Back to the Past: Breaking the Love Spell



It was the evening at Dragonaire Studio.

Owen, shirtless, was in the middle of a card game with his colleagues. A cigarette dangled from his lips as he cocked his head at an angle. The table was littered with ten-dollar bills. The stakes had been raised to about four hundred dollars.

"Let's see them," Sunny said.

He tossed ten dollars into the pile and turned over his three cards. They were all in the same suit three kings.

"Damn. That's a hit."

Sunny immediately regretted his bold move. If only he had checked his cards first.

But knowing Owen, he probably would have gone all in blindly. With Owen's annual salary of over 200 thousand dollars, Sunny felt that now was the perfect time to rob him clean.

"Owen's done for!"

"It's good that Sunny didn't peek at his cards, or Owen would be down to his boxers!"

Everyone gave Owen pitiful looks.

Owen grinned.

"Don't count me out just yet. What if I have an ace up my sleeve?"

He gathered his cards into a pile and revealed a pair of hearts as the first card.

Slowly, he slid the first card away, revealing a red three underneath.

"Round, round, round..." he sang, hoping for a heart.

When the corner of another heart appeared, Owen beamed.

"Not so fast, Sunny. You haven't won yet."

He began to reveal the third card.

"Spiky, spiky, spiky..."

"Oh crap, it's pointy..."

And indeed, the tip of a red ace appeared. Sunny leaned in.

"Could be a four, you know?"

Owen revealed a bit more of the card, showing that the tip was slightly askew.

"Just as I thought, a four. Even a straight can't save you now!"

Sunny burst out laughing.

Owen blinked.

"But what if it's a straight flush?"

The smile disappeared from Sunny's face. A third red card-if it were a heart-would be a straight flush, trumping Sunny's three kings.

"Be round, be round," Owen continued as he revealed the third card.

The others joined in the chant. But the third card turned out to be from the diamond suit.

Owen covered his cards.

"Damn it!"

"I win! Mr. Barlow, you're a CEO now. Watch your language. We've got a reputation to uphold," Sunny teased as he collected all the money.

Owen stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and sighed.

"Sunny, I'm as stiff as a board back at headquarters. I come here to relax, and yet you're still on my case."

Sunny looked surprised and offered an awkward smile.

"My bad. Relax. You're home now. Let's keep going."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. A night worker opened it.

At the sight of Carlisle, he stammered, "C-Carl... I mean... Mr. Zahn..."Owned by NôvelDrama.Org.

"Just Carl is fine, I don't mind."

Carlisle waved him off with a smile.

The worker grinned.

"Carl..."

Carlisle nodded and entered the living room. Everyone stood to greet him.

Owen struggled to put on his shirt and fix his hair. Carlisle's presence was more imposing than ever. He felt like he was standing before a schoolteacher.