After a moment's hesitation, he clenched his jaw and decided to draw another card.
The second card flipped was a 3.
Coen exhaled in relief.
Adding the card had been the right move, or he would have stood no chance in such a tight spot.
The masked man also opted to draw more cards, revealing an 11 for his second draw.
Coen had eight and the man held eleven.
They opted not to draw additional cards this time.
The man, going first, confidently flicked his wrist and a ten Landed on the table, bringing his total to a perfect twenty-one.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtEveryone around the table could clearly see the unfolding .
Unless Coen's final card was miraculously thirteen, his defeat was imminent.
Coen's face fell as he realized the man had hit twenty-one.
He hesitated, his final card still face down in front of him.
After what felt like forever, the masked man broke the silence.
"Sir, if you choose not to reveal your card, I'll take it as you giving up.
Coen knew he still had a sliver of hope.
To fold now would guarantee his loss.
Believing in his luck, he flipped over his card.
It was a twelve.
They were so close to a tie! Disappointment washed over him.
It had been such a fortunate evening thus far; he had won the first round and almost tied this one.
"Sir, you lost," a staff member declared as he approached to collect the cards from the deflated Coen. The man went on, "Your share of the five billion will be reclaimed.
Please leave now.
"Wait!" Coen called out, refusing to depart.
He couldn't afford to lose everything.
With a forceful slam of his hands on the table, he produced a resounding bang.
"Who says I've lost? You proposed adding another round after the first one. Can't I propose a third round?" It seemed the masked man had anticipated Coen's response.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmA gleam flickered in his eyes beneath the mask.
"Certainly, we aim to accommodate our guests' wishes.
I won't hinder you from playing an additional game.
However, should you lose again, the consequences will be yours to bear.
Consider this carefully.
His voice was hoarse yet carried a playful undertone, causing Hannah to frown in concern.
She realized that Coen was walking straight into the trap set by the masked man.
Coen, driven solely by the thought of victory, didn't even inquire about the potentialcost.
"Okay!" Coen glanced at the nearby staff member, who wore a well-m practiced smile, and instructed, "Be thorough with the shuffle. Deal the cards again!"
The staff member's expression remained unchanged; he simplym nodded and began shuffling once E more.