Ever since my rebirth, I've ignored every single phone call from my mob boss husband and deleted all his texts the second I read them. I spent my days bar-hopping with my girls, surrounded by a pack of eager young men trying to get my attention. When I stumbled home after my eighth hangover, practically running on fumes, Arthur was blocking the front door. "Where did the guy who bought you drinks tonight touch you?" I giggled, my eyes hazy with alcohol. "My hands, duh. How else was I supposed to shake the dice cup?" A storm brewed in his eyes. He ordered his men standing behind him, "Go find that guy and chop his hands off." I let out a scoff and walked right past him. "Whatever you want!" In my past life, I was married to him for eight years. Known in the underground as the "Queen of Spades," I won back the massive Canaan Casino for him at the poker table, standing by his side as he climbed from a desperate outlaw to the uncrowned king of the criminal underworld. But after he achieved everything, he became obsessed with the new card-shuffling girl at the casino. Her name was Chloe Vance. She had been sold to the casino like a piece of merchandise, as clean and fragile as a blank sheet of paper. Arthur set her up in the VIP shuffling room, personally teaching her how to deal cards and read the chips. It wasn't until I checked the casino's internal database for core members that I discovered my marital status had been changed to "Divorced." When I confronted Arthur, he dismissed it completely: "Chloe has no one to rely on. Giving her an official title ensures she won't be bullied anymore." "You're universally recognized as the 'Boss Lady' in our circles. Why are you making a fuss over something so trivial?" I had a complete breakdown, stormed into the shuffling room, and slapped Chloe across the face in front of everyone. That very night, my younger brother, Leo—who had risked his life working for Arthur—was dragged back to the casino. They broke both his legs right in front of me and threw him into the back alley. "Evelyn, this is the price you pay for touching Chloe!" I fell to my knees, begging him to stop, until the color completely drained from my brother's face and he died right in front of my eyes. I felt a rush of warm fluid between my legs, a tearing pain in my abdomen, and then... everything went black. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the exact day I discovered my marital status had been altered. This time, I didn't scream or demand answers. I secretly sold off all my private jewelry and bought plane tickets. All I wanted was to take my brother and escape this demon's lair named Arthur. ... After discovering the anomaly in my status, I took my ID to the county clerk's office to verify it. "Ms. Davis, the system shows your marital status is 'Divorced.'" Hearing the clerk's voice, I finally confirmed that everything from my past life was real. The date the divorce was finalized was my birthday. Knowing how busy Arthur was, I had rented out the highest revolving restaurant in Canaan and even arranged for fireworks. I waited from sunset until dawn the next day, and he never showed up. It turned out he was busy signing another piece of paper, completely erasing my existence from his life. I pulled myself out of the memory. When I returned to the casino, I saw Arthur's black Maybach parked by the curb near the main entrance. In my past life, I would have charged forward in a hysterical rage to confront him. Arthur, terrified that Chloe would see me, didn't even wait for her to get out of the passenger seat before violently kicking me into a corner. This time, I immediately ducked into the shadows behind a large pillar. The car door opened, and Arthur stepped out first. He walked around to the passenger side and personally opened the door, his movements displaying a level of patience and meticulous care I had never seen before. A girl in a pale blue sundress stepped out timidly. She stood awkwardly next to the gleaming luxury car, looking completely out of place. It was Chloe. Arthur took off his suit jacket, draped it over her fragile shoulders, and wrapped his arm around her waist, guiding her toward the casino entrance. "Arthur..." Chloe hesitated, stopping in her tracks. "I have nothing left. I only have you... I really can't afford to lose..." Arthur turned sideways, pulling her tightly into his embrace. His voice carried a certainty and tenderness I had never heard: "What are you afraid of? From now on, you are the lady of this house. Besides you, no one else has that right!" "If you end up not liking it here, I'll find a quiet place later and build a resort just for you to play in..." The casino thugs, who used to follow me around bowing and respectfully calling me "Boss Lady," now all bowed deeply toward Chloe, their voices loud and sycophantic: "Good evening, Boss!" They surrounded the girl, who looked like a startled deer, and escorted her into the glittering demon's lair. I pressed my hands hard against my stomach. Only after they had all gone inside did I stumble out of the shadows. I wiped away my tears, leaving nothing but cold, absolute resolve in my eyes. I went to the hospital alone and booked an appointment for an abortion. The doctor looked at the ultrasound screen, frowning deeply. "Ms. Davis, your constitution is unique. You haven't been able to conceive for the past seven years. If you abort this pregnancy, you may never be able to get pregnant again." I let out a self-deprecating laugh. "I'm already divorced. I don't want to bring a child into the world without a father." As the cold liquid was pushed into my IV, my consciousness began to slip away. In a haze, I saw the Arthur of the past, pressing his ear against my stomach, laughing and saying this kid would definitely be a master gambler, and that he’d teach him how to read cards from day one. He called a fortune teller to pick out the luckiest possible name. He held me and promised that once he found a successor, he would take me and our child away from the casino to travel the world... In the end, all that warmth shattered into dust the moment he told Chloe, "Only you are worthy of being the lady of this casino." After regaining consciousness, I dragged my hollowed-out body to my brother Leo's hospital room. Thankfully, Leo had only suffered minor injuries during a job this time and would recover quickly. In my past life, my brother was beaten to death right in front of me. In this life, I would not be so foolish. I contacted a fixer on the black market and paid a premium for two tickets to a third country, departing in three days. If I went through official channels, Arthur would undoubtedly find out immediately. I also called my only trusted subordinate, slipped him a large sum of cash, and had him secretly discharge Leo from the hospital. Having arranged everything, I finally relaxed a bit. I hailed a cab and gave the driver an address a few blocks away from the villa. It was a long-standing habit of mine; the casino had countless enemies, and I always took precautions to prevent anyone from discovering our exact address. But the moment I stepped out of the cab, a man grabbed me from behind, clapping a hand tightly over my mouth, and dragged me backward! I fought desperately against his grip, but before I could run a few steps, another man swung a sharp weapon hard into my back! A violent burst of pain erupted, and warm blood instantly soaked my shirt. I didn't even have to guess—these were Arthur's enemies. The casino had swallowed up so much territory; the line of people who wanted him and those close to him dead could stretch all the way to the docks. I reached for the concealed knife in my bag, but someone twisted my arm behind my back. They snatched my phone and smashed it to pieces. "Bitch, hold still!" The man choking me dragged me toward a beat-up van parked on the street. Just as I was about to succumb to despair, a familiar black Maybach turned onto the main road. It was Arthur's car! I summoned the very last ounce of my strength, screaming hoarsely, thrashing wildly to get the attention of whoever was inside the car. The car visibly jerked and slowed down. He saw me! But the next second, the Maybach accelerated without hesitation, speeding away from the intersection. Through the tinted window, I saw Arthur pull Chloe, who was in the passenger seat, into his chest, shielding her eyes so she wouldn't look in my direction. It was as if the woman outside the window wasn't his wife about to be dragged away and tortured to death, but just a filthy, insignificant incident unworthy of tainting his new love's pure eyes. Every last shred of struggle and hope instantly drained from my body. Agonizing pain and freezing cold washed over me as the darkness swallowed my final sliver of consciousness. When I woke up, I was lying in a private hospital room. The door wasn't completely shut, and the low hum of conversation drifted in. "Boss, the Madam is severely injured this time. If she finds out about Ms. Chloe's existence..." It was Arthur's private doctor, Ken. Before he could finish, Arthur's cold, harsh voice cut him off: "Watch your mouth. Your job is to heal her, don't overstep!" "Evelyn has been in the underworld for years. There's no dirty trick she hasn't seen; she's a master at it herself." "Chloe is different from her. She's as clean as a blank sheet of paper. She can't compete with Evelyn." He paused, lowering his voice further: "If she wakes up and makes a scene, go grab her brother. He's her only living relative; there's no way she'll abandon him." I gripped the bedsheets tightly, my teeth biting into my lower lip until the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. The night I helped him secure the largest casino in Canaan, he promised me: "Evelyn, from this day forward, in the Canaan underground, no one will ever lay a finger on you." The same words, the same promise of protection—only the person he was protecting had changed. The woman he once treated as his most precious treasure had become, in his own words, a malicious, dangerous threat that needed to be guarded against. Footsteps approached. I closed my eyes, pretending I was just waking up. "You're awake? We found out who did it. It was that Thai crew—the ones whose hands we smashed for cheating at the tables last time." Arthur tossed a file in front of me. "Sign this settlement agreement, and they've promised to hand over management of the East District." The East District was the last relatively "clean" territory in Canaan. It was coastal, with no casinos or gray-market businesses. I remembered what he had told Chloe: "I'll find a quiet place later and build a resort just for you to play in..." So all my wounds and spilled blood were just bargaining chips he used to build a gilded cage for his new love. I asked hoarsely, "Arthur, when exactly did you negotiate this deal?" Was it the moment you saw me being dragged away, or long before, when you decided to use my blood to pave the road for your sweetheart? He frowned, clearly displeased by my questioning. I offered a weak, cynical smile and stopped asking. The answer didn't matter anymore. Perhaps to placate me, he stayed in my room for the next two days to handle his business. But his phone never left his hand. While eating, he would take pictures of his food and send them off, a gentle smile—one I had never seen before—playing on his lips. Looking at his profile, my mind drifted back to eight years ago. The first time I met him wasn't in a casino; it was in a dark alley. He had been caught cheating, and seven or eight guys with machetes had cornered him. He was about to lose an arm. I had just won a massive payout. I stepped in, bought his way out, and dragged him back to my apartment. Later, my father, who was back in our home country, racked up massive gambling debts and was driven to suicide by a drug cartel. I was snatched up to pay his debt, a toxic needle pressed against my vein. It was Arthur who kicked the door down at the absolute last second and saved me. By then, he had already taken over a small casino, and he made me the invisible "Queen of Spades" working the tables. I helped him swallow up rival casinos one by one, draining his competitors dry. I knew my hands were already stained with filth and blood that could never be washed off. But even if the whole world thought I was dirty, he had no right to! After I was discharged, Arthur claimed he was busy with business and never showed up again. I was leaving tomorrow. Taking advantage of his absence, I returned to the top floor of the casino and retrieved my passport and essential IDs from the safe. But as I stepped out of the elevator, my legs gave out, and I stumbled violently forward. The fall I expected never came. A pair of delicate hands caught me just in time. "Are you okay?" The voice was soft, gentle, carrying a cautious, genuine kindness. I looked up and met Chloe's clear, innocent eyes. She was wearing a casino dealer's uniform, but she still looked completely out of place. She didn't recognize me. She thought I was just a regular gambler who had lost everything and was stumbling around in a daze. "I'm fine. Thank you." I stood up straight, eager to leave as quickly as possible. But she didn't let go. Instead, she gently pulled me toward the employee break area. "You look terrible. Come sit in the back and rest for a bit." For some inexplicable reason, I didn't refuse. She poured me a cup of warm water and pulled a bag of dried mangoes and a pastry from her locker. "Eat something. Don't be too sad about losing money. Go home early; your family is definitely waiting for you!" Seeing my silence, she hesitated, then pulled a few bills from her uniform pocket and pressed them into my hand. "Use this for cab fare... but I can't help you with the plane ticket." It felt like something was blocking my throat. I wanted so badly to tell her: Stay away from Arthur. That man has no heart. His tenderness is poison wrapped in honey. But the words died on my lips. If she found out who I was, she would definitely break things off with Arthur. And when that happened, I would be the one he blamed. With only one day left, I couldn't gamble with my life and my brother's life. I accepted Chloe's kind gesture, thanked her, and turned to leave quickly through the back exit. The moment I stepped past the threshold, a cold, hard object was pressed violently against my temple. A gun barrel! I instinctively whipped my head around. Chloe was already lying unconscious on the hallway floor. I was just about to strike back when the butt of a rifle slammed into the back of my neck, and everything went black. When I opened my eyes again, Chloe and I were tied up in an abandoned warehouse. Chloe was sobbing quietly. "Who are you? Why did you kidnap us..." A man with a prominent facial scar slapped her hard across the face. "Because of your fiancé, Arthur! He swallowed my West District territory and cut off my money!" So it was the West District crew. Arthur had just acquired that territory using the settlement agreement signed with my blood. Fortunately, they didn't know who I was. Chloe, who Arthur had been parading around recently, became the primary target. I discreetly flexed my wrists, using the micro-blade hidden beneath my acrylic nail to start sawing at the ropes. Having lived on the edge for years, I always left myself an out. Scarface assumed I was just a random gambler and spat in my direction: "Tough luck for you, getting caught with this bitch. Call your family, tell them to bring five million, and I'll let you go." Chloe cried, her face stained with tears. "Ms. Davis, I'm so sorry. I dragged you into this. But don't be afraid! My fiancé is very powerful; he'll definitely come save us!" At the mention of Arthur, a look of absolute trust lit up Chloe's eyes. I didn't say a word, just sped up the sawing motion on the ropes. Scarface couldn't seem to get through on his phone. In a fit of rage, he kicked over an oil drum. "Fuck! Arthur isn't answering? Looks like I need to send him a nice gift to wake him up!" He picked up a combat knife from the floor, his eyes raking over Chloe's body with a sick, twisted gleam: "I saw you two at the hospital. You're carrying his bastard, aren't you? Perfect. I'll carve the little bastard out and send it to Arthur so he can get a good look!" My heart plummeted. She's already pregnant with his child. Chloe went rigid with terror, her face the color of chalk. "No! I'm begging you... please don't touch my baby!" The men around her laughed lewdly and reached out to grab her. At that exact second, the rope snapped. I sprang up like a cheetah, slamming my elbow brutally into Scarface's jaw. With my other hand, I snatched the combat knife from him, rapidly sliced through Chloe's ropes, and shoved her firmly behind me, shielding her with my body. "Fuck! Kill that bitch!" Scarface roared, clutching his jaw in a blind rage. Five or six men instantly swarmed us, wielding iron pipes. Even though I was highly trained in close-quarters combat, I was still recovering from severe injuries, and facing this many hardened killers, I quickly lost the upper hand. The iron pipes whistled through the air, slamming into my body. The sheer agony almost brought me to my knees. All I could do was use my own body as a meat shield, absorbing the blows to keep Chloe protected in the corner. Scarface clearly lost his patience. He racked the slide of his handgun with a loud clack, aiming the black barrel directly at me. "Stupid bitch, you wanna die?!" Right as his finger squeezed the trigger— A deafening explosion blew the warehouse doors off their hinges! Arthur and his heavily armed crew stormed in. Gunfire erupted instantly. Looking like an enraged lion, Arthur charged straight toward us, yanking Chloe into his arms. "Chloe, don't be scared. I'm here." Chloe let out a pathetic whimper against his chest. The sheer terror followed by the sudden relief caused her to pass out completely in his arms. Arthur gently carried her to his SUV, making sure she was safe and secure. Then, he turned around and walked toward me. "Evelyn!" His voice dripped with absolute, freezing venom. "Why the hell are you here?" I propped up my battered, agonizing body, meeting his interrogating glare, and let out a cold laugh: "Are you suspecting me?" Before I even finished speaking, a brutal, vicious backhand cracked across my face! The force of the blow sent me crashing to the floor. The taste of blood filled my mouth. "I knew you've been plotting against Chloe! You wanted to get rid of her, didn't you?!" I spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, my voice hoarse: "I didn't." He grabbed one of the dying thugs off the floor by the collar and pressed his gun to the man's head. "Tell me. Who hired you?" The thug trembled violently. He looked at me with terror, and as if grasping at his final lifeline, he screamed: "It was... it was her! She paid us to teach that other girl a lesson..." My heart plummeted into an abyss of ice. My blood froze. Arthur let out a sinister laugh. Without a moment's hesitation, he pulled the trigger. He tossed the corpse aside, crouched down, and stepped heavily onto my hand. The pain tore through me. His tone sounded almost like a disappointed sigh: "These hands of yours... they used to be so obedient. Why are you using them to hurt the woman I love most?" He pulled out a cold, gleaming combat dagger. "I told you, Evelyn. Never lay a finger on what's mine!" As he finished speaking, the blade flashed in the dim light! My breath stopped completely! The dagger drove brutally through my palm, pinning my hand to the freezing concrete floor. "AHHHH—!" My entire body convulsed in agony. Black spots danced across my vision, and I hovered on the edge of passing out. The despair of facing my own demise ripped a scream from my throat: "Arthur! I never should have pulled you out of that alley eight years ago! And I never should have helped you claim the throne of Canaan!" With his own hands, he had completely obliterated the last remaining shred of history between us. He let out a dismissive snort through his nose. He stood up, gathered his men, and walked out of the warehouse without looking back once. I waited until the cold numbness began to slightly dull the piercing agony. Using my still-functional left hand, I dug a micro-GPS tracker out of my bra and pressed it with shaking fingers. My trusted subordinate arrived quickly. Seeing my horrific state, his eyes instantly went red. He carefully pulled the dagger out. My right hand was a mangled mess of blood and torn flesh, completely devoid of feeling. My voice was weak, but laced with an absolute, unprecedented resolve. "Set the warehouse on fire. Burn every single trace of this place to the ground." "From this day forward, the 'Queen of Spades' is dead."
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