1 On the eve of the college entrance exam results, my childhood-sweetheart-turned-gold-digger fiancé, Julian Sterling, decided to publicly auction off 365 of my most intimate photos in a shady underground club. To save my reputation, I was forced to bet everything I owned. But Julian's "white moonlight," his true love Sarah Snow, always bid exactly one dollar more than me. Cornered, Julian suggested I bet my SAT score. In the end, I won back my photos with a perfect 1600 score and the entire fortune of the River family. I thought this absurd auction would never hold up in the real world. But the next day, every asset my family owned was legally transferred to Julian's name. And me? The valedictorian, the Ivy League hopeful? My SAT score came back as a zero. Meanwhile, Sarah Snow, a girl who struggled to pass basic algebra, suddenly had a perfect 1600 and was the top scholar in the state. I requested a rescore, but the result claimed I had turned in a blank test. Worse still, Julian didn't keep his end of the bargain. He leaked my private photos anyway. They spread like wildfire. Unable to bear the shame, I jumped from a building. In my final moments, I learned the truth: Julian was bound to an "Auction System." As long as the auction concluded successfully, whatever was wagered—money, property, abstract concepts like test scores—would be forcefully transferred by the system. He designed the entire auction just to goad me into betting my SAT score, stealing my future to give it to Sarah. Reborn, I found myself back at that nightmarish auction. Facing my treacherous fiancé and his smug lover, I decided to go all in. "I light the Sky Lantern!" ...... "Whoa, look at that figure, that tiny waist! The River heiress really lives up to her name as the city's top beauty!" "Hmph, looks innocent on the surface, but clearly she's wild in private." "I told you she was easy, but you didn't believe me. And she thinks she's good enough for our Julian?" Wolf whistles and crude jeers erupted from the stands filled with trust-fund babies. On the big screen, hundreds of my private photos were displayed. Some were candid shots from my bedroom; others were blatantly Photoshopped fakes. The architect of this humiliation, Julian Sterling, sat in the VIP box, his arm around Sarah Snow, looking down at me with amusement. "Oh, Sister River," Sarah cooed, feigning distress but eyes gleaming with triumph. "How could you take such indecent photos? Some even with... well, you have quite the heavy taste! There must be a misunderstanding, right? Explain it to Julian!" I ignored the green tea bitch and stared daggers at Julian. "Julian Sterling, have you forgotten who built the Sterling family? You're just a dog raised by my family!" Years ago, the Sterling family faced financial ruin. To save themselves, they sent five-year-old Julian to my family as a "child groom." Basically, he was my charity case. His current status was entirely thanks to the River family lifting him up. But my words struck a nerve. Julian slammed the table. "Evelyn River! Do you still think your family rules this city? You're confused. Right now, you are the dog we're playing with!" "Let the auction begin! 365 private photos of Evelyn River. Starting bid: one dollar!" The crowd went wild. "Haha, one dollar? That's humiliating. I'll start with ten thousand!" Others chimed in: "One million! Just an appetizer, don't fight me for it!" Just then, Sarah raised her hand. "I can't bear to see Sister's photos fall into the hands of perverts. I'll buy them for her. Five million!" I sneered internally. She wasn't being kind. She was baiting me. Julian's "Auction System" meant that whatever the winning bid was—cash, assets, or otherwise—would be forcibly transferred. They wanted to swallow the River family whole! And to ensure I couldn't make a comeback, they needed me to bet my future—my SAT score. I treated them like family, and they repaid me with ruin and humiliation. Rage burned in my veins. You like bidding wars? Fine. Let's play. "I light the Sky Lantern!" I announced, my voice cutting through the noise. "I bet all my savings, my real estate, my cars, and every single share and company owned by the River family. Total value: ten billion dollars! I'm all in!" 2 The room gasped. "Evelyn, are you insane? Over a few photos?" Julian yelled. I ignored him, locking eyes with Sarah. "Do you dare to call?" Panic flashed in Sarah's eyes. She looked to Julian for help. Her family was nouveau riche, barely scraping into high society thanks to her looks. She didn't have that kind of money. And the other playboys weren't stupid enough to bet their inheritance on nudes. "Hmph, it's just ten billion. I call..." Julian started, but I cut him off. "Playing referee and athlete? I've never seen an auction host bid. If you bid, the money just goes from your left pocket to your right. What's the point?" Julian scoffed. He pulled out his phone, transferred over a billion dollars to Sarah, and signed over several of his own companies and shares on the spot. Total value: over fifteen billion. Sarah, now flush with cash, giggled triumphantly. "Hehe, I said I'd buy them back for Sister, so I will! I call! Ten billion... and one dollar!" Laughter rippled through the crowd. Raising by a single dollar was a blatant insult. "Miss River, can you even scrape together two more dollars? Tell you what, bark like a dog and I'll toss you a couple bucks," Julian jeered. I had bet everything. I literally didn't have another dollar. But I remained calm. "You all want to see my private life? Fine. I raise. I bet 365 private videos. Custom made! How about that?" The crowd exploded, whistling and cheering. Julian froze, frowning deeply. "Evelyn River, do you get off on being exposed? I didn't know you were this cheap!" His insults and the crowd's mockery felt like slaps to the face. My dignity was gone, but for my family, for myself, I had to keep going. Sarah glared at me viciously, then gritted her teeth. "Videos? Fine! I call! For every video you make, I'll make one too!" The atmosphere hit a fever pitch. Whether it was the fallen heiress or the playboy's lover, the crowd was eager for the show. Seeing the excitement, Julian grinned cruelly. "Since Miss River is so open, I should let the boys have some fun! Let's preview some of her classics!" Uncensored photos of me appeared on the big screen. 3 The room erupted. Lust filled every pair of eyes staring at me. "Damn, that's top tier!" "So young but that body is demonic! A natural stunner!" "Way better than flat-chested Sarah over there. I'm bidding!" Blood rushed to my head as I looked at the naked images. "Julian, you bastard! You have no right!" He felt zero guilt. "What? I thought you liked being watched. Stop pretending, you're enjoying this, aren't you?" Another wave of laughter. I wanted to disappear. "What's wrong, Miss River? Still bidding?" "But videos are boring. Why don't you service the boys right here? There's at least sixty guys. One night with each, charge a thousand bucks... that's sixty grand right there!" The crowd cheered at Julian's suggestion. "I'll pay two thousand!" "Get lost! No driving up the price! One thousand max!" "Yeah, maybe the first few are worth a grand, but used goods depreciate fast!" I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. Julian, you can hate me, you can kill me, but why humiliate me like this? I swear, I will make you regret being born. I slammed the table, enunciating every word: "Betting money is boring. Sarah Snow, do you dare to bet your life?" The room went silent. Sarah stammered, "L-life? What do you mean? You want to commit suicide here?" "No. I mean the rest of our lives. As long as we breathe, the loser becomes the winner's slave. The slave owns nothing; everything belongs to the master. The slave must obey every command, even if the command is to die." You could hear a pin drop. Everyone was shocked by the stakes. Julian whispered furiously to Sarah. My back was soaked with sweat. They could have stopped here. They had already stripped the River family of everything and ensured I could never recover. But I was gambling. Gambling on Sarah's greed. If I was wrong, I was doomed to eternal hell. Sarah bit her lip, ignoring Julian's warnings. Her eyes burned with unwillingness to lose. Finally, she stood up and screamed at me. "Just a life? I call!" 4 My knees almost gave out. Thank god she took the bait. "Sarah, are you crazy? This is enough!" Julian shouted. But Sarah pouted, stamping her foot. "No! It's not enough! I want that! This auction is my only chance! If I don't get it now, I never will!" Seeing Julian hesitate, she unleashed her ultimate weapon: whining. "Julian baby, you're the best. Besides, she lit the Sky Lantern. She has to match the bid. It's the rules." The "rules" of the System. If I didn't follow them, the consequences would likely be fatal. Since I lit the Sky Lantern, they knew I couldn't back out. Julian nodded. I laughed, mocking Sarah. "Everyone knows a bid has to be higher in value than the last. But you, Sarah Snow... your looks, body, height—all inferior to me. Your family wealth and connections—inferior. Your IQ is practically non-existent. Do you really think your life is worth more than mine?" "What did you say?!" Sarah looked ready to attack me. But the Auctioneer nodded in agreement. "As Ms. River said, Ms. Snow's value is significantly lower than Ms. River's. The bid is invalid." Sarah was furious, stomping and demanding Julian fix it. Julian panted, conflicted. Finally, he gritted his teeth, grabbing Sarah's hand. "Then I'll add my life to the pot! Is that enough?" Instantly, the Auctioneer presented life-and-death contracts. Sarah and I signed without hesitation. Julian hesitated, then signed his name with a savage stroke. He threw the pen down, looking manic. "Now! How will you match that? Don't forget, you lit the Sky Lantern! If you don't win, I guarantee you'll suffer." I was stripped bare of assets. I had nothing left of value. Was I going to lose? Suddenly, Sarah spoke up. "How about this? Bet your SAT score. I remember the Ivy League admissions office contacted you. A perfect score is basically guaranteed. Bet 1600 points. That should be enough." I looked at the Auctioneer. He nodded. "Betting test scores?" "Can a score even transfer to Sarah?" "Sarah, maybe let it go?" Whispers filled the room, but Sarah ignored them, taunting me. "Well? It's the last valuable thing you have, you stray dog. Dare to bet it?" I almost laughed out loud. I was waiting for this line! In this life, I didn't take the SATs! The admissions office contacted me because I had already been accepted via early action based on my Olympiad wins! I didn't have a 1600 score to give. Let's see how you handle a zero. "I bet it! I bet 1600 points!" The moment I bid, Sarah waved her hand, relieved. "I fold. Sister Evelyn, the photos are yours. But your money, your company, your score, and even your life... are now mine! Hahahaha!" Sarah laughed at the sky like a victor, looking like a lunatic to everyone else. Going once... "Evelyn River, your family was kind to me once. I'm fair. If you strip naked, kowtow to me, and promise to be my dog, maybe I'll spare your parents," Julian said excitedly. I treated his words like barking. I stared at the gavel. Almost there... Going twice... "Boys! You can play with this bitch anytime you want! Free of charge! Film it! She wants to act like a saint? I'll rip that mask right off!" Jeers erupted again. Someone reached for my skirt. I slapped his hand away, eyes glued to the gavel, sweat slicking my palms. Julian was ecstatic. "Haha, you think you're still the high-and-mighty Miss River? You're a slave now! Everything you have is mine!" My heart felt like it was being squeezed by a giant hand. If I miscalculated, my life was over. Finally, the gavel came down for the third time. Sold! Under their triumphant gazes, the Auctioneer spoke slowly. "Congratulations to the winner of the private photos—Ms. Sarah Snow!" The color drained from Julian and Sarah's faces. "What?! I won?!" "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!!"
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