CHAPTER 50: CHAPTER 50

The silence in Unit B-17 felt heavy and thick. The only sound was the low, constant hum from the security system Silva had installed. On the workbench, the community center’s check sat as a bright white rectangle of hope. Right next to it was the envelope of cash from Ramos, his payment for the warehouse job which seemed to cast a dark shadow over everything.

Ace couldn’t get the images out of his head. He kept seeing the panicked faces of the two men and the way the bigger one had shoved the younger man. He could still hear the sound of the SUVs speeding away. Even though he hadn’t pulled a trigger or thrown a punch, he was the one who had delivered them to their fate. The guilt sat in his stomach like a cold, heavy stone.

Evelyn’s warning from the car echoed in his mind: "It’s always a trap." He realized he had walked right into it and had become a tool for Ramos.

The sudden buzz of the burner phone from Ramos shattered the quiet room like a gunshot, making Ace flinch. The message was as short and commanding as always.

Come to the Office, right now!

There was no address included because none was needed. They all knew that "The Office" was the back room of a seemingly ordinary accounting firm downtown, which served as Ramos’s public headquarters.

Evelyn looked at him, her face pale with worry. "You don’t have to go," she said.

"Yes, I do," Ace replied, his voice sounding hollow. "If I don’t, he will send Marcus here to get me. I would much rather face him there than have him come here."

Their drive downtown was silent and grim, like a funeral procession. They parked a block away from the sleek glass building. Ace got out and walked in alone, leaving Evelyn behind in the car to keep watch.

The receptionist gave him a cold, unfriendly smile and directed him toward a heavy oak door. The room on the other side was nothing like the gritty dockside office or the gambling den he was used to. Instead, it was filled with the rich look of mahogany wood, soft leather chairs, and expensive art. Ramos sat behind a huge, empty desk, looking more like a powerful CEO than a crime lord. Marcus stood by the window, his large and threatening presence clashing with the refined surroundings.

"Ace," Ramos said, calmly bringing his fingers together. His voice was casual and conversational. "The incident with the missing shipment was very unfortunate. However, the way you handled it was excellent. You were efficient and practical, identifying the problem and containing it without any unnecessary drama. That is a rare skill to have."

Ace stayed silent. He just waited for Ramos to get to the real point.

"Your actions have made me reconsider your role here," Ramos continued. "Having you audit financial records for small amounts of cash is a waste of your unique talents. I have a new proposition for you, a much more significant task."

He leaned forward slightly, his dark eyes locking onto Ace’s. "There is a high-stakes private poker tournament at a place called The Sapphire Lounge. The cost to enter is enormous, and the players are all very influential people. One of those players is a business associate of mine. For our ongoing relationship to continue smoothly, it is crucial that he has a very successful night."

Ace immediately understood, and the realization made his blood run cold. "You want me to help him cheat."

"I want you to ensure the outcome is favorable for him," Ramos corrected him, his tone suggesting there was a major difference between the two ideas. "Your specific skill set would be invaluable for this. You would observe the other players, identify their unconscious habits or ’tells,’ and discreetly relay that information. The payout for my associate will be considerable, and your own fee for helping will reflect that. You will receive ten percent of his winnings."

He named a figure. It was more money than Ace had ever imagined having at one time. That amount of money could buy serious equipment, fund his operations for an entire year, and allow for real investments. It was not just a payment; it was a promise of freedom.

SYSTEM ALERT: NEW TASK

TASK: INFILTRATE THE SAPPHIRE LOUNGE. SECURE A FAVORABLE OUTCOME.

REWARD: NEURAL-INTERFACE LV.2. SYSTEM XP +200.

PENALTY FOR FAILURE: PHYSICAL BRANDING BY RIVAL ORGANIZATION.

The blue text burned in his vision. The reward was a massive upgrade. The penalty was a nightmare of permanent, painful marking.

"And what if I refuse?" Ace asked. The question felt bitter and hopeless in his mouth.

Ramos’s friendly smile didn’t flicker, but the room suddenly felt much colder. By the window, Marcus nervously adjusted his stance.

"Refusing would be seen as an act of disloyalty," Ramos said softly. "It would make me think your goals are no longer aligned with mine. I would be forced to reconsider the generous allowances I have given you and your friends. Your work for me would become far less enjoyable and far less profitable. You would remain in your current role as my auditor of ledgers, indefinitely, with no chance for advancement."

The choice was brutally simple. He could accept this terrible job, sink deeper into Ramos’s criminal world, and use the money to possibly buy his freedom later. Or he could refuse and be trapped forever as Ramos’s low-level thug, all while his friends paid the price for his decision.

The clean check from Mrs. Flores seemed a universe away. To protect that dream of an honest future, he first had to survive the corruption of the present.

He thought of the bruise on Evelyn’s arm and of Silva’s desperate hope for a better life. He remembered their workshop, the one safe place they had left. When he looked at Ramos and saw the cold, calculating look in his eyes, he knew there was only one path forward.

"I’ll do it," Ace said, his voice completely drained of emotion.

"Excellent," Ramos said, his smile returning at once. "The game is tomorrow night. Marcus will provide you with the details. Do not disappoint me."

It was a clear dismissal. Ace turned and walked out of the office, his legs feeling as heavy as lead. The sleek, quiet hallway of the accounting firm no longer felt professional; it felt like a tunnel leading straight back to a prison cell.

Evelyn was waiting in the car, her eyes full of unspoken questions. He slid into the passenger seat and told her everything about his meeting: the job he was forced to take, the large amount of money involved, and the terrible threat that came with it.

Her face fell with immediate worry. "Ace, no... You can’t do this. It’s far too dangerous. Just think what will happen if you get caught—"

"What choice do I have, Evelyn?" he snapped, his frustration and fear finally boiling over. "If I refuse, he will crush us and take everything we have. This job is our only fighting chance. That money is our only way out of this mess."

She spoke again, her voice desperate. "He is buying you, Ace. He is paying you so much money that you are willing to overlook what he is turning you into."

"I know exactly what this is!" he said, hitting the dashboard with the heel of his hand and making the car echo with the thud. He took a shaky breath to calm himself. "I know. But this is the only option we have left."

They drove back to their workshop in a heavy, suffocating silence. When they arrived, their friend Silva instantly knew that something was very wrong. "What happened? What did he want from you?"

Ace did not try to soften the news. He laid out the brutal choice that the crime lord, Ramos, had given him.

Silva’s face shifted from worried to utterly terrified. "The Sapphire Lounge? Ace, that place belongs to Vincenzo! He is old school mafia. If he catches you cheating... he does not call the police." Silva made a grim gesture that needed no explanation.

"We need to make a plan," Evelyn said, her sense of pragmatism forcing its way through her fear. She went to her laptop, and her fingers flew across the keyboard. "The Sapphire Lounge is a members only club with very tight security. We need to find a way to get you inside without raising any suspicion."

"I can get him in," Silva said suddenly. They both turned to look at him. "My cousin’s friend is a waiter. He just got fired last week from a fancy place. Maybe he can get Ace a job there for just one night as a temporary employee. It would be the perfect cover."

It was a thin and risky plan, but it was the only one they had.

For the next twenty four hours, they prepared nonstop. Evelyn researched everything she could find about The Sapphire Lounge, including its layout and security systems. Silva called in every favor he had to secure Ace a one-night job as a server. Ace himself spent the time testing the limits of his audio enhancement ability, practicing how to focus on multiple conversations at once to prepare for the immense mental strain of the upcoming cheat.

On the night of the game, Ace put on a stiff, borrowed white dress shirt and black pants. He looked at his reflection in the dark window of the workshop, but he did not see a CEO. He only saw a pawn being moved into position.

Evelyn handed him a tiny, almost invisible earpiece. "It is a one way device. I will be in the car outside, monitoring the police bands for any trouble. Silva will be at the bar down the street. If anything goes wrong, I will say the word checkmate, and you must get out of there immediately."

Ace nodded as he slipped the earpiece into his ear. He took a deep breath, feeling the crushing weight of his choice. He was about to break the law for a crime lord in order to save the legitimate business he had always dreamed of building. It was a terrible irony that his path to a clean future was now paved with the dirtiest of deeds.

"Time to go," he said, his voice barely a whisper.

He walked out into the night, heading toward the devil’s bet and hoping the prize would ultimately be worth the cost to his soul.