Chapter 1

The last thing I saw, right after the sharp pain stabbed into the back of my neck, was the icy, emotionless face of my brother, Sean Lawson.

When I regained consciousness, I found myself trapped inside a huge glass box. My hands and feet were bound so tightly that I could not move at all.

"Sean, you know I have claustrophobia! Please let me out!"

I kept screaming, my voice breaking as I begged.

Sean did not even look at me. Instead, he gently wiped the tears from Wendy Roberts' eyes.

"Don't cry, Wendy. I'll get justice for you right now. I promise she'll never harm you ever again."

"Sean, maybe just forget it. Kelly probably didn't mean it. It's my fault for being so useless and missing the final exams."

Wendy sobbed softly, but as she spoke, she lifted her eyes and shot me a quick, smug look. Then, she picked up the remote in her hand and pressed a button. The curtain covering the glass box slowly lifted.

Almost immediately, whistles and quiet laughter spread through the crowd below.

"Hey, isn't that the Lawson family's 'state top scorer'? She didn't get into Cromwell University, but she ended up here instead."

"Her skin's pretty fair, and she's got a nice figure. Wonder what she's really like in private."

"I heard she's pretty innocent. Looks like Mr. Lawson really gave everyone a show this time."

The humiliation hit me like a knife. My whole body shook with anger. I wanted to explain, to defend myself.

Right then, Sean's phone rang.

It was a video call from our parents. They looked thrilled.

"Sean! Your mom and I saw the news! Your sister is the state's top scorer! She's the pride of the Lawson family!"

Sean angled the camera carefully so they could not see me. He forced a casual smile.

"Yeah, Kelly did really well. I'm taking her out to celebrate."

"Make sure she has fun! Your mom and I will be back next week. We'll throw her a celebration party!"

He spoke to our parents gently, but the moment he hung up, his face turned ice cold.

"This is what you get for hurting Wendy."

I truly did not understand what I had done wrong.

The night before the finals, Wendy came to me with red, swollen eyes. She said Cromwell University was her only dream in life and begged me to help her cheat during the exam.

I refused immediately. So, she deliberately set me up, using a group of thugs to frame me.

I lifted my head and pleaded desperately with Sean.

"Sean, I didn't hurt her! Just send someone to investigate. You'll know the truth!"

For a brief second, hesitation flickered in his eyes.

However, Wendy suddenly clutched her chest and collapsed weakly into his arms, crying so hard she could barely breathe.

"Sean, those people are all Kelly's. How could they possibly tell the truth?

"I shouldn't have been so foolish, asking Kelly to lend me her mistake notebook... Of course, she'd be angry. She was just afraid I might score higher than her. I understand... I really do..."

That was the final push.

The doubt in Sean's eyes vanished, replaced by something colder, something darker.

"I've been too lenient with you. You refuse to admit your mistakes and now you're trying to twist the truth. Today, I'll make sure you know what it feels like to be humiliated in front of everyone."

Then the auctioneer's loud voice rang out.

"Viewing rights for Ms. Lawson, starting bid, one million and five hundred thousand dollars!"

The crowd stirred. The numbers kept climbing.

I shook my head frantically, tears blurring my vision, but all I could do was watch as Sean led Wendy into a VIP room.

Finally, the gavel came down.

"Congratulations, Mr. Harris. The final bid is fifteen million dollars!"