Chapter 36

But what about them! They didn't know what was good for them. It was bad enough that they had abandoned her in the countryside, but even after bringing her to the city, they had only spent a few years together before tearing her apart! Yet, not a single ounce of gratitude remained. Instead, they… Her family was nothing but a bunch of demons. How could such people be worthy of enjoying all this? She would make them lose everything. She would make sure they suffered the consequences.

“Alright, whatever you decide to do, I’ll support you. Don’t forget, you still have the Flynn family hacking your…”

Isabel nodded. This friend was definitely worth keeping around!

Underground casino:

“How could I lose again?!” Maxwell slammed his chips down on the table, furious.

“Mr. Clyde, don’t give up just yet! You never know, maybe the next round will be your comeback. Did you hear about the lucky guy yesterday? He was down and out at first, but then he made a miraculous comeback, one of his friends said.”

“Of course I’ve heard! How could I not?” Maxwell snapped back, annoyed. Maxwell loved to gamble, and with the recent troubles back home, he thought that if he could win some money at the casino, his parents would praise him. But all the money he had brought was gone.

“So, are you still playing?”

“I’m out of money!” Maxwell said, feeling a little embarrassed.

“Mr. Clyde, I know a way to get more money. Do you want in?”

“How?”

The man whispered a few words in his ear, and Maxwell’s interest was piqued.

“Alright! Eric, if I can get the money that turns things around, I’ll make sure you’re rewarded later!” Maxwell slapped Eric on the shoulder eagerly.

Soon, Eric took him inside the casino. There were bodyguards everywhere, all wearing black, well-built, and with tattoos covering their arms—intimidating. Maxwell was nervous as he stepped in.

“Quickly, pay your respects to Mr. Preston!” Eric whispered.

“What did you say? He is Mr. Preston?” Maxwell was shocked. He knew there were many loan sharks here, but he didn’t expect to meet Mr. Preston. Mr. Preston—everyone in the underworld knew this name. And just hearing it made people’s hearts race with fear.

“Why did you bring me to meet him?” Maxwell asked, suddenly regretting his decision.

“Mr. Preston is the one with the money here. You’re lucky he’s actually here. Most people never even get a chance to meet him.”

Maxwell thought about it for a moment and realized this might be his chance.

After all, Mr. Preston was no ordinary person! He was really lucky today. If he could get on Mr. Preston’s good side, it could mean a huge advantage for the Clyde family.

“Maxwell pays respects to Mr. Preston.” He immediately lowered his posture.

Mr. Preston stepped through the curtain and emerged, sizing Maxwell up with narrowed eyes.

“I hear you want to borrow some money?” Mr. Preston asked, his gaze cold.

“Yeah… I’ve been unlucky today. If Mr. Preston could lend me some money, I’ll pay you back as soon as I win!”

Tyler casually sat in his chair, one foot propped up, exuding a thuggish vibe.

“Then do you know the rule?”

“Rule!” Maxwell froze.

Mr. Preston gave a glance to one of his men, who immediately stepped forward. “Our rule here is simple. If you can’t pay back the money on time, you give up a limb—a leg or an arm.”

Maxwell’s eyes widened in shock. He hesitated, a chill running down his spine. But then, thinking about the family’s debts and his desire to keep gambling, he wavered.

“Mr. Clyde, what will it be? Are you borrowing or not?”

Maxwell struggled for a moment. Eric, standing nearby, added, “Maybe you should call it quits. It’s already lost—maybe you’re not meant for a comeback.”

“No! I’ll borrow it. I can’t…”

Mr. Preston snapped his fingers, and one of his men brought forward a contract.

“Mr. Clyde, take a good look at this. Thirty million dollars, sound good? You’ve got three days to pay back the principal plus interest. If not, well, you’ve already known the rule.”

Maxwell glanced over the terms. The interest wasn’t too bad compared to other loan sharks. However, this is thirty million dollars…

“Isn’t this a bit too much? I was only hoping for a few million to win back…”

Mr. Preston gave him a sharp look. “The minimum is thirty million. Haven’t you noticed that our interest is a lot lower than others?”

That was true. Otherwise, how could anyone get such a deal?

Maxwell steeled himself and signed the contract, pressing his thumbprint.

A few minutes later, a man arrived with several boxes of cash.

“Here’s your money. Take it.”

“Thank you, Mr. Preston. Thank you,” Maxwell expressed his gratitude profusely.

After Maxwell left, Isabel stepped out from behind the curtain. The ruthless Mr. Preston, known for his cold-bloodedness, immediately started acting like a child when he saw her.

“Boss, all done! Maxwell’s an easy target. Once they get hooked on gambling, they’ll always fall. Come on, reward me!”

The bodyguards in the room couldn’t believe their eyes. Was this really Mr. Preston? The notorious, bloodthirsty figure! He was actually acting cute!

“Boss, reward? Reward?”

Slap!

Isabel slapped him, giving him a fierce look.

“It doesn’t hurt, doesn’t hurt! Come on, hit me again, Boss!”

“Careful, or I’ll slap you into the wall so hard you’ll be stuck there!” Isabel warned. This guy never took anything seriously. He rolled his eyes, quickly backing off. The Boss meant business—she really had thrown someone into a wall before and they couldn’t get out.

“Alright, keep an eye on Maxwell. Don’t let anything slip.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve never missed…”

Maxwell happily took the money, exchanged it for chips, and headed back into the casino. With chips in hand, he brimmed with confidence. At first, he did manage a comeback, winning back everything he’d lost. But gamblers are never satisfied—he kept playing, always wanting more. The more he won, the more addicted he became. He just gambled for an entire night. By the early hours of the morning, however, his luck turned again, and he lost it all.

Maxwell collapsed on the floor, finally realizing the depth of his mistake. He was out of money. What was he going to do about the debt to Mr. Preston?

“Eric! Eric, take me to Mr. Preston. He has to lend me more money—I’ll win it all back this time, I swear!” Maxwell panicked.

Eric looked at him coldly. “Mr. Clyde, Mr. Preston has already left. You can’t borrow any more money. On the contrary, your time is up right away—you’ve already had a full day. You have two days left. If you don’t have the money by then, it’s over.”

“It’s just thirty million! Do you think the Clyde family can’t afford that?” Maxwell snapped, anger rising.

“It’s far more than that now?” Suddenly, a bodyguard approached. Maxwell recognized him as one of Mr. Preston’s men…