Le Chiffre’s eyes gleamed with amusement as he rolled up his sleeves, his fingers hovering over the bright plastic lever of his hippo. “You know, Mr. Bond,” he purred, “there’s something quite fitting about this game, isn’t there? A frenzied scramble for a limited prize, where only the most ruthless can emerge victorious.”

Bond gave him a sideways glance, one hand resting casually on his own lever. “Ruthless? No, Le Chiffre, I think you mean desperate,” he replied with a faint smile. “It’s a game of precision and timing, not mindless greed. But then, I wouldn’t expect you to understand the difference.”

Le Chiffre’s smile tightened. “We’ll see about that.” With a flick of his wrist, he sent his hippo snapping forward, capturing the first marble with a loud *clack*. “You see, Bond, it’s all about seizing every opportunity, taking what you want before someone else can.”

“Is that what you tell yourself?” Bond quipped, casually nudging his hippo into action. He missed the marble on purpose, letting it roll past. “I prefer to bide my time, wait for the right moment. Patience, after all, is a virtue.”

Le Chiffre’s eyes narrowed. “Or an excuse for hesitation. You’re not fooling anyone, Bond. We both know how this ends. You always lose.”

Bond chuckled, his gaze flicking to the marbles scattered across the board. “You sound awfully confident for someone who’s only caught one marble,” he said lightly. With a sudden, swift motion, he sent his hippo lunging forward, snatching up three marbles in quick succession.

Le Chiffre’s smile faltered, just for an instant, before he regained his composure. “Impressive,” he murmured, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “But let’s not pretend you can keep that up. Eventually, you’ll slip. You always do.”

“Perhaps,” Bond replied, moving his hippo with a deft flick to scoop up another marble. “But sometimes, a single slip is all it takes to end the game… for someone else.”

Their eyes met across the board, the air thick with tension. Le Chiffre’s hand twitched on the lever, his control wavering. He lunged for another marble, but Bond was quicker, his hippo snapping it up just before it reached Le Chiffre’s grasp.

“Looks like you’re losing your touch,” Bond remarked, his tone maddeningly calm.

Le Chiffre gritted his teeth, glaring at the remaining marbles. “You’re insufferable.”

“I know,” Bond replied, a small smile tugging at his lips as he prepared for the final strike. “But you must admit, I do make it look easy.”

28/4/2026...

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