Neither of them had told the other their given or family name, yet there seemed to be a wondrous tacit understanding between them.
A glance, or an expression.
But she did not have many expressions, while his were remarkably varied.
The young man did not make good on his bold claim and truly buy that building in a single night.
Later, he merely went to a bar—the kind filled with smoke and noise, where people could gamble—and played poker all night with a group of people there to have fun.
Of course, the young man brought along the woman who had stopped his last remaining possession from falling away.
They still did not tell each other their names or surnames.
Amid the crowd, the woman watched the young man's face. He was composed and confident, and his smile was charming as well. There was a wild, uninhibited aura about him.
His eyes were sensual, an almost fatal weapon against most women.
From time to time, the young man would let out a low chuckle. His gaze would pass through the crowd to the woman sitting at the bar, resting her chin in her hand as she wondered who knew what.
She had not touched the drink he had prepared for her. She merely held the cherry stem between her fingers and slowly stirred the wine, using it to pass the time.
Aside from being beautiful, she was probably a boring woman.
Perhaps a lonely one, too.
Suddenly, the young man no longer wanted to continue playing. He tossed aside the cards in his hand, took only a small portion of his winnings, and pushed the rest forward. Thus, he easily obtained an opportunity to end the game and rose from his seat.
The young man glanced toward the bar, then