The Cardshark

**UNEDITED**

Sometimes your hands are bound with invisible shackles that only you can see. Only you can feel. I was shackled with metal chains rooted to the ground when I watched Inaya bend over backwards to save that bastard. On a second thought, the shackles were placed around my wrist the moment she called me, threatening me that she wouldn't hesitate to throw me to hell if I didn't let him go. The irony was absolutely not lost on me. I made sure the handcuffs were strapped tightly around his wrist, while mine were being forged from metals that would prove harder to break.

Those shackles gained strength, as if the blacksmith was promised millions to ensure they held me in place, out of sorts and choice, when I watched her enter the police station, bleeding from a wound I had caused, but crying for another pain — a man who was not me.

I was there to see it all, to let it all sink in, detail by detail, watching from a distance. A distance that she put between us. I cried with her. For her. For us. And then I realized that my tears were similar to grief. They hurt, they exist, but they don't bring back the dead.

And now, as I sat in my car outside the police station, after the twelve hours she had given me were over, I watched as he walked out of prison and I walked into mine. A prison with no judge. No lawyers. A designated prison where I had lost her forever and he had gained her for life. That's when I realized that the rumors weren't false after all. He was a skillful gambler.

A croupier, even.

Inaya wasn't there. To file under "small mercies". But he was running in a miserable state the moment he stepped out of the police station. It was still early in the morning. The sun was barely bidding goodbye to the night. I straightened up in my seat and clenched my fists around the steering wheel as I watched him grab his partner by the collar, spit words I couldn't hear, and grab the car keys out of his hand. I was in prison. He was in purgatory. I found solace in that.

And it was all so sick. So vicious and, dare I say it, toxic. I shouldn't feel this way, especially because I knew the reason why his purgatory opened up and took him in. But I did, because if I couldn't have her, he shouldn't be able to either.

His partner, that slimy piece of shit who'd outdone himself to get that bastard out of prison, had taken Inaya to the hospital yesterday when she'd broken down after seeing that bastard being dragged into a cell in handcuffs. I didn't even want to admit to myself that he was the cause of her breakdown. I mean, the woman was fresh out of the hospital after her surgery. Her scar hadn't healed yet, and apparently, her emotional scars were even deeper.

Taehyung didn't take a moment to breathe in fresh oxygen that didn't reek of captivity, and I savored that. We were both prisoners of our choices. Both far removed from freedom. I watched as he revved the engine and sped off into traffic. I knew where he was going. I spent my night there, too. In the hospital where his partner had taken Inaya. I didn't try to meet her. I knew I wasn't welcome. But that didn't stop me from spending the night outside her room door, praying she'd get better, only to change my mind when I realized that if she got better, she'd spend her life with him.

So I prayed she would die.

I didn't follow him. Didn't need to watch them reunite. Didn't want to rub it on my own face.

There was an intersection — both figuratively and literally — that I decided to take. I drove on the opposite side, hands firmly on the steering wheel while my brain was completely out of the car. I had prosecutors to appease. People I had bribed so they could issue his arrest warrant to answer to. Taehyung didn't commit money laundering, but many people wished he had so they could get rid of him. I stopped people from realizing their dreams so that I could realize Inaya's. I wish I could click snooze so I could keep dreaming. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option.

What was an option was to turn his and her dreams into nightmares, too. The world needed fairness.

Cars passed me as I drove slowly, leaning my elbow on the window, and thinking. There weren't too many options I could explore. If I wanted Inaya back, I had to do something that would get her away from his side of her own volition. And I didn't know what that might be. I didn't even know if he loved her or if this was just part of the game to spite me. At least at first it was clear. But the line blurred when I saw how he acted when my knife pierced her. He looked at her the same way he'd looked at Lana. And I wondered if he had realized it yet.

My foot slammed on the brakes before my head could process my actions. Of course it couldn't. My brain had just concocted the final play that would win me the bet. Car horns sounded behind me. I formed a long line of cars behind me. I didn't give a fuck. I grabbed my cell phone from the console and dialed the number that would tell me if my plan would work or not.

The phone rang twice. He picked up on the third ring.

"Mr. Min."

"Hey, Chul. I need to ask you something real quick and I need you to focus. Your father's life depends on it, okay?"

"I'm all ears."

"Does your fucking boss know about Inaya's real father?"

The cars kept slamming their fucking horns. I didn't move. My hand clutched the phone tighter as my knee bounced. I needed this card to recoup my losses. I'd spent so much at the poker table, I was about to go broke.

There was a beat of silence that lasted longer than I would have liked. Some drivers maneuvered their cars so that they could overtake me while hurling insults at me. I just watched. I just waited. And then his answer came, albeit hesitantly.

"He does."

I all but high-fived the air. A smile formed on my lips. All venom and no mirth. I let the engine roar to life with Chul still on the line. With renewed energy, I pressed the gas pedal and gained speed.

"Well. You know what to do then. And Chul?"

"Yes?"

"I want you to make it regal. Don't hold back."

"Will do."

Taehyung thought he was in the saddle. Taehyung thought his little team was indestructible. Taehyung thought fucking wrong. See, it's so easy to infiltrate a group if you offer the right incentives. After all, it's all about business. Everyone has an invisible price tag on their back, you just need the right glasses to turn it into a visible tag. Jeon senior had such glasses in his hand. He found out Chul's price, and seemingly,it was cheap.

Chul had a sick father who had to go to dialysis regularly. Chul was emotional. A family-oriented type of man. The least expensive and the easiest to buy. So Jeon bought him. Took him from Taehyung's market. Jeon offered more while giving Chul the opportunity to continue profiting from Taehyung. He made him an ear in Taehyung's circles. Chul was the one who kept Jeon informed of Inaya and Taehyung's relationship progress. When Taehyung proposed to Inaya, Chul quickly broke the news to the old grinch Jeon.

Taehyung didn't know that Chul had the skills of a Hollywood actor when he called him to get rid of me from the hospital when Inaya was in surgery. The man played the part well. He made it seem like he was following orders when, in fact, he was being paid to bail me out.

Told you. Right price, right service. And all is fair in war.

Now, Chul was going to get his hands on a hefty sum in return for the service I demanded of him.

Now, Chul would make sure I won the game, and he would get Taehyung to be introduced to loss.

♠️♥️♦️♣️

The Croupier

"Inaya Chen." My voice cracked from the heavy breaths I was running out of, just like the time I was running out of. See, there's a theme here. Ever since I got out of the police station, all I did was run. I ran to Seokjin's car. I ran through traffic on the way to the hospital. I ran, and ran and fucking ran, but I still felt this gnawing fear in the pit of my stomach that told me time was the one doing the running.

It was running away from me.

I ran my palm over my face and wiped the sweat from my temples as the receptionist at the hospital desk looked at me sideways. "I'm her fucking fiancé. Where is she? What's her room number?"

The woman continued typing on her keyboard, not sparing me a word. And by God, I was shaking. I actually was beyond that. I was so close to insanity than I'd ever been. I took a deep breath, turned my head left and right and searched. For what? A simple answer to a very simple question.

For her.

"She's fine." Was what the lady offered. I bit the inside of my cheek, because what the fuck was I supposed to do with an answer like that? Shove it up my ass or the lady's? And that's what I would do if she didn't give me the answer I wanted, gender be damned. "You can wait here. She'll be discharged soon. The doctor has cleared her."

I rapped my fingers on the glass desk instead of banging my fist against it. But I was on the verge of doing just that. "Listen, I need to see her. Now."

"Sir, you can—

"I can't." I snapped. A few heads turned to see where the loud voice was coming from. I didn't care. Didn't care about them, or the way the receptionist winced, or this damn hospital policy. I only cared about one person, and as long as I didn't see her, I wouldn't mind making a bigger scene. "Room number. Now."

The receptionist's eyes wandered around, looking for a rescuer or a way to call security. I didn't know nor did I give a fuck. I was aware of what I looked like. How my hair was all over the place. Stubble covering my chin. The first few buttons of my shirt ripped off. The lady had every right to feel threatened by the presence of someone who looked like they were one misdemeanor away from being behind bars. But the joke's on her. I just got out of there, and I'd have no problem going back if she didn't start talking right about now.

"406. At the end of the corridor to your left, but she's—

I didn't have time to listen to what came out of her mouth after she revealed Inaya's room number. I bolted, pushing past nurses carrying files and kidney-shaped tracks. I bumped into a gurney being pushed by two doctors and ripped the sleeve of my shirt, which got caught on the railing. I didn't care, nor did I care about the insults coming out of their mouths.

I kept running.

When I found the room, it wasn't the number that stopped me in my tracks. It was the woman behind the slightly ajar door that did. My heart hadn't been beating normally since she'd stepped out of my house yesterday, done with me and my lies and my vengeful world I'd dragged her into. But now it was on the verge of stopping altogether. Inaya was struggling to put her arms through her shirt, but she was there, in front of me, and she was safe. And I've never been one to cry easily, if at all, but my pupils were stinging, my breath was faltering, and my knees were on the verge of either collapsing or moving on their own.

They opted for the latter.

I stormed into the room, the door slamming against the wall from the impact. I didn't think twice. Fuck. I didn't even think once. My brain had decided it was time to stop thinking and finally take action instead.

Inaya looked at me with wide eyes. Eyes that I didn't want to look into. Because I didn't just want to look at her. I had to feel her. Touch her. Smell her to reassure myself that she was there, with me, and if my prayers were answered, she would always be with me.

I closed the distance between us in record time, devouring it, just as I would devour anything and anyone who might come between us. My hand pressed firmly on the back of her neck as I pressed my lips to hers and finally,I could breathe.

But I was greedy. After all, I'm a gambler. I wanted more. I needed more. I needed all of her, and I needed it now and forever. That's when I realized that gambling wasn't my only addiction.

My other hand pressed on her hip, bringing her closer to me. And if it were possible, I would erase myself so that we could merge into one.

The moment her lips moved against mine, a lone tear slid down my cheek. Her hands quickly wiped it away as she caressed my cheek, her thumbs gently stroking my skin. But our kiss was already wet with her tears too. And hers were numerous.

She was the first to pull away, resting her forehead on mine as she looked at my lips just as I looked at hers. "You made it." Her voice was shaky and breathless. Mine was a whisper as I said, "I did. You did, Star."

No more words were said as we devoured each other's lips. We kissed with desperation in every lip stroke, every frantic breath, and every flick of our tongues. And really, no words were needed. This kiss had a voice of its own.

This time, I was the one who broke the kiss simply because I needed more of her. I didn't want any space between us. I hugged her like I had never done before. Like I had never been hugged before. Inaya nuzzled her head into my neck while her arms wrapped around my waist. And I...I decided it was time to win against time.

"I love you too, Inaya," I confessed as I stroked my hand through her soft hair. I could tell she was still crying from the way her body was trembling between my arms. But I could also tell she was smiling through it when she slapped my shoulders.

"Thought you'd never say it."

"I'm sorry it took me too long to say it." I broke away from our embrace so I could look her in the eye as I told her what I hadn't said all this time. "But I've thought it for so long, Star." I wiped away her tears with my thumb as I looked into those eyes that brought my soul back to life. A chuckle escaped my lips, all boyish and reminiscent of the guy I was before grief turned me into this blind person who couldn't see straight. "But I was so stupid to make sense of it. But now I do. And I mean it. I love you, Inaya, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Then take me home, Taehyung."

I held out my hand with a stupid smile on my face. "Let's go home, Star."

Inaya's smile was like a balm to my invisible, yet very raw wounds. It was a reward from life for everything that had been taken away from me. My childhood. My son. My first love. I basked in it. I basked in the touch of her fingers intertwined with mine. They were warm on my cold skin. Soft against my calloused palm. But then her hand slipped away, and I might be sick in the head, but the way she pulled her hand back scared me. No. It frightened me to the point of questioning whether life was done rewarding me so fast.

I watched as she turned her back on me and walked slowly to the door. I froze. I wanted to move—by god, I was really trying. But my brain was racing. And so was my heart. And a thousand scenarios where she told me she was done with me flashed through my mind.

My mouth opened and closed as she wrapped her hand around the doorknob. I moved a foot, but stopped immediately when she locked the door.

"Not yours, Taehyung," she whispered. She walked slowly towards me. Her eyes were fixed on mine as she grabbed my hand and placed it on her hip. "Mine."

"Inaya." I wasn't sure if my voice was loud enough to be heard. Breathing was heavy as she undid the buttons of my shirt, and I was a goner. I didn't know what to do. Didn't know what to say. And I wasn't sure if I even wanted to do or say anything at all. Not when Inaya looked at me with a wide smile and glassy eyes. I breathed through my nose as she kissed the exposed skin of my chest, leaving a trail of shivers in her wake. I closed my eyes and let my head fall back. And God, I wasn't above whimpering when she trailed kisses on my neck and lightly bit my Adam's apple. "Fuck."

My hand gripped harder on her waist, just under her shirt, as if looking for an anchor to stabilize me. That's when it dawned on me. She was my anchor in this dangerous ocean. She always had been, but I hadn't realized it until I was about to drown. I pulled her closer to me as she kept pressing feverish kisses on my neck and undid my belt. My hand trembled as I grabbed the back of her neck and gently tugged on her hair. I was so scared of hurting her, but I was so hard it was painful. I was dizzy. Parched. And most of all, I was so fucking in love that I was frightened.

We kissed. Hungrily. We kissed without mirages, shadows or intruders. We kissed, with reality holding us closer to each other. With the veil of lies torn to pieces. And reality never felt so good.

Inaya pushed me back, breathing heavily as she pulled off her unbuttoned shirt and tossed it on the floor. Her eyes never left mine as she worked on unzipping her jeans next, and God. I never wanted her to look anywhere else.

I peeled my shirt off and wrapped my hands around her waist setting her on top of the bed. I took care of her jeans, tossing them next to our shirts when the gauze stuck to her skin stopped me from moving. Everything came crashing down on me. The blood oozing from her as she lay motionless and vulnerable between my arms. All because of me. Because of my selfishness and my lies.

It wasn't Yoongi who almost killed her. It was me.

"No," she said. As if she had read my mind. Or maybe my thoughts were being voiced. I didn't know. And I couldn't look her in the eye to see what she meant. "We're done playing that game, Taehyung. Guilt and hatred are what got us here. Cut them loose, Tae. For me." She stroked her finger through my hair, lazily drawing a soothing pattern that I couldn't describe. I swallowed, closed my eyes and took a deep breath before working up the courage to look at her. When I did, she was smiling and fighting the tears that were streaming down her cheeks. "For us."

I didn't wipe her tears away. I wanted them to be a reminder of what I'd done. I wanted them to haunt me, the way I hunt her to avenge what I'd lost, overlooking what I'd gained. I kissed her stomach, across the gauze, inhaling her scent as it mingled with that of alcohol.

I stood between her spread legs, caressing her jaw as I looked at her lips and eyes. They were perfect, and I realized they were mine, on her terms and conditions. "Someone said I should fold in. But I'm done playing games." I pressed my lips to her forehead and let them linger there as I spoke. "I've already won."

I stepped back and unzipped my pants as I watched her smile blossom. And I found many reasons for mine to appear, too. One of them was being someone's choice.

Her choice.

Our lips met at the same time as I plunged inside her. I was welcomed with a moan that did nothing but get me harder. God, she was heaven. My tailor-made paradise. Soft and warm and wet. So fucking wet I was about to die. Such a pleasant way to go, really.

Nothing about the environment screamed comfort. We were literally in a fucking hospital having sex in a hospital bed, but I couldn't think of anything better. We could have been on the street for all I cared, as long as we were together. As long as she forgave me.

I kept it at a lazy pace. Soft strokes met with loud moans. Mainly because I didn't want to hurt her, but also because I was afraid that the fog of the moment would lift to reveal it was all just a beautiful dream. I nuzzled my head in her neck, taking in her scent and spreading kisses on her shoulder as I thrust inside her. I unclasped her bra while I rubbed her clit with my other hand, eliciting delicious noises that accompanied the sound of her wetness. It was grounding. Just like her presence in my life.

My shining star and my guiding anchor.

Her chest bounced with the faster pace my thrusts had taken. I was no longer in control. I was driven to insanity the more she clenched around me. Inaya wrapped her legs around my waist, giving me better access, and God. I was touching so deep, I was about to bust a nut.

Inaya's fingers drew a pattern on my back that I was sure would stay on my skin for a few days, and I loved it. I wanted her to mark my skin. To claim me hers. To leave traces that talk about our beginning and never mention the past. And I know that was selfish, just as I know she wouldn't forget. But a man can wish.

"I'm past it, Taehyung." Her words were unexpected, stopping my movement. With my cock deep inside her and my face buried in her neck, I just listened and prayed. "You should too, now that there are no more lies between us." She cradled my head with her small hands, seeking eye contact. "There are no more lies, Tae. Right?"

I swallowed, smiled, and resumed moving. "There aren't." I molded her soft breasts as I plunged inside her while looking into her eyes. Her nipples were so hard and perky and perfect. So perfect and beautiful, just like her. I could feel her pressing around me almost desperately, and I knew she was about to come too. "There is only one truth." Thrust. She closed her eyes, lulling her head back, giving me access to her beautiful neck, which I couldn't stop kissing. Thrust. This time, it was hard enough to get her to look at me with parted lips. "I love you, Star."

Inaya came around my cock, creaming and clenching around it so hard that it coaxed my own orgasm. I pulled out, and watched her come down as I stroked my dick with my fist, spurting my cum onto her smooth legs with closed eyes and a wincing face. I was drenched in sweat and she was on the verge of dripping with my cum if I hadn't found the courage to pull out at the last second. Although I wouldn't have minded cumming inside her. In fact, I would've loved to, but that wasn't my decision to make.

We looked at each other, and the smile on her face was enough to reassure me that next time, maybe she'd allow me.

"Now, I'm home." She offered.

I grabbed a tissue from the bedside table and cleaned her legs with a smile stretching on my face. I felt dumb. I felt like a boy. But when I kissed her again and she wrapped her arms around my neck, I felt like her man.

"We're home, Star."