Chapter 156

Amelia sat gracefully across the table, her posture elegant and her gaze calm. She casually opened a new deck of cards and began to shuffle.

Her hands moved deftly among the cards, the shuffling smooth and fluid, so skillful that it was mesmerizing. Each flip and interlacing of the cards exuded a unique confidence and composure.

"Mr. Bailey, how do you want to play this time?" Amelia's voice was clear and pleasant, yet carried a hint of undeniable coldness, cutting through the slightly noisy atmosphere of the room and reaching Eugene's ears.

Watching Amelia's expert shuffling, Eugene's heart skipped a beat. He knew he was facing a pro.

A flicker of panic crossed his eyes, but it was quickly masked by his determination not to lose.

He couldn't back down now, not after speaking up.

Eugene felt like a gambler who couldn't turn back, forced to muster the courage to continue playing.

He glared at Amelia, his eyes filled with a mix of anger and embarrassment. "We played bridge last time. Let's keep it simple this time. How about high card wins?"

The more complex the game, the more thinking it required.

Eugene had already tried playing bridge before and realized he was no match for Amelia in terms of strategy.

Every time he tried to think through his moves and calculate the game, Amelia handled it effortlessly, while he was left confused and disoriented.

This time, Eugene decided to play smart. A simpler game might give him a better chance to win, relying on his card-handling skills.

As Eugene was thinking this, Amelia's clear voice rang out again, "Sure, no problem. Mr. Bailey, would you like to shuffle the cards again?"

As she spoke, Amelia calmly handed the deck to Eugene, her demeanor suggesting she was indifferent to the outcome of the game, yet subtly confident in her control over the situation.

Eugene took the cards and shuffled them confidently.

Back in Emerald City, he often participated in gambling. In those small-time card games, he was a regular, feeling quite experienced.

In Eugene's mind, Amelia was just a woman. Even if she knew how to play cards, so what? Gambling against him was simply overestimating herself.

Little did he know, Amelia had also gambled abroad, but back then it was for survival.

When someone did something for survival, they often mastered it to the extreme. Moreover, Amelia had fought her way out of various dark forces.

Those life-and-death experiences had honed Amelia's skills. The card techniques she displayed were just a fraction of her many abilities.

Amelia watched Eugene calmly.

Once Eugene laid out the cards, she casually rearranged the sequence in her hand, a seemingly unintentional move that hinted at hidden strategy.

Then, Amelia's lips curved into a slight smile as she softly said, "Mr. Bailey, please."

Her voice carried a faint hint of provocation, yet remained elegant and composed.

Eugene glared at Amelia, his eyes filled with anger and embarrassment. 

"Let's see who has the higher card." He said, his voice dripping with disdain.

He reached out and drew a card, flipping it over to reveal the Ace of Diamonds.

Such a high card drew gasps from the onlookers.

The people who had been chatting nearby were now drawn to the game, their eyes filled with surprise.

Someone whispered, "Eugene's luck is incredible, drawing the Ace of Diamonds right off the bat."

Others looked at Amelia with concern, thinking she might lose badly this time.

Harold couldn't help but whisper to Raymond, "Shouldn't you help Amelia? She doesn't seem to have the upper hand."

Harold's brows furrowed, his eyes full of worry.

Raymond stood behind Amelia, calmly smoking. Hearing Harold's words, he smirked slightly and said, "No need, she can handle it."

His tone was full of confidence, as if he had unwavering faith in Amelia's abilities.

Unaware of the conversation behind her, Amelia focused entirely on the game.

Hearing Eugene's disdainful snort, she merely glanced at him with contempt. Then, she casually drew a card and flipped it over, revealing the Ace of Spades.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze, and the crowd erupted in astonishment.

"An Ace of Spades!"

"Mr. Adams, your wife is something else!"

The exclamations from the crowd were continuous, with many turning their gaze to Raymond, their eyes filled with admiration and curiosity.

Raymond still smirked, but he remained silent.

Eugene stared at Amelia's card, stunned. He stood up abruptly, his eyes wide, shouting, "Impossible! How could this happen? You must have cheated!"

Before Amelia could respond, someone nearby couldn't help but say, "You shuffled the cards first and drew first. Now you're accusing her of cheating? That's too much, Eugene!"

Others chimed in, "Exactly! A grown man bullying a woman and then accusing her of cheating!"

"If you can't handle losing, don't play. This is ridiculous!"

The crowd's voices rose in a wave of criticism directed at Eugene.

Eugene's face turned bright red, like a boiled shrimp. He was both embarrassed and angry, but didn't know how to respond.

Still unwilling to give up, Eugene pointed a trembling finger at Amelia, shouting, "She must have cheated! How else could she have the Ace of Spades?"

Amelia calmly tossed her card into the pile, her face still wearing that serene smile. "If you don't believe me, Mr. Bailey, we can play again until you're satisfied."

Eugene, full of resentment, reached out to grab the cards to reshuffle, but hesitated halfway.

Amelia had touched these cards before. If she had tampered with them, he would never win.

In the end, he threw the deck into the trash and asked someone to bring a new deck, glaring at Amelia with malice. "Let's see how you cheat this time!"

After shuffling the new deck, Eugene slammed the cards down in front of Amelia, shouting, "You draw first this time!"

Amelia smirked, her expression full of disdain for Eugene.

She casually drew a card, revealing the Four of Diamonds.

Seeing this card, Eugene couldn't help but laugh loudly, "Let's see how you win this time!"

His laughter was filled with triumph, as if he could already see his victory.

Without cheating, Eugene drew a card himself.

He was confident he would draw a high card, his smile stretching to his ears.

But when he flipped his card, it was the Three of Spades.

In that instant, Eugene's smile froze on his face, as if he had been slapped hard.

The crowd burst into laughter.

"Eugene, is this your skill? Even if you were cheating, your technique is terrible!"

"This is hilarious! Accusing others of cheating, but you're no better!"

The crowd's laughter was like sharp knives, stabbing into Eugene's heart.

Eugene never expected to lose so miserably. His face turned grim.

Still unwilling to accept defeat, Eugene accused Amelia again, "You cheated! You must have cheated!"

As he spoke, Eugene stood up, waving his arms, ready to lunge at Amelia.

His irrational behavior was both laughable and infuriating.

But as Eugene approached Amelia, several people quickly stepped forward, pinning him to the ground.

Eugene struggled on the floor, still shouting, "Let me go! She cheated! You've all been fooled by her!"

Raymond finally stood up, walking steadily to stand behind Amelia, looking down at Eugene.

"I've known about your shady tactics for a while. I've held back for everyone's sake. But you dared to mess with my people, so don't blame me for being harsh!"