Chapter 32 Chapter 32
Although Grace had mentally prepared herself for bumping into Benjamin, her body still shuddered involuntarily when it actually happened. Benjamin spotted her, raised his eyebrows slightly, and asked, "Ms. Hill? Here for some fun, too?”
Grace didn't believe this was just a coincidence. His appearance only deepened her disgust. She pressed her lips together before replying in a low voice, "I came to find someone."
“Did you find them?” Benjamin asked again.
"I did. I have to go now. Goodbye, Mr. Norman.” She answered, her right hand instinctively covering the collar of her coat, and hurried toward the exit. But after only a few steps, Michael stood directly in front of her. Grace had no choice but to stop and turn back to face him.
He shifted slightly to the side and spoke slowly and deliberately. "Since you're here, there's no need to rush off. Stay and play with me for a while."
Grace took a deep breath to steady her emotions and tried to remain calm as she bargained with him. "Mr. Norman, I really have urgent matters to attend to. Could you give me an hour? I'll come back and keep you company after I've taken care of them, okay?"
"No." He replied stubbornly, with no patience left for further discussion. He began walking back inside.
Grace glanced back at Michael, who stood firmly in her path, refusing to budge. Gritting her teeth, Grace followed Benjamin back into Garma.
The manager, alerted to their arrival, hurried out to greet them. He led Benjamin to his usual private room and said, "Vito is here too, in Room 101. Would you like—"
"No need to inform him," Benjamin instructed coolly.
The private room was the same one Grace had visited with him before. It was crowded with people and livelier than when she had been there last. A stripper performed on the small stage, and a Texas Hold'em table had been set up in one corner, surrounded by seven or eight men and women. Some faces were familiar—people Grace had seen before—while others were new and clearly of higher standing. They greeted Benjamin loudly upon his entrance, yet their demeanor was less formal than the previous group's. Instead, it carried a hint of familiarity.
A man in his twenties at the poker table waved at Benjamin, bellowing, "Bro, come avenge me!"
The man next to him, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, chuckled in reply, "Come save Landon! If you're any later, he'll have to turn to prostitution!"
The group burst into laughter. Benjamin smiled, walked over, and sat down in Landon's seat. Then he looked up at Grace and said, "Come help me watch the cards."
Everyone at the table followed his gaze, their eyes landing on Grace with curiosity and jealousy. Landon winked at the cigarette-smoking man and asked with a grin, "Is this lady my sister-in-law?"
"Cut the nonsense," Benjamin said with a faint smile. "Ms. Hill has a husband. Mind your words.”
"A husband?" Landon feigned surprise, glancing between Grace and Benjamin. "Oh my god!"
"Certainly not you," the man holding a cigarette added promptly.
Benjamin offered no confirmation, merely glancing at Grace and urging her, "Come on, help me."
Grace walked over expressionlessly and sat down beside him.
During a pause in the dealing, he glanced at her and asked, "Aren't you hot dressed so heavily?"
Her coat stood out starkly in the room and inevitably drew attention. Yet, she dared not remove it—the dress beneath was completely unlike her usual style and sure to arouse Benjamin's suspicion.
She suppressed her tension and forced calmness as she replied, "No."
Fortunately, Benjamin had already dealt his cards and didn't press the issue further.
He played casually, glancing at his cards before calling or raising, regardless of his opponents' hands. Not only did he fail to win chips back for Landon, but he also lost millions more.
Someone remarked, "Mr. Norman's in a charitable mood today. Back on the St. Leon cruise ship, you won three hundred million dollars. Your card skills are like God sitting at the table.”
Landon chuckled. "He's 'unlucky at play, lucky in love.'"
Benjamin merely smiled faintly. After tossing his chips, he gently patted Grace's shoulder. "You play."
Everyone at the table froze, their gazes shifting toward Grace with new intensity.
Grace wanted to say she couldn't, but she was afraid of angering Benjamin. Hesitating, she finally rose and switched seats with him.
He sat behind her, angled to the side, with one hand on the table edge and the other braced against her chair back. Leaning close to examine her cards, he asked, "Do you know how to play the game?"
She shifted her body slightly forward to avoid him and replied coolly, "Yes."
"Oh? Is that so?" His voice trailed off with a hint of indifference. Leaning close to her ear, he murmured, "Then play well. Once you've earned back Landon's investment, I'll let you go."
She turned to look at him with disbelief.
He gave a faint, almost imperceptible smile and slid his hand around to rest on her shoulder. His fingertips teased her earlobe playfully. "I keep my word."
She didn't trust his promise, but she couldn't resist testing him. Turning back, she scanned the chips spread before the players and began to focus on her cards and the game.
Her math skills were exceptional, and she calculated the probabilities of various hand combinations with pinpoint accuracy. Throughout, her face remained impassive, and she excelled at reading her opponents' mind. Sometimes she'd fold strong hands outright, and other times she'd successfully gamble small for big wins. No one could pinpoint a pattern in her moves.
She wasn't just good at the game—she was clearly highly proficient at Texas Hold'em.
Soon, the others at the table realized that her skill was no fluke.
Landon was yelping with excitement, and the cigar-chewing guy felt thoroughly outplayed.
"Impressive! Really impressive!” the chubby man across the table muttered, glancing at Grace, then turning to Benjamin. "Where'd you find this girl?"
Benjamin didn't answer, only narrowing his eyes slightly to observe Grace. Her expression remained calm and unreadable as she focused on her cards. He caught the flicker of excitement hidden in her eyes. Glancing down at her hand, he was startled—she was exceptionally lucky tonight. She held a pair of aces.
Surprised at first, he then chuckled, unable to resist teasing her. "With skills like these, why bother being a teacher?"
She pressed her lips together, saying nothing, and checked expressionlessly.
When two more Aces were turned over on the board, even Benjamin couldn't help but smile. She remained impassive, taunting every opponent.
Only when the final showdown came did she reveal a faint smile as she turned over her hand.
This hand won her four million dollars.
Another wail of despair echoed through the room. But when she pushed her cards in, the table fell suddenly silent.
Having won such a high-stakes gamble, Grace couldn't help but feel excited. Yet that thrill faded within seconds.
Amidst the stunned stares of the crowd, she stood up and addressed Benjamin, "Mr. Norman, I have business to attend to. I must leave now. My apologies.”