(Abigale POV)
The game had morphed into something unrecognizable. It was no longer about trivial possessions. It was about everything. My company, his family fortune, Dominique' s assets. The stakes were astronomical.
I played like a madwoman, winning some, losing some, keeping the tension high. I made sure to look like I was barely holding on, clinging to hope by a thread. The alcohol, real or imagined, made me sway. My clumsy movements, my slurred words, they were all part of the act.
Holden, poor Holden, kept trying to intervene. He'd whisper to Darren, wave a hand at the dealer, even try to pull Dominique aside. Each time, she' d swat him away, playfully, but firmly. She owned him tonight.
I saw the worry in Holden' s eyes. It was genuine, I thought. He didn' t want me to lose everything. He just wanted me to lose enough to put me in my place. Enough for him to be the hero who stepped in and saved me. That was his game. Always had been.
He thinks I need saving, I thought, a bitter taste in my mouth. He thinks I' m a damsel in distress. He always has. He didn't see the fire beneath the placid surface. He never did.
Then came a pivotal hand. My cards were good. Too good to pretend to lose. I played it carefully, watching Dominique' s tells. She was confident, almost arrogant. And I knew her tells intimately. Years of watching her manipulate Holden had taught me that much.
I cleaned her out of her summer home.
Dominique' s jaw dropped. Her smug smile vanished. She stared at the cards, then at me, her eyes narrowed. "That was... lucky," she spat, her voice tight with anger.
"Perhaps," I said, shrugging with feigned nonchalance. My heart was thumping. That was a big win. A real win.
The game continued, the energy in the room crackling with tension. Dominique was no longer laughing. She was seething. And she wanted it all back.
"Alright, that's enough of these petty hands," Dominique declared, slamming her cards onto the table. "Let's do it. All in. One final hand. Winner takes everything from the pot."
My pulse quickened. This was it. The moment I had been waiting for.
I took a deep breath. I picked up the shot glass that had been sitting in front of me for the last few rounds. It was full of something clear and strong. I looked at it, then at Dominique. I drained it in one gulp. The liquid burned my throat, but it cleared my head. It was a symbolic act. No more pretense.
"How does 'all in' work?" I asked, my voice clear and steady. No more slurring. No more trembling hands.
Holden started to speak, a panicked look on his face. "Dominique, no, this is crazy, you can't-"
Dominique cut him off. She put a hand on his chest, pushing him back into his chair. Her eyes, still blazing with fury, were fixed on me. "Simple. My entire business, my Hamptons property, my yacht, all the minor assets I've won tonight. Everything." She paused, her eyes challenging me. "What about you, Abigale? Are you going to back out now?"
I looked at her. Her face was flushed, her eyes wild. She was completely unhinged. And desperate. Good.
I took a moment. A calculated pause. Let them think I was weighing the impossible odds.
"My company. My apartment. All my assets," I said, my voice calm, unwavering. "Everything I own. All in."
Holden shot up from his seat, knocking his chair over with a crash. "Abigale, what are you doing?! Have you lost your mind? You can't bet everything!"
I turned to him, my gaze piercing. "Are you scared, Holden?"
Dominique laughed, a harsh, brittle sound. "Oh, he's scared for you, darling. He doesn't want you to lose everything for your little tech dreams." She turned to Holden, her voice suddenly soft, seductive. "Unless... you want to join me, honey? You want to make sure she doesn't take your family's inheritance too?"
Holden hesitated. His eyes flickered between me and Dominique. The control she had over him was sickening.
"Get the lawyers," Dominique demanded, her voice sharp. "Now. Draw up a quick, binding agreement. We're doing this legally."
"No need, Dominique," I said, pulling out my phone. My fingers flew across the screen. "My legal team is already on standby. They'll be here in minutes."
Holden stared at me, his mouth agape. "You planned this?" he whispered.
I just smiled. A cold, humorless smile.
"You'll regret this, Abigale," Holden said, his voice hard. "You'll regret this more than anything."
He walked over to Dominique, his movements stiff. He sat down beside her, his hand finding hers. A clear choice. A final declaration.
My heart, which I thought had been shattered beyond repair, felt strangely whole. Empty, but whole. It was truly over. No going back. No lingering hope. Just a clear, stark path forward.
Within minutes, my lawyer, a sharp, no-nonsense woman named Evelyn, arrived with her team. Dominique' s own legal counsel, who had been on call for the event, quickly joined them. A flurry of legal jargon filled the air as they drafted a temporary, legally binding agreement. All assets were listed. All terms agreed upon. Signatures were exchanged. The weight of the paper felt immense.
The game table was cleared. Only the dealer, me, Dominique, and Holden remained. The dice, gleaming and menacing, were placed in the center of the table.
Darren, looking pale, announced the rules for the final hand. "One roll. Highest number wins it all. Everything on the table. No second chances."
Dominique went first. She picked up the dice, a fierce determination etched on her face. She shook them vigorously, then released them.
They tumbled, bounced, and settled. A pair of sixes. Twelve. A perfect score.
A collective gasp went through the room. Dominique shrieked with delight. "Yes! I told you, Holden! We won!"
Holden, his face a mixture of shock and exhilaration, grabbed the dice. He shook them, his hand tight. He tossed them out.
They clattered. They rolled. They landed.
A pair of sixes. Twelve. Another perfect score.
The room erupted. "Unbelievable!" "Two twelves!" "It's a tie!"
Dominique shrieked again, throwing her arms around Holden. "We did it, honey! We won! Everything's ours!" She looked at me, a cruel smirk on her face. "Looks like you had no chance, Abigale. Not against us."
Holden, his eyes wide, looked at me. A strange emotion flickered in his gaze. "Abigale," he said, his voice soft, almost pleading. "We can negotiate. You don't have to lose everything. Just... walk away now. We can give you something."
I just looked at him. No anger, no sadness. Just a profound clarity.
I picked up the dice. They felt cool and smooth in my palm. I gave them one simple, confident shake. No theatrics. No hesitation.
I released them. They spun, a blur of white against the green velvet table. They bounced once, twice.
Then they settled.
Dominique let out a guttural scream. A shriek of pure, unadulterated horror.
