After the Gavel Falls

“Ivan, just keep raising the bid at the auction later. No matter what, that idiot Weston is sure to bid the ceiling price.“I’ll give you all his money so you can start your business. Don’t worry, he’d never let anyone else win my contract.”When I heard Gwen talking to Ivan from a distance, I realized that she had regressed, too.In the past life, I pledged to buy her contract at all costs, so she thought I would do the same thing this time. I smirked. If they wanted to play this game, sure. I would play along. Once the gavel signalled the start of the auction, a few older men took their seats with malicious grins. “I hear that girl is the school idol! Buying her out for a million or so would definitely be worth it!”“She hasn’t even graduated yet! Fresh meat tastes the best. I wanna play with her too!”Gwen glared at me and barked under her breath, “Say something!”I simply avoided her gaze. I did not even look at her.Ivan sat next to me, his expression smug. “Do you th

“You bastard! After all those years of pursuing our daughter, how could you just watch as she sold herself off at an auction like that?!”“Ivan was only trying to help, but you maliciously raised the price so that he couldn’t afford to save her anymore!”My face still stung from the attack. The others in the room could not stand to watch anymore and yelled back. “Weston wasn’t the only one at the auction. Ivan started the bid at fifty million! Wasn’t he maliciously raising the price?”Gwen’s parents crossed their arms. They did not think they were in the wrong at all.“Ivan is our ideal son-in-law, while Weston’s just a pathetic simp! He knows we’ll never take him seriously, so he’s sure to try some dirty tricks so he can marry Gwen!”Gwen held Ivan’s arm and looked at me coldly, as though she completely agreed with her parents’ points. “I thought I would spend a few days with you, depending on your performance at the auction.“But to think you were just messing with me! Now my

“Spill it. What kind of favor would require you danging a marriage over me as bait?”I tapped my fingers on the desk and said calmly, “Our families are old friends, and your father has a vote on our company board. I want him to put in a word for me at the shareholders’ meeting.”Her lips parted and closed in disbelief. “Do you really think my father can convince your father to make you the company successor with a few measly words? That little brother of yours is no pushover, and my dad doesn’t have that much influence.”I shook my head, going through my plan in my head. “Don’t worry about it. Your father’s been nagging you to get married, so wouldn’t a fake marriage of convenience solve your most urgent problems now?” She nursed her cup of coffee and mused. “That’s a good point. I told them I wasn’t getting married, but they keep pushing me to choose an heir from our business partners. Might as well make it a fake marriage, then.“In any case, we’re childhood friends who know ev

“I… I saw the picture on Ivan’s phone that day. After that, I found out that he borrowed money from me not to start a new business, but to clear his gambling debt!”I glanced at her coolly. “And why are you telling me this?”She pressed her lips together and hesitated for a long while before stammering out an apology. “I’m sorry. I misunderstood you.”I nodded, got into the car, and started. “Very well. I’ve received your apology.”My formal tone made her eyes redden. She stood in front of my car to stop me from driving away, roaring in a choked voice, “Weston! I’m already lowering my head to apologize to you. What more do you want?!“Let’s just pretend none of this ever happened. You end your engagement with the Wrights, then we’ll get engaged. How about that?“I explained everything in my text that day. My parents have agreed to let us get married, so you don’t have to marry someone you don’t love to make me angry.”I laughed out of exasperation and then said solemnly, “How ar

Before I got out of my car, I called Adamson and told him to come find me if he did not hear from me within two hours.Shannon had his guards search my body and ensure no one was following me.“You sure are being careful,” I said sarcastically to the guards. Unfortunately for them, they could never find the hidden cameras in my contacts. Shannon smirked lazily at me. “Remember what I said, Weston? See, you came after all.”I glanced at him. “Where’s Gwen?”He pointed up the stairs and laughed. “I’m having my men give her a good lesson upstairs. You shouldn’t watch, or else it’ll break your heart.”“I’m here to make sure she’s safe.” I ignored him and headed upstairs. Gwen was there, just as he said, but she had been tied up in a large pillar of water. The water level had already gone past her nose.I waved my hand, activating the livestream function in my secret camera. Completely oblivious to my plan, Shannon raised a brow and said, “See that? It’s all your fault for ignor