Part 1Fold or All In

After my rebirth, I ignored every call from my mob boss husband. I deleted every text without reading.

I spent my days in bars with my best friends, surrounded by eager young men wagging their tails.

When I stumbled home drunk for the eighth time, Dominic Vance was blocking the front door.

"Where did the guy who bought you drinks touch you tonight?"

I giggled, eyes blurry. "My hand. Where else? The dice cup won't shake itself."

A storm brewed in his eyes. He ordered the henchman behind him: "Go. Find that man. Chop off his hand."

I scoffed and walked past him. "Whatever!"

In my past life, we were married for eight years.

Known as the "Queen of Cheats," I won back the Canaan underground casino for him. I walked with him from a desperate outlaw to the uncrowned king of the underworld.

But after achieving success, he became infatuated with a new card shuffler at the casino.

Her name was Lily White. Sold into the casino like cargo, clean and fragile as a blank sheet of paper.

Dominic placed her in the VIP shuffling room, personally teaching her how to deal and read chips.

Until I discovered in the casino's internal system that my marital status had been changed to "Divorced."

Dominic dismissed my confrontation with indifference:

"Lily has no one. Giving her a title will stop people from bullying her."

"Everyone knows you're the Boss's wife. Why do you care about a label?"

I broke down, rushed into the shuffling room, and slapped Lily in front of everyone.

That night, my brother Sam, who risked his life for Dominic, was dragged back.

His legs were broken in front of me, and he was thrown into the alley behind the casino.

"Ava, this is your lesson for touching Lily!"

I knelt on the ground begging him to stop, until my brother's face lost all color and he died in front of me.

I felt a rush of heat below, a tearing pain in my abdomen, and then darkness.

When I opened my eyes, I was back on the day I discovered my status had been changed.

This time, I didn't cry or question. I secretly sold all my private jewelry and bought plane tickets.

I just wanted to take my brother and escape this hellhole named Dominic Vance.

* * *

After discovering the anomaly in my status, I took my documents to City Hall to verify.

"Ms. Ava Hayes, the system shows your marital status as divorced."

Hearing the clerk's voice, I confirmed that everything from my past life was real.

The date was processed on my birthday.

Considering how busy Dominic was, I had booked the highest revolving restaurant in Canaan that day and ordered fireworks.

I waited from sunset until the early hours of the next morning, but he never showed up.

It turned out he was busy signing another paper, completely erasing my existence.

Breaking free from the memory, I returned to the casino and saw Dominic's black Maybach parked by the road.

In my past life, I collapsed and rushed forward to question him.

Afraid Lily would see, Dominic kicked me into a corner before the girl in the passenger seat could get out.

This time, I immediately dodged into the shadows of a pillar.

The car door opened, and Dominic got out first.

He walked around to the passenger side and opened the door himself, a patience and attentiveness I had never seen before.

A girl in a pale blue dress stepped out timidly.

She stood helplessly beside the gleaming car, looking out of place.

It was Lily White.

Dominic took off his suit jacket and draped it over her thin shoulders, wrapping his arm around her waist as they walked toward the casino entrance.

"Dom..."

Lily stopped hesitantly. "I have nothing, only you... I really can't afford to gamble..."

Dominic turned and pulled her tightly into his arms, his voice filled with a certainty and gentleness I had never heard:

"What are you afraid of? From now on, you are the mistress here. Besides you, no one else is qualified!"

"If you don't like it here, I'll find a quiet place for you later, maybe build a resort..."

The henchmen who used to bow respectfully behind me and call me "Sister-in-law" were now bowing to Lily, their voices loud and fawning:

"Hello, Sister-in-law!"

They surrounded the frightened deer-like girl and walked into the magnificent den of devils.

I pressed my hand hard against my stomach. Only after they went in did I stumble away.

Wiping away tears, only cold resolve remained in my eyes.

I went to the hospital alone and scheduled an abortion.

The doctor looked at the ultrasound screen, frowning:

"Ms. Hayes, your constitution is special. You haven't conceived in seven years. If you abort this time, you may never get pregnant again."

I smiled self-deprecatingly. "I'm already divorced. I don't want the child to be born without a father."

The cold liquid pushed into my veins, and my consciousness gradually faded.

In a trance, I saw the old Dominic pressing his ear to my belly, laughing that this kid would definitely be a gambling master and he had to teach him to read cards from a young age.

He called fortune tellers to pick the luckiest name.

He held me and promised that once he found a successor, he would take me and the child away from the casino to travel the world...

In the end, all the warmth shattered into dust when he told Lily, "Only you are worthy of being the casino's mistress."

After regaining consciousness, I dragged my hollowed body into my brother Sam's ward.

Fortunately, Sam was only slightly injured this time and would recover quickly.

In my past life, my brother was beaten to death in front of me. In this life, I wouldn't be foolish.

I contacted people in the black market and bought two tickets to a third country for three days later at a high price.

If we went through regular channels, Dominic would probably find out immediately.

I called my only confidant, gave him a sum of money, and asked him to secretly discharge my brother.

After doing all this, I finally relaxed. I hailed a taxi and gave an address some distance from the villa.

This was my habit. The casino had many enemies, so I prevented anyone from finding my exact address.

As soon as I got out of the car, a man covered my mouth from behind and dragged me backward!

I struggled desperately to break free, but before I could run a few steps, another person slashed my back with a sharp weapon!

Pain exploded instantly, warm blood soaking my clothes.

No need to guess, it was Dominic's enemies.

The casino had swallowed so much territory that the line of people wanting him and those around him dead could stretch to the pier.

I tried to reach for the knife in my bag, but my arm was twisted behind my back, and my phone was smashed to pieces.

"Damn it, be quiet!" The man choking me dragged me toward a van on the roadside.

Just as I was about to despair, the familiar black Maybach turned in from the main road.

It was Dominic's car!

I mustered my last bit of strength, screaming hoarsely, struggling to attract the attention of the people in the car.

The car clearly paused and slowed down.

He saw me!

But in the next second, the Maybach accelerated without hesitation, speeding away from the intersection.

Through the window, I saw Dominic pull Lily in the passenger seat into his arms, shielding her eyes from looking this way.

As if outside the window was not his wife being dragged away to be tortured and killed, but just a dirty farce unworthy of staining her eyes.

All struggle and hope were instantly drawn from my body.

Pain and cold swept over me, and darkness swallowed my last shred of consciousness.

When I woke up, I was lying in a private ward.

The door wasn't closed tightly, and low voices leaked in.

"Dom, the Madam is badly hurt this time. If she finds out about Miss Lily..."

It was Dominic's private doctor, Ken.

Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Dominic's cold voice:

"Watch your mouth. Your job is to cure her, nothing else!"

"Ava has been in the game for so many years. What ruthless methods hasn't she seen? She's a master herself."

"Lily is different from her. She's clean as a blank sheet of paper. She can't fight Ava."

He paused, his voice lowering even more:

"If she makes a scene when she wakes up, bring her brother over. He's her only family left; she can't ignore him."

I gripped the sheets, biting my lower lip until the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

The night I helped him take down Canaan's biggest casino, he promised me:

"Ava, from now on, no one in Canaan's underground can touch a hair on your head."

The same words, the same protection, but the person he wanted to protect had changed.

I, whom he once treasured, became the dangerous person with malicious intent he needed to guard against.

Footsteps approached. I closed my eyes, pretending to have just woken up.

"Awake? We found out. It was done by the Thai guy whose hand was crippled for cheating in the casino last time."

Dominic threw a document in front of me.

"Sign this settlement agreement, and they agree to give up management rights in the East District."

The East District was the last relatively clean area in Canaan, near the sea, with no casinos or gray industries.

I remembered what he said to Lily: "Find a quiet place for you to build a resort..."

So my injuries were traded for the chips to build a golden cage for his new love.

I asked hoarsely: "Dominic, when did you make this deal?"

Was it the moment he saw me being dragged away, or long before, when he decided to pave the road for his beloved with my blood?

He frowned, clearly displeased with my questioning.

I twitched the corner of my mouth and stopped asking.

The answer didn't matter anymore.

Perhaps to appease me, he stayed here for the next two days to handle business.

But his phone never left his hand. While eating, he would take photos and send them to the other side, showing a gentle smile I hadn't seen in a long time.

I looked at his profile, vaguely remembering eight years ago.

The first time I met him wasn't in a casino, but in a dark alley.

He was caught cheating, surrounded by seven or eight men with machetes, about to lose an arm.

I had just won a large sum of money, intervened to save him, and brought him back to my apartment.

Later, my father back home owed a huge gambling debt and was driven to death by drug lords.

I was taken to pay off the debt, a poison needle hovering over my vein.

It was Dominic who rushed in with his men at the critical moment and saved me.

By then, he had taken over a small casino, making me the invisible "Queen of Cheats" behind the Golden Sparrow table.

Helping him swallow one casino after another, draining one opponent after another.

I knew my hands were already stained with unwashable filth and blood.

But even if the whole world thought I was dirty, he shouldn't!

After leaving the hospital, Dominic used business as an excuse and never appeared again.

I was leaving tomorrow. Taking advantage of Dominic's absence, I returned to the top floor of the casino and took my passport and several important ID documents from the safe.

When I walked out of the elevator, my legs went weak, and I stumbled forward.

The expected fall didn't happen; a pair of thin hands caught me in time.

"Are you okay?" The voice was soft, carrying a cautious kindness.

I looked up and met Lily's clear eyes.

She was wearing a casino dealer's uniform, but she still looked out of place.

She didn't know me, thinking I was an ordinary gambler who had lost all her money and was despondent.

"I'm fine, thanks." I straightened up, wanting to leave quickly.

But she didn't let go. Instead, she pulled me toward the employee lounge: "You look pale. Come rest in the back for a bit!"

For some reason, I didn't refuse.

She poured me warm water and took a pack of dried mangoes and bread from her locker.

"Eat something. Don't be too sad about losing money. Go home early, your family must be waiting for you!"

Seeing I didn't speak, she hesitated, then took a few bills from her uniform pocket and stuffed them into my hand.

"This is for your cab fare... I can't help you with the ticket home though."

My throat felt blocked.

I wanted to tell her to stay away from Dominic.

That man had no heart. His gentleness was poison wrapped in honey.

But I swallowed the words.

If she knew my identity, she would definitely break up with Dominic.

Then I would be the culprit.

With only one day left, I couldn't gamble with my life and my brother's.

I accepted Lily's kindness, thanked her, and turned to leave quickly through the back door.

Just as I stepped over the threshold, a cold object pressed against my temple.

A gun barrel!

I instinctively looked back.

Lily was already lying on the hallway floor.

Before I could react, the butt of a gun slammed into the back of my neck, and I blacked out.

When I opened my eyes again, Lily and I were tied up in an abandoned warehouse.

Lily sobbed softly: "Who are you? Why did you catch us..."

A man with a scar on his face slapped her hard.

"Because of your fiancé Dominic! He swallowed my territory in the West District and cut off my income!"

So it was the West District gang.

That territory was recently acquired by Dominic using my settlement agreement.

Luckily they didn't know me, but Lily, who Dominic had been parading around recently, became the target.

I quietly moved my wrists, using a micro-blade hidden under my manicure to cut the rope.

Living on the edge for years, I always kept a backup plan.

Scarface thought I was just a gambler too and spat at me:

"Bad luck for you, getting mixed up with this woman. Call your family, bring five million, and I'll let you go."

Lily cried like a pear blossom bathed in rain. "Miss, I'm sorry I dragged you into this. But don't be afraid, my fiancé is very powerful, he will definitely come to save us!"

Mentioning Dominic, trust shone in Lily's eyes.

I didn't speak, speeding up the cutting of the rope.

Scarface's call didn't seem to go through. He kicked over an oil drum in rage:

"Damn it! Dominic isn't picking up? Looks like I need to send him a big gift to wake him up!"

He picked up a dagger from the ground, his lecherous gaze wandering over Lily:

"I saw you go to the hospital. Pregnant with his seed, right? Perfect. I'll cut that little bastard out and show Dominic!"

My heart sank.

So she was already pregnant with Dominic's child.

Lily froze in terror, her face pale as paper: "No! Please... don't hurt my baby!"

Several men nearby laughed lewdly and reached for her.

At that moment, I snapped the rope, sprang up like a leopard, and slammed my elbow into Scarface.

With my other hand, I grabbed the dagger, quickly cut Lily's ropes, and shielded her behind me.

"Damn it! Kill her!" Scarface clutched his jaw, roaring in fury.

Five or six men immediately surrounded us, wielding iron bars.

Even though I knew how to fight, I was freshly injured and facing so many desperadoes; I soon fell into a disadvantage.

Iron bars slammed into my body with the sound of wind. The pain almost brought me to my knees.

I could only use my body to withstand the increasing blows, protecting Lily tightly in the corner.

Scarface obviously lost patience. He cocked his gun with a click, aiming the black muzzle at me.

"Bitch, you want to die!"

Just as he pulled the trigger—

A deafening noise came from the warehouse door!

Dominic rushed in with his men, and gunshots erupted instantly.

Like an enraged lion, he charged straight at us, pulling Lily into his arms: "Lily, don't be afraid, I'm here."

Lily whimpered in his arms. Overwhelmed by fear, she fainted completely upon relaxing.

Dominic gently carried her to the car and settled her properly.

Then, he turned and walked toward me.

"Ava!" His voice was laced with icy chill.

"Why are you here?"

I supported my aching body, met his scrutiny, and forced a cold smile:

"Are you suspecting me?"

Before I finished, he slapped me viciously across the face!

The force knocked me to the ground, blood filling my mouth.

"I knew you always wanted to scheme against Lily, to drive her away, didn't you?"

I spat out the blood, my voice hoarse: "I didn't."

He grabbed a dying thug from the ground, pressing the gun to his head: "Say it. Who hired you?"

The thug trembled, looking at me with fear, as if grabbing the last straw, and screamed:

"It was... it was she who found us! She gave us money to teach that woman a lesson..."

My heart sank into an ice cellar, blood freezing.

Dominic sneered and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

He tossed the body aside, squatting down and stepping on my hand.

Pain tore through my heart.

His tone was almost a sigh:

"These hands... used to be so obedient. Why use them to harm the person I love most now?"

He pulled out a cold dagger.

"I told you, Ava, don't touch my things lightly!"

As the words fell, a cold light flashed!

My breathing stopped abruptly!

The dagger pierced my palm fiercely, pinning it to the cold concrete floor.

"Ah—!" I convulsed in pain, black spots dancing before my eyes, almost fainting.

The despair of impending death made me scream:

"Dominic! I shouldn't have saved you from that alley eight years ago! Shouldn't have helped you become the King of Canaan!"

He personally buried the last bit of affection between us.

He snorted disdainfully, stood up, and left the warehouse with his men without looking back.

Only when numbness slightly replaced the piercing pain did I use my movable left hand to dig out a micro-locator from my bra and press it with trembling fingers.

My confidant arrived quickly. Seeing my state, his eyes reddened instantly.

He carefully pulled out the dagger. My right hand was a bloody mess, devoid of feeling.

My voice was weak but carried unprecedented resolve.

"Start a big fire. Help me erase everything here."

"From now on, there is no Queen of Cheats Ava Hayes in Canaan!"