"Exactly! Proof of funds!" Anna flat-out refused to believe that Serena could produce a hundred million.
Even she, the revered daughter of the Vinton family, didn't have a hundred million in liquid cash!
Serena was just a hillbilly dragged out of the backwoods. How could she possibly have a hundred million dollars?
Right at that moment.
A deep, resonant voice cut through the chaos. "Proof of funds?"
The man in the black trench coat stepped out of the passenger side of the pink supercar.
His tall, powerfully built frame commanded immediate attention. A cigarette dangled lazily from his lips, the swirling smoke partially masking his cold, wickedly handsome face.
"Since when does someone from the Vinton family need to prove they have a hundred million to play around with?"
His tone was absolutely frigid. His predatory gaze cut through the smoke, locking onto Augus with terrifying intensity.
Augus was wild, but he wasn't stupid.
Especially when the man's overwhelming presence sent an inexplicable shiver straight to his core.
"Who... who are you to the Vinton family?" Augus's family worked closely with the Vintons, so he fully understood that dropping a hundred million was chump change for them.
The only problem was, he couldn't recognize which member of the Vinton family was standing right in front of him.
"Who I am doesn't matter." Douglas casually flicked the ash from his cigarette. "What matters is, I'm backing her play."
He curled his lip, trapping the cigarette back between his teeth with a rugged, unapologetic swagger. "Since my niece wants to play, we might as well make it interesting. A hundred million. If she loses, it's on me. If she wins... it's all hers."
Niece?
Augus immediately looked down at Anna tucked against his chest, nudging her.
Anna's face drained of color. She stared blankly at Douglas, cold sweat sliding down her forehead.
Douglas...
Why was he here?
Isabella's face flushed with violent humiliation, and she snapped her mouth shut, thoroughly silenced.
But Serena had absolutely no intention of letting Isabella off the hook that easily.
Curling her red lips, she shot Isabella a half-smile. "Since Douglas was so generous as to back my bet... as a member of the family, shouldn't you pitch in?"
That smile sent a violent tremor straight through Isabella's heart, followed by a deeply ominous premonition. "I..."
"Weren't you trying to humiliate me? Weren't you trying to teach me the rules?" Serena's lips curled into a smirk, her piercing gaze sweeping over the three of them one by one. "You call yourselves the untouchable elites of high society, and you're too terrified to match a bet like this?"
The eyes of the entire crowd followed Serena's gaze, locking onto Augus, Anna, and Isabella.
The three of them were completely backed into a corner.
To make matters infinitely worse, someone in the crowd had started a private live stream broadcasting straight to their elite social circles, and the camera was aimed dead center at them.
If they backed down now.
The three of them would never be able to show their faces in polite society again.

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