Anna’s blood ran cold. She could feel Mark stiffen beside her. This was a direct, public challenge. Cora wasn't just playing a game; she was changing the rules in the middle of the first hand. Every instinct screamed at Anna to shut it down, to stand up and walk out, to reassert her control by refusing to play.

But then she looked at Mark.

His face was a mask of shock, but as his eyes met hers, she saw something else flicker beneath the surface. It wasn't anger. It was intrigue. A dark, hungry curiosity. He had wanted a challenge, and Cora was delivering it in spades. He gave her...