Chapter 72

"You cheated," Andrew stated flatly, taking slow, deliberate steps closer. "But I didn't lose either, right?" Julian's tone was even more relaxed. He flicked the bullet into a red wine glass nearby. Under the low lights, it shimmered strangely—fascinating and unsettling all at once. Nobody had said you couldn't pull that move. Julian just played around the rules in plain sight. No win, no loss. A draw no one saw coming. Julian let the revolver drop and took off, long legs striding with purpose. Someone tried blocking his path, but the pressure he gave off forced them to back off instinctively. Andrew didn't say a word the whole time. He just watched Julian disappear, didn't blink. The whole room seemed frozen in awkward silence, waiting for something—anything—to break it. Then Andrew suddenly smiled, lips tugging up as he glanced at the clock. "One minute to nine thirty... That's when the real fun begins." His voice was slow, light, and it sliced through the night air like a chill. Ann