"Congratulations Ghost, this is already the twelfth time you've won. It seems you are very lucky!" Argent muttered, jaw tight. "That's—" He cut himself off, grinding his teeth.
This was getting ridiculous.
Rick Tian showing up tonight had already thrown a wrench into everything. But what really had Argent fuming was the scoreboard: thirteen rounds, and Ghost—damn Ghost—had won twelve of them. Twelve.
Argent had only won once.
Just once.
And every time, Ghost picked his stone like he was grabbing a snack. He seemed calm and casual like it meant nothing. Yet somehow, every single rock he chose had something valuable inside.
Argent's eye twitched as he glanced at Cosim, who was trying very hard to pretend he didn't exist.
Earlier, Argent had already warned them that Rick Tian wasn't just tagging along for fun. He was watching. Judging. One slip and the Tian Family would bury this whole shop.
So, Cosim had panicked and swapped the carts, making sure the stones were genuinely random. No plants. No favors. Nothing that could be traced back to them.
Which was fine. Safe, even.
But no one expected Ghost to dominate the game like this.
"Aiyo…" Ghost said lazily, waving a hand. "Just luck. Nothing more."
Luck? Argent almost swallowed his tongue. Who the hell gets lucky twelve times in a row?
He wanted to scream. He wanted to flip the cart. But all he could do was force a smile and keep pretending everything was fine. Because Rick Tian was still there, watching like a hawk.
And the last thing Argent wanted was for Rick to sniff out the truth.
"Heh… how about another round?" Matthew said, grinning as he casually picked lint off his sleeve. He could feel the glares stabbing into him from every direction, but it didn't bother him. He was the one stacking wins. Let them stare.
"This is actually my first time betting like this," he added, his tone deliberately light. "What do you say we raise the stakes a little?"
"Eh?" Argent blinked. "Raise… how?"
"A million per round," Matthew said smoothly. "And let's make it ten stones each. Better odds, bigger payout."
Argent's throat went dry. He swallowed hard. He wanted to snap—but he held back, his eyes drifting toward Rick again. If Rick joined, at least someone other than Ghost might win. It would spread the risk. Maybe even shift the odds.
But Rick didn't move. He just let out a low snort from where he stood, arms crossed.
Obvious, Rick thought. Win a few harmless rounds, butter him up, then jack up the stakes. Classic amateur move. Did they think he was born yesterday?
He scoffed internally.
Please. Rick Tian wasn't some gullible trust fund baby. He was the future patriarch of the Tian Family. He wasn't just rich, he was strategically rich. He didn't lose money, he made other people lose money.
These two thought they were running a scheme? Cute.
Rick folded his arms and watched them like a disappointed teacher grading a failing group project.
They might as well have held up a sign that said: "PLEASE JOIN SO WE CAN SCAM YOU."
Well… Rick would never fall for it!
When Rick said nothing, Argent couldn't help but look at Matthew.
"Well? What do you think? Don't tell me you're—"
"Why not?!" Argent cut in, voice sharp as he forced a smile. His teeth were grinding, but he wasn't about to back down, not here. Not in front of Rick.
"This is my turf," he muttered under his breath, then barked toward the back, "Cosim! Bring out a fresh batch. Ten rocks each. A million per round!"
Cosim flinched, but quickly nodded and disappeared.
Argent's fists were clenched behind his back. He didn't care how many batches they burned through. He was going to win a damn round even if it killed him.
Cosim returned a few minutes later with another tray stacked full of uncut stones. He didn't say anything. Just set the tray down, gave Argent a stiff nod, and stepped back like he wanted nothing to do with what was about to happen.
Argent wasted no time. He picked through the rocks quickly, eyes darting between them as if trying to spot some kind of pattern. Matthew was more relaxed, taking his time, and tapping a few stones before selecting his ten.
The technician loaded the first two and began the cuts.
The results came fast.
Argent's first stone shimmered with a violet hue. "Amethyst," the technician said. "Clean, decent value."
Matthew's—nothing.
Argent's second? Blue tint. "Aquamarine."
Matthew's—another dud.
It went on like this. Out of the ten stones, Argent hit five gems. Nothing mind-blowing, but good enough. Matthew only got two, both low-value.
The technician declared the result without hesitation. "Round winner: Argent."
Argent exhaled slowly and stepped back like he'd just finished a three-hour exam. The relief on his face was obvious. It wasn't a total comeback, but at least now he didn't look like a complete joke. That was enough.
He glanced at Rick, who was still standing silently in the corner. No reaction. Just watching. That made the win even better.
Across from him, Matthew stared at the tray as if it had personally betrayed him.
He folded his arms. "Again," he said. "Let's raise the stakes."
Argent blinked. "What?"
"Twenty rocks. Two million per round." Matthew didn't take his eyes off the cart. "You got lucky once. That won't happen again."
Argent paused briefly, then his jaw set. "Fine. Let's do it."
Ghost clearly had a taste for gambling, but after that last win, Argent was convinced his luck was about to run dry.
He gestured to Cosim. "Another batch. Bigger this time."
Cosim nodded like a man being sent to fetch his own executioner and vanished into the back room.
Rick, meanwhile, tilted his head slightly, a grin pulling at the corner of his mouth behind the mask. He wasn't sure if these two were idiots or actors, but either way, the show was excellent.
He leaned back against the wall, completely relaxed.
They really thought this was about stones?
Rick watched them bicker over the trays, puffing up like rival birds in a pet shop. He'd seen drama before, but this? This was art. He made a mental note: Hire whoever trained these two. They'd be great in negotiations.
"Twenty rocks," Matthew repeated. "This time, no excuses."
Argent said nothing. He was already eyeing the next cart as it owed him money.
Rick didn't move. He wasn't joining in. But he was definitely staying for the finale.
The result came quickly—brutally so.
Ghost won the next five rounds in a row.
Each time the cutter revealed another glittering gem from his selected stones, Argent's grip on reality slipped a little more. By the fifth win, his jaw was clenched so tight it looked like it might snap. His eyes were locked on the tray like he wanted to flip it over and set the entire shop on fire.
He didn't even hear Cosim trying to calm him down.
Just as Argent opened his mouth, about to demand another round—probably one with even more outrageous stakes, footsteps echoed from the hallway outside.
Everyone turned. The tension shifted instantly when they saw someone familiar.
At the doorway stood Duke.
And he wasn't alone.
Behind him were several figures dressed in identical black uniforms, the kind tailored for function rather than show. Each one wore a white mask.
The room immediately fell into a near silence. Even Rick straightened slightly, arms uncrossing just a little. He expected his uncle or their people to come, not this Duke. Why is he even here!?
Duke stepped forward. The masked figures behind him moved in unison, spreading out just enough to make it clear they weren't here to chat.
"Everyone," Duke said, his voice calm. "Stay exactly where you are."
A faint hum came from the black-clad figures as they activated a slim, baton-like rods at their hips, tasers. The soft crackle of electricity filled the space like static before a storm.
"Any sudden moves," Duke added, eyes scanning the room. "And my team will drop you. Quickly."
Argent stiffened mid-step. He glanced at Rick, who looked more intrigued than alarmed. Then Duke walked to the center of the room and stopped near the betting table.
"I am here under official authority to carry out an arrest," he said. "You all know the rules. The auction house operates under strict neutrality. Someone violated that tonight."
Hearing this, Rick immediately smirked. Then he pointed at both Argent and Ghost. "It's them! Arrest them!"