"I know. But it doesn't matter. I'm seeing this through with you to the end," I replied.

Owen asked, "You really want to take this until we both go down, huh?"

"When my dad lit your cigarette, you couldn't even be bothered to cup the flame," I shot back.

At that, Dad panicked. He rushed over and grabbed my arm. "Owen's a big-time businessman now! He doesn't sweat the small stuff. Stop this! There's no need to push the stakes this high. He didn't mean it!"

"I meant it!" Owen roared.

The color drained from Dad's face at once. He urged, "There are so many people here. Please, don't embarrass me, okay?"

But Owen's patience snapped. He jabbed a finger in Dad's face and spat, "Your son started this! You don't have any dignity to embarrass!

"If my dad weren't your brother, you think I'd even bother with relatives like you? Yeah, I didn't cup the flame on purpose. You should be grateful I let you light it at all. Bunch of broke losers!"

The insults kept piling on, and Dad's expression grew darker by the second.

Nearby, Uncle Peter let out a sigh, putting on a show as he said, "Owen, how can you talk to your elders like that?

"Don't mind him, everyone. He's had too much to drink. He's always like this in public, throwing his weight around just because he's made some money."

I shot Uncle Peter a glance. He sounded like he was scolding Owen, but in reality, he was propping up his son.

Owen slammed his hand down on the table, teeth clenched as he snarled, "You jerk! You really bet everything just to force a showdown with me, huh? Fine! Let's see your cards."

Just as he was about to flip his cards over, I asked, "When did I say I was going to show my hand?"

Owen froze, along with everyone else. He stared at me blankly. "You're not revealing them now?"

I shook my head.

That was the most terrifying part of the game. The first one to break and call for a showdown had to put in an extra stake.

But in this game, the stakes only escalated. We were already this deep, so anyone who wanted to force a reveal had to put up another one and a half million dollars.

I shrugged. "If you can't take it anymore, go ahead and show your hand. But put up the extra stake first."

Owen glared at me, fury blazing in his eyes. "You're just trying to push me into another bet. Even if I match you now, you won't be able to keep up in the next round. You just want to force me so I fold!"

"Think whatever you want. I'm just telling you I'm not revealing my cards. If you don't match, you're folding," I said flatly.

Kylie panicked and snapped at me, "You jerk! Just show your hand already! Why are you trying to force us into another round?"

I glanced at her but said nothing. With everyone watching, the more she lashed out in panic, the more she humiliated herself.

Owen's breathing grew ragged with anger.

"Fine! I'll put my factory up as collateral. It's worth one and a half million dollars, isn't it?" he hissed through clenched teeth.

Kylie shoved him at once, her voice rose as she asked, "Why are you still betting with him? He's playing dirty! He's just trying to drag you into another round!"

"If I fold now, everything I've already put in is gone!" Owen barked.

By then, Kylie had completely lost it. She slammed her hand on the table and shouted, "What if he's got three kings or three aces? What then?"

"And what if I fold now and it turns out he was bluffing?" Owen shot back.

"Do you really think someone would risk their entire fortune just to bluff you?" Kylie cried out.

Owen shook his head. "Keep your mouth shut! You don't understand this game."

I looked at him. The truth was, he wasn't wrong. That was how this game worked. People with nothing in their hand would still go all in, just to scare their opponent into folding. It was truly a game of nerve.

But he had overlooked one thing. I hadn't been bluffing at all.

Owen was the one who had put his car keys on the table, and the one who decided to raise the stakes this high.

The more he bet, the harder it became to walk away. He'd tossed his BMW keys just to flex, only to dig his own grave.

"Are you going to show your hand now?" I asked Owen.

He fell silent. The smug confidence he had shown earlier finally cracked, and worry and tension crept onto his face.

"If I don't show my hand, are you going to show yours on the next move?" he asked. "Or are you planning to drag your whole family into debt just to keep playing and force me into another round?"

I answered calmly, "I'm not telling you. Just decide if you're showing or not."

Owen glanced at Uncle Peter and Kylie, clearly uneasy. He hesitated as he asked them whether he should show his hand.

It was obvious that Uncle Peter wanted to take a swing at me, but his son had started all of this. So, he held back his anger.

"Show your hand. If you don't, he'll find a way to come up with the money and force you into another round. Once he does, you'll have to borrow money too just to keep up before you can finally show."

At that, Owen drew in a deep breath and nodded. "I know you don't have three of a kind. You're bluffing. But remember, there's a reason I'm the one who made it in life.

"First, I've got the guts. Second, once I make a decision, I follow through. So, I'm not showing my hand. If you want to, you'll need to put up another one and a half million dollars."

I sucked in a breath. In fact, he made the right move. He was far wealthier than I was, after all.

I was already in debt, but he wasn't. He could keep pushing until I simply couldn't match the bet.

I knew it was time to show my hand. I had to raise another one and a half million dollars. There was no dragging this out any longer.

If Owen chose not to show his hand in the next round, I'd be finished. There was no way I could raise that kind of money again, even if it cost me everything.

Just as that realization settled in, Owen let out a cold laugh. "Oh, and I'm adding another one and a half million dollars. You'll need three million dollars to stay in."