Chapter 3 A Ghost from the Past

Mike's POV

I stepped out of my bedroom, my polished black shoes clicking against the marble floor. My broad frame moved with a quiet authority, my sharp gaze fixed ahead as a group of guards followed closely behind me.

I had just returned from Cuba, summoned back by the tragic news of my cousin's death. Jerry Drummond, foolish, reckless Jerry had taken his own life after a humiliating defeat at the casino.

I knew better.

Jerry hadn't lost to just anyone. He had lost to her.

Avery.

Or rather, Ghost.

The name had reached my ears long before Jerry's downfall, whispered in the underworld like a legend. A mysterious woman who ruined men at the gambling table, who seduced them into losses they could never recover from.

Avery Highborn.

A name i haven't heard in ten years. A name that had once meant everything to me.

And tonight, i was going to face her.

I slid into the backseat of the black SUV waiting for me in the underground parking lot, my expression unreadable as the driver pulled away from the estate. My fingers curled into fists as I gazed out of the window, watching the city blur past.

For ten years, I had been nothing but a shadow.

For ten years, I had buried Miles Drummond the boy who had loved Avery more than life itself.

For ten years, I had waited for this moment.

And now, it was finally here.

---

The Casino

The moment I stepped inside, the air shifted.

The casino was alive with the sounds of laughter, the clinking of glasses, the rustle of money exchanging hands. But none of it mattered.

I am here for one thing.

Or rather, one person.

A guard approached me almost immediately, bowing his head slightly before whispering into my ear. "Mr. Highborn and his lady are on their way."

I gave a curt nod, my gaze darkening.

His lady, what a pity, he has made his daughter into his pawn;

Avery was still under her father's grasp.

The thought made my stomach twist with something dangerously close to rage.

A waitress walked past me, eyeing me with interest, and I barely noticed until she reached out and brushed her fingers against my arm.

"Hey, handsome," she purred, pressing herself closer. "Want some company?"

Before she could go any further, one of my guards stepped forward, gripping her by the arm and shoving her away.

"Don't touch him," the guard growled before throwing her out.

I didn't even blink. My focus was already elsewhere.

It was time.

---

Avery POV

I stared out of the window of the car, with my arms wrapped around myself as the neon lights of the city reflected on the glass.

I barely recognized myself anymore.

For years,I had convinced myself that I am in control, that I was playing the game just as well as my father. But lately, that lie had begun to crumble.

Jerry Drummond's death was proof of that.

A part of me wanted to run.

But there was nowhere to go.

my father's voice pulled me back to reality.

"We leave tonight," Raymond announced, adjusting his cuffs.

Relief surged through me.

Finally.

But before I could even exhale, he continued.

"But first, one last game."

My stomach sank.

"Father, we don't have to, what the fuck; do you have to do this? "

Raymond gave me a look that silenced me immediately. "Don't question me."

I gritted my teeth as the car pulled up in front of the casino.

One last game.

And then, maybe, I could finally escape this life.

---

We were led through the casino, past the ordinary tables and gamblers, past the high rollers, and into a secluded private chamber.

I stepped inside first, my heels clicking against the floor, my mask securely in place.

And then I saw him.

Just immediately, my breath hitched.

The man seated before us was unlike any I had encountered before.

Tall, broad-shouldered, powerful. His presence filled the room, commanding attention with nothing but his silence.

My pulse quickened.

Something about him felt familiar.

His gaze flickered toward me, dark and unreadable. And in that moment, something in my chest twisted violently.

I had met him before.

I am sure of it.

But before I could dwell on it, my father spoke.

"Mr. Winston, it's an honor," Raymond greeted with a wide smile, extending his hand.

Mike took it, his grip firm. "The pleasure is mine, Mr. Highborn."

I frowned slightly. Winston? That name didn't sound right.

Could it be he is a different person?, or Miles trying to hide his identity.

Raymond chuckled, gesturing toward me. "And this is my charming companion for the evening. My lucky charm."

Lucky charm.

Not his daughter. Not even a name.

Just an item.

Mike's jaw tightened.

He had hated Raymond Highborn for a decade, but somehow, this moment made him despise my father even more.

I lowered my gaze, clearly used to the insult.

Mike exhaled slowly, willing himself to stay calm.

He had a plan.

He couldn't afford to lose control.

---

I took my place beside him, my fingers lightly grazing his arm as I settled into my role.

But the moment I touched him, a jolt of something fierce shot through me.

My body tensed.

Mike noticed.

His lips twitched slightly as he reached out, his hand finding my waist and pulling me onto his lap.

I gasped.

Our faces were inches apart now, my breath mingling with his.

My mask hid my expression, but Mike could feel my confusion, my hesitation.

I didn't recognize him.

Good.

He wanted me to suffer the way he had.

But damn it, his own body was betraying him.

He couldn't stand the warmth of my body.

For a decade, he had dreamed of making me pay.

Now, he wanted nothing more than to devour me.

His fingers traced slow, with a soft kiss on my chin, he made deliberate circles on my hip, making me to tremble slightly.

My father chuckled from across the room, clearly pleased.

My charm is working.

Mike smirked.

If only Raymond knew.

If only Avery knew.

Tonight, the game was changing.

And Mike Winston,no, Miles Drummond was going to make sure he was the one holding all the cards.