Chapter 266 - Betting Affection (1/2)

In the All Town Casino in the center of the city.

The sounds of cards whirring in the hands of the dealers, bells, and whistles of the various slot machines, joined with the murmur of the crowds, the racketing noise of levers being pulled sounded within the casino.

Among the crowd, two players rested their elbows on the rough-brushed green felt on the [1]craps table. They watched the soft tumble of the dice.

The man on the right was a middle-aged and heavier man, with his hairline receding rapidly toward an ever-growing patch of sparse hair at the back. A lean man, twenty years younger sat beside him on the left.

Both of the players passed in some ch.i.p.s, and a bet went around the table. The dealer laid out three cards in the middle, face-up in a line, and the betting went around the table once more.

”Show your cards,” The dealer said after a few minutes.

It was then the man on the left had won, while the other's face blackened.

”This is bullshit!” He pointed a thick finger toward the other man, his chubby cheeks wobbling with the jarring action. ”Greedy, stinkin' bastard! You cheated, I know you did! For every bet, you got every round right!”

The young man looked at the bald man as if he were insane. He snorted.

”Sure, I cheated. Listen here, don't blame me because your luck is so shitty.”

”Hah! My luck is shitty only because you cheated! I bet you're working with someone else here!”

”Gentlemen, please calm down, you're distracting the other customers.” The dealer tried to calm the men down, though his voice didn't hide his irritation with the two.

The bald man quickly caught onto this, and almost immediately, his anger thickened.

”This is outrageous! Get me the manager, right now! If not, don't expect to get out of this without a lawsuit!” His voice was shrill at this point, catching the attention of everyone within the casino.

By now, everyone was already irritated by the bald man's unnecessary ruckus. From what they could see, he had lost and was taking his anger out on the dealer and young man.

It was at this moment numerous men's gazes shifted from the bald man and onto another figure. A woman to be more exact. The clicking of her heels added rhythm to the soft classical music that played onward without pause. Her eyes scanned the room sharply in search of someone when her eyes met the bald man and the young man's gaze. She smiled, a smile so beautiful, it was like the stars themselves rested behind the soft cushion of her lips.

”Is there something wrong gentlemen?” Robin Tsosie approached the men with a polite, unreadable smile.

It took a while for the bald man to find his voice again. ”W-Who are you?”

”I'm the manager. Now, what's the problem?”

”He cheated!” The bald man pointed to the young man beside him.

”Hmm?” Robin's eyes turned to the young man, whose eyes quickly refocused on her after roaming her entire body. The edge of Robin's lips pulled into a deeper smile.

”Tell me, did you cheat?” She lowered her voice, almost seductively.

Narrowing his eyes, the young man smiled smugly. ”No, it's just someone who can't handle losing pushing the blame onto someone else.”

”You...!” The bald man's face flushed with anger.

Not bothering to hide her pleased smile, Robin stepped toward the young man and leaned forward. He could smell the fine scent of whiskey, and a musky perfume on her. He swallowed.

Suddenly, Robin leaned in toward his ear.

”I will only warn you once. Either you leave empty-handed, or with the money you stole, and a broken hand. If you take even a cent, believe me, I'll know.”

The young man froze at the sound of her soft but chilling voice. Before he could respond, Robin had pulled away with a cold smile.

”You're free to go now, sir.”

With a pale expression, he lowered his head and quickly left the casino. The bald man watched in confusion before realizing the manager had let him go away freely.

”Hey! You let him go? What the hell kind of business is this? Letting cheaters—” The man swallowed his complaints when he met Robin's icy stare.

”I gave him a fair warning and I ensure you that there won't be any more problems.” Robin crossed her arms, her chin lifted high.

The bald man was at a loss for words. ”W-What about the rest of my earnings?”

Robin raised an eyebrow. ”What earnings? You bet wrong, so what is it you have to win?”

Embarrassed by the woman's words, the bald man's face flushed. He cursed under his breath and lowered his head before collecting the money he had earned. Robin watched him leave with an indifferent expression before turning to the dealer.

”Problem's over. Get back to work.”

The dealer hid a smile and nodded his head. ”Yes, ma'am.”