The Grand Royale Casino was alive with light and luxury—crystal chandeliers scattering gold across velvet carpets, music drifting through laughter, and the steady hum of shuffling cards and clinking chips. Yet when she entered, the room froze.
Mary.
Every conversation seemed to fade as her heels clicked against the marble floor. Heads turned, whispers rippled like an incoming storm. The young dealers straightened unconsciously, their hands trembling just a little. Veterans recognized her instantly—the calm, radiant woman in a deep sapphire dress, walking as if she owned the air itself.
The Queen of Gambling.
Rumor had it she'd once cleaned out a royal heir in Monaco and vanished for years. No surname, no public family. Just "Mary." One of the four city beauties. A woman whose fortune was whispered to rival even the Vale family's.
And tonight, she was walking toward Ethan's table.
Ethan, still unaware of the commotion, leaned back in his seat, eyes steady on the dealer's neat stack of chips. Victor sat to his left, grinning, and Selene—the elegant casino owner—observed with cool curiosity. Several other high-rollers surrounded the table, each with between fifty and five hundred thousand in front of them.
"Finally," Victor laughed, swirling his glass of whiskey. "Told you she'd come. Our little game's about to get serious."
Ethan smiled politely. "She sounded nice on the phone. You didn't tell me she was that famous."
Victor choked on his drink. "You—you don't know who Mary is?"
Selene turned her gaze from the cards to Ethan, disbelief flickering behind her poise. "You invited her without knowing who she was?"
Before Ethan could respond, the crowd parted. Mary arrived at the table with her usual quiet grace, though her eyes swept over the faces gathered there—Selene, Victor, the other players—before landing on Ethan.
Her expression softened almost imperceptibly.
"So this is the seat you saved for me?" she asked gently.
Ethan stood out of courtesy. "Yeah. Glad you could make it."
The casual tone hit the table like a gunshot. Every player except Mary stiffened. Even Victor's usual humor evaporated.
Mary blinked once… and smiled. "Then I suppose I'll take it."
She sat, crossing one leg over the other, the shimmer of her dress catching the light. The dealer swallowed hard and began to shuffle.
Round One – The Calm Before the Storm
Blinds: $10,000 / $20,000Buy-in: $50,000 minimum
The first hands passed quietly. Ethan played cautiously, folding twice, calling once. Selene won the opener with a solid pair, smiling as she stacked her chips. Victor bluffed the second pot and revealed it proudly, earning laughter from the crowd gathering around them.
Mary didn't play a single hand. She folded every time, observing, her eyes half-lidded as if listening to invisible whispers.
Selene finally broke the silence. "Not feeling lucky tonight?"
Mary's lips curved faintly. "Luck's the least reliable partner at this table. I prefer to let my opponents introduce themselves first."
Victor chuckled. "Oh, we're definitely introducing ourselves."
Ethan, meanwhile, studied everything—the rhythm of each bet, the way Selene twirled her ring when bluffing, how Victor tapped his index finger when holding strong cards. The system's faint interface glowed at the edge of his vision, subtle and pulsing:
[Poker Assist Active]Reading Opponent Tells...Estimated Bluff Probability – Selene: 34%Victor: 62%
He hid a smirk. The system didn't play the cards for him—but it whispered the odds, sharpening his instincts.
Round Two – The First Crack
The stakes doubled. A few players folded early, intimidated by Victor's aggressive raises.
Ethan's cards: King of hearts and ten of hearts.Mary's: Unknown.
The flop came—Ace of hearts, nine of hearts, two of clubs.
Ethan's pulse quickened. A possible flush draw.
Selene raised $100,000. Victor called instantly, overconfident. Ethan matched it calmly. Mary only watched.
The turn: Queen of hearts.
A flush.
Ethan checked his breathing, careful not to show excitement. Victor pushed forward $250,000, bluffing wildly with two pairs. Selene folded, muttering.
Then Mary spoke for the first time in a hand. "Five hundred thousand."
Victor grinned. "Someone's feeling bold."
Ethan hesitated, calculating. If he raised, he'd expose strength. If he called, he could draw her deeper. He met Mary's eyes—cool, unreadable—and simply called.
The river: Six of clubs.
Mary bet another $300,000.
Ethan exhaled slowly. He pushed forward his chips. "All in."
The table gasped. Selene leaned forward; Victor's grin vanished.
Mary's eyes flickered for the first time, like a flame catching wind. After a long pause, she smiled faintly and folded.
Ethan revealed his flush. The dealer confirmed.
[Pot Won: $2.1 million][Balance: $2.8 million]
Victor let out a low whistle. "You little devil. Not bad for your first big table."
Selene crossed her arms, studying Ethan. "He's not new to pressure, that's for sure."
Mary only smiled, her expression unreadable.
Round Three – The Queen Enters the Game
Now that the others had tasted his skill, Ethan found fewer volunteers for his bluffs. But when Mary began to play in earnest, the entire tempo of the table changed.
Her style was quiet, precise—never raising without reason, never folding without reading the air. The dealer barely finished shuffling before her eyes flicked to her opponents' faces, dissecting them with effortless grace.
She won two rounds back-to-back with full houses, then one by sheer pressure alone. Even Victor, known for his risk-taking, folded against her twice.
Selene whispered to herself, "So the rumors were true. She's terrifying."
Mary turned to her with a light smile. "Rumors exaggerate. I just prefer control."
Victor groaned. "Control? You just took a million off me in fifteen minutes."
Mary's tone was soft. "You offered it."
Laughter rippled through the crowd, but Ethan remained silent, watching her every move.
Round Four – Clash of Minds
Ethan's cards: Queen of spades, Jack of spades.Mary's cards: Hidden.Pot: $1.5 million already.
The flop: 10♠, 9♦, 4♣.
An open straight draw.
Victor folded. Selene followed. Only Mary called Ethan's $300,000 bet.
Turn: 8♣.
Ethan now held a straight.
He looked at her across the table. Mary's gaze was unreadable, her hand steady as she raised $500,000.
Ethan countered, doubling it to one million.
The silence in the casino deepened.
The river: 4♥.
Mary tapped her finger once—then slid all her chips forward. "All in."
Gasps echoed again. Victor muttered, "God, she's insane."
Ethan leaned back, mind spinning. If she had the full house—two fours or tens—he'd lose everything. But the system's faint whisper flickered in his mind:
[Opponent Confidence Level: 47%][Bluff Probability: 53%]
Barely an edge.
He stared at her, searching her eyes. Nothing but calm.
Finally, he smiled faintly. "You're bluffing."
He called.
Mary exhaled softly, showing her cards—King of diamonds, ten of clubs. Two pairs only.
Ethan revealed the straight.
The crowd erupted. Victor slammed the table laughing. Selene shook her head in disbelief.
Mary stared at the cards, then at Ethan. Her lips curved—not in defeat, but amusement.
"So that's how you play."
[Pot Won: $3 million total][Mission Objective: Achieved]
Aftermath – The Quiet Crown
The game wound down past midnight. The table was nearly empty—Victor and Selene had both cashed out, along with the remaining players. The staff whispered about the incredible match that had just taken place: a student who had challenged the Queen of Gambling herself—and won.
Ethan leaned back, exhausted but calm. "I think I'm done for tonight."
Victor clapped his shoulder. "Done? You just tripled your fortune, brother! That was legendary."
Selene, who had remained nearby, crossed her arms and said quietly, "He didn't win by chance. He calculated every step." She turned to Ethan. "But so did you, didn't you, Mary?"
Mary smiled, resting her chin on her hand. "He reminds me of someone I used to know."
Ethan met her gaze, still uncertain. "You went easy on me, didn't you?"
Her laughter was soft but sincere. "No. I only wanted to see if your confidence was real. It was."
Victor grinned at both of them. "Damn, I need friends like you two. Next time, I'll bring ten million just to keep up."
Selene sighed. "Next time, I'll make sure the casino charges for seats."
As the players dispersed, Mary rose gracefully, collecting her clutch. She paused beside Ethan.
"You have good instincts," she said quietly. "But be careful, Ethan. In this world, instinct alone won't keep you alive."
Then, almost like a whisper meant only for him: "The next game won't be so kind."
Before he could ask what she meant, she turned and disappeared into the shimmering crowd, her sapphire dress fading into the lights.
Ethan sat back, the dealer pushing the mountain of chips toward him.
The system chimed softly:
[Mission Complete][Total Earnings: $3,000,000][New Card Unlocked: ♦ Seven of Diamonds – "The Gambler's Path"]
He exhaled slowly, the adrenaline finally leaving his body. Around him, the crowd's chatter returned to normal. But in his chest, something deeper stirred.
Mary's words lingered.
The Queen of Gambling had entered his life again—not as an ally, not as an enemy, but as something far more dangerous.
And the system, glowing faintly in his vision, seemed to pulse in agreement.