Robin, still feeling dejected after losing game after game, suddenly noticed the commotion happening on the other side of the room.

One of the players at his table also glanced over and commented:

"Looks like a fight is breaking out over there."

Robin squinted, trying to see what was going on. Normally, he wouldn't care about these things—he had seen brawls like this countless times back when he was a beggar. Fights over money, food, or a place to sleep were nothing new to him.

But for some reason, this time, something drew him in. His eyes stayed locked on the scene, completely ignoring the new cards dealt in front of him.

Then, all of a sudden, a familiar figure flashed before his eyes—someone he had been searching for all these years.

"Am I... am I seeing things?" Robin muttered to himself.

Without a second thought, he shot up from his seat and rushed towards the fight, desperate to confirm if it was really her.

A man was being held back by the casino security, struggling to break free, while a woman stood nearby, clutching her face and sobbing.

"You've already thrown all our money away in this place! The little I saved to pay off your debts—you gambled that away too!" she cried.

"Shut up! This is my game! Stop making a scene!" the man barked angrily.

"I can't take this anymore!" she wailed in despair.

Robin froze in place. The woman he had been searching for all these years was standing right before him.

She looked thinner than before, her once vibrant orange hair still curling softly at the ends, but her eyes had lost their former sparkle, replaced by a deep sadness. Just from watching the scene unfold, he could already tell—life had not been kind to her.

And the man? Robin recognized him too—the same scruffy bearded man he had seen with her in his past life.

"Why does she have to be stuck with such a terrible husband?" he thought bitterly.

Suddenly, the man shoved the guards aside and lunged at her, ready to strike again. But before his fist could land, Robin intercepted him.

He grabbed the man's wrist and, with one swift motion, threw him to the ground. Gasps filled the room as the man groaned in pain, unable to utter a word.

The woman stood frozen for a moment before quickly wiping her tears and whispering:

"Thank you... for helping me."

Robin couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Are you alright? Your face... your injury?" he asked gently.

She instinctively raised a hand to cover the red mark on her cheek, avoiding his gaze.

"I... I'm fine..." she murmured.

She turned to leave, but Robin knew he couldn't let her slip away again. He reached out, grabbing her wrist.

Startled, she looked at him. He stared deep into her eyes and asked:

"Do you... do you remember me?"

She furrowed her brows, trying to recall if she had ever seen him before. But after a moment, she shook her head.

"I'm sorry... this is the first time we've met."

Disappointment washed over Robin's face, but he refused to let go.

"How did you get here? Let me take you home... it's late, it's dangerous... and the hospital bills for him—I'll cover them."

Her body tensed at his offer. To her, he was a complete stranger, and now he was insisting on driving her home. She hesitated, her guard up.

"Thank you... but I can manage on my own."

She pulled her hand free from his grasp and walked straight towards the exit.

Robin stood there, watching her figure disappear into the night. Frustration boiled inside him. He then turned to the man still groaning on the floor and threw a wad of cash at his face.

"Take this and use it to fix whatever's wrong with you—especially your filthy habit of hitting women."

Despite his pain, the man scrambled to grab the money, stuffing it into his pockets.

Robin wasted no more time and ran after her. He spotted her hailing a taxi and quickly jumped into his car to follow.

He trailed her all the way across town until she arrived at a modest neighborhood. She stepped out of the cab and entered a small restaurant, locking the door behind her.

"So... her home is actually a restaurant?"

Robin parked his car and sat outside for a long time, staring at the dimly lit building before finally driving away.

On his way home, his mind was flooded with memories of her—the way her eyes once sparkled, the way she used to smile back in their university days. He clenched the steering wheel.

"This time, I won't let her go again. I'll protect her... and get that bastard out of her life."

When he arrived at his house, he found Bon and James waiting outside, shivering in the cold.

Robin frowned. "What the hell are you two doing standing out here?"

As soon as he stepped out of the car, Bon stormed up to him, grabbed him by the collar, and growled:

"Wake up, Robin! This isn't you!"

"Wake up from what?" Robin replied coldly.

James quickly intervened, trying to defuse the situation.

"Let's all calm down! No fighting! Violence won't solve anything!"

Bon gritted his teeth. "You don't understand, James. This idiot only wakes up when you beat some sense into him!"

With that, Bon swung his fist at Robin.

But for Robin, dodging it was effortless. He had faced much worse. He barely even flinched.

Bon was stunned. "You... you dodged that?"

Robin sighed, shoving Bon's hands off his collar and straightening his shirt.

"Relax. I've got my head on straight now. I'll focus on work again. I'm sorry for everything, Bon. James. I made you guys worry."

Bon and James were dumbfounded.

Robin turned to unlock his door and glanced back at them.

"Are you two coming inside? Or do you plan to freeze to death out here?"

Without hesitation, they rushed into his house. That night, the three of them drank, talked, and laughed until dawn, clearing up all the misunderstandings.

Lying on the floor with his friends passed out beside him, Robin thought to himself:

"If I keep gambling... I'll end up just like that bastard. And she'll suffer all over again. I can't let that happen. Not this time."