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Semua Bab A Queen Never Gambles. She Deals: Bab 1 - Bab 9

9 Bab

1

Selene’s POVI sat at the poker table, back straight, while my own sex tape played in full glory on the giant LED screen in front of me.My face might’ve been blurred—but my voice? Unmistakable. Every sigh, every moan, every breathless plea echoed through the hall like a scandalous symphony.And this room? It was filled with power. Mafia royalty. Billionaire heirs. Politicians’ bastard sons. Tonight was supposed to be about deals, alliances, discreet flirtations over cards and champagne. Instead, it had become a show. A public humiliation starring me.I turned slowly toward my husband.Thorne. Unbothered as ever, swirling champagne in his glass like nothing was playing at all. All around me, the whispers slithered.“She looks just like Mrs. Alden…”“Like? That’s her. See the birthmark? Right on her neck—same as Selene’s.”“But who’s the man? Mr. Alden?”“Doubt it. Who the hell records themselves like that?”I wanted to scream. Wanted to rip that smug screen off the wall. I knew exact

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2

Selene’s POVMy refusal clearly bruised his ego. His expression twisted, smugness slipping into something nastier. “You keep raising like that and you’ll just embarrass yourself. Desperation doesn’t look good on a woman. Especially not one who’s… average at best.”I leaned forward slightly, meeting his gaze without blinking. “Then why are you so sure I’ll lose?” I lifted my cards, eyes scanning them. “I’ve got a pretty damn good hand.”He sneered. “Then I call.”“Raise,” I answered without pause.Even Thorne’s eyes flicked toward me in surprise. He hadn’t expected me to go all in like this. And certainly not with the kind of bet I’d just dropped on the table. If I won, I’d have to pay that price to buy the tapes. He knew I didn’t have that kind of cash liquid.The final card hit the table—a spade 8.Full house.I had it.But the man across from me was still grinning like the devil knew something I didn’t. It was the kind of smile that made you doubt yourself—almost.He tilted his head

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3

Selene’s POV“So?” the dealer asked, his voice slicing through the tension. “Call, raise, or fold?”I had already raised. The move had cornered her—if she folded now, I’d take the win. But if she called or raised, we’d go to a showdown.My earlier expressions had been carefully chosen—a frown here, a sigh there. Just enough to keep her guessing. To make her and Thorne both wonder: Was I bluffing? Or had I pulled the impossible?Even Thorne couldn’t read me. And Elara—she hadn’t yet learned how to read anything but the cards.She glanced toward him. He gave her the smallest nod. She turned back to me, lips curving into that mock-sweet smile. “Raise. Two hundred million.”So Thorne really did think I was bluffing.I exhaled slowly, then gestured toward the dealer. “Showdown.”Elara’s grin widened. “Let me go first.”She laid her cards on the table with a flourish—hearts, nine through king. A flush. Almost a royal flush. Almost.No wonder she was smug.She leaned back, smugly sipping from

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4

Selene’s POV“Where did you get all this money?” Thorne slammed his hands onto the table and stood, nearly shouting in my face. He hadn’t seen it coming. Of course not. The whole point of tonight had been to break me in public.I tilted my head, calm as ever. “I never told you I didn’t have money. That was your assumption.”The room erupted in whispers again—louder this time.“Where the hell did it come from?”“Think it’s some other man’s card?”“Did you see the name on it?”“Don’t be stupid,” someone hissed. “Cards like that don’t have names. Confidential. Elite tier.”I took my time, slowly sweeping the room with a gaze that dared any of them to speak louder. Then I rose and walked toward Thorne and Elara.“Thorne,” I said evenly. “You’re my husband. You could’ve just told me you wanted that bitch. You didn’t need to drag me here to humiliate me in front of every pair of eyes you could buy. How broken do you have to be to do something like this?”“Don’t you dare call her a bitch,” he

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5

Selene’s POV“Elara,” I said, voice low but clear. “So you’re the girl who saved Thorne that night?”She didn’t answer. She didn’t even dare to meet my eyes.It was all clear now. Elara was a lying bitch, and Thorne—well, he was just a beautiful fool. A cruel, arrogant fool who fell for her lies without ever once looking back to check the truth. Not once.But I have decided to not waste my breath telling him the truth. That would mean giving him a second chance. And he didn’t deserve that luxury. No—let him find out on his own. Let him choke on the truth when it’s too late to fix anything.Thorne’s assistant leaned in, whispering something urgent in his ear.Thorne barely flicked a glance at him. “You’re bothering me over something so trivial? Buy them all.”Then he turned to Elara with that same charming grin I once believed in. “Babe, the dress you liked—it just dropped in Paris. I bought the entire line. Even the limited editions.”Elara squealed. “Oh my god, you’re the best!” She

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6

Selene’s POV“I hate to pressure you,” Aldric said quietly, hesitating like the words weighed more than they should. “But if something bad ever happens… tell me. Don’t carry it all on your own, alright?”I looked out at the ocean. The waves were calmer than I felt.“Do you remember that day my mother yelled at me for bringing an anonymous, injured man into our guesthouse?” I asked softly.Aldric nodded. “Yes.”“That man was Thorne. My husband.” My voice faltered, trembling before I could stop it. “And tonight… he said I lied about saving him. That it wasn’t me. That it was some other girl.”I swallowed, the words sticking.“So to punish me… he made our sex tape the grand prize of the night. I had to buy every single one back. That’s why I used your card.”Aldric was silent for a moment. Then, firm and clear: “It was your card, Selene.” His voice sharpened. “And what a fucking asshole that piece of trash is.”It startled a laugh out of me.It was the first time I’d ever heard Aldric cur

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7

Selene’s POV“Selene…”“I knew you were a good girl the moment I met you,” Thorne’s father added, his voice grave. He furrowed his brow—stern, ashamed. Once, he’d been a friend to my father. In our world, trust was rare. Friendship even more so. “To see you treated like this... for what Thorne did, I will punish him.”And for the first time in days, I felt something like fury ripple through me—not for myself, but for them. They didn’t deserve this. I didn’t deserve this.All because Thorne chose to believe a liar.“Elara,” I said, voice sharp. “She…”“I know what kind of girl she is,” Mr. Alden replied immediately. “She’ll be warned to stay away from my son. You have my word.”“It’s not just that she came after my husband,” I said, voice steadier than I felt. “She lied. She manipulated. And Thorne chose her. He believed her. They chose each other.”My breath caught slightly. But I kept going. “None of that matters now. Thorne and I… we’re done. All I want is an apology for the humiliat

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8

Throne’s POV“You happy now?” my father snapped, voice sharp enough to slice through bone. “You drove your own wife away—for what? A younger whore?”“I said Elara wasn’t a whore!” I shouted back. “She was—she is—my true love!”“Oh, right. Your true love.” My father scoffed, then straightened and let out a long, disappointed breath. “Since when did my son become such a damn fool?”He turned, picked something off the sideboard, and dropped a thick folder onto the table with a heavy thud.“I hired a private investigator.”I stared at the folder. My stomach began to twist.“She’s been around,” he said. “And not just in ways you thought were charming. Your so-called 'true love' has a long track record of climbing into the beds of wealthy men. And this time, she chose you.”“What the hell are you talking about?” I snapped, brows furrowed.“These.”He ripped open the folder and flung a stack of glossy photos across the table.Each one was a gut punch.Elara—wrapped around different men. Some

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9

Throne’s POVHe came to our wedding. Whispered something to Selene while I was looking. I remember the way she smiled—not the smile she gave to strangers, but the soft one. The kind she used to give me.I never liked him. Never trusted him. Maybe because deep down, I always knew he wanted her. My Selene.“Do you know where they went?” I asked my assistant.“We lost the trail,” he replied. “But they haven’t left New York. That much is certain.”Fucking hell.I hung up and wandered aimlessly down the sidewalk, hands clenched into fists. I didn’t want to go home—Selene wouldn’t be there. And I couldn’t bring myself to step foot in the casino I’d stolen from her. That place reeked of regret.What the hell have I done?How could I have been so goddamn stupid?Then my phone rang again. Elara.Perfect.…I met her at the address she’d sent. The moment she saw me, she launched herself into my arms.“Your father tried to force me out of New York,” she breathed. “But I came back. I had to. I mi

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