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The sounds in the hall faded to near-silence. There was only the players' breathing and the sound of cards being dealt across the velvet table, sliding gracefully between the dealer's fingers, as if they carried a fate heavier than just a game.
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Elizabeth sat firmly, her back straight, her hands on the table, unwavering and unwavering. In front of her, William leaned back in his chair, watching her with penetrating eyes, as if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
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🃏 William (whispering, slowly turning a card between his fingers): "You know, Elizabeth? There's a difference between someone who knows how to play and someone who knows how to win."
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♠ Elizabeth (with a faint smile, without looking away from her cards): "And what class do you think you're in?"
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🃏 William (in a calm, but challenging voice): "I make the rules."
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♠ Elizabeth: "But even the rule-maker can fall victim to her, right?"
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William didn't answer immediately, but slowly twirled his chips between his fingers, as if reconsidering her words. Then, with a half-smile, he pushed a large stack of chips forward.
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🃏 William: "We're raising."
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Eyes moved around the table, and some muttered in low voices. The amount he'd bet was enormous. If Elizabeth lost, she'd have no way out.
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♠ John (worried, muttering to Madeleine beside him): "He's pushing her over the edge."
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❤️ Madeleine (eyes sparkling with excitement): "Or maybe she's pushing him over the edge."
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But Elizabeth didn't hesitate. She looked at her chips, then pushed them all forward, even surpassing his bet.
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♠ Elizabeth: "I'm raising more."
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No one was expecting this; even William raised a small eyebrow, as if she'd piqued his interest even more than before. Then, suddenly, he smiled.
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🃏 William: "So... a game of no retreat."
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The round began. The first cards were placed on the table—the King of Hearts, the Ten of Spades, and the Seven of Hearts. The cards were ambiguous, revealing nothing. Everything depended on the two cards each player held.
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♠ Elizabeth showed no reaction, just looked at the table, then at William, trying to catch any glimpse, any sign from him that would reveal his game. But William was silent, his face a mask that revealed nothing.
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🃏 William (in a low voice): "You know, Elizabeth? I've met a lot of good players in my life, but you're different."
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♠ Elizabeth: "How so?"
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🃏 William (leaning forward, his eyes gleaming with something incomprehensible): "Because you don't just play to win... you play to escape something."
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♠ Elizabeth (her gaze hardens for a moment, but she quickly regains her composure): "And do you think I'm the only one here running from something?"
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William didn't answer immediately, but instead smiled, that smile that concealed a thousand meanings.
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Then came the next card—the Queen of Hearts.
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The stakes began to rise again. Everyone was anticipating, some nervous, some excited to see how this challenge, which was not just an ordinary game, would play out.
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♠ John (in a low voice to Madeleine, watching Elizabeth): "She shows no fear, but she's playing on the edge."
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❤️ Madeleine: "And that's what makes her dangerous."
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🃏 William (in a low voice, as if speaking only to Elizabeth): "If you lose, it's not just money... You become part of my game."
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♠ Elizabeth (leaning forward, her gaze piercing): "And if you lose?"
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🃏 William (smiling slowly, as if he had never considered this scenario before): "I guess I'll find out soon enough."
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Finally, the final card arrived.
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It was the Ace of Spades.
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The atmosphere grew even more tense. Everyone knew this card could mean a landslide or a crushing defeat.
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♠ Elizabeth (placing her hands on the table, waiting): "Let's see your cards, William."
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Time stood still for a moment. William didn't move immediately, but looked at her, looked deeply, as if searching for something in her eyes, something he wasn't sure of yet.
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Then, slowly, he turned his cards over.
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The King of Hearts, the Ten of Hearts.
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He had a Full House—a near-unbeatable hand.
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Some in the room smiled, others sighed, but Elizabeth didn't move. She showed no sign of shock or disappointment.
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♠ Elizabeth (very quietly, turning over her cards): "But unfortunately for you... I have the Ace and the Queen."
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It was a Royal Flush.
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The only hand that could defeat William's.
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There was silence for a long moment. Everyone was staring at the cards, as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing. William kept looking at them, then at the cards, then at them again.
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Then, suddenly, he burst out laughing.
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🃏 William (claps slowly, still smiling): "Well... it seems I've finally met someone capable of changing the rules of my game."
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♠ Elizabeth (leaning forward, looking directly at him): "Didn't I tell you? Even the rulemaker can fall victim to them."
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John breathed a sigh of relief, while Madeleine smiled, but her gaze held something deeper than mere admiration for the outcome.
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William remained grinning, but his eyes held another promise—this wasn't the end, just the beginning of a whole new game.
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