The hall was packed with gamblers, yet no one recognized me. Worse still, no one seemed to take me seriously. “Who let this crazy woman in? Why is she clamoring about?” A chorus of mocking laughter rippled through the crowd. “Oh, I’m Rosalind Stanford, the dead woman you’ve been gossiping about!” My voice was cold, slicing through the noise. Jasper and the others went pale on the spot. Looking over from Leonard’s arms, Irena pointed at me with undisguised contempt. “Where’d you dig up this impostor, Isabel? Out of some sewer?” She cackled shrilly. “Don’t forget where we are! International waters, sweetheart! Not even the highest authority can save you now.” I walked up to her slowly, my eyes sweeping over her from head to toe like sharp blades. “Do you think wearing my sister’s clothes and jewelry makes you the heiress of the Jefferson family? No matter how hard you try, a fraud is still a fraud. At the end of the day, you’re just a pathetic little clown.” Irena’s expression immediately turned sour. She screamed, unrestrained, “Who do you think you are?” Meanwhile, Jasper and Leonard stepped in front of her like loyal hounds. I didn’t hold my laughter back. “What fine guard dogs you have there! But it looks like they’re struggling to recognize their real master.” “Everyone!” the manager interjected, desperate. “The game isn’t over! Please respect the rules of this establishment! If you’ve got a score to settle, kindly take it outside after the last hand.” I gracefully took a seat, tapping my fingers against a stack of chips. “I believe that it’s your turn.” Only then did the trio realize that the dealer was waiting for them. But this time, they had nothing left to bet. As the blood drained from their faces, my rosy lips curled into a smirk. “What’s wrong? Can’t go on? Have you run out of chips?” Under the weight of the crowd’s expectant stares, beads of cold sweat formed on their foreheads. Finally, after an agonizing silence, one of them stammered, “W-We… want to reveal our hand!” At this stage, they had gambled everything away. This was their only way forward. “Alright. Let’s see them then,” I agreed coolly. With that, the manager peeled back their sealed cards. A wave of gasps swept through the hall. They had a set of triple Kings! “That must be the strongest hand left! They already used two Aces earlier, so there’s no way a triple Ace is coming now.” “We’ve got it in the bag!” Irena and her group exhaled in relief and turned to me, their grins smug. I smiled faintly and gave Isabel a small nod. She was a bundle of nerves as she slowly flipped her first card. It was a three. Then the second, a five. All eyes zeroed in as she reached for the third card. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the final result of the game. With a smack, she landed the card face-up. It was a four! Of the same suit, no less! “Holy heavens! It’s a straight flush—a direct counter to a three-of-a-kind!” The onlookers were wide-eyed, and their gasps had turned to stunned murmurs. My eyes narrowed into slits, and a subtle smirk played on my lips. Isabel threw herself into my arms with sheer excitement. Her bright eyes glowed with exhilaration, her cheeks flushed red. Her voice quivered with pure joy as she said, “Rose, we won! We actually won!” “This can’t be!” Jasper slammed a hand against the table. His chair screeched against the floor violently. His expression was tense, with veins protruding on his forehead. “How could you possibly have those cards? It wasn’t supposed to—” He cut himself off abruptly, realizing he had let the cat out of the bag by accident. I slowly arched an eyebrow, my gaze turning frigid. Was that what it was? These bastards had rigged the game against my sister. “A true gambler honors their bets,” I said, enunciating each word. “Gentlemen, you’ve put up a show for many to watch. Refusing to pay would be uncivilized, wouldn’t you say?” I gripped Isabel’s trembling hand and found her palm slick with cold sweat. But just as we turned to leave, a dozen men in black encircled us, closing in like a trap. Irena was lounging lazily on the leather couch, her blood-red lips pulled into a smirk. “You do realize we were only playing for fun, right? Did you really think that you’d be walking away with all those chips?” She casually swirled her wine glass. “Tonight, you two are staying right here on this ship. Permanently.” I snapped my head sharply toward the manager, only to find a man with a heavily scarred face standing beside him. The sinister grin on the man’s face widened as he spoke in a chilling tone. “Ms. Channing is right. Neither of you will be leaving this ship today!” “Are you outright robbing us?” My voice was as cold as if it had been forged in ice. But before I could finish, a brutal strike landed on the back of my knee. I dropped to the floor with a grunt, and my forehead cracked against the cold marble floor. I felt warm blood seep from my brow, blurring my vision with a crimson haze. Around me, I could hear Isabel’s panicked, agonized screams, drowned only by the sick, gleeful laughter of those monsters.