Chapter 4

Stanley's brow knotted, displeasure plain on his face.

"I don't agree. This bet's gone too far."

He looked at how pale I was and reached out to feel my forehead for fever.

"Penelope, are you not feeling well?"

I dodged his hand.

"That's none of your business."

"Stanley, it's a pre-wedding bachelor party. It's just for fun."

Sophie shot Clark a look.

"Whether I lose or Penelope loses, Clark and the others won't actually do anything to either of us. This bet is just a bit of theater."

Clark jumped in at once.

"Right, Stanley, we'd never dare do anything to Sophie or your wife."

"You know Sophie loves a bet. Let her have her fun this one last time before the wedding."

Only then did Stanley relent.

"One final round. And we stop there."

I watched the ugly gleam in Clark and his friends' eyes and clenched my fists.

If I really fell into their hands, they'd either play me to death or peel a layer off me first.

The game went on.

Sophie cupped the dice in her palm and held them out to Stanley.

"Stanley, blow on them for me. Let me borrow some luck from my lucky man."

Stanley smiled and ruffled the top of Sophie's hair, then bent slightly and blew softly over the dice in her palm.

I stared at the sight in front of me.

And suddenly I remembered meeting Stanley for the first time, three years ago.

Back then Stanley had been set up at a casino in Las Vegas, nearly gambling the entire Delgado family away at the table.

It was me who sat down at that table and won it all back for him.

Back then he'd blown on my palm the very same way.

"Penelope Sullivan, I'm putting my life and the Delgados' in your hands. I trust you."

And that was the day we fell for each other at first sight.

Nothing left in the room but the sound of dice rattling in the cups.

The next second, my cup and Sophie's came down on the table at the same time.

Sophie lifted her cup with a smile.

"Six sixes. Thirty-six."

"Penelope, you lose."

My hand stayed on my cup without moving. My eyes went to Stanley.

"Sophie's dice are rigged. You were leaning in close just now, so you must have seen it."

Beside her, Clark and the others changed color in an instant.

Stanley felt Sophie trembling and reached out, patting her back to soothe her.

"There's nothing wrong with the dice."

He looked at me.

"Penelope, it's just a game. Don't be a sore loser."

I looked at the ease in Stanley's eyes and my throat tightened.

Back then, when he was set up at the casino, it was six rigged dice that did it. And now, to shield Sophie, he was lying straight to my face.

It was too ironic.

I drew a deep breath.

"If I lose, I'm the one who gets kept on this yacht to keep those good buddies of yours company."

Stanley cut in coldly.

"They won't hurt you."

"You agreed to play this round with Sophie, so you have to accept the outcome."

I stared at him.

"If Sophie were the one who lost, you'd make her stay too, right?"

Stanley tugged at his collar.

"Of course."

Sophie put on an innocent little smile.

"I proposed the bet, so of course I'll honor it."

"But if you'll just admit you faked the pregnancy to trick Stanley, I might consider letting you off this once."

I said nothing.

I opened the cup in my hand.

The next second, the room went dead silent.

Every eye locked onto my dice, faces frozen in shock.

Five of the dice showed six, and the last one had split clean in two, one half a six, the other a one.

Thirty-seven in all.

The smile froze on Sophie's lips.

"This—this is impossible. How could you—"

I lifted my chin.

"This round, I won again."