Stella grinned, took a sip from her thermos, and remarked, "This is the last time.
Keegan's got big dreams, and I won't let Dahlia mess them up.” After passing through Blake's hands, ten million came up two million short.
There was only one explanation: this guy was still hitting the tables.
Stella's hunch was spot-on; Blake had indeed returned to his old gambling habits.
Blake was already a regular at the casino, despite being banned before.
But in this world, rules and boundaries hardly mattered.
If you had the cash, doors swung wide open.
Getting into an underground casino wasn't easy; usually, you needed an introduction from someone in the know and had to go through a few hoops blindfolded.
But with Vermont leading the way, Stella, anewcomer, got in without a hitch.
Vermont was bold, ambitious, and loved a good gamble.
In his younger days, he rubbed shoulders with all kinds of people and was introduced to the world of gambling by his pals.
There were no guaranteed winners in the casino.
At his lowest, he couldn't even cover daily expenses and had to rely on Keegan for food and shelter.
Over time, he picked up some tricks, learned to quit while ahead, and made some modest profits.
But it didn't last long before Keegan caught wind of it.
Keegan, who had never laid a finger on him before, showed up one afternoon and gave him a proper thrashing.
To this day, Vermont could still feel the tremble in his hand after Keegan's beating.
Vermont knew firsthand the toll gambling could take; his grandfather died enraged by Blake's addiction.
He feared meeting the same fate.
Once gripped by gambling, no amount of wealth could satisfy.
He'd seen too many lives destroyed by it.
He'll never know." Vermont shot her a stern look.
"Then you better keep quiet and not blab! Casino money isn't easy to come by.
Don't be surprised if you walk out broke." Stella smirked.
"You should worry about yourself.
You tore your house apart searching for one hundred bucks that went missing." Vermont was speechless.
What a chatterbox this girl was! Spilling all the deets! With their masks on, Stella linked arms with Vermont, and they made a grand entrance.
The casino, tucked away in the basement, lacked windows but was well-lit.
The decor was lavish, yet the vast space only had eight tables, with just half of them occupied.
"Don't gawk." Vermont warned, "Don't let them see you're new here; rookies like you are easy marks." Stella averted her gaze and quipped, "Can you guarantee a win rate? " Vermont gave her a look.
"You think I'm a gambling pro? If I had that kind of luck, I'd be in Vegas."
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