Chapter 274

"Cheating?" Finn Deross looked utterly confused. "I didn't notice anything."

He had been staring at the gambling table without blinking the entire time.

"Look at the people behind the gambler," Vivian Laurent whispered.

Finn followed her gaze. "There's quite a crowd."

According to the rules, spectators could only watch silently.

"The tall man at three o'clock," Vivian narrowed her eyes. "He's got a pinhole camera hidden in his collar button."

She pointed at the Impostor Winner. "And he's wearing a micro earpiece concealed under his hair. You'd never spot it unless you looked closely."

"The footage gets transmitted to someone who tells him the gambler's cards," Vivian said coldly. "That's how he always knows what's coming."

Finn's eyes widened. "And his card tricks! He moves faster than a magician. No normal person could catch it."

"Professional training," Vivian added.

Finn looked devastated. "The legendary Winner cheats? My whole world is shattered!"

Whack! Vivian smacked the back of his head.

"I said he's fake!" she hissed through clenched teeth. "The real Winner never cheats. His skills are genuine."

Rubbing his head, Finn asked, "You defend him so fiercely. Do you know him?"

"None of your business," Vivian turned away.

Finn persisted. "But they check everyone boarding the ship. How'd they smuggle this equipment onboard?"

Vivian rolled her eyes.

"Did I say something wrong?" Finn looked genuinely puzzled.

"The gear could've been hidden on the ship beforehand," Vivian explained patiently. "Or retrieved from the ocean."

"No one knew he was 'Winner' before he appeared," she said with a cold smile. "By the time he showed up, everything was already in place."

Finn gasped in realization. "That's just..."

He swallowed hard. "They'd get thrown overboard if caught. What's the point?"

"This isn't a one-man operation," Vivian's gaze turned sharp. "It's an entire crew scamming people under Winner's name."

"Between the huge jackpot and that Stella Maris Necklace, it's worth the risk," she frowned. "And tonight, I suspect they're not the only ones after those prizes."