Her Trap Chapter 2

At that, I froze, immediately turning to Derek: ""Put her down.""

""You agree to bet with me?"" Derek raised an eyebrow.

The first rule of my family was never to gamble, and never to reveal our skills in front of outsiders.

But now, I had to choose between saving her and violating that oath.

Seeing me still hesitate,

Derek laughed heartily: ""If you don't dare to gamble, then let's skip that part. Just transfer all your assets to me. I won't even take your life. You pack your bags and leave this city immediately.""

Selena choked up: ""Jason, my stomach hurts so much. The baby might not hold on much longer. Weren't you looking forward to our baby? Please save me, I can't take this anymore.""

""But if I save you, I have to gamble with him. If I lose, I'll become a disgrace to my family,"" I said with difficulty.

Selena, hearing this, cried even harder: ""Are the baby and I not as important as your money? You might not even lose if you bet him. If you win, everyone will be happy.""

""But you know I never play cards. Derek, he's a veteran of many casinos, called the 'Young Gambling King.' How could I possibly win against him?"" I said helplessly.

Selena looked at me affectionately, saying: ""Jason, I believe in you. Even if we lose, I'm willing to be a poor couple with you. We'll never abandon each other.""

""Enough with the nonsense, are you betting or not?"" Derek prompted, a little impatient.

I closed my eyes, letting out a heavy breath: ""I'll bet you.""

""Gutsy. Have a seat!"" Derek smirked.

""Shouldn't we sign the contract first? What if you go back on your word?"" I said calmly.

Derek scoffed: ""I've been gambling since I was a teenager, always winning. Almost no one has ever beaten me. Are you so eager to sign the contract because you're afraid you won't lose your family fortune?""

With that, he tossed the contract onto the table.

I sat across from him, picked up the contract, and meticulously reviewed every clause, ensuring there were no issues or hidden clauses. Finally, I signed my name and affixed my fingerprint.

""Your turn."" I pushed the contract towards him. He sneered, a look of disdain on his face, as if certain he would win this time.

After signing the contract, I took it back to photograph and video record it. He smugly pulled out a cigar.

Derek held a silver lighter between his fingers, the flame flickering on and off. After taking a deep drag, he said: ""We'll play Blackjack, simple rules. The dealer deals, everyone gets two starting cards. Points are the sum of the card faces. Aces are 1 or 11, Jacks, Queens, Kings are all 10. Whoever gets closest to 21 without going over wins. Best two out of three. Even if you've never played, you understand the rules, right? Don't say I'm taking advantage of you.""

My fingertips tapped the table. I watched him expertly tear open a new deck of cards, the red and black faces fanning out and closing neatly in his palm: ""Who's the dealer?""

""We'll take turns. I'll deal the first round."" Derek's shuffling was mesmerizing, the backs of the cards colliding with a crisp ""swish-swish"" sound, like opening drums for this wager. This clearly showed he was a master of the casino.

His deal was clean, two cards slapped in front of me, then two for himself, one face-up—the Diamond 10—and a face-down card tucked under the corner of the table.

My starting hand was a Heart 5 and a Club 7, totaling 12 points, quite a distance from 21.

""Hit me."" I pushed the cards forward. Derek glanced at me, his eyes showing his usual nonchalance. He drew a card and slid it to my hand—a Spade 8. My total instantly jumped to 20.

This number was tricky. Another card might bust me, but standing pat put the pressure on the dealer.

""Stand."" I arranged my three cards in a neat line. Derek's gaze lingered on my cards for half a second. His slender fingers flipped his face-down card—a Heart Ace.

His current total was 11. He said without hesitation: ""Hit me.""

The first additional card was a Diamond 3, bringing his total to 14. The second was a Spade 6, making his total exactly 20, matching mine.

The air in the private room seemed to solidify. Derek's fingertips rubbed the edge of his cards. The lighter flickered again. This time, he lit a cigarette. In the swirling smoke, his voice carried a hint of a smile: ""Another round. You deal this time.""

I took the cards he offered. When I shuffled, I deliberately slowed down, my fingertips feeling the texture of the cards. Although my family rules forbade gambling, my father had taught me knowledge and techniques of the card table since childhood. Just by touch, I could clearly know what card was under my hand.