and speak. Whatever you want to wager, I'll—"

"Be careful, Mr. Shaw!" I raised my tone abruptly, interrupting Michael with a cold stare. "This is a bet between us women. It's best you don't get involved."

After saying this, I looked down and slowly twisted the antique ring on my middle finger—the one that symbolized the Shaw family's fiancee.

I continued, "Don't worry, Willow. As your sister, I know you don't have those kinds of resources. You can't come up with an equal stake."

I paused, then slipped the ring off my finger. With a clack, I tossed it into the chip pool.

"How about this? I'll raise the stakes to include the position of the Shaws' daughter-in-law.

"I want you to bet that you'll publicly admit you aren't the Baker family's adopted daughter at all, let alone an heiress of the Jacksons. You're Peter Baker's illegitimate child, whom he had with the nanny while my mother was pregnant."

Shock rippled through the crowd.

Willow paled. Furious, she slammed the table and shouted at me, "That's nonsense! I'm my father's adopted daughter. You're just jealous that he favors me, so you're spouting nonsense!

"Michael, don't believe her! She's slandering me!"

Everyone in the room knew that what Michael hated most was the label of an "illegitimate child". Years ago, the sudden appearance of a half-brother had forced him to leave home for five years.

Michael nearly died overseas, but a mysterious mentor saved him, allowing him to return to the Shaws and reclaim everything.

Michael's face betrayed nothing. He simply hissed at the furious Willow, "Sit down."

Then he turned to look at me, his eyes carrying a warning. "I will thoroughly look into this matter."

I met Michael's gaze, seemingly unaffected by any pressure. I could even tilt my head and laugh lightly.

"Willow, it's just a bet. Calm down. If you don't dare to bet, you can always fold. Why get so angry and embarrass yourself?"

My casual tone only made Willow angrier.

She immediately snapped back, "Fine! Of course, I dare to bet with you! I'll call!"

After all three of us had placed our bets, Jerome continued to deal the third card.

The cards were soon revealed.

Willow got the jack of spades. Paired with her face-up jack of diamonds, she now had a pair of jacks, instantly putting her in the lead.

Michael got the eight of hearts, and when put together with his ten of hearts, he now had the potential for a straight flush.

As for me, I only got the three of diamonds. Combined with my ace of spades, my hand was a mess. Despite having the highest single card, my overall potential seemed far worse than theirs.

The game reversed itself in an instant.

Jerome gestured to Willow. "Among all face-up cards, the pair of jacks is currently the highest. Ms. Baker, you have the first move. Bet or fold?"

Willow's face immediately regained its color. She glanced at my pitiful card on the table and nearly laughed out loud.

She spoke up to humiliate me.

"An idiot will be an idiot. You got an ace at the start and thought you could win? No wonder Father doesn't like you."

She tilted her head back and glowered at me with malice. "Nancy, since you like raising the stakes so much, let's go all out.

"I'll bet everything I'm currently wearing against you. The loser strips and crawls around the entire lounge. Let's show everyone who you really are underneath all that!

"Do you dare call?"

Amid the burning stares of the crowd, I lowered my head and stayed silent. My shoulders trembled ever so slightly, and my face was deathly pale, as if I had been too humiliated to speak or was gripped with fear.

Michael had been watching my fragile state with a cold, detached gaze. But as the chandelier flickered, he suddenly found my lowered gaze strangely familiar.

His heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help saying, "Nancy, if you fold now—and out of respect for Mr. Jackson Senior—I'll let go of the port's 3% stake.

"However, you must break off the engagement. You also have to grovel and apologize to Willow and me. Only then will I let this matter be."

With that, Michael leaned back in his chair, his tone condescending. "Nancy, you'd better think carefully before you speak."

The lounge fell silent. Everyone expected me to take the easy way out and agree to Michael's terms.

But Michael was mistaken.

My shoulders weren't trembling from fear or humiliation. It was from excitement.

I hadn't encountered an idiot like Willow in years—someone who would just put their fate in my hands.

I slowly raised my head. In my mind, I ran through all the possible outcomes of the game again, confirming the inevitable result.

Perfect. Everything was in order.

"I'll call!"

As soon as those words landed, everyone, including Michael and Willow, froze in shock.

Michael mocked bluntly, "Clueless idiot."

I paid him no mind, watching his dark expression and saying teasingly, "Mr. Shaw, I've already placed my bet.

"Since you want me to grovel and apologize, I'll bet on that. If I win, I want you to drop your whole 'devoted to my mentor' act as an excuse to look for pathetic substitutes like Willow.

"You're not repaying a debt. You're taking revenge!"

The moment I questioned his feelings for his "mentor", Michael flew into a rage.

His eyes were practically blazing as he snapped at me, "Shut up! What do you know? You don't understand my feelings for my mentor at all. You're an outsider. Who gave you the right to comment on it?"

Michael's chest heaved with anger, and he abandoned all restraint. His gaze darkened as he said, "Alright! Fine! Since you want to be humiliated, don't expect me to show any mercy!"

He spun around to face Jerome and spat out through gritted teeth, "Call! Give me the fourth card!"

Jerome flinched. Not daring to slack off in the slightest, he immediately dealt us the fourth card.

The cards were revealed once more.

Michael got the ace of hearts. Although he couldn't make a straight flush, his ten of hearts, eight of hearts, and this ace formed a strong flush. With his hidden card still unknown, his potential was enormous.

I got the ace of diamonds. Combined with my ace of spades and three of diamonds, my face-up cards now formed a pair of aces.

"I-Impossible! How could it be the four of spades?"

Before Jerome could even speak, Willow's sharp cry rang out. Her body went limp, and she unceremoniously slid off the chair with a thud, losing all composure.

Because of her trembling fingers, she had even accidentally flipped over her hidden card—the queen of hearts.

Her four cards were a pair of jacks, the queen of hearts, and a four. That meant her best possible hand was already fixed. No matter what her final card was, it couldn't beat my pair of aces.

Willow was doomed to lose.

The silence of the lounge was shattered, replaced by gasps and whispers.

Willow panicked, forgetting all her pride. She scrambled over to Michael, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Michael, you have to save me! I can't crawl naked through the lounge! I'll be done for if I do!"

Michael's expression was as dark as a storm, but Willow's striking resemblance to his mentor couldn't help but make him soften.

He suppressed his emotions and tried to soothe her. "Get up. Don't cry. The game isn't over yet! I'll help you."

Then, he took a deep breath and looked at me, saying, "Nancy, I advise you to stop here. If you fold this round, you can take the 30 million dollars. On top of that, I'll give the Jacksons an additional 1% stake in the port project. As for your bet with Willow, we'll call it even.

"If we really go to the final card, things won't end well for either of us. I'm sure you've heard of my ghost-hand gambling method. You can't win."

I shook my head and suddenly laughed out loud. My gaze swept over the trembling Willow.

I drawled, full of mockery, "My, my! Mr. Shaw really does love my dear sister. In that case, I'll…"

My laughter died mid-sentence as I shoved the towering pile of chips into the pot.

"All-in," I announced. "Michael, I want to go all in against you."

The loud crash of the chips echoed through the lounge.

I stared at Michael, saying coldly, "Since you insist on protecting Willow, fine. Let's put all of her bets on you. You take them for her.

"If you win, all previous bets are canceled. If you lose… Don't forget what we agreed on.

"Michael, I want your family jewels!"

Instead of getting angry at my escalating provocation, Michael laughed.

"Alright, Nancy. I really underestimated you before. You're pretty ruthless! Since you dared to bet on your womb, what do I have to fear?

"I'm telling you—unless my mentor were here today, no one present could beat me!"

Michael no longer looked at me. He barked to Jerome, "Willow forfeits. Deal the last card!"

The final cards were flipped over with a whoosh.

Michael got the king of hearts, while I got the three of spades.

He rose to his feet, cast a disdainful look at my hand, and flipped over his hidden card.

It was the seven of hearts.

All five of Michael's cards were now revealed. He had eight, ten, ace, king, and seven of hearts—a flush!

He looked at me, his eyes brimming with undisguised contempt and iciness. "A pair of threes and a pair of aces. Your hidden card is probably a random card, hmm? With two pairs, how can you beat my flush?

"Nancy, don't blame this on me. You brought it on yourself!"

Willow shook off her earlier embarrassment and immediately stood up. Her face filled with malice and exhilaration as she cackled sharply.

"Hmph! Let's see you keep acting so high and mighty now, bitch!

"Rest assured, I'll make sure every media outlet gets the video of you crawling naked around the lounge. It'll go viral!"

The lounge buzzed with jeers, laughter, and excited anticipation. Everyone thought the outcome was decided and that I was finished.

However, my expression remained calm—even slightly indifferent.

I completely ignored Willow, who was gloating in front of me. My gaze pierced through the noise and locked on Michael's smug face.

I slowly stood up, questioning in return, "Michael, is this what I taught you back in the alleys of Solvega?"

The smile froze on Michael's face. His pupils contracted, and he stared at me, dumbfounded.

Confusion and shock filled his voice. "You… How do you know about that? Solvega, the alleys… Those are memories between my mentor and me! How could you…"

I didn't explain. I just shook my head gently and said in a disappointed tone, "When you get a good hand, you get cocky and reveal your cards too soon.

"You really… haven't mastered your craft."

Michael stared in disbelief as I turned over the face-down card I'd had on the table all this time.

It wasn't any random card he had been so sure of. Rather, it was the three of hearts!

On the table, my five cards were now visible to all—three threes and a pair of aces.

The entire venue fell dead silent.

"Full house. Three of a kind and a pair—exactly enough to beat your flush.

"Have you learned your lesson, my student?" I said to Michael.