Chapter 605: Buried in Cash
"Ah... Ethan... mmph..."
Amber let out a sharp cry, followed by muffled sounds beneath the pile.
"I told you I had money, and I meant it! Don’t believe me? I’ll bury you in cash!"
Ethan threw himself onto the mountain of bills that had erupted across the room.
Amber wasn’t weak by any means—a heap of money, no matter how big, shouldn’t have been enough to trap her. But through some ridiculous twist of fate, her head popped out of the pile in a very compromising position.
"Uh..." Ethan froze, staring down at her. The angle was... not great.
"Ethan..." Amber’s hair was disheveled, strands falling over her flushed face.
"Yeah... yeah!" he replied, still dazed.
"Get off me!" she snapped through gritted teeth.
She pushed against him, but somehow couldn’t shake him off.
"I’ll get up, just don’t—ah! What the hell! You crazy woman, where are you biting—"
He didn’t even finish before Amber lunged, her teeth bared. Whether it was anger or instinct, she went straight for his most sensitive spot.
The fire in her eyes made it very clear—if she got him, she’d make him regret it for life.
Ethan’s reflexes kicked in. He pushed against her forehead and launched himself backward, tumbling off the money mountain. Amber burst out of the heap right after him, fury written all over her face.
"Don’t do anything stupid," Ethan warned, holding up both hands.
Her glare could have sliced through glass. She knew she couldn’t beat him, but that didn’t stop her from looking ready to try.
"Hmph." Amber turned away, dug through her purse, and pulled out a sleek black card. Without a word, she threw it at him.
"One million. No PIN required."
Then she spun on her heel and stormed toward the bedroom, the door slamming shut behind her.
Ethan caught the card midair, rubbing the back of his neck with a sigh. Feeling awkward and just a little guilty, he headed for the exit. Before leaving, he waved a hand—the scattered bills shimmered and vanished, returning neatly to his storage space.
Back in the casino, Ethan stepped up to the chip exchange counter. The crowd had thinned; most gamblers were already at their tables.
"Check the balance and exchange everything for chips," he said, sliding the black card across.
"Of course, sir."
Clatter.
A moment later, a tray of chips slid out, along with the card.
Ethan counted the stack, then frowned. "Two hundred twenty-two thousand?"
"Yes, sir. The card held one million New Age dollars, which converts to exactly two hundred twenty-two thousand U.S. dollars."
"Damn... stingy woman," he muttered, pocketing both the chips and the card before heading toward the casino floor.
—
Up on the ship’s top deck, not far from Ethan and Amber’s Honeymoon Presidential Suite, another luxury suite played host to a very different scene.
Quinn—the woman who had recognized Ethan earlier—sat beside an elderly man, her current patron.
Quinn’s eyes flickered with a trace of revulsion, but she didn’t resist when his arm slid around her waist.
"What caught your eye this time?" he asked lazily.
"Oh, Daddy... mmm... ah..." Quinn let out a few practiced, sultry sounds.
"Haha! The entire cruise ship is mine. Whatever you want, just take it. Now go enjoy yourself—I have an important guest to meet."
The old man’s hand moved with familiarity, his touch greedy and unrestrained.
"Mmm... no, Daddy," Quinn said, forcing a sweet smile. "I found something much more interesting today."
Her cheeks flushed slightly as she tilted her head toward him.
"Amber Zane... from the Zane family."
The old man’s expression shifted instantly, his dull eyes sparking with sudden excitement.
"Are you sure?"
"Why would I lie to you, Daddy? I wasn’t certain at first, but I checked the passenger list. It’s really her."
"What? She’s sharing a Honeymoon Suite—with some nobody?" His tone darkened, but his eyes gleamed.
"The last time I saw her was during the casino partnership talks. I’ve invited her again and again since then, and she refused every single time. Hmph..."
Quinn leaned forward slightly, voice dripping with suggestion. "She’s just a minor representative the Zane family left behind in the mundane world. Since she’s here... maybe there’s an opportunity."
The old man’s grin widened as Quinn quietly laid out her plan.
"My, you’re being very thoughtful today," he said, laughing. "The Zane family’s a shell of its former self anyway. Fine—handle it however you like."
He chuckled again and groped her shamelessly, his imagination already running wild. He’d wanted Amber for years. The thought of that cold, untouchable woman becoming a docile plaything in his hands made his pulse race.
He pushed Quinn down onto the sofa, ready to take things further.
"Oh, Daddy..." Quinn cooed, forcing a smile even as disgust flashed in her eyes. "Don’t you want to save your strength? Amber might still be... untouched."
The words landed exactly as she’d intended.
"Haha... you know me too well." The old man paused, straightening his clothes with a satisfied grin.
"Then I’ll take care of it, Daddy," Quinn said, getting to her feet.
As she reached the door, she turned back slightly. "What about the man with her?"
"Dispose of him."
Quinn’s lips curved faintly. That was the answer she’d been waiting for.
She turned and walked out, her face shifting from seductive warmth to icy indifference. Hatred glimmered in her eyes, cold and sharp—but there was excitement there too.
The old man, meanwhile, could barely contain his glee. To him, Quinn was nothing more than another plaything—a woman he’d picked up by chance and intended to discard once he was bored. But she’d proven far more cunning than expected, learning how to please and manipulate him just enough to earn his favor.
---
Ethan strode onto the casino floor, chest full of confidence and eyes shining with excitement. This was his first time stepping into a place like this, and it felt like stepping into one of the movies he used to watch as a kid.
Back then, he’d dreamed of having supernatural powers—of manipulating cards with a flick of his fingers, winning every hand, and becoming a gambling legend.
Now, with the strength of his Soul Energy, why not make that dream real?
Grinning, Ethan surveyed the glittering chaos of the casino floor.