Chapter Seven: Card Game

"Layla, please stop being so stubborn, Layla. Have you ever thought about how it made me look when you were with those random guys?" Ashton expressed his dissatisfaction. Outside the private room, chaos persisted. Ashton not only punched the model Layla had chosen but also wreaked havoc in the room. Despite all this, Layla maintained a poker face, seemingly detached from the chaos around her. She sat on the sofa with her arms crossed, observing the whole mess as a mere spectator. Her composed and indifferent demeanor only served to enrage Ashton further. "Ashton, could you please act like an adult? What gives you the right to stick your nose into my business? How does my personal life concern you, anyway?" "Well, because I'm your husband!" "Really?" Layla rose to her feet, slowly advancing toward Ashton, causing him to back away with each step she took. Her dominating presence momentarily caught him off guard. She pressed on, "Let's not forget that we're already divorced. It's not cool for you to meddle in my affairs now." She said so to emphasize to him that they were already divorced. Ashton took a deep breath, gearing up to unleash his anger. But upon seeing the fire in her eyes, most of his rage faded away. "I understand you're still upset, but there's truly nothing going on between Poppy and me. It was just a fling. I promise I won't see her again." "Feels a bit late to be having this conversation now, don't you think? We've moved on with our lives. Let's just go our separate ways and not cause each other any more trouble." With those words, Layla grabbed her purse and prepared to leave. Her attitude was surprisingly carefree. In a fit of anger, Ashton grabbed her arm like an angry bull. "If I hadn't run into you today, what exactly were you planning to do with that guy? I've already explained things to you, Layla! What more do you want?" "I don't think I need to hear your explanations." Layla sarcastically smirked and shook her head, "I'm here for a good time., so you better not spoil my mood. Just leave me alone." She gracefully spun around and strutted away, her mesmerizing silhouette leaving Ashton in awe. While he had previously viewed Layla as unattractive, even revolting at times, he now saw her in a new light – radiant and delightful. In a spontaneous gesture, Ashton reached for Layla's slender arm and pulled her close, declaring, "You're here to look for some fun, huh? Alright, I'll be your companion tonight." As Ashton whisked Layla away, paying no heed to her protest, they unexpectedly encountered Tristan at the staircase. Tristan's imposing frame acted as a barrier, making it impossible for them to leave. Dressed in a simple black suit, Tristan exuded a sophisticated aura that made him stand out. His beautiful dark eyes gleamed with a mixture of longing and depth as they fixated on Layla. As Layla met Tristan's penetrating gaze, a flicker of recognition passed through her before she averted her eyes, feeling an uneasy familiarity. "Tristan, what brings you here as well?" Ashton, oblivious to Tristan's entrance until now, glanced down at Layla in his embrace and proposed, "Well, it seems like fate has brought us together. I've got a brilliant idea. I just got my hands on a valuable piece of land. How about a game of Texas Hold 'em? The winner takes all, including the land. What do you say?" Tristan stayed wordless while keeping his eyes firmly fixed on Layla. From the moment he arrived tonight, he'd been unable to tear his gaze away from her. However, Layla appeared completely unaware of his intense stare as she struggled to escape from Ashton's grip impatiently. Turning towards Layla, Ashton said, "I know that the Hammond Group is eyeing this land for an office building. You've been locked in fierce competition with your rivals, both openly and behind the scenes. Today, I'm offering you a shot. If you win tonight, the land is yours. Care to take the gamble?" Layla narrowed her eyes slightly and replied, "I'm in." Layla wasn't exactly a poker pro. Her skills at the card table were, to put it kindly, pretty dismal. She had once attempted to learn Texas Hold 'em to impress Ashton, only to lose everything and be mocked by him for overestimating her abilities. Since then, she had steered clear of poker games altogether. Little did she anticipate finding herself back at the card table with Ashton, Tristan, and their friend, Mike. What caught her off guard even more was that, during the game, Tristan seemed to let her win deliberately. It wasn't until her third consecutive victory that Ashton, unable to contain his frustration, disrupted the game and demanded, "One more round!" In an unintentional gesture, Ashton swiped Layla's chips off the table and onto the floor. As Layla bent down to retrieve them, a hand reached out before hers. Layla tensed up, slowly lifted her gaze, and locked eyes with a pair of deep eyes. A hint of cedarwood wafted from Tristan, sparking a strange sense of déjà vu in Layla. She couldn't help but notice that his cologne reminded her of Simon's. Chalking it up to coincidence, she reasoned that there were only a handful of popular fragrances out there, so it wasn't uncommon for people to have similar scents. As Layla picked up her fallen chips, Tristan's hand lightly grazed hers, causing a jolt of emotion to course through her. Her heart raced, and she glanced up to find Tristan casually returning her chips as if it were no big deal. Layla took a deep breath to collect herself. That night, Layla ended up being the final winner, much to Ashton's surprise. Ashton muttered, "Well, a bet's a bet. The land is yours now. Sort out the paperwork whenever you have a minute." Layla stayed quiet. Mike interjected with a grin, "Tristan, are they purposely showing off how lovey-dovey they are here? He's deliberately losing to her and even giving her land worth millions to please her. Ashton, you've got a knack for these cheesy antics." Upon hearing this, Tristan couldn't help but furrow his brow. Layla sneered and replied, "You're reading too much into it, Mike. He didn't mean that at all." Tristan let out a soft chuckle. Meanwhile, looking a bit taken aback, Mike asked Layla, "Why did you remove your beloved wedding ring? What's going on?" Mike's eyes widened as he hesitantly turned to Ashton. "Could all these rumors be real? Have you and Layla really got a divorce?"