After waving her hand, Bellatrix solemnly instructed him, "I'm lending you this money not so you can gamble it away again, but to help you out temporarily. Remember, no matter whether Diana can borrow the money or not, you must not touch the gambling table again, otherwise you will really ruin yourself and her completely, and this money will have been lent to me for nothing."
"I know." David nodded quickly and solemnly. "I will never gamble again. I'll just wait for Diana to come back and I won't act impulsively anymore. Thank you, Bellatrix, thank you so much."
Clutching the chips Bellatrix had borrowed without interest, David's fingers trembled. He repeatedly promised Bellatrix that he would never gamble and would obediently wait for Diana to return. However, the obsession with winning back his losses began to frantically rage the moment he received the money.
The dice and roulette wheels were completely empty.
These two places were like his nightmares. Just standing there, his mind was filled with images of utter defeat, and the gazes of the gamblers around him made him feel like they were laughing at him.
The borrowed chips were his only chance. He couldn't sit still and wait. The gambler's inherent sense of luck is never completely extinguished by a single crushing defeat.
David's eyes gleamed.
He glanced every now and then in the direction Diana had left, and then stole a look at Bellatrix, who was engrossed in playing the dice. His mind raced: if he stayed in the dice area, Bellatrix would definitely be watching him, and the roulette area was his final resting place. Going there would only make him more anxious.
Why not switch to a new gambling area where nobody knows you?
Deep inside the casino, there were many more gambling tables, blackjack... No one knew him there, and Bellatrix wouldn't see him.
Once the thought popped into my head, I couldn't suppress it anymore.
He numbly thought to himself: I'll play one last round, win a little and then stop. Even if I only win back a little of my losses, I can at least owe Bellatrix less and give Diana an explanation.
So David forced a smile at Bellatrix, pretending he was going to the restroom.
He then clutched the chips in his arms, lowered his head, avoided the roulette area, and hurried toward the blackjack game.
He was terrified the whole way, afraid of being discovered by Bellatrix, and even more afraid that Diana would suddenly return and catch him in the act. But his desire to win back his losses completely overwhelmed all his guilt and concerns.
Reaching the blackjack table, David found an inconspicuous corner to sit down, his eyes becoming fixated on something else.
He stared at the cards, with only one thought in his mind: if he wins this hand, he won't have to beg for help anymore, and he can keep his house.
The agony of losing everything, the promises he made to Diana, and the trust Bellatrix placed in him—all of these were now forgotten.
Desperate after losing so much, the gambler made a desperate gamble, which led him astray once again, with his sole focus on recouping his losses in a completely new gambling area.
In the bustling casino Diana wandered around like a headless fly, amidst the surging crowds and dazzling lights.
She had no idea where to find Collard.
Perhaps he left a long time ago, after all, he had such bad luck and seemed like someone who knew when to cut his losses.
However, the thought of her husband's pleading, desperate eyes and the empty gambling table compelled Diana to continue her search.
Maybe... maybe he's still in the slot machine section?
After all, that's where he lost before.
Maybe they're still not convinced and are fighting back?
So Diana decided to try her luck at the slot machine area, even if it was just to say thank you to him again.
Clinging to this faint hope, Diana returned to the slot machine area, only to be stunned by what she saw.
The small area where they had been sitting was now surrounded by a large crowd, with sounds of discussion, exclamations, and laughter drowning out the surrounding gambling noises.
Everyone was staring intently at the slot machine in the middle.
In the very center of the crowd, Draco sat in a chair, quietly staring at the screen in front of him, his face devoid of any extra emotion, as if the surrounding noise had nothing to do with him.
Diana stood outside the crowd, straining her ears to hear the surrounding chatter, which sent a jolt through her.
"My God, this guy's still playing?"
"Yeah! How many games have we lost already?"
"Ninety-five games in a row! Not a single win. I've been watching since he lost eighty games, and I've never seen him win even a small prize. It's so uncanny!"
"Judging by this, he's planning to go for a hundred consecutive losses. I've never seen anyone so determined to defy their luck!"
"His luck is incredible! He's practically cursed with bad luck. Anyone else would have left long ago, but he's still sitting there!"
Hearing these comments, Diana was filled with disbelief. Ninety-five games, a full ninety-five rounds, and he hadn't won a single one! She only knew before that he had lost ten games in a row.
She hadn't expected things to have deteriorated to this point in such a short time. He was so lucid; why was he so determined to fight against this terrible luck? She stood there, surprised, confused, and a little heartbroken.
Time ticked by, and as Draco pressed the slot machine button once more, the screen showed another predictable defeat, drawing another sigh from those around him.
They lost the ninety-ninth game.
An even more excited jeer erupted from the crowd.
"Ninety-nine! The last round! The last round!"
"Go for it! The time to make history has come!"
"A hundred consecutive losses! That's an incredible achievement!"
Summoning courage from who-knows-where, perhaps wanting to end this absurd scene, Diana tiptoed, pushed through the crowd, and called out to Draco in the center, " Collard!"
The clamor of the crowd fell silent.
All eyes immediately turned to her. Draco, who was sitting in front of the slot machine, also turned around when he heard the sound. When he saw that it was Diana, a look of surprise appeared on his face.
Seeing this, the surrounding gamblers instantly became interested, and cheers and shouts of "Let's have a good show!" immediately erupted.
"Whoa! My wife's come knocking!"
"Losing like this, he's definitely going to be kneeling on a washboard when he gets home!"
"It's more than just a washboard! Look at how red this girl's eyes are, she's probably going to be crying her eyes out. She'll need some serious family discipline!"
"Brother, good luck! You didn't achieve your 100-loss streak; instead, you've suffered a personal defeat!"
"Let's disperse, this is their business. Be careful not to get splattered with blood!"
"No... I didn't..." Diana blushed deeply at the unrestrained gossip. She hurriedly waved her hands, trying to explain, but was drowned out by an even louder jeer.
Seeing her embarrassed appearance, everyone assumed it was just a quarrel between the young couple, and they all laughed and made way for her.
Diana steeled herself, bracing herself against countless gazes, and walked into the center of the crowd, standing before Draco.
As she approached, Draco waved his hand dismissively at the people who were still refusing to leave. "Send up! Be careful, or I'll pass on my bad luck to you all, and you'll all lose every time you gamble!"
That actually had some effect, after all, his 100-game losing streak was quite frightening, and gamblers are somewhat superstitious.
Moreover, many people actually had another thought in their minds: this guy lost so badly, and his wife is coming to his door; it looks like a major family drama is about to unfold.
They didn't want to be caught in the crossfire.
So most people scattered, but didn't go far, hiding behind nearby slot machines or pillars, secretly watching and waiting to see how this unlucky guy would get his comeuppance.