How could I possibly compete with them?

"I'm going to the restroom." I wiped my tears in haste and turned to leave the hall. If I didn't walk out now, I would completely fall apart in front of them.

Laughter erupted behind me.

"So even sluts have pride, huh? Hahaha!"

"Mr. Willis, don't wait for her. She thinks ten million is enough to play with us? What a joke! She just doesn't dare admit she's broke—ran off using the bathroom as an excuse!"

"Shut up." Brandon's voice sliced through the noise like a blade, cold and absolute.

He stared in the direction I'd gone. The room instantly fell silent. No one dared challenge him.

A few minutes later, I pushed the door open again.

I walked back in, still under the blinding lights and took my seat without hesitation. My eyes were red, but my gaze was steady. "Let's begin."

Brandon turned to me and for a brief second, surprise flickered in his eyes.

To showcase the photos more clearly, the screen behind the auctioneer had been replaced with a panoramic wraparound display. It cycled through images of my humiliation in high definition, a full 360-degree broadcast. No matter where one sat in the room, every degrading angle of me was there to enjoy.

"First photo," the auctioneer said with a knowing smile. "Starting bid, five hundred thousand!"

A collective gasp swept through the hall.

"Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful! A perfect fusion of elegance and depravity. Trust Miss Graham, the daughter of a scholarly family, to be this wild in bed."

"Seven hundred and a half!"

The screen flashed again, not just the photo—but a written scene accompanying it. I stood up abruptly. It was a vivid narrative, describing the precise moment the photo was taken. My wedding night with Brandon.

The wording, the rhythm... it was too detailed, too intimate. Only one other person could've written something like that.

I turned toward Brandon, trembling. He sat there, detached, a faint sneer curled at the corners of his mouth, like none of this had anything to do with him. Only when Maisy leaned in to whisper did his expression soften—gentle, affectionate.

Around me, the crowd roared louder, excitement rippling through them like a wave.

"And I thought the pictures were hot—turns out the story behind them is even steamier! Hands off, everyone! Two million! That photo's mine!"

"Three million!"

"She was this wild on her first night? Can't even imagine what happened afterward... Tsk, tsk. Five million!"

"I'm keeping my bid open!" My own trembling voice broke through the din.

All eyes snapped to me.

The auctioneer kept his practiced smile as he turned in my direction. "Bidder 38 wants to keep her bid open—are you certain?"

I sank back into my seat. My voice was barely audible. "I'm sure."

"Tsk! Shame. That one's a real masterpiece."

"What are you worried about? How many can she even afford to burn?"

"Exactly. The deeper it goes, the dirtier it gets. The real gold is in the later photos."

"Bidder 38 has chosen to keep her bid open!" the auctioneer announced with relish. "Anyone else? Going once... going twice... Congratulations to Miss Graham for securing the photo!"

I shut my eyes. My fingernails dug deep into my palms until I could feel warm blood.

The screen transitioned immediately. The second photo appeared—along with a new introduction.

"Second photo. Starting bid, five hundred thousand!"

The crowd erupted once more.

"This one's real? Damn! Hotter than every training video I've ever seen."

Someone near me leaned in and nudged my arm with his elbow.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk! Never would've guessed. You look so innocent—but underneath it all, you're just a filthy little thing."

I glared at him.

He laughed, unbothered. "Hey, I like girls like you! Mr. Willis doesn't want you anymore—why not come to me? I'll bid on one for you, how's that sound?"

"Don't touch me." My voice was ice.

He snorted and leaned back, bored. "Stop pretending. Just another broken toy. Ten hundred thousand!"

"A million!"

"Three million!"

"I..." My throat was dry, but I forced the words out anyway. "I'm keeping my bid open!"

I had no idea where the strength came from. Maybe it was the last thread holding me together. Maybe it was pride. Maybe it was the hope that even if I burned, I'd burn on my own terms.

The auctioneer paused, then gave me a long, meaningful look. He smiled.

"Bidder 38 chooses to keep her bid open!"

The deal was sealed. The auctioneer turned to me again, still wearing that professional smile.

"You've kept your bid open twice already. According to your asset verification, you only have less than ten million in liquid cash left. Do you know what that means?"

My voice was drained. "Keep going."

"Heh." The disdain on the auctioneer's face twitched before he pulled up the next slide. "Third photo. Starting bid, five hundred thousand!"

"I'm keeping my bid open!"

The moment my voice rang out, heads turned. Whispers died mid-breath. Some people blinked in disbelief; others exchanged incredulous glances.

The auctioneer gave me a sharp look. "Miss Graham, your pre-auction verification showed less than ten million. You've already committed more than eight million. Your remaining funds aren't enough."

From the side, a man chuckled and leaned forward. "Please, sweetheart, let me cover one for you."

I ignored him. My gaze slid straight to Brandon.

He was watching me, too—expression calm, eyes faintly amused, a cruel smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Not even a flicker of concern. There wasn't the slightest intention to step in.

The others turned toward him. After all, I was still legally his wife.

"Why are you all looking at me?" Brandon's voice was slow, amused. "I already said—let the guests bid however they like."

Laughter rippled across the room.

"Thank you, Mr. Willis, for your generosity in stepping back!"

Relieved, the men leaned back, grinning. Their game had just been made easier.

Then, from beside Brandon, Maisy suddenly raised her hand.

"I'm keeping my bid open for this photo. On behalf of Leia."

Her voice rang out, soft and deliberate.

Brandon turned to her. For the first time that night, surprise registered in his expression—then quickly gave way to an indulgent smile. His features softened as he looked at her.

Maisy smiled at me, all wide-eyed and innocent. "After all, you once paid for my tuition to study abroad. I haven't forgotten your kindness."

The room buzzed again. Whispers turned to laughter.

"No wonder Mr. Willis likes her—who wouldn't fall for someone that sweet?"

"Maisy's a good girl. Just hearing a dirty joke makes her blush. Not like someone else here—tsk, tsk!"

The words cut sharper than any knife. Their eyes stabbed into me, gleaming with scorn.

A glimmer of satisfaction flashed across Maisy's lips before she turned back to me, still wearing that sugary smile. "Leia, don't worry."

"Hypocrite." I sneered.

She froze. "What?"

"Is this your way of repaying me? By taking my place and seducing my man?" I leaned back in the chair. "Sorry—I haven't sunk so low that I need help from an ungrateful bitch."

"Leia!"

For the first time all night, Brandon addressed me directly. His tone was cold, foreign. Like I was a stranger.

I gave him a sidelong glance, my voice sharp. "I'm keeping my bid open. Just do your job."

The auctioneer hesitated. "If you insist, we'll have to factor in the remaining real estate under Graham Holdings. But since the company's gone bankrupt, those assets have severely depreciated. Even with that, it might barely scrape together six million."

"Just do it," I said flatly. "No need for commentary."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. This woman's completely out of her mind." One of the men shook his head, clearly entertained.

"She's even giving up her place to live now? All for pride? What a waste."

"The third one was the one I wanted the moment I saw it."

"No worries. There are still over three hundred photos left. What's the rush?"

"Exactly. I peeked ahead—she just gets filthier and more pathetic from here on. Hahaha!"

Their voices blended into a wall of noise—mockery, cruelty, amusement. A symphony of vultures circling a corpse.

Their eyes found me again.

A few were pitying. Most weren't.

"A cornered beast lashing out," someone snorted.

"Wait for the next one," another added. "She won't be able to do a thing. We'll be the ones bidding on her private photos."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk! I really want to see her face then." A man licked his lips. "Think it'll be the same expression she made in Mr. Willis's bed?"

Sneering laughter filled the hall. But I didn't flinch.

Let them laugh. Let them show their fangs. The wolves could circle all they liked. I was still standing.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and clenched my fists beneath the table, forcing myself to look up at the auctioneer. The fourth photo flashed onto the screen.

"Fourth photo. Starting bid, five hundred thousand!"

"Damn! I really like this one! A million and a half!"

"Two million!"

"Two and a half!"

"I'm keeping my bid open," I finally said.

The room went quiet. All eyes turned to me again, a mix of mockery and disbelief swirling in the air.

The auctioneer's smile faltered. "Miss Graham, please don't disrupt the auction. If this continues, we'll have no choice but to ask you to leave."

I met his gaze, unflinching. "I'm not disrupting anything. I said I'm keeping my bid open."

Then I added, clearly and deliberately, "And not just for this one—for all three hundred sixty-five photos in this auction, I'm keeping my bid open for every single one."

The silence broke into waves of laughter. The crowd exchanged glances and burst out in collective amusement. Even Maisy lost it—her shoulders shook with giggles as she leaned against Brandon's shoulder, her whole body trembling with glee.

Brandon looked down at her. The soft smile playing on his lips nearly twisted my stomach. That cold face of his, always unreadable, seemed to thaw just for her.

"She's insane. All 365? That's over 182 million just in starting prices!"

"She didn't even have that kind of money before her bankruptcy!"

"Other than Mr. Willis, who else would dare say something so delusional?"

The auctioneer needed several seconds to gather himself. When he finally managed to speak again, his tone was firm.

"Miss Graham, your verified assets have already been exhausted in the previous round. You're no longer qualified to keep your bid open."

He turned to the other bidders. "Now then, who just bid two and a half million? Going once..."

Crash!

The sound shattered the room—my glass slammed into the floor, exploding into pieces at the auctioneer's feet. He stumbled back in shock.

I rose slightly from my seat, voice cold. "I said I'm keeping my bid open. Didn't you hear me?"

A man in the audience groaned in annoyance. "Miss Leia Graham! We've tolerated your show for three rounds already. You're broke! Just quit embarrassing yourself!"

"Yeah! Fake bidding carries consequences, you know. The fact that we're even willing to look at your photos is us doing you a favor—don't overplay your hand!"

The auctioneer's patience wore thin. "Miss Graham, if not for Mr. Willis's reputation, you wouldn't have even set foot in this auction, let alone been allowed to bid. One more outburst and security will escort you out."

I narrowed my eyes, voice like steel. "Who said I have no money?"

Even Brandon flicked a glance in my direction.

The room tensed. The audience went quiet, uncertain whether to scoff or stay silent.

The auctioneer arched a brow. "You must be joking. This is a private auction, but we take asset verification seriously. We know exactly how much you came in with."

I replied coolly, "And as long as I still have funds, I can keep my bid open, correct?"

"Yes, technically, but—"

"Then reverify my assets," I cut him off.

Gasps and murmurs stirred around me. Even Brandon's expression shifted slightly—just a faint twitch at the corner of his mouth.

I reached out and pulled the microphone toward me. "What's wrong? Don't tell me you're all scared to keep playing now?"

"Hmph!" the auctioneer scoffed, recovering quickly. "Fine. We'll verify again. But don't regret it when you're humiliated in front of everyone."

The large screen behind the stage flickered. My photos vanished, replaced with a new display: digital numbers blinking into view.

"Number 38, second round of asset verification," the auctioneer announced.

The room leaned forward. Eyes scanned the screen. Faces turned tense.

"Why is she so calm?" someone whispered. "Could she actually still have money?"

"No way. Mr. Willis already cut off all of Graham Holdings' partnerships behind the scenes. Even if she had a hidden account, there's no way it'd be enough."

"Then she's bluffing. Or worse—lost her mind. Still..." A man hesitated, gaze narrowing. "What if she really does have something up her sleeve?"

Whispers surged across the room like a tide, suspicion and curiosity sharpening the mood.

I remained seated, expression unreadable, watching the numbers appear one by one.

"Asset verification complete," the auctioneer announced.

All eyes locked on the massive screen. Everyone held their breath.

After the system deducted the previously declared bids I had kept open, the final balance displayed was—

Zero.

The room fell silent for a second.

Then, it erupted.

"HAHAHAHAHA!!"

The entire crowd burst into raucous laughter.

"And here I thought she had some real tricks up her sleeve! Turns out she's just flat-out crazy!"

"Delusional much? She really faked everyone out!"

Brandon's lips curled into a sneer. He didn't say a word, but the contempt in his eyes was unmistakable. Beside him, Maisy was practically doubled over with laughter, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. The sheer joy on her face made it clear she thought this was the best entertainment of the night.

The auctioneer regained his composure and made a sweeping gesture. "Apologies, Miss Graham. You've disrupted the order of the auction. Please leave the venue immediately. Security!"

A line of burly men began walking toward me without hesitation.

I didn't flinch.

Instead, I remained seated, calm and silent. I tilted my wrist and glanced at my watch, then slowly tapped my index finger on the armrest three times in rhythm with the ticking seconds.

Then, I made a slight "please" motion toward the screen.

"You may begin the asset re-verification now," I said coolly.

The auctioneer's brow furrowed. "Miss Leia Graham, what do you take this place for? A playground? You think we have time to keep entertaining your fantasies?"

He snapped his fingers toward the guards. "Get her out of here—toss her if you must."

But before they could reach me, the auctioneer suddenly froze.

His eyes widened. Then he abruptly turned back to the screen.

"This... how is this possible?"

Even Brandon stood up from his seat in alarm. Murmurs ran through the crowd, louder now.