Devoted Love, Mr. Hayes’ Darling Wife

Tack.

The waiter deals the cards and the stakes are high in the center of the table.

When the waiter finished dealing the fifth card, Nico made a “leading” gesture, “Mr. Matthew is back from England and is a guest, you go first.”

The first card was not turned over and Dario Cepeda, without pushing, turned over the second card, a large king of hearts.

Nico just smiled coolly and calmly flipped over his second card, the six of diamonds, a rather small hand.

Dario Cepeda smiled slightly, looked at his small, square six and said, “Mr. Nico, you’ve really thought this through, and now it looks like I have a better chance of winning.”

Nico is a calm and collected player who is used to this kind of all-in roller coaster flop.

“What’s the rush, it’s just the first card turning over, how does Mr. Matthew know I’m sure to lose? What if I have a straight or a flush here.”

Dario Cepeda smiled and went on to turn over a second card, a ten of clubs, not too small.

Nico, rather like a gambling drunk, said carelessly, “A big hand, no raise?”

Dario Cepeda looked across the table at Micaela, who was sitting next to Nico in a sophisticated and indifferent way, with a slight look of affection and nostalgia in her eyes, and said quietly, “The bet Mr. Nico made earlier was enough for me, and the raise on the board was irrelevant. I don’t need a raise because all I want is that person.”

Nico’s eyes were misty and morose as he turned over his second card, a ten of spades, the same size as Dario Cepeda’s second face card.

Nico smiled ruefully and said, “Looks like I might actually have a right here, raise.”

Another pile of chips pushed out.

All is not enough, you have to keep going up.

“Does Mr. Nico intend to bet my entire fortune with me?”

Nico looked at the other man sharply and smiled calmly without panic, “Mr. Matthew doesn’t think that’s all I have? It’s an understatement.”

“But Mr. Nico is acting like I’m betting everything on him.”

Nico’s hands were outstretched casually, “I’d bet everything you have, but I don’t know if Mr. Matthew has the guts to do it. I heard that it’s not easy for Mr. Matthew to start with nothing, so take it easy and don’t lose everything you’ve worked so hard for, after all, everything Mr. Matthew has now, he paid for with his first love.

Nico’s mouth is notoriously venomous.

Even Dario Cepeda, who has built a solid reputation as an investment banker in the City of London, was stung by Nico’s softness.

Like a fishbone in his throat.

Micaela’s hand under the table, squeezing the hem of her skirt, almost dampening the fabric with sweat.

She turned her head toward Nico and swallowed spittle, angry and cold, “Nico, have you done enough?”

But Nico seemed to ignore her questions.

Not even a glance at her.

It was as if Micaela was really just a companion to him, just like the other beautiful women in the casino, just a companion to replace whenever he felt unhappy, and a tip to win a big hand whenever he felt like it.

Micaela’s pride, completely stung.

The way Nico humiliated her was truly powerful, so much so that any hopes she had for this man dwindled to nothing in a matter of moments.

Dario Cepeda turned over his third card, another ten, a ten of diamonds, and a pair. “Mr. Nico, now I really have a better chance of winning than you do.”

With a pair of tens and a king, regardless of the last two cards, Dario Cepeda had a 70 to 80 percent chance of winning this situation.

Unless Nico had a royal flush, but anyone who plays stud knows that the odds of a straight are not very good.

Nico still looked as irrelevant as ever. He hooked his thin lips and turned over his third card, an eight of spades, unconcerned.

Dario Cepeda said, “It’s broken, does Mr. Nico want to raise? If Mr. Nico regrets it now, we’ll play this hand here and pretend it didn’t happen.”

Nico smiled cynically, “A man with a big poker face is afraid to play first, am I to assume he’s afraid to lose?”

“I think Mr. Nico is drunk and unnecessary.”

Nico is a dominant person at heart, if he wants to play, the game must continue, “Continue, Mr. Lu, unless you admit defeat, for me, there is no reason to give up in the middle of a bet that has opened, Mr. Lu just met me, he probably doesn’t understand what kind of person I am, I never do things that cowards do.”

Once this was said by Nico, Dario Cepeda naturally continued to flip and on the fourth card, Dario Cepeda drew an Ace of Hearts, a really big hand.

Nico had two cards left on the board, and even if he turned over a pair, it was unlikely to be bigger than Dario Cepeda’s.

Unless, of course, his was a straight to win.

Six of diamonds, ten of hearts, eight of spades.

Nico followed and turned over a fourth card, his long thumb lifting a corner of his face, a nine of clubs.

Nico smiled rakishly, “I, for one, have always had better luck, the more the person across the table tries to beat me, the less likely I am to lose.”

The card was discarded and the nine of clubs was dropped on the table.

Dario Cepeda looked at Nico’s four cards and said, “And Mr. Nico is sure that the last card is definitely a seven?”.

Nico: “Whether it is or not, we’ll find out later, I’m in no hurry and you don’t have to be in a hurry for me.”

Dario Cepeda politely handed over the fifth card, which was a jack of diamonds.

A pair of tens, an ace of spades, an old king of hearts and a jack of diamonds.

If, for example, Nico’s fifth card is neither a seven nor a straight, he loses.

Suddenly Nico took Micaela’s hand, lowered his head and gently dropped a kiss on the back of her hand, the movement seemed warm, but his voice was distinctly cold: “The last card, you can turn it over for me, you’ll be lucky if you do.”

Micaela was in no position to refuse, for Nico had already taken her hand and went to turn the last card.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

At this point, Micaela could not tell how she felt, the winning or losing of the bet was no longer relevant to her.

She just wanted to get this bet over with and get away from everyone quickly.

A corner of a playing card, turned face up, seven.

Seven of hearts.

Nico’s card, a straight.

Nico sketched a rakish smile, “I told you, you must be lucky to flip.”

Micaela looked at his heartlessness, stood up, raised her hand and slapped him hard.

Defying everyone, and challenging Dario Cepeda.

Micaela said angrily with red eyes, “Nico, stop here.”

It was a strong and hard slap in the face.

Nico’s face, averted by the blow.

Instead, he hooked his thin lips cheaply and grabbed Micaela’s arm as if he was going to crush her, “Aren’t you glad I won?”.

Micaela jerked her arm off him forcefully, glaring at him and cursing him through gritted teeth, “Crazy!”.

With his words, Micaela walked out of the casino stomping her high heels.

The casino, filled with the smell of smoke, choked Micaela to the point of suffocation.

Once outside the casino, her face turned red from coughing, and as she coughed, tears fell from her eyes, unable to tell if she was crying because she was sad, or if they were physical tears from choking on the smell of smoke.

Shoulders, a sagging.

It was a heavy coat draped over her shoulders.

Micaela didn’t have to turn her head to know who it was.

But inside, there was a moment of disappointment.