Chapter R

Autumn instinctively let out a soft hum of agreement.

“If you’re scared, then don’t do it again,” she said.

“I wouldn’t dare take advantage of you again, M. Faulkner,” Anteplied sincerely.

Dowson said nothing. His tone was calm, and her response was effortless. She didn’t seem phased by him at all.

Burson decided not to say anything more.

Later, Autumn accompanied Burton to their next engagement, a poker game at an exclusive house club.

“You took Autumn out on your own! So was to help the shop for clothes!”

Damon complainingly ignored him.

Seizing the moment, Autumn pulled out the black card and handed it to Dawson. The card slid over to a black leather box by the poker table.

Compared to how he’d acted in the car, Damon seemed even more at ease. He claimed, then turned to Autumn with a grin, “Isn’t so thoughtful?”

Autumn had been to his office before and remembered he often sat on the couch there. She’d always suspected he wasn’t as stiff and formal as he let on, and now she was more certain than ever. When he was with friends, he was laid-back and completely himself; his naturally cool demeanor often gave people the wrong impression.

“Robin? You said Down didn’t pay for it! It’s just a piece of clothing, so why wouldn’t he be willing to spend on Autumn? You’re being biased.”

Robin had simply assumed Autumn wouldn’t take the money. She valued her boundaries and had a strong sense of propriety. He couldn’t be bothered to argue with her, so he responded with a polite smile.

“Do you know how to play poker?”

Karume shook her head. “No, I don’t.” Unlike them, poker was something she truly knew nothing about.

“Get Dation to reach you!” suggested someone.

Babin quickly chimed in, “Are you sure you want him to teach her?”

Dawson was good at a lot of things, but he always lost at cards. To remembered that and couldn’t help but smile, the corners of his mouth curling up as his honey-colored eyes sparkled with amusement.

“McGray, I’ll teach you instead,” he said smoothly.

Abashed, he shot a sideways glance at Dawson. Dawson was scrolling through his phone, clearly uninterested in the conversation.

Rice was about to speak when Autumn said, “No need. Give me a few minutes; I’ll look up the rules for poker.”

Without waiting for a response, she pulled out her phone and began reading. There were a lot of rules, but she quickly jotted down the most common variations. After about five minutes, she locked her phone and said, “Right, I think I’m ready. There are a few different ways to play, so which version are we playing?”

Rico was stunned into silence.

Robin, casting his chiseled hands on his left hand, let out a delighted chuckle. “Who exactly were you underestimating?”

Fusca mouthed, “Autumn, you’re amazing.” As he spoke, he shot a quick glance at Don from the corner of his eye.

Seeing Basson remain completely indifferent, he started to suspect the truth. Had he brought her here just to play poker for him? Or was this some form of punishment?

No sooner had she sat down than she heard Dawson’s voice: “Win 10,000 dollars, and this matter is over.”

So it was a high-stakes game. That being said, it didn’t feel like one. Autumn glanced at him, her thoughts a tangle of emotions.

“I’d just uncovered a surprising secret. Dawson actually had a pretty good temper.”

“Alright,” Star said, then turned to the others at the table. “What’s the buy-in?”

“A thousand.” Parin replied.

A hush descended. A fall hand was played. A right win. Beating their player would earn you 8,000 dollars, while taking down all of them in a single round would bring in 14,000 dollars. So was a ten-thousand-dollar winning target really that daunting?

Her initial apprehension was understandable, but even her usual self-assuredness couldn't entirely mask her nervousness. No one dared to tease her. She started to play. The few others were still getting used to the cubes, but by the time they sat down to play, she had most of the rules down.

What was surprising was that a ten-thousand-dollar win had quickly turned into a ten-thousand-dollar loss.

“Autumn, your luck in poker—how do you explain why we only asked Patti to win 10,000 dollars?”

Ako rated an eyebrow.

Kobing chuckled. “Congrats! You’ve inherited men’s turk.”

Bulu was stunned. She glanced at Dawson, who had hastily put down his phone and was watching intently.

“Mr. Faulkner, are you really never at a loss for words?” she asked, a bit surprised.

Dawson looked down at the cards, then slowly raised his eyes to meet hers. "Always…" he paused, then finished, "...seem to be missing a bit of luck."