Queen of Wild Cards novel Chapter 386

Nina replied with effortless grace, "You're too kind, Drake. If you're looking for a game, I'm more than happy to oblige. I just hope you'll go easy on me."

Drake threw his head back and laughed. "Of course, of course. Let's begin."

"What's your game of choice tonight?" Nina asked.

"How about Blackjack?"

"Perfect. Whatever you prefer." Nina's tone was breezy, radiating the quiet confidence of someone who already knew she was going to win.

After both parties inspected the deck, the dealer distributed the cards.

Drake took the first round.

"Haha, you're too kind, Nina." Winning the opening hand clearly put him in a fantastic mood.

"Just a streak of bad luck. Shall we go another round?" Nina wasn't the least bit rattled by the loss; she remained flawlessly composed.

"Absolutely. Gotta ride the wave while the luck is hot, right?"

The bets from both sides were astronomical. Nina took the second round.

She also took the third. And the fourth.

Drake called for a five-minute breather, and Nina elegantly agreed.

Standing to the side, Oakes and the man in the floral shirt muttered quietly to each other.

"Oakes, did you see that? I think Nina threw that first game on purpose," the younger man whispered.

"Looks like it. Her skills are just getting sharper. Word is, this guy Drake came specifically to clean her out, but right now, it doesn't look like he has a prayer."

Oakes paused before adding, "Ever since the Chameleon quietly retired, no one has been able to claim the absolute top spot. But from the looks of it, Nina might just cement herself as number one. Nobody's managed to beat her in two years."

The man in the floral shirt frowned slightly. "Wait, wasn't there some old guy named Todd or something about three years ago who was incredible?"

He had trained relentlessly just to defeat her, but he was still leagues behind.

"Looking forward to it." Nina watched him leave without so much as blinking.

Drake walked away.

Oakes and his companion hadn't placed any bets of their own, and having seen enough, they also headed for the exit.

Stella quickly grabbed Julius' arm and trailed right behind them.

Julius already had a pretty good idea of what she was doing. He had overheard the men's conversation too.

So this was why she had brought him here. He genuinely thought she just wanted to play a few hands for fun.

As soon as they stepped out the front doors, Stella darted forward, blocking the two men's path.

"Excuse me, gentlemen. A moment of your time."