Bestie Sold Me, Later I Ruled the Casino

After my best friend, Ashley, got hooked on gambling, she suddenly got super excited and said she wanted to take me to a high-stakes casino city. “I just won big, I’m treating you to a luxury hotel stay!” But once the plane landed, she dragged me straight into a private room deep inside a casino. “Look, I actually lost fifty million dollars, and if I can’t pay it back, they’re going to sell me to human traffickers.” “But the casino owner is looking for a woman with a crescent moon birthmark, and if I can help him find her, all my debts will be wiped clean!” “I saw you had one on your stomach when you showered! I’m so sorry, Maya, but I really don’t want to die!” I was pinned to the sofa by four burly men when my eyes landed on a child’s drawing hanging on the wall. It was a doodle I’d made for my dad before I was kidnapped. He cherished it, saying he’d keep it forever. Turns out, this casino owner… was my long-lost father!

By the time I realized something was terribly wrong and tried to leave, it was already too late. “Maya, fifty million dollars, I just can’t pay it back! I brought you here to help me clear my debt!” I sucked in a sharp breath, my throat tightening with fear, I even forgot how to breathe. “Ashley, you sold me out?” “We’ve known each other for over ten years, you’re my best friend, and you sold me for fifty million?!” My accusation made her stumble back, shaking her head. “Don’t look at me like that… This casino owner is insanely wealthy, and the only thing he really likes is women with a crescent moon birthmark. For a woman like that, he’d wipe away any amount of gambling debt…” “He has this unusual preference, and you happen to have that birthmark. So, me bringing you here… it’s for your own good, really. What if he picks you? You’d be his mistress, loaded for life!” The image of a creepy old man flashed through my mind. I shivered, pushing her away and trying to leave. “If you want to be his mistress, go ahead. I’m going home!” But before I could even touch the doorknob, a heavy blow landed on the back of my head. “Maya, you forced my hand!” My head reeled, stars burst behind my eyes, and I stumbled a few steps before collapsing to the floor. She leaned over, snatching the pink bead from my pocket. “Don’t think I don’t know. You came with me not for a vacation, but to find your biological parents.” “Now that you’re here, if you help me with this debt, I’ll help you find your parents. But if you dare to run… you can forget about a family reunion for the rest of your life.” The pain in the back of my head was excruciating. I struggled to move my lips, my heart sinking into despair. I was kidnapped when I was five. The traffickers, afraid of exposure, immediately changed my clothes, shaved my head, and threw away everything I had. Only this bead, carved with my childhood nickname, Lark, had been hidden under my tongue. For sixteen years, I’d forgotten the way home. My memories from before I was five had faded a lot. This bead was the only thing I had left that connected me to my parents. Now the bead was gone, and with it, all hope. “Smart move.” Ashley had just finished speaking when the private room door opened. Several fierce-looking men walked in. “Ashley, right? Heard you brought something to clear your debt?” Ashley quickly pointed at me and nodded. “Gage, isn’t the boss looking for a woman with a crescent moon birthmark? This is my best friend, Maya, and she has one on her stomach!” “You see, I brought her here, so my fifty million…” The man in charge didn’t even lift an eyelid. He pulled out a chair and sat down. “What’s the rush? Let’s verify the goods first.” His subordinates immediately pounced, dragging me and pressing me onto the sofa. In a flash, they stripped off my jacket. One man reached for my T-shirt, and I kicked his shin with all my might. “Get off me! Don’t touch me!” “You bitch, you dare to kick me?” The man spat, then raised his hand and slapped my face twice. Stars burst behind my eyes, and before I could speak, a terrifying gunshot echoed through the room. The man screamed, clutching his leg as he fell backward, a bullet wound blooming on his shin. Gage stood there, gun in hand, his face expressionless. “You lay hands on her before I’m done verifying? You got a death wish?” “Get him out of here. Don’t stain the boss’s carpet.” The others, still shaken, mumbled in agreement and quickly dragged the man away. I was no longer restrained, but I was stiff with terror, afraid to move a muscle. They had guns. If I struggled again, I’d be next to get shot. In the corner, Ashley was terrified too, but a flicker of determination hardened her eyes. “Gage, she really does have a crescent moon birthmark on her stomach, the exact kind the boss wants!” Gage shot her a cold glance, and she instantly trembled, lowering her head. “You guys, go on. Make it quick, don’t waste my time.” Four more men lunged at me. I struggled backward, shrinking into the sofa, when suddenly I saw a familiar crayon drawing on the wall. It depicted a family of three flying a kite, and on the head of the little girl with pigtails in the middle, was a name I could never forget, even in death. “Lark.” I’d drawn that just before I was kidnapped. My mom adored it, and my dad had smiled, saying he’d keep it forever. It’s Dad! All these years, he’d been looking for me too! Overwhelmed with emotion, I pushed myself up on the sofa. “Is your boss’s last name…?” “So many questions. Ten to one, she’s just trying something sneaky.” Gage impatiently cut me off, aiming his gun at my forehead. “You, shut up.” “You guys, take her clothes off. Verify the goods.”