Queen of Wild Cards novel Chapter 436

However, one man did catch her eye. Like her, he was standing on the sidelines observing. He was tall, with sharp, striking features, and the light stubble on his jaw gave him an incredibly rugged, masculine appeal.

Stella wouldn't have noticed him if he hadn't kept throwing covert glances her way.

Every time she was focused on a dealer flipping a card, she could feel his eyes on her. But the second she turned to look back, he would casually avert his gaze.

She was absolutely certain she had never met him before. Was he doing it on purpose, or was he just checking her out?

Well, she had been bored anyway. Now she was curious to see if this guy was planning to make a move.

But as she waited, the man made no further attempts to approach her. She felt a twinge of disappointment.

Unlike a martial arts tournament, today's rules were simple: the winner stayed at the table as the dealer, and the loser was instantly eliminated. The last person holding the dealer position would claim the ultimate victory.

It had to be said, Nina was genuinely impressive. She successfully defeated five challengers before finally losing her streak.

When it was the rugged man's turn to take the dealer's seat, he knocked out two opponents before Stella stepped up to the table.

It wasn't until they sat across from each other that Stella learned his name: Lucian Vance.

Initially, Stella had planned to just go through the motions and casually throw the game.

But now, she changed her mind. She wanted to see exactly how he'd react when she beat him.

Noticing Lucian staring at her intently, Stella offered a sweet smile. "Mr. Vance, I hope you'll take it easy on me."

Lucian didn't say a word. The corner of his mouth just hitched up in a crooked, mocking smirk, as if she were a joke to him. When the dealer handed him his cards, he snatched them up.

Stella didn't let it bother her. He wanted to look down on her? Fine. She was going to make him sweat.

Round after round, she beat him by just a single point.

The spectators watching closely quickly realized she was doing it on purpose.

"I wouldn't dare mess with you, Mr. Vance. It's just beginners' luck."

That's what you get for underestimating a woman!

Lucian stormed off, his face dark with rage.

Seeing him leave, Stella didn't lose her next hand immediately—that would have been far too obvious, especially with Nina and Drake watching her every move.

To save face for Nina, she played it smart. She matched Nina's streak, beating exactly five challengers before intentionally busting out.

Nina let out a soft chuckle. "She threw the game."

Drake shook his head, disappointed. "What a shame. She could have held the table until the end. The championship was practically hers."

Nina raised an eyebrow. "Maybe a championship isn't what she's after."