The ninety-ninth time I barged into the casino's private room, Lewis Harding assumed I'd throw a tantrum like all the times before.
He casually pulled his jacket over the dealer beneath him, then lit a cigarette.
【Stella, I've told you before. There's a limit to my patience.】
【You've hit Lydia Edwards ninety-nine times now. Touch her again, and I'll cut off your sister's medical funding.】
【Get out. I lost a bet tonight, and I promised Lydia a child.】
【Once she's pregnant, I'll come home.】
When I didn't move, Lewis assumed I was angry again.
He stubbed out his cigarette, irritation rolling off him.
【What, you're going to pull the fiancée card on me again?】
【I'll say this one last time. The wedding happens when I say it happens. When I've had my fill and feel like getting married, I'll let you know.】
For the first time, I didn't argue. I was so calm it unsettled even him.
【Lewis, how about I make you a bet today instead.】
【If I win, you come home with me and we get married.】
【If I lose, I'll be exactly what you want. A quiet little kept woman who never makes a fuss. Deal?】
Lewis's lips curled into a mocking half-smile：【Stella, every time you walk in here it's to catch me in the act. You've never once sat at a card table. You can't win.】
He thought I'd come up with some new scheme to force his hand on the wedding.
What he didn't know was that I'd never intended to win this bet……
——
I walked to the card table and began straightening the mess across its surface.
Traces of Lewis and Lydia's entanglement still lingered there.
My eyes burned red in an instant.
Lewis knew me too well.
He knew this was always what I looked like right before I lost control.
He stepped in front of Lydia, shielding her, and frowned：【You're not about to go crazy again, are you?】
I didn't answer. I just shook my head calmly, speaking more to myself than to him.
【As long as you agree to the bet, I'll accept losing.】
Lewis blinked, caught off guard, and the words left his mouth before he could think：【Lydia having my child. You'd accept that too?】
I gave a quiet hum of agreement.
【I'd accept it.】
【But as compensation, you'd have to give me twenty million dollars.】
Something in Lewis's expression shifted, turning cold.
【Stella Matthews. All these years you've eaten my food, spent my money. I've been covering your sister's medical bills this entire time.】
【What do you need that kind of money for?】
I lowered my head, hiding the guilt in my eyes.
I kept my voice light, casual：【I saw a diamond necklace the other day. I want to buy it.】
Lewis was silent for a moment. Then he laughed, sharp and scornful.
【Your family's gone bankrupt and you're still this vain. Only you, Stella.】
【Fine. Twenty million for my freedom and Lydia's child. Not a bad deal.】
The outcome was never in question. I didn't even know the rules. I lost.
The twenty-million-dollar check hit me in the face. Lewis waved me off：【Now can you get out?】
【Oh, right. Once Lydia's pregnant, she can't keep dealing.】
【I'll bring her home to rest during the pregnancy.】
【Make sure you clear out a room and have everything ready for her. Whatever a pregnant woman needs.】
I picked the check up off the floor and answered, my voice perfectly even：【Everything's already prepared. She can move right in.】
【What?】
Lewis didn't catch what I said.
But I didn't repeat myself. I turned and walked out of the casino.
On the roadside, a young woman was burning paper offerings for a child who had died.
I reached into my coat and pulled out a pregnancy test. I smiled at her：【This is my baby. Would it be okay if they kept your child company?】
The woman grabbed my wrist, her voice sharp：【Young lady, a child is a gift from God. Don't say things like that.】
【Go home and take care of yourself. Nothing in this world matters more than bringing that baby into it safe and sound.】
