Niccoló's wife |✔|

3. Lost

Jon' drunk eyes slid towards the money on the table, it was his money; money he lost, and he was losing, but the compulsion of the craving to gamble more, to test the luck more, to push it around the plate more, grew furiously, as he slapped the remaining $200 on the desk from his pocket, his nostrils flared from the anger he felt, but he couldn't do anything about it.

It was the last penny of money he was left with, which meant he would have to stagger all the way to home.

But suddenly the money was slid back to him as well as all the lost money he had lost, his eyes widened momentarily, as he shockingly looked up into the new man who took the place of the last one, the last man sitting in the corner, smirking.

Jon looked into the beady eyes of the man which seemed to sparkle under the dim lighting of the club. The beady grey eyes slid towards Jon, as a smirk slipped on his lips. He motioned towards the money as though he wants to say 'this is all yours' the beady eyed man motioned the girl distributing the cards to reshuffle and distribute, she busied herself in shuffling the cards, as Jon looked confused at the man. He knew except those $200 he had no money with him, and he had already invested the money in this gamble, and playing like this will only get him into debt, which he didn't wanted.

Although he was drunk, he was not dimwitted he had enough senses to accept that for that day, he was empty. Although, he would prefer a shot of poison over admitting that, but still, as he looked up at the beady eyed man through his lashes, he knew that the man was full, opposite of his pocket situation.

"I can't play more man." Jon grumbled under his breath, enough for the man to hear.

The beady eyed man was drunk, too. But if anyone would peg him for no sensible, they'd be a fool. Though his eyes were beady, they were clever and cunning, he knew how to play cards, and better, he knew how to turn the tables for his favor. That's what he did, as he slipped a stack of money under the table to the girl, who shuffled the cards, she slipped the bundle under her butt as she sat on the money to hide from other people' line of sight; when Jon was busy huffing and grunting.

"You're wrong, man. You can play one more game. Just last game. And if you won, all the money you lost and owe us, from last week will be ignored." The beady eyed man hissed like the snake he was.

Jon' eyes widened as he heard about the proposal, but he knew things don't work that way there, there had to be a catch.

"What's the catch?" Jon grumbled as he frowned at the man, even though he was doubtful, the greed of having all the money somewhat attracted him, and he looked forward for that game which the stranger was suggesting to. The beady eyed man looked down as a cruel and taunting smirk spread onto his lips as he opened his mouth to explain catch he was talking about.

"I... heard you have daughters." Just the word daughters rang in Jon' mind, even if he was such a cruel man, he would never sell his daughters.

But what about the one, who isn't his daughter, what's the harm selling a bastard child, it was the best way to teach her where she stands, what she deserves, hell.

She deserved hell, which the beaded eyes assured of. Jon contemplated for a moment as he thought about throwing the bastard away, he would then have to deal with cheating ass of her mother, who was just going to eat away his money, and for no good, but then he never loved her after the day he got to know that she cheated onto him.

She was just a worthless piece of scum. That was one of the reasons Jon didn't hesitated, when after six years the doctors asked to cut her oxygen supply, he was relieved, he wouldn't have to cover for that scum anymore. But then that bastard came, and destroyed it all.

But she still went to university, without his help, financially, Jon was pissed when he got to know that she had managed the medical fees and her tuition fees as well. Whereas his own daughters did all the fun from his money.

And the thing which pissed him more was that in every circumstances, that bastard child never gave up her shy and timid aura, she was inside out beautiful... but she was bastard, and she will be taught what happens to the bastards to breathe.

Jon smirked as he nodded. Means he agree to give one girl living in his house.

"But what if I lost?" Jon asked as he wanted to know in which puddle he was stepping into, before actually stepping into, the cards were already shuffled and placed hidden in front of the men.

"I want one of them to marry me by the end of the week."

Jon smirked as he nodded, and took the shuffled cards. But suddenly a thought struck him, as he completely finished his enquiry.

"What if... I won?" he smirked as thought of the chances he would win, there were 50-50 chances of him wining.

Little did he knew?

"I will forgive all the money you owe me and you can take every single penny from this table. But...if you back out from the deal, and do not marry off one of your daughters to me by the end of the week, that is in 2 days. You will have to pay all the money you take today as well as the money you owe me, plus ten thousand dollars to me. Deal?" the man smirked, as he already knew that all of his daughters were beautiful, at least that's what he heard.

And the chances of backing out from the deal were high, and since he knew already the outcome of the game, he knew it was a win-win situation, if Jon keeps his end of the bargain, the man would have a girl to warm his bed at night, whom he whenever, he wants, can toss out; and if Jon pulls his hands out of the deal. The man with beady eyes will be paid double.

Jon contemplated for a moment because if he pulls out, he had pay a pretty sum. But he wasn't backing out, was he?

It was the bastard child on the bargain after all.

"Deal."

And the words were locked in front of people and things couldn't reverse anymore.

The lady gave instructions how to play, and as Jon picked his three cards, they were-King of spades, King of diamond, and King of hearts. Now Jon knew who had the upper hand in the game, as he thought about the advantage he would be getting any minute, the maid will stay at his house, and the money would be his.

Jon slapped all the three cards as he laughed and made a winning gesture, and smirked at the man. But the cards of the man were yet to be revealed.

The man spread his cards one by one, each card bursting the little bubble of victory Jon had made by then. The man had-ace of spades, Ace of diamonds, Ace if hearts. Jon stumbled in his seat as he looked at the cards before him.

"That-that's cheating. Hai chiaramente imbrogliato." Jon sputtered as he stood up knocking the chair off. He was shook, and he couldn't believe that now he was stuck in the middle of something.

(You clearly cheated.)

"You saw the cards being shuffled. Un affare è un affare." Beady eyed man smirked as he now knew his all fingers were dipped in advantage. He threateningly glared at Jon, as he again rose his brows so as to ask, if he was still clutching the end of his bargain.

(A deal is a deal.)

Jon' shoulders slumped as he ran a hand down his face, his untidy stubble, picking and poking like pins in his palm. He was defeated, even if he could prove that it was cheating, which he clearly couldn't, he was stuck, because in front of many people he had lost. And this is gambling, not a game of chess, where you can slip some soldiers. He was lost.

And he accepted it.

"Un affare è un affare"

And he agreed to the deal.

(A deal is a deal.)