When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 239

The gambling table vanished in a blink, swapped for a sleek black round one. The lights shifted, bathing the room in a deep red glow, thick and heavy like old blood.

“The rules are simple. Rock, paper, scissors. Best two out of three. The winner walks out alive. The loser…” The dealer ran a finger across his throat, making the meaning pretty clear.

Nelly’s stomach twisted so hard she wondered if she might be sick.

She tried to steady herself, glancing at Brody. He was staring at her, eyes sharp and focused in a way she’d never seen before.

“Nelly,” Brody murmured, leaning in close, his breath warm against her ear. “I’m throwing paper.”

“Brody…” Her voice barely made it out. She stared at him, confused for a heartbeat.

Was he really trying to let her win?

But if she won, Brody… would be the one to die.

They were literally betting their lives.

Or maybe… maybe this was just another one of Brody’s twisted games. Maybe he was setting her up, playing on her instincts, knowing exactly how she’d react.

“Do you trust me?” Brody’s voice was soft, desperate almost, as he caught her searching gaze.

The question cut through her like a knife.

She’d never let herself think about that. Even in the moments when she’d loved him most, she’d never truly trusted Brody. Trust was for people who’d been loved back, for people who’d been chosen. She’d never had that, and she definitely didn’t expect it from someone as cold and selfish as Brody.

“I don’t trust you,” Nelly said, her words sharp and cold.

Brody’s eyes darkened with something like sadness, but there was no time for anything else. The dealer raised his hand.

“Three, two, one!”

“Show your hand!”

Nelly didn’t even have time to think. She threw paper without hesitation.

Brody’s hand opened at the same moment. He’d thrown paper too.

A man in black stepped forward and popped the cylinder open, pulled out a single bullet, slipped it back in somewhere random, then spun the chamber hard.

“One shot each, back and forth, until… well, you get it,” the dealer said, gesturing toward the table. “So, who’s first?”

One wave of adrenaline after another crashed over Nelly and Brody, leaving them no time to think or breathe.

Their lives felt like they were hanging by a thread, hearts pounding so hard it almost didn’t feel real anymore. The fear was starting to turn numb.

Nelly hesitated for a few seconds, frozen. Brody didn’t wait at all. He reached for the gun, steady and sure.

Her eyes flickered, lips parted in shock.

They both knew how to watch for tells, how to count and calculate. Even in those few rushed seconds, she was certain they’d both been tracking the man’s hands, watching where the bullet went.

It wasn’t quite as exact as counting cards, but Brody’s mind worked in ways hers didn’t. He could probably figure out the odds, track the cylinder’s rotation. He’d have a better chance than her.

If Brody chose to save himself… then she would almost certainly be the one to die.