An Understated Dominance (Maria Vittori) novel Chapter 2204

Crystal frowned as she met Miles's intense gaze. "Miles, you should call it quits. If you continue to gamble, it'll only lead you deeper into trouble."

Gamblers often found themselves trapped in a cycle of addiction, and they were never content with their winnings.

Their insatiable desire for more drove them to risk everything. Hence, it often led them to stray from the right path.

At that moment, he appeared to be showing signs of addiction. If left unchecked, it could lead to disaster.

"Just one more bet, Crystal. I promise. If I win this time, I'll quit for good," Miles pleaded earnestly.

"Yes, I'm with him. I've even wagered my sword. I need to win it back," Ruby chimed in.

Their hopeful eyes bore into Crystal's.

"Have you considered the consequences if you lose?" she countered.

"It won't happen, I swear. I'll be cautious this time and only bet when I'm confident. I won't lose again," Miles assured.

"Yeah, we were led astray before. If we had trusted our instincts, we'd be winning by now," Ruby added.

"Don't you get it? Gambling never ends well. If you keep going, it'll only end badly," Crystal said sternly.

"Crystal, just one more try. If we break even, we'll quit for good! I promise," Miles pleaded.

"You've got plenty of celestial stones. Just lend us some. We'll pay you back if we win," Ruby added.

"Why are you so stubborn? Can't you see what's at stake here?" Crystal scolded.

"Crystal, you've seen how many times we've won before. What happened earlier was just bad luck. If you lend us some celestial stones, I'm sure we can turn things around!" Miles insisted.

"I just want to get our swords back. Please, give us one more shot?" Ruby pleaded.

"I'll get your swords back, but I won't lend you any celestial stones for gambling," Crystal stated firmly.

Upon hearing that, Miles and Ruby exchanged a helpless glance. They knew Crystal's resolve and that lending celestial stones was off the table.

Despite their significant losses, they couldn't bring themselves to give up. They still hoped to recover the celestial stones they had lost in the bet. Unfortunately, they had depleted their funds.

Ignoring their pained expressions, Crystal approached the betting table and redeemed the swords they had wagered.

"Here are your swords. No more gambling." She tossed the swords back to Miles and Ruby.

A heavy sigh escaped from them as they looked at their swords. It wasn't happiness they felt but rather a profound sense of melancholy and regret.