Casino Pawn to Heiress

My best friend Zoe was addicted to gambling. When she called, giddy, saying she was taking me to Vegas, I didnt think much of it.

I just hit a huge jackpot! she chirped. I'm putting you up at The Elysian Palace, on me!

But when the plane landed, she didnt lead me to a luxury suite. Instead, she took me to a private room deep in the casino.

"The truth is," she whispered, trembling, "I owe fifty million. If I cant pay, theyll send me to a black site in Eastern Europe..."

Her eyes were wild. "But the owner hes looking for a woman with a crescent moon birthmark. Find her, and the debts wiped clean!"

She grabbed my arm. "Youve got one, right on your stomach. Ive seen it when we changed! Im so sorry, Aria. I just I dont want to die."

Four men slammed me onto the sofa. As my head spun, I saw a childs drawing on the wall.

It was a crayon picture Id drawn for my dad before I was taken. Hed treasured it, promising to keep it forever.

A strange energy surged through me, and a cold smile touched my lips.

Zoe, oh Zoe. You really did make the right bet this time.

Too bad youre not the one whos going to win.

1

By the time I realized something was truly wrong, it was too late to run.

"Fifty million, Aria! I could never pay that back in ten lifetimes!" Zoe sobbed. "But it's like fate intervened! The heavens gave you that birthmark so you could save me!"

Ice filled my lungs. Fear squeezed my throat until I forgot how to breathe. "Zoe you sold me?"

"We've known each other for over a decade. You're my best friend, and you sold me for fifty million dollars?"

My accusation made her stumble back, shaking her head frantically. "Don't look at me like that... The owner of this casino is richer than God, and his only weakness is women with that specific birthmark. He'll forgive any debt for one..."

She tried to force a smile. "He has this... particular taste, and you happen to match it perfectly. I brought you here for your own good, too! What if he falls for you? You'd be set for life!"

The image of some lecherous old man flashed in my mind, and a shiver ran down my spine. I shoved her aside and made a break for the door. "If you want to be his prize, go for it! I'm leaving!"

But before my fingers could even brush the doorknob, a heavy thud slammed into the back of my head.

"You're forcing my hand, Aria!" Zoe's voice was sharp with panic.

My vision exploded into stars. I staggered, my legs giving out from under me, and collapsed to the floor. She loomed over me and snatched the small, pink bead from my pocket.

"Don't think I'm stupid," she hissed. "I know you didn't come on this trip for a vacation. You came here to find your real parents."

"Well, you're here now. Help me clear this debt, and I'll help you find them. But if you try to run you'll never see them again in this life."

A searing pain radiated from the back of my skull. I tried to move my lips, to say something, but despair washed over me.

I was five when I was kidnapped. The traffickers had changed my clothes and shaved my head to make me unrecognizable. They threw away everything I had, but I'd managed to hide this single bead under my tonguethe one carved with my nickname.

For sixteen years, the memories of my home and my life before the age of five had faded into a blur. That bead was the only tangible link I had left to my parents.

Without it, all hope was gone.

"Good girl," Zoe said, sounding relieved.

Just then, the door to the room swung open. Several menacing men strode in. "You're Zoe? We hear you brought something to settle your account."

Zoe scrambled to her feet, pointing a trembling finger at me. "Nash! The boss wants a woman with a crescent moon birthmark, right? This is my best friend, Aria. She has one right on her stomach!"

She wrung her hands. "I brought her, just like you said. So, my fifty million..."

The man she called Nash didn't even glance at her. He pulled out a chair and sat down, his presence dominating the room.

"What's the hurry? Let's see the merchandise first."

His men were on me in an instant, dragging me up and pinning me to the sofa. They ripped off my jacket in a blur of motion. One of them reached for the hem of my t-shirt, and I kicked out with all my strength, connecting with his shin.

"Get off me! Don't touch me!"

"You little bitch!" he spat, and his hand cracked across my face once, then twice.

My head spun, stars bursting behind my eyes. Before I could even cry out, a deafening gunshot echoed through the room. The man clutching my shirt screamed, a new hole bleeding in his calf as he crumpled to the ground.

Nash stood over him, a pistol in his hand, his expression unreadable. "Touching the goods before verification? You got a death wish?"

He gestured dismissively. "Get him out of here. Don't stain the boss's rug."

The other men, their faces pale, quickly dragged their groaning colleague away.

I was free, but my body was frozen, paralyzed by shock. They had a gun. If I fought back again, the next bullet would be for me.

In the corner, Zoe was terrified, but a new, determined glint appeared in her eyes. "Nash, she really has it! A crescent moon birthmark, right on her stomach. It's exactly the kind the boss wants!"

Nash shot her a cold look, and she immediately flinched, lowering her head.

"You lot, get it done. Stop wasting my time."

Four more men moved toward me. I scrambled backward on the sofa, trying to put distance between us, when my gaze fell again on the childs drawing hanging on the wall.

It depicted a family of three flying a kite. Right above the head of the little girl with the ponytail, a name was writtena name I could never forget.

"Sunshine."

I had drawn that picture right before I was taken. My mother had adored it, and my father had laughed, promising to frame it and keep it forever.

It was him! My dad!

All these years, he had been looking for me, too!

An overwhelming wave of emotion crashed over me, and I pushed myself up. "Is your boss's name"

"Too many questions. You're probably another fake with a bright idea." Nash cut me off, his voice dripping with impatience. He raised his gun, the cold metal aimed squarely at my forehead.

"You, shut up."

He nodded to his men.

"You, get her shirt off. Verify it."

2

A cold dread washed over me, prickling my scalp. He'd shot one of his own men without a second thought. What would he do to me?

Zoe, trembling in the corner, whispered urgently, "Aria, just do what they say! Once they see it, I can leave. If you keep fighting, you'll get us both killed!"

Even now, she was only thinking of herself.

My eyes darted back to the drawing on the wall. I decided to play along, for now. If they verified the mark, maybe Dad would come. Maybe this nightmare would end, and we could finally be reunited.

Biting my lip, I endured the humiliation as they lifted my shirt.

There, just below my navel, the crescent moon birthmark was clear as day.

"Nash, I think... I think this one's real!" one of the men exclaimed.

Nash strode over. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw the mark. He muttered under his breath, "It's it really is just like the one the boss drew."

Zoe knew she was in the clear. A sycophantic smile spread across her face. "Nash, sir, since you've verified it, that fifty million I owe"

Nash's eyes were still locked on my birthmark. He waved a dismissive hand. "Cleared. Now get lost."

"Yes, yes! Thank you! I'm gone!" Zoe nodded eagerly and turned to bolt.

But the bead was still on her!

I scrambled off the sofa, lunging for her. "Zoe, you can't leave"

"Don't let her get away!" Nash commanded.

Before I could reach Zoe, one of the henchmen closest to me drove his boot into my stomach. The force of the kick sent me flying backward, and my head cracked against the corner of the coffee table.

Nash exploded. "Are you trying to get yourself killed? How many times have I said, don't harm them before confirmation!"

The spot where Zoe had hit me was already throbbing, and now, a warm liquid was trickling down my neck. I reached up a trembling hand and brought it back, covered in blood.

My vision began to blur at the edges. My consciousness was slipping away, my limbs refusing to obey my commands.

I can't pass out... not yet... I haven't seen Dad...

"Boss, she's bleeding!" someone shouted in alarm.

Nash's brow furrowed. "You two, get a doctor! You two, go get the boss. Tell him this one looks real, he needs to see it for himself." He looked at the remaining men. "The rest of you, be careful. If she turns out to be the one he's looking for and you pissed her off, she'll have your heads."

His men scattered, nearly running into Zoe, who was frozen by the door.

She was completely stunned. After a long moment, she asked in a trembling voice, "Nash I thought the boss was just looking for a new mistress. Why is one woman so important?"

Nash shot her a withering glare. "Use your head. Why else would he offer to wipe out a debt this massive? But it's not a debt just anyone can clear." His voice dropped, laced with menace. "Others have brought women with crescent moon birthmarks before. They tattooed one on, guessing at the location. The boss... dealt with them."

Zoe shuddered.

"You got lucky," Nash continued. "This girl's mark is in the exact right spot. Perfect. Now just wait. If she really is the one, not only will your fifty million be forgotten, but your best friend here will make sure you live a life of luxury."

Zoes eyes darted back and forth. Her expression shifted.

A terrible feeling washed over me. I fought through the haze, forcing my mouth to form words. "I... I am the one..."

"Nash, I'm so sorry!" Zoe suddenly cried out, rushing back into the room. She dug her sharp nails into my thigh, her voice a desperate shriek.

"The birthmark it's a fake!"

"I can't lie to the boss! I'll pay back the fifty million myself! I'm not using her to clear my debt!"

3

Nashs face contorted with fury. "Zoe, you're playing with your life!"

"No! She forced me to come here!" The gun swung toward her, and Zoe dropped to her knees in a heap. "She found out about the birthmark's location from somewhere, went to a tattoo parlor, and then forced me to bring her! She said she wanted to climb into the boss's bed and live a life of luxury! It's true! She threatened to kill my parents if I didn't do it!"

Zoe's face was a mess of tears and pleas as she begged for her life.

From the floor, I gasped for breath, shaking my head weakly. "No... I'm..."

"Stop lying, Aria!" Zoe sobbed. "You can't fool them forever! When the boss finds out your birthmark is a fake, you'll die a much more painful death!"

Nash stood over me, his sharp gaze fixed on the exposed birthmark, trying to discern the truth. But he clearly didn't know the whole storythat his boss wasn't looking for a lover, but a lost daughter. If he would just look at my face, he might see the resemblance

Suddenly, a voice called from outside. "Nash, that crew from last time is causing trouble on the main floor again!"

Nash holstered his pistol and started for the door. "You two, guard the entrance. Don't let either of them leave. I'll be right back."

The heavy door clicked shut, leaving just the two of us.

Zoes voice dropped to a venomous whisper. "I can't believe how obsessed he is. The right birthmark, and you get to be the queen of this place."

I struggled to stay conscious, my body sliding further down the leg of the table. The bleeding from my head wouldn't stop. I knew I didn't have much time.

"What what are you doing?" I managed to ask.

A crazed look flashed in her eyes, her chest heaving with frantic breaths. "I was wrong. I thought he just wanted a fling, someone to warm his bed But no. I can't let you become his woman. You'd never let me live it down just like I would never forgive you."

I gasped, my breath catching in my throat. "We're best friends. If you let me go now, I'll forget this ever happened."

"Impossible! You must hate my guts!"

"No, really Think about it. Without me, how will you pay back that fifty million? They'll sell you, Zoe. It'll be worse than death."

She paused, her eyes darting around as she considered it. Seeing a flicker of hope, I pressed on. "Let me go. I swear I won't say a word. I'll take care of you, we'll be rich together. That fifty million I'll pay it for you."

Her expression softened for a moment. She licked her dry lips.

I allowed myself a small, internal sigh of relief.

But it was premature. Her fists clenched. "No. You're too stubborn. You've spent over a decade searching for your parents without giving up. You'd never let this go. I can find another way to get fifty million, but I can't leave you alive."

Before I could react, she produced a small, sharp blade and drove it right into my birthmark.

A scream tore from my throat, but she clamped a hand over my mouth, muffling the sound.

She traced the outline of the crescent moon with the blade, then pulled out a small vial of clear liquid and forced it down my throat.

A bitter taste flooded my mouth. This was bad.

"Don't worry," she whispered manically in my ear. "This anesthetic will kick in in about twenty minutes. You'll pass out. Whatever happens next, you won't feel a thing."

She tossed the empty vial and the blade under the table. "I'm sorry, sis. If only one of us can walk out of here alive, it's going to be me."