She locks herself in an elevator submerged in water and chooses to drown, believing redemption is impossible. Bond tries to save her, but she dies in front of him—solidifying the emotional coldness that defines the future 007. After winning, Bond plans to resign from MI6 and run away with Vesper. They fall in love, and for a moment, the hard edges of Bond seem to soften. But things take a dark turn when Vesper betrays Bond, stealing the winnings and transferring them to a secret account in Venice. While Daniel Craig’s 2006 franchise film gets all the glory, Ian Fleming’s first James Bond story, Casino Royale, has also been adapted a few times outside of Eon Production’s series. Considering Casino Royale is the very first James Bond work by Fleming, it makes sense that the agent’s official debut has been adapted more times than any of his other stories into movies. To recoup his clients' money, Le Chiffre organizes a Texas hold 'em tournament at the Casino Royale in Montenegro. MI6 enters Bond—the agency's best poker player—in the tournament, believing a defeat will force Le Chiffre to seek asylum with the British government in exchange for information on his clients. Bond is paired with Vesper Lynd, a British Treasury agent overseeing the $10 million buy-in. They meet their contact, French secret service agent René Mathis, in Montenegro.
