I increased the pressure, causing the knife to cut into Regina's skin and drops of blood to bead.

Regina didn't look the least bit flustered. Instead, she met me with an innocent expression. "What are you talking about? I don't understand. What does your bad luck have to do with me? I was born lucky. Of course, I'm luckier than normal people!"

I let out a cold laugh, my mind racing. "Let me think. When did you start to get lucky? Oh, right after I had that kidney surgery…"

I dragged out the last syllable and caught a flicker of panic that crossed Regina's eyes.

"Really? Regina, you're overthinking it. If that were true, then maybe a few more surgeries and your luck would come back, right?”

The next second, a sharp, spreading pain erupted across my body.

The blade in my hand had pierced my palm, oddly enough.

"Oh, how careless of you." Regina shook me off and turned to leave.

I bit back the pain and carefully recalled the flash of panic that crossed her face earlier.

What really happened? Why would my bad luck have anything to do with the surgery?

My whole body jolted as something clicked in my mind. Before the surgery, Regina suddenly had an idea to visit an old monastery. There, she obtained a fortune-changing bead and later gave it to me.

I had already discarded it. Could it be…

A thought occurred to me, so I immediately summoned the doctor. "I need another surgery now. Thank you."

After hearing my explanation, the doctor was still hesitant. "But your body is in no condition for more surgery. At this point, it could cost you your life."

"I'm fine with that. Please proceed."

Sweat beaded on my forehead, but my voice stayed steady and firm.

Compared to endless misfortune, I was willing to take the gamble.

For the next few days, Regina reveled in luxury and privilege, lifted so high she seemed untouchable.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened to me, too.

Until one day, during a livestream, world-renowned billionaire Cyril Mallet made a staggering wager of hundreds of billions, all just for three rounds of cards with Regina.

The whole world erupted in shock.

"Wait, that's the richest man who controls tens of thousands of mines! He's actually asking to bet with the incredibly lucky Regina Wade?"

"The key point is that he staked nearly his entire fortune, and Regina agreed without a second thought. Does she not realize that one loss would mean complete ruin?"

"Guessing one card is fine, but three? No matter what, she can't get it all right!"

Even though everyone's focus was on Regina, she couldn't care less and went about her life as usual.

Everyone in the company was getting anxious. Even Jack tried to change her mind.

"Let's not do this, okay? You already have more money than you could ever spend in ten lifetimes."

Regina merely laughed. "Lady Luck is forever on my side. I'll win for sure!"

I sat at my desk with my fists clenched, staring at the scene unfolding before me.

In my past life, it was this sky-high gamble that cost me my life. I died with resentment I could never let go.

I couldn't let it happen again.

One day before the wager, Regina came to me, all smiles. "Ariel, you'd better watch how I win this best. Try not to get run over by a car again!"

I flashed an icy grin and met her gaze calmly. "Sure, I'm looking forward to it."

…

At the most luxurious casino in Jovaster, crowds packed the outer hall shoulder to shoulder. At the same time, the live broadcast inside was overwhelmed with viewers, pushing the platform to the brink of collapse.

To handle the overwhelming traffic, hundreds of livestream rooms were opened.

Cyril's assistant, Robin Leloup, spoke up. "Mr. Mallet, Regina Wade is here. Do you want some wine served so you can…"

Cyril halted Robin and gave a sharp command. "No. Start now. I've never met anyone as intriguing as her in my entire life. If she dares to lie to me, I'll make sure she pays dearly for it."

Everything unfolding was instantly broadcast onto the live stream, triggering an immediate uproar.

They immediately placed their bets.

"My bet is on Regina!"

"Mine's on Cyril!"

Right then, Regina pushed the door open at an unhurried pace, holding a bottle of soda. She took her seat across from Cyril.

"You want to start now?" She flashed a confident grin. "It won't be fun if the game ends so soon!"

Robin scowled and approached her. "Mr. Mallet wants to start now!"

Cyril narrowed his eyes and picked three poker cards at random. After glancing at them, he turned them face down on the table. The pressure in the room shifted to a cold, suffocating one instantly.

Regina's lips curled into a faint, confident smile. She glanced toward the camera for a long moment, then silently mouthed, "Ariel Nichols, you're finished."

I clenched my fists tightly, eyes locked on the livestream. My heart pounded so hard it felt like it was about to jump straight out of my throat.

As time ticked past, there was no sign of Regina revealing the contents of the three cards.

Many viewers got upset.

"How much longer is she going to take? If this is beyond her ability, she should stop pretending otherwise!"

"What a liar. All that story about her being extremely lucky must be fake!"

"I placed my bet on Regina. There's no way she's lying. I saw her win three rounds in a row at the casino previously!"

Right then, Robin warned, "Ms. Wade, if you don't give your answer, we'll declare your failure now."

Regina panicked instantly and faced the camera. "What do you mean, I'll fail? I'll reveal my answer now!"

Sweat began to drip from her forehead, her face growing paler by the second. It didn't look like she knew the answer.

The tension in my chest finally began to ease. I let out a long, steady breath.

It looked like she wouldn't be able to answer, after all.

The next second, Regina's calm and steady voice rang out. "My answer is J, Q, and K!"

Hearing that, I tensed up immediately.