Gideon Hart, a man known for keeping every woman at arm's length, gets drugged and wakes up in a hotel with me lying beside him.

Afterward, he comes to me and offers ten million as compensation.

When I remain silent, my best friend, Lena Quimby, jumps in like she's been waiting for her cue. She snaps that money can't buy everything, trying to reject the offer on my behalf.

Before I can say a word, comments start flashing before me like a live stream chat.

"Here we go! The male lead, the female lead, and the side character are all on screen together!"

"Lena's so classy. Way better than that gold-digger Evelyn."

"Watch Evelyn reject the money and still get clowned!"

"Who wouldn't pick the sweet, innocent heroine?"

Glancing at Lena's flushed cheeks and the way her eyes stick to Gideon, I almost let out a cold laugh.

Then, I turn to the man in front of me and hold up my Venmo QR code. "Sure. Wire it!"

"Mr. Hart, I know you're rich, but money can't buy everything!" Lena Quimby, my best friend, snapped, her eyes reddening as she spoke up for me.

However, she kept sneaking glances at Gideon Hart, and the heat in them betrayed a yearning too obvious to ignore.

Gideon's brow creased.

Seeing that, Lena pushed harder. "It's degrading to pay a woman off. If it were me, I wouldn't take a cent, even if I had nothing. Dignity and love come before everything. A woman's first time should only be given to her future husband."

As she said that, she blushed at her own words.

I let out a cold laugh. This was exactly what happened in my previous life.

Last time, I let Lena goad me. I couldn't bear the shame, so I refused Gideon's offer. Later, when bills piled up, she egged me on to ask him for money.

In the end, things spiraled, and I was thrown out of Kingsborough. I had nothing left and hit rock bottom.

Lena could put on an act all she wanted in this life. She just wasn't going to polish her halo with my money again.

I looked up and met the eyes of the refined man across from me. Gideon looked indifferent, as if he already knew I would turn him down in anger.

The next second, I smiled, pulled up my Venmo QR code, and held the screen out to him. "Sure. Wire it."

The room fell silent. Gideon froze, clearly not expecting me to be so blunt.

On the live stream, the chat exploded.

"Unbelievable! She has no shame at all! The male lead must have never seen anyone so greedy!"

"The female lead is chaste and elegant. She's the only one worthy of him!"

After a moment, Gideon narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips tight. "I thought you'd—"

"You'll only feel at ease if I take your money, won't you?" I cut him off with a smile. "It was just an accident. We'll clean it up and move on. Besides, freely you have received; freely give."

That surprised Gideon. The indifference in his eyes gave way to curiosity. "I knew you were at Kingsborough University, but I didn't expect you to be the type to quote scripture."

Lena chimed in, "Mr. Hart, you may be rich, but that doesn't give you the right to dig into our backgrounds. That's insulting!"

Insulting?

I let out a cold laugh.

In my previous life, I thought taking the money was insulting. Later, I learned that what was really insulting was having no money.

I lifted my gaze to Gideon. "I grew up in an orphanage. I paid my tuition by transcribing scriptures, so I picked up a little along the way. If you ever need that kind of work, you can reach me."

Hearing this, Gideon was stunned for a moment. After a beat, he pulled out his phone and said, "In that case, let's exchange contacts."

After saving my contact, Gideon glanced at me and added, "I'll transfer ten million. You shouldn't have to worry about tuition again."

Lena's face hardened. "Evelyn, if you think of me as your friend, don't take that money!"

"Why not?" I retorted. "If we don't share the same values, we don't need to be friends."

Lena looked stunned and started to speak, but Gideon silenced her with a cold glance. "This is between Evelyn and me. If you're done lecturing, you can see yourself out."

Right on cue, a bodyguard stepped forward. Seeing that, the color drained from Lena's face. She slammed the door on her way out.

The live stream chat went wild again.

"Wait, what? The male lead is defending the side character?"

"This plot is way off the rails!"

I lowered my eyes and smiled. Who cared about the plot? This time, I only cared about getting paid.

...

Back at the dorm, the atmosphere seemed strange. My roommates looked at me like I had just crawled out of a sewer, their faces twisted with disgust.

"Evelyn, how could you do that to Lena? She was just trying to help you, and you dumped her for a man and his money!"

"You'd ditch your friend for a man? Seriously?"

Lena's eyes filled with tears, and she rushed to smooth things over. "Don't blame Evelyn. She just got swept up by that man. She'll regret it once she thinks it through."

The chat flooded again.

"Lena is so kind. What an angel!"

"Evelyn really thinks she can compete? Watch her get wrecked!"

Lena lowered her lashes, all grace and mercy. Yet I didn't miss the flash of triumph in her eyes.

In my previous life, I didn't tell anyone about Gideon, but rumors spread like wildfire. Looking back, it was obvious who fanned the flames.

My roommates only grew angrier.

"You're lovestruck! You chose money and a man over your friend! We don't want you here! Get out!"

Lena stepped in like a peacemaker. "Don't be like that! It isn't necessary! It's Gideon's fault, not hers! Evelyn, I know you're embarrassed. Give me his contact details, and I'll talk to him for you."

She sounded like she was being kind, but her eyes betrayed her greed.

I sneered. "No need. I'm moving out."

Lena stared at me in shock, like she couldn't believe I had really said that. She wanted to say something, but another roommate beat her to it. "Just let her go!"

I picked up my suitcase and walked out without looking back. I could afford a better life now. Why wouldn't I take it?

Before long, I had the keys to my new house.

The comments section flooded with mockery.

"Look at this nobody who can't handle money!"

"How long do you think hush money for your body lasts?"

"Just wait until Lena ends up with Gideon. You'll get what's coming!"

I glanced over at the comments, a smile tugging at my lips.

Who knew if Lena could even get Gideon's number? Right now, she was probably in the dorm, throwing a tantrum and smashing things.

That night, I sat on the balcony with a cup of tea. The evening breeze brushed against my skin, and suddenly, my last memory from my previous life surfaced in my mind.

I was in a shabby rental with drafts cutting through the thin walls, shivering alone until the cold slowly devoured me. I pulled the blanket tighter and let out a bitter laugh.

Money really could buy anything.

I opened my contacts list and found Gideon's name. I hesitated for a while before I finally typed a short message. After carefully choosing my words and rewriting it twice, I finally hit send.

"Mr. Hart, do you have a minute to talk?"

The screen glowed in the dark, but no reply came.

I felt neither anxious nor angry. It was just what I had expected. Gideon was the kind of man who kept his distance and never rushed to respond.

I put my phone away and went to sleep.

What I didn't know was that while I slept, an anonymous post was rapidly spreading on Kingsborough University's forum.

The title, with its suggestive wording, was clickbait, and the photos were just ambiguous enough to stir attention. The post quickly made its way to the trending list.

The next morning, the ringing of my phone jolted me awake. My professor, Felicity Eldridge, sounded stern over the line. "Evelyn, come to campus now! You're going to have to explain this!"

The moment I stepped into her office, Professor Eldridge nearly poked me in the nose with her finger.

"Evelyn, do you have no shame? You're a student—you should be studying, but this is what you choose to do? Disgraceful!"

I blinked, my mind going blank. "I don't understand. What are you talking about?"

"Drop the act!" She slammed a palm on the desk, her face flushed with fury.

Just then, Lena spoke up softly. "Evelyn, just admit it. Otherwise, Professor Eldridge can't cover for you."

I turned my head toward her. "What did you tell her?"

Her eyes welled up at once. "I'm saying this as your friend. Don't blame Professor Eldridge for being upset. She's only looking out for you."

Professor Eldridge snorted. "Save it, Evelyn! You had a one-night stand, and yet you don't have the nerve to admit it? You think we don't know? The photos are everywhere!"

My chest tightened. "That's not true!"

"You're still denying it? Fine! Let's see you talk your way out of this!"

Professor Eldridge shoved her phone at me. The screen displayed the anonymous post with a blurry screenshot of surveillance footage of a man carrying me into a hotel room.

I drew in a sharp breath as a chill ran through my veins.

The silhouette was unmistakable. The only time a man had carried me into a hotel was that night with Gideon.

That night, I had been on a catering shift at the hotel. I was taking plates to a private room when, all of a sudden, I felt dizzy. I told myself it was just the long hours and too little rest, then forced myself to push through.

The next thing I knew, the world went black.