Chapter 2

I went back to the table with the cash.

For this round, almost everyone at the table was betting on High, believing the Low streak had to end.

Behind me, Frank was desperately winking at me, gesturing for me to bet Low.

I ignored him. At the very last second, I pushed all the money onto the High section.

"What are you doing?!" Frank’s voice cracked.

The dealer shook the cup and lifted it.

"Two, two, three. Seven. Low!"

The table groaned in disappointment again.

Frank’s face flushed purple. He raised his hand, about to slap me right there.

I quickly gasped, "Dad! I got confused! Another guy said we have to follow our hearts for the luck to flow!"

"He said you can't trust anyone else in gambling, only your own gut! Your original instinct was right!"

I fed him the exact same garbage logic he had brainwashed me with a thousand times in my previous life.

His raised hand froze in mid-air.

A guy who had just won a small pile of chips laughed and chimed in, "Hey Frank, your kid is right! Gambling is all about mindset! Trust your gut, man!"

Frank’s expression shifted from rage to contemplation.

He had lost all his money and should have been furious, but my words gave his bloated ego a brand-new excuse.

It wasn't that he was bad at gambling. It was just that I hadn't properly channeled his supreme luck.

He lowered his hand, let out a heavy sigh, and patted my head.

"I was foolish. Let's go home, Elena. I understand how it works now."

On the walk back, he didn't say a word. But I knew that a seed of pure madness had been planted deep in his mind.

When we got home, my mom, Sarah, and my older brother, Leo, were sitting in the living room.

Seeing us walk in empty-handed, Leo leaned back on the couch, barely looking up from his phone.

"Lost everything again?"

Frank ignored him and walked straight to Sarah.

Sarah was coughing heavily. Her lung condition required constant, expensive medication, and we were already running out of food.

"Frank... the money..."

"Gone," Frank cut her off, though his eyes were strangely bright. "But I found a way to win us a mansion!"

He pointed at me, practically vibrating with excitement. "Elena! She’s our lucky charm! Her mind is pure, unlike mine, which is cluttered with stress. From now on, I'll use her luck to place the bets!"

Sarah blinked, and then a weak, hopeful smile crossed her face. "Really? I always knew Elena was a special girl."

Leo let out a loud, mocking scoff and stood up.

"Dad, are you out of your mind? Letting her gamble? She’s a stupid kid. What does she know?"

Frank shoved him back. "Shut the hell up! This is about energy! If you don't believe it, fine, but don't stand in the way of our family getting rich!"

He marched over to Sarah’s nightstand, pulled open the drawer, and took out this month's grocery and medicine money.

He shoved the cash into my hands, his eyes gleaming.

"Elena, tomorrow, go buy some lottery tickets. Buy the very first numbers that catch your eye. Don't hesitate!"

Sarah looked at me with desperate, pleading eyes. "Elena, listen to your father. Our family is counting on you."

I looked at the three of them. One madman, one enabler, and one selfish parasite.

I nodded, taking the medicine-scented cash.

"Okay. I'll go tomorrow."