"You can forget about getting any of my money. I found this card, so it has nothing to do with you."

I let out an exasperated laugh at how shamelessly entitled Lara sounded.

"Lara, aren't you afraid of karma?"

"Karma?" She laughed like I'd just told the joke of the century, cackling along with Adrian.

"Karma is me with a billion dollars, and you still being a bottom-feeder stuck riding the subway and eating instant noodles! Oh, and I forgot to tell you that my mom is going to call your parents later and tell them to keep you in line.

"So, stop bothering me. Anyway, I'm busy shopping. I don't have time to waste on a loser like you."

The line went dead, and my heart turned to ice.

True to her word, five minutes later, Lara's live stream featured a video call with her mother, Lucinda Garza.

Lucinda's face, always impeccably made up, was now plastered with a smile that was both fawning and cruel.

"My darling daughter, I always knew you were destined for greatness. Don't you worry. I've already called the loser's parents and made everything crystal clear."

A flood of viewers immediately poured into Lara's stream.

"Here we go. The mother-in-law's about to tear into the poor husband too."

"The whole family's a circus."

Lara was clearly thrilled with the response. She motioned for her mother to keep going.

Lucinda cleared her throat and launched into a haughty retelling of her phone conversation.

"I told Myra that since Russell couldn't make anything of himself, he shouldn't drag you down with him. You're a billionaire now, destined to marry into real high society.

"And country bumpkins like them need to stop dreaming about climbing the social ladder. They need to tell Russell to get lost and stay out of your way."

With every word she spoke, Lara's live stream lit up with comments like "Well said!" and "Exactly!".

Meanwhile, I sat in the VIP room, watching Lucinda's smug expression on the screen, my blood ran cold.

My parents were simple, honest farmers.

To put me through college, they sold the only thing of value they owned—our plow ox.

To help me buy an apartment when I got married, they emptied their life savings and even borrowed money from relatives.

They had never once raised their voices at anyone, yet now they were being humiliated by my mother-in-law with such cruel, vicious words.

I picked up the other phone Janine had prepared and called home.

The moment the call connected, I heard my mother, Myra Watson, trying to stifle her sobs.

"Russell, how could Lucinda say those things about us?"

My father, Frankie Brewer, grabbed the phone and said in a trembling voice, "Russell, be honest with us—did you do something to hurt Lara? The money doesn't matter, but your character does!"

I couldn't hold back any longer. A wave of anger surged through me, rushing to my head.

"Dad, Mom, don't believe a word she says," I replied icily. "Don't do anything or get upset. Just turn on the TV and tune into Skysea Bank's official live stream. Watch the show, and when it's over, I'll bring you both to the city to enjoy a better life."

After hanging up, I turned to Janine.

"Ms. Harmon, can I take part in this test too?"

Janine adjusted her glasses, a knowing smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Of course, Mr. Brewer. Every good show needs a perfect ending."

At the same time, Lara's live stream had reached a new peak.

Looking to juice up the donations, Adrian pitched an idea.

"Lara, how about a little something for the top spender?"

Lara waved her hand magnanimously, practically bursting with fake generosity.

"Who's my top spender? Step forward! I'm in a good mood today. Whoever takes the top spot, I'll give you one million dollars in cash back."

The moment Lara finished speaking, a user with the ID "GoldDiggerCure" instantly dropped a dozen lavish virtual gifts, rocketing to the top of the leaderboard.

Then, he posted a message in the public chat.

"Keep the money and convert it into slaps instead. Use them to wake this delusional woman up."

The live stream went dead silent for a single beat, then exploded.

Lara's face cycled through shades of pale and red. But within seconds, she was swept away by an overwhelming surge of vanity.

She convinced herself the guy was just jealous.

"One million dollars? Please, that's just chump change."

She had Adrian jot down the user's info, then announced her most outrageous decision yet.

"Guys, shopping malls are so yesterday. I'm buying the city's landmark—Skyline Tower. I want everyone in this city to know who the real queen is."

The live stream hit peak frenzy in that moment.

Skyline Tower was the most expensive commercial property in the city, valued at over five billion dollars.

Lara and Adrian descended on the sales office with their streaming entourage in tow, sweeping in like a bomb ready to detonate.

The moment they walked in, the place erupted.

A swarm of reporters, drawn by the buzz, packed the scene until it was barely breathable.

"Ms. Crawford, is it true you're buying Skyline Tower in cash?"

"Can you disclose the source of your funds?"

Surrounded by cameras and microphones, Lara felt her ego satisfied like never before. Arm-in-arm with Adrian, she soaked up the spotlight like a queen holding court.

"That's right. I'm buying it. As for the money? Well, I earned it with my ownabilities."

Her reply sent the bank's live stream chat into hysterics.

"With her own abilities? Does she mean drugging her husband?"

"To call her shameless would be an understatement. This woman is really something else."

"I can't wait to see the look on her face when that card gets declined."

The sales manager, already tipped off by the bank, played his part to perfection.

A carefully prepared letter of intent—dotted with traps—was placed in front of Lara. Adrian urged her from the side, "Come on, Lara. Sign it, and this whole building is yours!"

Without even glancing at it, she scrawled her signature with a dramatic flourish.

The sales manager offered a helpful reminder. "Ms. Crawford, per the terms of the contract, if your card is declined, you will be required to pay a penalty of 1% of the transaction value. That comes to 50 million dollars."

Lara scoffed. "50 million dollars? That's just pocket change to me. Just run the card."

She thrust the black card forward arrogantly.

Every eye in the room locked onto the small POS machine.

For a moment, time itself seemed to stand still.

I sat in the VIP room, watching the countdown timer at the top of the screen.

"00:10:00"

Ms. Harmon's voice sounded beside me. "Mr. Brewer, ten minutes left in the test. The show's about to begin."

I nodded. Then, I rose to my feet and straightened my collar.

The face staring back at me from the mirror was so calm it almost seemed unrecognizable.

The man who had once doted on Lara unconditionally and loved her so humbly was gone. He'd died the moment she crushed those paper cranes.

The one standing here now was an avenger.

Ms. Harmon handed me a tiny earpiece.

"Mr. Brewer, our team on-site is ready. It's time for you to step in and bring this circus to a close."

I took a deep breath and pushed open the door of the VIP room.

Beyond it lay a blindingly bright corridor, and at the end of it was a whole new world.

In just ten minutes, Lara's and Adrian's world was about to come crashing down.