Chapter 68 edited

In a lit and smoky casino, Kage, with a glint of determination in his eyes, swiftly formulated his plan to unsettle Le Chiffre. He leaned in towards the dealer and whispered, "Please send the barman over."

The dealer, taken aback by the unexpected request, hesitated for a moment before signaling the barman to approach. Le Chiffre, seated at the table, watched with growing irritation as the barman made his way over.

As the barman arrived, Kage's voice cut through the murmurs of the other players, commanding attention. "A dry martini," he ordered, his tone firm and unwavering.

The barman nodded in acknowledgment, replying in a thick accent, "Oui, monsieur." Just as he turned to fulfill the order.

"Just a moment," Kage stopped him add began, his tone firm. "Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet, shake it over ice then add a thin slice of lemon peel."

"Yes, sir," the barman replied with a hint of deference, his hands poised to craft the concoction. The other players, including the dealer, were entranced by the scene unfolding before them, their attention fully captured by Kage's commanding presence.

In the midst of this mesmerizing performance, Wolfpert spoke up, his voice breaking the spell momentarily. "You know, I think I'll have one of those," he declared, his curiosity piqued by Kage's order.

Infante, sensing the intrigue, quickly followed suit. "So will I," he chimed in, eager to partake in the exotic libation.

Meanwhile, Le Chiffre's patience wore thin, his frustration palpable as he observed the scene with growing agitation. Just as the barman began to depart, Tomelli interjected with a request of his own, disrupting the flow of the moment.

"Can I have one without the lemons?" Tomelli's inquiry hung in the air, adding another layer of complexity to the situation and further testing Le Chiffre's already frayed nerves.

"Is anyone interested in playing poker?!" Le Chiffre's frustration boiled over as he snapped at the table, his voice dripping with disdain. Kage couldn't help but smirk inwardly, his plan to unnerve Le Chiffre unfolding perfectly.

Wolpert's smile widened as he glanced at Kage. "Someone is in a hurry," he remarked, a playful tone lacing his words. Kage reciprocated with a small smile of his own, acknowledging Wolpert's observation without revealing his true intentions.

As the dealer began distributing the cards. Meanwhile, Le Chiffre's impatience reached its peak as he swiftly discarded his cards in frustration, his displeasure evident to all.

To Kage's right, another player called, prompting Kage to fold his hand with a polite excuse. "Excuse me," he murmured, his attention already drifting away from the table.

As the remaining players at the table engaged in betting and raising, Kage gracefully rose from his seat and made his way to the bar where Lady Jaye and Mathis awaited. With a confident stride, he approached Lady Jaye and enveloped her in a warm embrace, their kiss lingering just a fraction longer than planned.

As their lips parted, Kage leaned in to whisper, "Hmm, you taste nice." Lady Jaye smiled, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes as she questioned, "I thought we dispensed with covers."

Kage's smile remained, his voice low as he replied, "No, we dispensed with one that was of no use and created another that is. Is he watching?" Mathis, discreetly observing Le Chiffre, nodded subtly in confirmation.

Undeterred, Kage leaned in for another kiss, but this time Lady Jaye deftly evaded it, her tone playful yet pointed as she remarked, "Are you sure this is going well? Because you're losing so fast we won't be here past midnight."

Kage hummed thoughtfully, his eyes glinting with determination as he responded, "It was worth it to discover his tell." He took a sip of his drink, savoring the flavor before adding, "Hm. I'll have to think up a name for it."

Mathis, unable to contain his curiosity, interjected, "What do you mean, his tell?"

Kage's gaze turned towards Mathis as he explained, "A twitch he has to hide when he bluffs."

Lady Jaye, intrigued by the conversation, questioned, "Bluffs? He had the best hand."

Kage elucidated, "Which he got on the last card. The odds against were twenty-three to one, and he'd know that. When he made that first big raise, he was trying to scare me out, he had nothing. Winning was blind luck."

Turning back to Mathis, Kage queried, "Did you get it?" Mathis discreetly slipped a small silver disk into Kage's hand as Kage placed his drink on the bar and returned to the table, his demeanor focused and determined. Mathis observed him closely, silently contemplating the unfolding events, while Lady Jaye purposefully turned her back, feigning disinterest in the exchange.

As Mathis muttered under his breath, "Maybe he can really pull this off," his voice carried a hint of skepticism mixed with reluctant admiration.

Lady Jaye, unable to resist her curiosity, stole a quick taste of Kage's drink.

Meanwhile, back at the poker table, the game progressed with a rhythmic cadence. Cards shuffled and dealt, discarded and replaced, as the players settled into the intensity of the game.

Jackets were shed as the stakes rose, players dropping out one by one as the tension mounted. Money exchanged hands amidst whispered conversations and steely glances. Throughout it all, Kage remained composed, his chips hovering around the same level as he played with careful deliberation, weighing each move with precision and caution.

As Le Chiffre's losses began to accumulate, a palpable sense of pressure built in the room, the atmosphere thick with anticipation and tension. Meanwhile, Kage's keen eyes caught the subtle movement of Kratt stepping up to whisper in Le Chiffre's ear, a momentary interruption that went unnoticed by the other players.

Le Chiffre remained impassive, offering no response as Kratt eventually moved away.

As the tension mounted around the poker table, the dealer interjected with a proposal, "We have been playing almost four hours. If there's no objection we will take a one hour dinner break." The players, weary from the intense gameplay, rose from their seats and began to shuffle away.

Meanwhile, Kage seized the opportunity to enact a subtle maneuver. With a calculated stall, he pretended to count his chips while surreptitiously approaching Le Chiffre. As Le Chiffre signaled for Kratt to approach, Kage deftly palmed Le Chiffre's inhaler, swiftly pressing a silver disc onto its base before smoothly replacing it.

Le Chiffre, unaware of the exchange, turned back a moment later and retrieved his inhaler, none the wiser to the slight modification. Meanwhile, Kage, made his way toward the bar to join Mathis and Lady Jaye.

Mathis nodded knowingly as he remarked, "Well, I think I'll report on the morning's frivolities." With a decisive stride, Mathis exited the scene, leaving Kage and Lady Jaye alone at the bar.

Kage instinctively wrapped an arm around Lady Jaye's waist, as he discreetly scanned the room over her shoulder. His keen senses picked up on Le Chiffre's movements as the man parted ways with Kratt and made his way toward the exit.

Lady Jaye, wanted to know the next phase of their plan, leaned in slightly and questioned, "So..."

However, Kage remained silent, his attention momentarily diverted as he sensed the watchful gaze of another of Le Chiffre's associates: Leo.

With a swift and calculated move, Kage pulled Lady Jaye closer, his touch tracing a tantalizing path along her spine up to her neck. A shiver of anticipation ran through her body, betraying her involuntary response to his intimate gesture.

As if in response to her unspoken inquiry, Kage finally spoke, his voice dripping with a playful insinuation. "Really? That's naughty," he remarked with a mischievous grin, his eyes twinkling with hidden meaning.

Lady Jaye, momentarily caught off guard by the unexpected comment, furrowed her brow in confusion. "Now you've lost me completely," she admitted, her tone betraying a hint of uncertainty.

However, as she caught Kage's subtle hint, realization dawned upon her someone was watching, and a knowing smile tugged at the corners of her lips. In that moment, she understood the game they were playing, and she was more than willing to play along.