Chapter 18 - The Queen's Gambit
In the VIP high-stakes poker room, Julian Carter sat waiting, surrounded by forty heavily armed bodyguards. On the table between them lay a silver briefcase containing the final physical hard drive for the global banking network.
"A simple game," Julian proposed, leaning over the green felt. "One hand of Texas Hold'em. If you win, Simone, you get the drive and my empire. If I win, Adrienne dies, and you return to my side as my lieutenant."
Adrienne stepped forward, resting his hand on the back of Simone's chair. "She doesn't lose, Julian."
"Deal the cards," Simone said calmly.
The tension in the room was unbearable. Millions of dollars were bet on each card, but the true stakes were human lives.
Card after card hit the table. Julian smiled triumphantly as he revealed his hand: Four of a Kind—Aces.
"It's over, Simone," Julian chuckled, reaching for the silver briefcase. "The house always wins."
Simone didn't blink. She slowly turned over her cards.
A Royal Flush.
Julian’s smile froze into sheer horror. "Impossible... the odds are one in six hundred thousand!"
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"You always counted the odds, Father," Simone said, standing up and sliding the silver briefcase to her side. "But you forgot to count my partner."
Adrienne drew his gun under the table and shot the master power control. The entire casino plunged into complete darkness.
