Antinomy Chapter 5

It resembled the city of indulgence, Las Vegas. The lavish fountains and sculptures each spewed water in their own way. The exterior of the building, undeniably luxurious at a glance, clearly indicated that it was a hotel and a casino. Hye-young’s gaze, as she looked at Massimo’s hotel and casino through the car window, grew calm.

 

As soon as they arrived in front of the hotel, the limousine came to a stop. Immediately, doormen sprang out and opened the door to the back seat.

 

“Good evening.”

 

She responded with a light nod to the doorman’s greeting and pulled a tip out of her handbag. The doorman’s face lit up upon receiving a rather generous tip. Hye-young had to appear like a VIP to anyone who saw her.

 

“My dinner money…”

 

[“Why are you like this when you’re loaded?”]

 

Emil’s voice flowed through the earpiece in her ear. Hye-young rubbed her ear lightly with one hand and responded.

 

“I’m not loaded, okay?”

 

[“Forget it. Not worth talking to you.”]

 

Hye-young stepped into the hotel. The moment she entered, she could feel the stares scanning her. The women’s eyes swept over her dress and handbag, while the men’s intent was obvious. An Asian beauty—clearly, they were only thinking of one thing. And sure enough, a sleazy-looking older man approached her. Even with her heels on, he was shorter than her. His body was easily twice as wide.

 

“Señorita.”

 

Even his voice was sleazy. Feeling annoyed, Hye-young raised her phone. Before the man could get closer, she pretended to be busy and started walking.

 

“Tesoro. Where are you? The casino? Okay, I’ll be right there.”

 

[“I hate it when you call me ‘Tesoro’.”]

 

At that, Hye-young covered her mouth and whispered.

 

Tesoro. A term of endearment used between lovers. Hye-young whispered as she covered her mouth.

 

“Shut up, E.”

 

Emil’s laughter came through the earpiece. Ignoring it, Hye-young walked toward the casino entrance. The moment she stepped into the entrance with relaxed, confident strides, she approached a security guard stationed at the door.

 

“Can you take me to the VIP room?”

 

At that, a hint of suspicion appeared on the security guard’s face.

 

“An Li.”

 

She said the name Emil had given her and handed over a forged business card. The guard who took it seemed to check something on his phone, and soon responded with a courteous attitude.

 

“Miss An Li. Allow me to escort you.”

 

Perhaps Emil was watching the situation through the hacked CCTV, because his self-praise flowed through the earpiece.

 

[“There really is a Chinese woman named An Li among the VIPs. She hasn’t been to the casino in quite a while. Looks like she came as a tourist a few times and spent a fortune each time.”]

 

But at that moment, nothing registered in Hye-young’s ears. All she could think about was sneaking into Massimo’s office, as she smiled and scanned the surroundings.

 

The lounge for casino VIPs was on the 17th floor. And from the 18th floor onward, VIP suites were prepared for them. According to the information Emil had provided beforehand, Massimo’s office and the place he was staying were also on the 18th floor.

 

[“It’s all cameras up there. Well, I’ll swap out the footage, but H, what you really have to watch out for is the security team.”]

 

Instead of answering, Hye-young flicked the earpiece in her ear while pretending to brush back her hair. Since responding was difficult, it was to signal that she was listening.

 

[“For now, just enjoy yourself and have a few drinks. When I give the signal, act drunk and head up to the suite.”]

 

Right ahead, a staff member carrying a tray with champagne glasses came into view. Hye-young walked up to them and lightly took a glass of champagne. Then, taking a small sip, she murmured softly.

 

“If I have to enjoy myself, I’ll enjoy myself.”

 

[“Don’t overdo it. If you get tipsy and draw suspicion…!”]

 

“We’ll see. But I think I’ve already got my eye on one.”

 

Hye-young moved. The place she headed to was the blackjack table. Seeing her set down her champagne glass, the dealer smiled with his eyes.

 

“Good evening.”

 

“Indeed. It’s a perfect night for blackjack.”

 

Then, as if everything was second nature, she raised only her right hand slightly to call a staff member. She slid a wad of cash from her handbag onto the table.

 

“Can you exchange this for chips?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Among VIPs, there were many who brought wads of cash like this to use. After all, cash couldn’t be traced. The staff would likely check if the money was counterfeit. In the meantime, Hye-young had to drink champagne. That way, she could convincingly act drunk.

 

“Hm, the champagne tastes really good today.”

 

“Shall I bring you another glass?”

 

“I’d like that. You know, blackjack always goes better when you’re drunk.”

 

The dealer nodded to the staff. The staff member quickly placed a new glass of champagne in front of Hye-young.

 

“Thank you. Ah, here’s a tip.”

 

Hye-young slipped a bill into the employee’s jacket pocket and sipped from her champagne glass again. Just as the champagne was starting to run low, the employee who had taken Hye-young’s money earlier appeared. He was holding a heavy chip in his hand.

 

“Please enjoy your time.”

 

Hye-young, staring at the chips stacked in front of her, casually reached out. One, two, three. The chips began to move from her hand to the table. Each chip was worth 1,000 euros. The total number of chips on the table was ten.

 

“10,000 euros. Will you place your bet?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Then, Emil’s urgent voice came through the earpiece.

 

[ “10,000 euros?! Are you crazy?” ]

 

Ignoring Emil’s words lightly, Hye-young kept her eyes fixed on the dealer. The dealer’s hands shuffled the cards rapidly with a blank expression; the movements were precise. Holding her breath, Hye-young watched the dealer, but flinched at the sound of a voice.

 

“So you know how to play blackjack.”

 

A calm, confident voice. A voice she’d definitely heard before. As Hye-young turned her head, he was there—Mathew von Favard.

 

He let out a small chuckle as he watched Hye-young’s eyes widen in surprise. Then he jerked his chin toward the dealer. It was a signal that he was joining the game. After glancing at the chips in front of Hye-young, he slowly placed his own chips on the table.

 

“Twenty.”

 

When Mathew placed exactly twice the number of chips as Hye-young—twenty in total—the dealer nodded.

 

“Understood.”

 

Just moments ago, Hye-young had felt calm, but now her heart began to race violently. The man sitting next to her now knew her identity well. And there was no way he came here just to have fun.

 

“But.”

 

Mathew tilted his head slightly and fixed his gaze on Hye-young.

 

“What brings you here?”

 

His tone had an odd dissonance to it. Instinctively putting up her guard, Hye-young turned to face him.

 

“Does it matter to you?”

 

Forcing a smile, Hye-young tried to maintain her composure.

 

“I just came to enjoy the casino for the first time in a while. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t interrupt.”

 

To Mathew, her act was simply amusing.

 

“Oh my. To enjoy yourself?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Before she could even finish speaking, the dealer placed two cards in front of Hye-young. Soon after, two cards were also placed in front of Mathew.