Chapter 57

My heart beat faster, both from the thrill of the environment and the uncertainty of being part of it. This wasn't a side of Lucian I had ever seen up close—raw, powerful, dangerous. And yet, a part of me couldn't look away. "Do you trust me?" he asked, staring at me. "I don't know," I replied honestly. "But I'm still here, aren't I?" He smiled faintly and led me deeper into the golden underworld, away from the thick scent of cigars and the chaotic clinking of slot machines. He took me through a sleek corridor guarded by two sharply dressed men, and as the heavy black doors opened, I was greeted with a very different kind of madness. "This is where the real games are played," Lucian murmured beside me. The room was vast and dimly lit, with low golden lights casting shadows across velvet-covered card tables. High-stakes poker games were underway, surrounded by spectators who barely flinched at million-dollar bets. Dealers in tailored vests moved swiftly. My eyes widened as I took it all