Chapter 289 Sterling, the Viper
Sterling's words hit Victor like a ton of bricks, making him shiver.
Sterling's stare was so intense, it looked like he was ready to chop off Victor's arm right then and there.
Before, Victor had no clue who Sterling was, so he didn't sweat it. But now, knowing the guy's rep, Victor was scared out of his mind.
Word on the street was that Sterling had a thing for gambling. They said he snagged the head spot of the Wallace family through a bet.
Winner took the throne, loser paid with their life.
Lady Luck seemed to have a permanent seat next to Sterling 'cause he hardly ever lost. But it wasn't just luck; the dude had mad skills too, making him seriously scary.
If you pissed him off, he'd give you a shot to save your skin by gambling with him.
Win, and you're golden, problem solved.
Lose, and you'd be in a world of hurt, worse than before.
And if you tried to skip out on your loss, well, folks said someone tried to run once, but Sterling caught 'em, and they vanished for good.
This wasn't a one-off; everyone who couldn't pony up paid big time.
So yeah, people called Sterling a nutjob—a smart, dangerous nutjob—who could do anything once he snapped.
If Xavier didn't gamble with Sterling, Victor was definitely losing a hand today. If not today, then by tomorrow, Sterling might take both arms as interest.
"Your bet's too small," Xavier said, ice-cold.
Sterling stood up, clapping and laughing. "I like straight shooters like you, Mr. Montgomery. Raise the stakes however you want."
Xavier said, "I haven't decided yet. Let's put a pin in it."
Sterling nodded. "Alright, let's get this show on the road."
He grabbed a pool cue. "Mr. Montgomery, what's the game?"
Xavier replied, "Your call."
"Talking to you is a real breeze," Sterling said, laying out the rules, and Xavier was cool with it.
Then the game kicked off. Sterling made the first move, and watching his play, Victor's anxiety for Xavier spiked.
Xavier had to bring his A-game. Victor had just played against Sterling, whose style was aggressive and slick, almost reckless.
No wonder Sterling was Xavier's nemesis; not many could go toe-to-toe with Xavier.
Sterling played like a pro, hardly making any mistakes, and he was sneaky as hell.
It took a bit before it was Xavier's turn. When Xavier grabbed a cue, Victor covered his eyes, almost too scared to watch.
But Victor still had faith in Xavier. To him, Xavier was unbeatable.
Sure enough, Xavier didn't disappoint. His play was even more intense, sharp, and precise, just like him.
It was clear that Xavier and Sterling were neck and neck.
The game was heating up, and Victor sidled up to Isaac. "Think Xavier's got this?"
Isaac glanced at him and said, "You dug this hole yourself. Your impulsiveness is gonna bite you one day."
Victor kept chatting with Isaac, "Impulsive? Come on, you saw how cocky he was. Dude was asking for it."
The longer the game dragged on without a clear winner, the more jittery Victor got.
He even started feeling a phantom pain in his arm. Leaning on Isaac, he muttered, "Isaac, my arm's killing me."
"Mr. Hastings, what's up with your arm? Need me to call a doc?" Grace's voice came from behind, making both Victor and Isaac turn around.
Victor asked, "Grace? What are you doing here?"
Grace had cleaned up, looking fresh and neat.
It had been a while, and Xavier hadn't come back. Grace was worried something had gone down.
As soon as Grace walked in, she locked eyes with Sterling's playful gaze.
Sterling gave a weird half-smile. His good looks were striking, but his expression was all arrogance and swagger. He was like a venomous snake.
The tension in the room was thick, and Grace felt it just standing at the door. It was the vibe of two powerhouses squaring off.
"Who is he..." Grace frowned. This guy had a serious aggressive vibe.
Victor said, "That's Sterling Wallace, Xavier's arch-nemesis."
Sterling's name was infamous. If Xavier was low-key, then Sterling was all about the flash, wanting everyone to know his every move.
Grace had heard of Sterling, but she didn't expect such a scary dude to show up in Skigeth.
"This is a long story, so I'll give you the short version." Victor quickly explained the situation, and Grace got that Sterling was here with bad intentions, and this was a high-stakes game.
"Xavier, if we keep this up, we'll be here till tomorrow with no winner. How about we switch it up?" Sterling called a halt and then looked at Grace. "Ms. Lewis, since you're here, why not take a few shots?"
Grace was shocked that Sterling knew her and her background. She was sure they'd never met, so he must've done his homework.
Sterling's words made Xavier frown.
Xavier said, "She doesn't know how to play."
Sterling smiled. "Didn't expect Mr. Montgomery to be so protective of your nephew's wife. Oh wait, wasn't there a big drama online last time? Ms. Lewis and the Montgomery family called off the engagement, right? So, she shouldn't be your nephew's wife anymore."
Sterling's few words made Grace uncomfortable.
Sterling had everything under control. And his gaze, though smiling, sent chills down her spine.
Sterling was like a tiger with a fake smile, seemingly chill but actually ruthless and crazy.
Sterling and Xavier were total opposites. Xavier didn't bother with pretense; he wouldn't even look at things he didn't like. He hated trouble and usually took out his opponents in one swift move.
While Sterling loved toying with his enemies. For those he disliked, he'd spend time messing with them, watching them squirm like trapped animals, and getting a kick out of their fear and pleas for mercy.
"You can learn if you don't know how to play. How about I teach you personally, Ms. Lewis?" Sterling's gaze fell on Grace, his expression ambiguous.
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