Bride of Retribution: Aloof Billionaire's Dominant Game

Edward Parker looked at the woman on the sofa. She was still that beautiful—the kind of beauty that stuns you at a single glance. Her eyes were as clear and flawless as black crystal, her features on that face exquisite and perfect without the slightest blemish, her lustrous white skin like the smoothest white pearl, shimmering with a seductive glow. Probably only a woman like this could be worthy of a man like Joshua Hughes.

”Mr. Parker, I won’t beat around the bush, I’ll just get straight to the point. This time I’m taking part in the Gambling King tournament in Las Vegas, and there’s something I want to ask you to help me with. Actually, we share the same enemy, I just don’t know if you’re willing to join me in wiping out that scumbag Vincent Hunter?” Avery Jane looked at the young man in front of her. His close-cropped hair was sharp and neat, his eyes bright and penetrating. The shrewdness and cunning unique to people from Lyon were written all over him. At a time like this, circling around with polite small talk was clearly unnecessary.

”Miss Jane, you’ve got a feud with Big Head Geogre too?” In Las Vegas, everyone knew about his history with Big Head Geogre. People were all guessing that it was Big Head Geogre who bought off George Parker’s second wife and had her do the poisoning, because that second wife had only been with George Parker for three years, and now, less than a month after George Parker’s death, she’d already thrown herself into Big Head Geogre’s arms. Anyone with eyes could see the dirty business behind that, it was just that Edward Parker’s foundation wasn’t solid enough yet, so he hadn’t made a move.

”Yes. He committed unforgivable sins against my parents.” Avery Jane nodded, an intense light in her eyes—hateful, furious—dazzling and captivating like a goddess of vengeance.

Edward Parker felt as though that huge stone in his chest had finally dropped. From the day his father was murdered, he’d hung that stone in his heart, strung tight. Hatred was terrifying. He was afraid that one day that string would snap, and that massive boulder of hatred would suddenly come crashing down, smashing his heart to pulp. He still had his mother, his younger sister—he couldn’t afford a single misstep. That was why he had delayed taking action. He needed absolute certainty. But now things were different. Avery Jane had joined in, which meant Joshua Hughes would be pulled into this as well; there was no way he would stand by and watch his woman get into trouble. That greatly increased their odds on this side. But gambling? How had she thought of that approach? Everyone knew this tournament was essentially Big Head Geogre paving the way for his son to take over in the future: eliminate the opponent, then smoothly become the Gambling King with unmatched skill, and his son’s future in Las Vegas would be smooth sailing.

”We could just take him out privately. Why bother gambling?” Edward Parker lifted the boiling water from the purple clay teapot and started brewing Lyon kung fu tea. In no time, the reddish-brown tea soup was rich with fragrance. He respectfully poured a cup and set it on the table in front of Avery Jane.

”They ruined my father at the gambling table, so if I’m going to get justice for him, I have to win it back at the gambling table. I want three of his son’s fingers.” Avery Jane spoke word by word, very slowly. Her sweet voice carried a lethal tension that drilled into Edward Parker’s eardrums, especially those last few words—three fingers......

That made him think of that long-buried past, of the genius gambler his father had told him about—that high-spirited, handsome youth who’d been set up in a game, who’d had three fingers cut off, and whose wife had even...... His father had told him that story to warn him, to make him take it as a lesson: don’t be greedy, don’t be arrogant, and above all, don’t become someone like Big Head Geogre. He’d always thought those were just people in a story. As a child he hadn’t lived in Las Vegas; he’d been sent abroad to study, so he’d never seen that genius youth. But the people he’d thought existed only in a story—their daughter was now sitting right in front of him. He could picture the look in his father’s eyes when he spoke of gambler Luke Harringtons’s wife, that wistful gaze. His father had said Luke Harringtons’s wife was stunningly beautiful, beyond description. Looking now at Avery Jane sitting before him, he could already understand why Big Head Geogre had developed lustful thoughts back then.

”You’re Luke Harringtons’s daughter?” However shocked he felt, he still kept his expression composed as he continued brewing the tea.

”Yes.” Avery Jane drank the Lyon kung fu tea. It was slightly bitter at the first sip, with a touch of sweetness, a hint of smoothness, leaving her mouth fragrant in the end. Savoring it slowly really did bring out more flavor.