1 I was on a luxury liner in international waters, trying to clear my head, when I saw my little sister trapped in the center of a poker table. Standing opposite her were the two boys she grew up with—her so-called "best friends." They were flanking a fragile-looking girl, sneering with cold amusement. "What’s wrong, Lily? Can’t afford the buy-in? You were acting pretty tough earlier. Didn’t you demand three million from Bella for a ruined scarf?" "You can fold, sure. Just sign over your 15% stake in the family trust to Bella by tomorrow morning." Lily’s knuckles were white, her eyes rimmed with red. Someone in the crowd laughed, loosening his tie. "Out of cash, little girl? Tell you what, take off a piece of clothing, and I’ll give you five hundred in chips." Wolf whistles erupted around the table. "Strip it all off, and my whole stack is yours." I stood in the shadows of the upper VIP deck, slowly twisting the signet ring on my pinky finger. I haven't shown my face in years. It seems this trash has forgotten that even though my sister uses her father's surname, she is still a Sterling by blood. And anyone who touches a Sterling girl pays with their life. ... The executive assistant beside me held his breath, whispering cautiously, "Ms. Sterling, I’ll call the cruise manager immediately and have him apologize on his knees." I looked down at the table, my voice icy. "No rush. Let’s see what game they’re playing first." Anyone daring to touch my people right under my nose... none of them were getting off this boat in one piece. Down below, Brad Kingsley looked at my sister, surrounded by leering men, and smirked. "Lily, why so shy? I’ve got those private photos from your cloud. How about I sell a set to the crowd and buy you back into the game?" Before the words fully left his mouth, he tossed a flash drive to a technician. A second later, the massive LED screen lit up. High-definition photos of my sister, half-dressed and vulnerable, were projected for everyone to see. "The Rivers' eldest daughter acts so pure, but look at that body!" "I’m already excited. Imagine her live." Before the filthy comments could die down, Chad Thorne threw another drive onto the table, laughing darkly. "I’ve got more. If you’re too scared to strip for chips, I’ll help you out. Here’s another buy-in!" The crowd roared with approval. The atmosphere turned feverish. "You boys are generous! Giving us a free show!" Lily was trembling, tears streaming down her face. "We grew up together... how could you do this to me?" "Now you’re crying?" Brad sneered. "Where were those tears when you forced Bella to pay for that scarf?" "We’re helping you raise money. Why are you so ungrateful?" Lily tried to argue, her voice desperate. "She ruined it on purpose! That scarf was a gift from my sister..." The girl in the middle, Bella, suddenly dropped to her knees, weeping theatrically. "Lily, I know I was wrong. I’ve bet everything I have. Please, just let me go! Don't call the bet!" Brad slammed his hand on the table. "Lily! You’re relying on your money to bully Bella to death, aren't you?" Chad yanked Bella up from the floor, pulling her into a protective embrace. "If you dare bully Bella in front of us, don't blame us for being heartless!" Bella sobbed softly. "Don't blame Lily. Blame me for upsetting her." She turned to my sister, a glint of malice in her eyes. "Lily is out of money. I heard she works eight jobs just to eat. If she doesn't call this bet, I’ll let it go." I laughed, a cold, sharp sound. I looked at the chips on the table. Lily had already bet everything—even the shares our grandfather privately gave her. If she folded now, she would be destitute, saddled with massive debt. I stared at Bella. She was wearing the couture gown I had custom-made for Lily. On her wrist was the Patek Philippe I sent for Lily’s birthday. Even the emerald necklace our mother left for Lily was hanging around Bella's neck. And my own sister? She was wearing a faded, second-hand dress with a patch on the hem. Since when did a Sterling fall so low? Lily bit her lip so hard it bled. Tears carved tracks through her pale makeup. She looked ready to collapse. So, what Bella said was true. "Investigate," I ordered sharply. My assistant vanished instantly. I’ve been abroad expanding the family empire for years. I rarely came home. But I video-called Lily every month. Why didn't she tell me? Suddenly, Lily looked up, her voice broken. "Why? You were my childhood friends. How could you use stolen photos as chips?" Brad toyed with a stack of chips. "If you don't want to trade, then fold. Give everything to Bella as an apology." Chad didn't even look up. "Cut the crap. Either trade the photos or go over to the loan sharks and strip right now!" The crowd jeered. "Strip, princess!" "Sleep with me tonight, and I'll cover your bet!" Lily was surrounded, shaking like a leaf. Just when everyone thought she would break, she looked up. A desperate, final fire burned in her eyes. "I call!" The crowd gasped. 2 I froze, my fingers unconsciously tapping the railing. I knew Lily’s assets. What was on the table was everything she had. Watching her thin, trembling figure, my heart ached. She pulled out her phone with shaking hands, switching between a dozen loan apps. It took her a full hour to scrape together a measly hundred grand. "That's it?" Chad sneered, slamming his wine glass down. "Bella spends more than that on a facial." Bella covered a giggle. "Lily, just give up. I'll be merciful." Brad shoved his entire stack to the center. "Raise. Double it." Lily’s face went corpse-white. "Since you're so desperate, let me help you again..." Chad pressed a remote. The big screen shifted. It was an AI-generated deepfake video of Lily. The actions were explicit, the voice perfectly synthesized to sound like her moaning. "That sound... damn." "I'd pay twenty million for the full set!" Lily shot up from her chair. She was vibrating with rage and humiliation, looking at the two men she once trusted. But they only had eyes for Bella, gently draping a coat over her shoulders. "Turn it off! Turn it off right now!" Lily screamed. But her voice was drowned out by the bidding war from the crowd. A waiter bowed, handing her a tablet. "Miss Rivers, would you like to sell the copyright to the video? Otherwise... you either call or fold." Lily buried her face in her hands, sobbing. "I... I really have nothing left..." The men around her looked like hungry wolves waiting for a dying animal to drop. My knuckles cracked as I gripped the rail. I was about to go down there. But then, Lily reached into her worn pocket. She pulled out a dull, grey stone and placed it carefully on the waiter's tray. "I'll use this for chips..." Laughter exploded in the hall. Bella laughed so hard she shook. "Oh my god! Is she insane? Picking up a rock from the road to bet?" The waiter respectfully took the stone away. Less than three minutes later, he returned with a cart stacked neatly with fifty million in chips. "Miss Rivers. Your chips." The hall went dead silent. Bella’s mask cracked. "That dirty rock is worth fifty million?!" Brad stood up. "You're kidding me!" Chad kicked his chair over. "Get the appraiser out here!" 3 I narrowed my eyes. That wasn't just a rock. That was a rough-cut, unpolished diamond seal—the Sterling family signet. It authorized the transfer of up to one hundred million dollars from the family trust. Lily would never use it unless she had no other choice. And these idiots only valued it at fifty million? Behind me, the cruise owner was kneeling on the carpet, shaking so hard his sweat was soaking the floor. He didn't dare wipe it. Down below, the crowd was in chaos. "The appraisal confirms this is the private seal of the Sterling family of New York, valued at one hundred million," the manager’s voice trembled over the PA. "We are discounting it to fifty million for immediate liquidity." "The Sterlings?" Someone gasped. "Do those kids have a death wish?" Hearing the name, Bella’s eyes suddenly reddened. "Grandpa Sterling has been sick for so long... Dad gave all the family assets to me..." She turned to Lily. "Sister, I even sold a kidney. I really have no money left. We’re sisters, why are we tearing each other apart? Don't let others laugh at us." The wine glass in my hand shattered. "Sisters?" My assistant stepped forward, whispering. "Bella is an illegitimate daughter George Rivers acknowledged six months ago. DNA confirmed. He dotes on her." Good. Very good. George Rivers, you have a death wish. I haven't been home in a few years, and you dare pull this behind my back? You think I went too easy on you before? I’ll settle his account when I get back. Right now, I need to save my sister. Brad looked furious. "Lily, since you're so vicious, don't blame us." "Call! Fifty million!" Brad slammed the table, only to be told he didn't have enough chips. He and Chad exchanged a look, gritted their teeth, and signed over their family shares. "Double!" They pushed the chips to Bella. "Let's see what you have to call that!" Bella smiled triumphantly, mouthing to Lily: You're done. Lily was trembling, her face drained of blood. Double meant one hundred million. This cut off all her exits. If she folded, she lost everything and couldn't leave the ship. If she called... she had nothing left to bet. A man shamelessly reached for Lily. "Hey beauty, sell the videos, you'll have the money." "Shameless!" Lily slapped him. "Bitch!" The man sneered. "You'll be begging me later." Chad played with a chip, smiling cruelly. "Want to call? Double again." Bella finally dropped the innocent act. Her eyes were venomous. "Sell your body, sister. Even used goods like you are worth something." A dozen men circled closer, eyes sticky and gross. "Strip! Strip! Strip!" "I'll sign a donor agreement." Lily’s voice was quiet, but it hit like a thunderclap. The room gasped. "Is she crazy?" "She's giving up her life?" "Is her body worth two hundred million?" Bella screeched, "Sister, are you dreaming? Even if we sold you for parts, you aren't worth two hundred million!" Before she finished, the waiter wheeled out a cart with two hundred million in chips. The hall erupted. "Rigged!" "I'm healthy as a horse and they only offered me five million! How is she worth two hundred?" "If we don't get an answer, we're trashing this boat!" 4 "Everyone, calm down." The manager raised his hand. The big screen lit up again. Lily’s medical report was displayed. My pupils contracted. Lily was born with Golden Blood—Rh-null. The rarest blood type on Earth. Rich people would pay astronomical sums for a live donor of that blood type. From the moment she was born, I classified her medical records as top secret. I guarded that secret with my life. And now, these people had forced her to expose it. Especially the Kingsley and Thorne families. I treated them well because they grew up with Lily. And this is how they repay me? Bullying my sister for some bastard child? "Bella, don't panic!" Brad looked grim, comforting her. "Don't be scared. This is her last stand. We'll strip her clean," Chad added. The two men frowned, desperate to gather funds. They mortgaged antiques, real estate, and called loan sharks. But to beat my sister, they needed four hundred million. I watched them struggle calmly. They gritted their teeth. Not only did they make Bella sign a donor agreement, they signed their own lives away too. They scraped together six hundred million. "All in!" The two men stared at Lily with pure malice. They weren't just trying to destroy my sister; they wanted to swallow the Rivers family and take a bite out of the Sterlings too. The dogs I raised for my sister were trying to bite the hand that fed them. Lily lost all hope. She opened her mouth several times, finally pleading with her childhood friends. "Brad, Chad... for the sake of our past, please let me go..." She was crying. The two men hesitated. They almost reached out. But Bella was faster. She slapped herself hard across the face and fell to her knees in front of Lily. "Sister! It's all my fault! It's because I'm poor and couldn't pay for that scarf! I'll be your slave... do whatever you want to me, just don't hurt Brad and Chad!" The sympathy in the men's eyes vanished, replaced by ice. Lily was utterly broken. She didn't even want to check her cards. She turned to leave, a walking corpse. I signaled with my hand. My assistant slipped away. Lily didn't make it two steps before bodyguards grabbed her and slammed her back into the chair. "Call or fold! No one leaves the table!" Security surrounded her. It was life or death. Both sides were all in. The dealer covered the hands. The room held its breath. Lily, ashen-faced, suddenly looked up toward the VIP balcony. Toward me. She straightened her spine and screamed, "I CALL! DOUBLE!" Silence. "Miss Rivers," the waiter said coldly. "You have nothing left to bet." Smack. A black card hit the table. Lily shouted, "I have money! I call!" Brad and Chad’s faces twisted. They stared at the card. "Lily, where did you get that? You're broke!" Bella’s eyes were red. "Sister, don't use a fake card. This isn't a game. You'll die for this!" But before she could finish, gasps filled the room. "How is that possible?" Brad and Chad jumped up, staring at the screen in disbelief. "No way..."
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