Regret Is the Only Gain in a New Year Gamble

I shook my head. "The second you put your car keys on the table, we weren't family anymore."

Owen fell silent for a beat, then let out a cold laugh. "Fine. Don't blame me for pushing you then. You're the one who wanted to stay in, right?"

Just then, he picked up his cards and flipped two toward me. It was a pair of queens.

As soon as I saw them, a wave of relief washed over me. Still, my expression remained tight.

Owen tilted his chin up and said smugly, "So… What do you think? Did I hit three of a kind?"

In three-card brag, deliberately showing part of a hand like that was common. It was meant to rattle the other player and read their reaction.

But Owen couldn't scare me. Even if he really had three of a kind, it still wouldn't beat mine.

I had been worried that he might be holding three aces. Now, it was clear that fear had been pointless. That cocky stunt of his had only driven him into a dead end.

Even though I was completely at ease, I gritted my teeth and said, "You're bluffing. Are you in or out?"

Owen stared into my eyes, as if trying to read my mind. In this game, it was all about nerve and performance.

Even at that point, he still couldn't decide. Uncle Peter interjected, "Don't do it! He's obviously not scared of your hand! Can't you tell?"

"If I fold, I lose the BMW and the 300 thousand dollars I already put in! He's bluffing!" Owen snapped, his features twisting with rage.

Normally, the relatives would all be talking at once, throwing out advice from every direction. But now, no one dared say a word. Until the cards were revealed, there was no telling what was real and what wasn't.

Owen nervously scanned the faces around the table. Every bet had been his idea. If he backed out now, he'd never live it down in front of the family.

At last, he waved his wife, Kylie Reed, over. "Come here."

She reluctantly walked over to the table. Then, he told her to place her gold jewelry on the table. Hers was worth far more than Amelia's, after all.

But unlike Amelia, Kylie refused to take hers off. Owen immediately grew tense and showed her his cards.

The moment she saw them, her face lit up with joy. She hurriedly stripped off all her gold jewelry and set it on the table.

"Come on, let's take this all the way," she said with a grin. "Don't come crying when you lose. Everyone here is a witness. Anyone who backs out deserves what's coming to them."

"So, are you saying we should reveal our cards?" I asked.

Kylie shot back, "Why should we? We're taking this all the way."

The greed on her face was unmistakable. However, no one had any chips left.

Suddenly, Kylie pulled off her diamond ring and set it on the table. "This ring cost me 50 thousand dollars."

I shook my head. "I'm not taking the ring. That thing's worth 100 dollars at most."

"What the hell are you saying?" Kylie snapped as she jabbed a finger at me. "Do you even know what this is? This is designer!"

A wry smile tugged at my lips. "I don't care what it is. To me, it's worth 100 dollars."

Kylie was about to retort when Owen cut in, "Then, I'll put my house on the line too."

In an instant, a gasp rippled through the room, and Uncle Peter jumped to his feet. "Have you lost your mind? That house is located downtown! It's worth one and a half million dollars!"

"I'm not messing around, Dad," Owen replied with a sneer. "Whatever I put in, he has to match. That's the rule. Every bet has to top the last one.

"So, Ethan, do you have the money to keep up?"