Chapter 11

The spectators fell silent before they exclaimed in disbelief. "Holy shit! Potting three balls on the initial break?" "This lady is good at this." "It might just be luck." The man in the floral shirt who looked relaxed earlier instantly looked serious. A hint of solemnity started to grow in his eyes. Nadia did not seem to hear the discussions in her surroundings. She walked to the next position, bending over again and taking aim. She moved with grace and did not hesitate at all. One after another, the remaining balls rolled into the pockets without any mistake, as if their path had been programmed in advance. Her motions were seamless, and she did it in a single breath. She cleared the table perfectly in six shots. When the last ball was pocketed, the entire area fell silent. All that could be heard was the music from the speakers. Everyone had their jaws on the ground as they looked at the beautiful Nadia, who looked aloof. It was as if that was the first time they got to know her. After a few seconds, the cheers and applause erupted so deafeningly that they almost blew the roof off the place. "How amazing! Finishing the game in six shots!" "Holy shit! She's an expert!" The mood became ten times more enthusiastic than before. At that moment, a few men in suits were standing in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window of the VIP room on the second floor. The air they exuded was intimidating, and they looked like they were either rich or powerful. The leader of the group was tall. He was giving off such an icy air that nobody would ever dare to get close to him. He was holding a glass of whiskey. His unfathomable eyes were reflected in the amber liquid swirling gently in the glass. His gaze went past the bustling crowd and landed on the figure who was playing at the pool table downstairs. He watched her calm and focused profile, her clean and accurate moves, and the moment she made the crowd go wild. Callum's gaze was complicated. There was a hint of desire to find out more, as well as awe, in his eyes that he did not even notice. It was surprising to know that Nadia had this side to her. She was proud, confident, and striking. She was completely different from the quiet and submissive person he remembered her to be. Was it that he had never realized it, or was she too good at hiding it from him? The bet continued downstairs. Beads of sweat started appearing on the forehead of the man in a floral shirt. He knew he had messed with the wrong person. This time, it was his turn to play first. He took a deep breath, trying his best to calm himself down. He carefully took his aim and did his best to strive for accuracy, not daring to be careless at all. He did pretty well for his initial shot, pocketing one ball. His performance was steady, after all. He worked very hard to aim for accuracy with each shot, trying his best not to make any mistakes. Then, one after another, the balls were all cleared. In the end, it took him eight shots to clear the table. It was not bad, but it was nothing comparable to how Nadia cleared the table in six shots. Wendy had her arms crossed and was smiling mischievously. "You've lost. It's time for you to keep your word, isn't it?" said Wendy, motioning him to the small stage at the side that was temporarily built. The crowd started cheering again. "Get on stage! Get on stage!" "Strip! Strip! Strip!" Colors drained from the man's face. Clearly, he did not expect that he would lose, let alone that Wendy would not back down. If he had to perform a striptease in front of the crowd, the embarrassment would kill him on the spot. He refused to admit defeat, so he gritted his teeth and said, "Hold on! I was careless earlier. Let's have another round." Pointing at Nadia, he continued loudly, "If I were to lose again, I'll pay for everyone here tonight!" The crowd went berserk. "Damn! How generous of you!" "Another round! One more round!" "Say yes and help us earn some benefits!" Everyone cheered. They almost wanted to play for Nadia themselves. Wendy looked at Nadia, asking for her opinion with her gaze. Nadia did not mind, so she nodded. Wendy immediately replied, "Alright! We'll give you another chance, but you have to keep your word if you lose this time." Nadia raised her hand and gestured to the man, saying, "Gentlemen first." This time, the man did not put on an act and tried to be polite. He walked up to the pool table, looking serious and focused like never before. He took his first shot with good control of force and angle. Three balls went into the pockets. The crowd exclaimed. It seemed like he was showing them what he truly had. Then, he took his second shot. He held his breath, calculated his aim, and took the shot. In the end, he managed to clear the table in six shots. He achieved the same result as Nadia in the first round, which left the crowd on edge. Everybody thought it was hard for Nadia to win in this round. If she wanted to win, she had to pocket four balls in the initial shot. That would be a great feat. The man looked at Nadia with a hint of smugness and a desire to taunt her. It was Nadia's turn to place. At that moment, all eyes were on her. She walked up to the cue rack and swapped her cue stick with one that was heavier. Then, she walked up to the pool table, picked up the cue ball, and rubbed the smooth and shiny surface of the ball gently. Her gaze was calm. It was as if this was not a bet that was the center of everybody's attention, but a usual practice game instead. She did not immediately put the cue ball down. She walked around the pool table instead, seeming to be searching for the best angle. There was a stark difference between her calm and collected attitude and the bustling environment around her. At last, she stopped moving and placed the cue ball in the starting position. She bent over a little. Her figure looked graceful and focused. Her hand that was holding the cue stick was strong and stable. Her other hand was placed on the green felt of the table, making a perfect bridge. She narrowed her eyes a little and took aim. At that moment, the entire world seemed to fall silent. All that was left was her and the ball in front of her. She took her shot with great but perfectly controlled force. The cue ball shot out like an arrow, hitting the ball perfectly at the end of the diamond. In the next second, something unbelievable happened. The colored balls went off in an instant, as if a spell had been put on them. They did not roll around in all directions like earlier. They moved in a strange yet accurate curve instead. One after another, all nine balls went into different pockets as if they were attracted by magnets. The thumps as the balls dropped into the pockets in sequence were so clear that they made everybody's heart pound along with them. With one shot, all nine balls were pocketed! That was the legendary "golden break". There was a pin-drop silence in the entire club. Even the music suddenly stopped. Everybody's eyes were widened, and their jaws were on the floor. It was as if they had seen something extremely absurd. The people who were cheering for the man earlier were completely frozen. It was as if someone had hit the pause button for all of them. Three seconds later, the crowd went wild. "Holy shit!" "My eyes are not playing tricks on me, right? One single shot, and she pocketed all nine balls?" "Gosh! What kind of legendary move is this?" "She's definitely the Queen of the Cue! She must be the greatest of all time!" "This is amazing! Am I hallucinating?" "I'm dazed. I'm serious! My mind is blown!" Screams, exclamations, and cheers in disbelief erupted. It almost blew the roof off. The crowd was way more enthusiastic than before. Meanwhile, this shocking scene was reflected in those sharp eyes that had been hidden in the shadows in the VIP room on the second floor. A hint of shock gleamed in Callum's eyes. He looked at Nadia, who had just created a miracle, and watched her calm profile as she put her cue stick away. A faint smile that was barely noticeable appeared on his face. "Holy shit! That woman is N-Nadia?" Knox could not help but blurt out. He would not have believed his eyes if he did not see Wendy. Callum put this glass down, making a soft clink as it hit the table. Then, he turned around without hesitation and walked downstairs. Knox ran after him.