The engagement party was in full swing, and when I walked into the yacht's main salon after a short nap, the first thing I saw was my fiancé, Rhys, playing a stripping game with my best friend, Piper. Piper was down to a silk chemise—barely there—and was sitting brazenly on Rhys’s lap. I frowned, the heat rising in my chest. When I questioned him, Rhys was utterly dismissive. "Standard Texas Hold'em is a snooze, Scarlett. We decided to spice things up." Piper offered a syrupy, sweet smile, her eyes glittering. "We're just playing regular Hold'em, babe, with one little addition: the loser sheds a piece of clothing. It's just game rules, darling. You don't mind, do you?" I was about to respond, but Rhys cut me off, his expression suddenly icy. "Haven't even walked down the aisle, and you're already trying to manage me? Don't start acting like the wife yet, Scarlett." So, I simply nodded and walked toward the table, settling into an empty seat under the gaze of our entire social circle. "A card game, is it?" I said, shifting my gaze from Rhys. "Perfect. I’ve been looking for something to do." Rhys furrowed his brow and stared at me. I met his eyes calmly. "Since I'm already here, I might as well play a hand or two." 1 A brief, awkward silence fell over the salon. Everyone’s attention was fixed on me. Rhys offered a strained, almost tender smile. "Be a good girl, Scarlett. This isn't the kind of game for you. Go back to your cabin." "I’ll have Declan arrange a stop at the duty-free shop tomorrow. I’ll buy you that bag you wanted." In the past, that gentle tone would have been enough to melt me. I’d have instantly forgotten my anger and done exactly what he said. But today, I simply offered a faint smile and stayed put. Piper blinked, trying to diffuse the growing tension. "Oh, darling, if you don't like this game, we can definitely switch." Yet, she made no effort to move from Rhys’s lap. Rhys let out a cold laugh, his face darkening as he looked at me. "Scarlett, the engagement party isn't even over, and you’re already throwing a tantrum and trying to put me in check? Are you really that naive?" Everyone in our circle knew that Rhys Vance, the scion of the Vance empire, was a notorious player. But I was the only woman he had ever publicly acknowledged. I had followed him tirelessly for ten years, believing he would eventually tire of his games and finally settle down. This engagement was supposed to be my reward. Yet here he was, at our own celebration, publicly humiliating me. A bitter laugh caught in my throat, but I managed to meet his eyes and keep my composure. "It's a game, Rhys. I can afford to play." Piper leaned toward me conspiratorially. "That's the spirit, babe! It’s all just for fun. Rhys is always saying I’m going to corrupt you because you're usually so straight-laced." I gave a cold inward smirk. Piper’s family was a nobody, a minor name in this social labyrinth. But she was sweet-talking, manipulative, and knew how to grovel, which had earned her a precarious spot among the 'It Girls.' I had tossed her scraps over the years—a friend for appearances. I just hadn't expected her to have the gall to come after the main course. I offered her a soft, brittle smile, using the same fake sisterly tone we always used. "Don't be silly, Piper. You think too much." A few onlookers finally stirred, trying to smooth things over. Declan, a close friend of Rhys’s, spoke up. "Come on, it's a long night. We might as well play a few hands." He quickly glanced at me. "Scarlett, we didn't know you played Hold'em. Good thing we have Rhys as the pro." He winked at Rhys. "Tonight, you two can't team up to clean us out." Rhys didn't humor him. He kept his hand firmly on Piper's waist and shot me a chilling look. "Once you’re at the table, it’s all fair game. Either go back to bed now, or when you lose, don't throw a childish fit." The words were a physical blow to my heart. I forced a weak smile. Piper, sensing her advantage, giggled. She exchanged a look with Rhys that was far too intimate. "Hey, let's raise the stakes! Besides the basic ante and the stripping rule, the winner of each hand gets to designate any one person at the table to do anything they want." She paused, then added sweetly, "But let's be gentle with Scarlett. She's a newbie. Don't be too mean to my baby." The salon erupted in noisy agreement. "Perfect! If I win, I'll make Rhys sign over that West Side property to me, haha!" "Dream on, man. No one beats Rhys." "If I win, can I get a little quality time with the beautiful Miss Vance here?" Amidst the crude remarks, I slowly straightened my posture, reached for the rack beside me, and pushed a stack of chips into the pot. "Deal the cards." The air in the cabin was thick with tension. Declan nervously volunteered to be the dealer. He pushed the chips to the center. "Bets are on." Rhys, leaning back lazily with Piper still draped across him, threw out a chip without even looking at his cards. "Raise." Piper followed with a flirtatious giggle, practically melting into his chest. I peeked at my cards. Nothing spectacular. When the action reached me, I pushed out the equivalent stack without hesitation. "Ooh, Scarlett's serious tonight!" someone cheered. I gave a slight tug at my lips. "Just having a little fun." The first three community cards came out, but the board remained unthreatening. After a few more rounds of betting, the chips piled up. Rhys seemed bored. He started increasing his bets with a calculated, arrogant pace, clearly intending to dominate. Piper kept pace with him, throwing me a look of pure challenge. "Keep up, darling? Or should you fold now and save yourself the trouble?" I squeezed the two cards in my hand until my knuckles were white. I knew I was behind; Rhys likely had a strong hand. He was waiting for me to back down, to show the weakness he had always expected, so he could 'graciously' forgive my 'misbehavior.' My heart felt like a frozen, barren landscape. I watched the pair across from me—the intimacy in their posture, the casual way Rhys’s hand rested on Piper’s exposed thigh. "Call." My voice was flat and steady as I pushed another stack forward. Rhys raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. The fourth community card didn't change my position. My heart sank further. "All in," Rhys said, his voice level, sweeping his entire stack of chips into the center. A collective gasp swept through the room. The pressure instantly shifted to me. I had only a handful of chips left. To call meant putting absolutely everything on the line. Piper covered her mouth, a false note of concern in her laugh. "Babe, don't. Rhys is just being nice. He doesn't want you to lose too badly." All eyes were on me. The whispers were deafening. “What is Scarlett thinking? Why is she trying to embarrass Rhys?” “She’s loved him forever. Now that she has the ring, she thinks she can finally put him on a leash. Idiot.” “Rhys Vance will never be domesticated.” I clenched my right fist. Since Rhys had rescued me from a group of street thugs when I was fourteen, I had walked his path. I ignored the sneers and the gossip. All I cared about was Rhys. But tonight, at my own engagement party, why did I suddenly feel like I couldn't play his game anymore? "I call." I cleared the rest of my chips. Showdown. Rhys revealed two pair. I had nothing but scattered cards. "Hmph," he scoffed softly, his expression unreadable. Piper let out a delighted shriek. "I have a small straight! I win!" She looked at me, a wolf beneath a lamb’s wool. "A bet’s a bet, darling. Strip one piece." The salon fell silent, save for the hum of the engine and the splash of waves. Rhys merely glanced at me, completely silent. My face was pale. Without a word, I slipped off my blazer. Declan breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, let's keep going, everyone!" "Wait a minute," Piper interjected. She drew out the words slowly, like a cat toying with a mouse. "If I remember correctly, I was the winner of that pot. And according to the rules, I get to designate someone to do anything I want, right?" No one spoke. The atmosphere was turning poisonous. "Then I designate Scarlett…" Piper’s voice was low, but clear enough for everyone to hear. "That’s right. Grant, in the corner, said he wanted to finally get to know our stunning Scarlett. So, Scarlett, I designate you to give Grant a kiss." She pointed a finger at a corner where a known social parasite, Grant, sat—a man who’d been trying to get close to me for years, but always kept his distance out of respect for Rhys. I snapped my head up and looked at Rhys. His face was thunderous, but he said nothing. The salon was dead quiet. Even Grant looked stunned. Declan frantically tried to signal Piper. "Haha, maybe we've all had a bit too much to drink tonight, huh?" Piper ignored him, a mocking smile playing on her lips. "What? We all play these kinds of games, don’t we? Scarlett’s always been such a good girl. But she’s engaged now! What’s she afraid of?" The tension solidified until Rhys’s voice cut through the air. "A deal is a deal. Scarlett, you played the game. Now pay the price." His simple sentence was a poison-tipped dagger plunged directly into my heart. He could tolerate Piper sitting on his lap. He could watch impassively as I was forced to shed my clothes. And now, he was actively pushing me into another man's arms, forcing me to endure this violation. A terrible, cold clarity washed over me. I looked at his handsome, yet utterly indifferent face, and it was the face of a stranger. Numbly, like a marionette, I walked toward Grant and, under the collective, scrutinizing gaze of the room, pressed a brief, cold kiss onto his slick cheek. The silence was so absolute I could hear the sea slapping against the hull. I straightened up, my eyes burning but refusing to spill a single tear. "Satisfied?" Piper hesitated for a fraction of a second, then gave a delighted laugh. "Of course! My baby always plays fair." Declan immediately jumped in. "Alright, alright, Scarlett, you look tired. Why don't you head back to your room?" I took a deep breath. I didn't move. I slowly returned to the poker table and sat down. "No. I'm playing another round." My gaze swept over Rhys and finally locked onto Piper. I smiled, but there was no warmth in it. I had sheltered a treacherous animal. "That last hand," I said, my voice dangerously calm. "Piper won the pot and exercised her right to set a challenge. Correct?" I leaned forward. "Now, I have a proposition for you, Piper. Just the two of us. Are you willing to play one final, high-stakes game?" Piper looked confused, then burst into a condescending laugh. "You? Play me? What stakes could possibly interest me?" "Texas Hold'em, head-to-head. But we raise the ante." "You’ve always coveted my boutique resort, haven't you? The one near Aspen? If you win, it's yours. Deed signed over immediately." I paused, looking directly at her, emphasizing every word. "If you lose, you strip to your skin, you get off this table, and you get the hell off Rhys’s lap." The salon erupted. Piper’s face instantly lost its color. She instinctively glanced at Rhys for protection. Rhys was frowning deeply. He finally addressed me, his tone laced with a severe warning. "Scarlett, stop this nonsense!" But Piper, fueled by greed and my provocation, snapped back. "Fine! I'll take that bet! But just leaving the table is too easy. If I lose, I'll stay at least ten feet away from Rhys for the rest of the night. But if you lose, the Aspen resort is mine, and you will personally apologize and pour me a drink." "Agreed," I said, without missing a beat. Declan tried to interject one last time, but seeing the venomous glare between us, he reluctantly dealt the cards. The table was cleared; only Piper and I remained in the game. Rhys watched, his expression cold and furious, but he did not participate. The first three community cards were dealt. The board was innocuous. Piper’s eyes glittered with open contempt—the wary submissiveness she once showed me was completely gone. She was certain of her victory. When the fourth community card came out, she pushed all her chips to the center. "All in, Scarlett. Call, or forfeit and pour the drink now!" Rhys spoke up, a final trace of impatience in his voice. "Scarlett, enough is enough..." "I call." I cut him off smoothly, pushing my remaining chips into the pot. Showdown. Piper flipped her cards: a pair of Kings. Combined with the board, she had a strong Three of a Kind. A smug, triumphant smile spread across her face. Declan hesitantly flipped my cards. His voice was laced with pity. "Scarlett, you have an Ace and a Queen..." "A high-card hand..." The sneers from the onlookers were immediate and loud. "Scarlett is insane. I’d be mortified." "First time I've ever seen someone try to mark her territory only to humiliate herself further." Piper covered her mouth with her hand, a gleeful look in her eyes. "Betting like that is a rookie mistake, darling. Now, a bet is a bet." She kicked a bottle of champagne on the table with her high-heeled shoe, the gesture heavy with scorn. "It’ll be an honor to drink a toast poured by the great Scarlett Vance herself." I took a deep, steadying breath. "I understand. A bet is a bet." I stood up, walked to the bar under their mocking stares, and began pouring the drinks. Rhys, who had been silent for what felt like an eternity, finally spoke, his voice heavy with contempt. "Scarlett, are you not done humiliating yourself yet?" For the next hour, everyone on the yacht knew. Scarlett, the future Mrs. Vance, had tried to assert herself on the night of her engagement party. A novice gambler, she had played like a stubborn addict and lost everything she had bet. Most people around the table had shed a few layers. I was down to the final piece of clothing: a form-fitting, scarlet dress. It had been my secret, tender choice for the night—the dress I had hoped Rhys would gently take off me at the peak of our happiness. That day would never come. My hand, holding the liquor bottle, trembled slightly. My eyes burned, but I held back the tears. Ten years, from the age of fourteen until now. I finally had my closure. And he had given it to me in the most brutal, humiliating way possible. "Rhys," I said, my voice regaining its clarity. "I still don't think the stakes are high enough. Since we are in international waters, why don't we try one last, truly spectacular game?" He frowned. "What new disaster are you planning now?" I met his gaze, my eyes devoid of emotion. "I have only this one dress left. So, I will bet my last hand. And I will bet every remaining asset under my name." The words caused a shockwave. Rhys’s eyes instantly sharpened. He straightened up, finally giving me his full attention. "Scarlett. Do you have any idea what you're saying?" I gave him a faint, chilling smile. "Perfectly clear." "If I win, you will agree to one thing. And you and her..." I pointed at Piper and then to the smooth, black expanse of the ocean visible from the deck. "You will jump off my yacht and swim the rest of the way home." A stunned silence. The yacht had been cruising for hours. To jump into the freezing, deep sea now was potentially fatal. Piper shrieked, "You're crazy!" I stood my ground. "Are you afraid, Piper? That's a fortune you'll never see again." Piper swallowed hard, her eyes flickering with lust for the money. Rhys gave a humorless laugh. "Whatever assets you can put up, I’ll match. But if you lose, you swim home. Scarlett, I gave you too many chances. You forced your way to this." The dealer began to deal. This time, neither Rhys nor I looked at our cards. We kept raising, matching each other’s escalating bets. Piper eventually folded after three rounds, unable to handle the pressure. It was just Rhys and me. Declan’s voice was dry as he read out the final river card. The board was set. Rhys stared me down. "Scarlett, concede now. I'll pretend you were drunk and throwing a fit. I'll take your assets and manage them for you, but we’ll forget the jump." I said nothing. I only reached out and slowly, deliberately, flipped over my two hole cards. The Ten of Diamonds, and the Jack of Diamonds. The community cards revealed: The Ace of Diamonds, the King of Hearts, the Queen of Spades, the Eight of Clubs, and the final, decisive card—The Queen of Diamonds. When that final card was revealed, Declan gasped, his eyes wide. The cold smile on Rhys's face froze solid. He shot up from his seat. "That's impossible!"
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "387418", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel