My parents' legacy—a pair of heirloom lockets they’d sworn never to part with—suddenly appeared on the auction block at the May Day charity gala. But no matter how high I bid, Adrian Rhames's childhood sweetheart, Chloe, always went a hundred dollars higher. It was the hundredth time she had so blatantly tried to snatch something of mine away. Adrian, however, was unfazed. "They're just trinkets, Max. It's Chloe's birthday. She likes them, so just let her have them." A bitter laugh escaped my lips. With newfound resolve, I called the final price, an exorbitant bid that silenced the room. When the auction ended, my parents’ lockets were safely back in my possession. Adrian wasn't angry; in fact, our marriage, against all odds, seemed to find a new, searing passion. I indulged his every desire, fulfilling the role of a devoted wife. A year later, I was pregnant. And I received an invitation to a private auction. There was only one item for sale: "The Max Geller Collection: 999 Private Moments." Adrian appeared with Chloe wrapped around his arm, a cruel glint in his eyes. "Chloe wanted something thrilling for her birthday," he said, his voice laced with amusement. "And since you love outbidding her so much, I figured I’d give you the chance to bid to your heart's content." A desolate smile touched my lips. If this was what they wanted, then I would play their game. A pixelated video flickered to life on the massive screen. The setting was all too familiar—it was the master bedroom of my home with Adrian, the sanctuary I had so lovingly built. "Well, well. Mrs. Rhames always looks so prim and proper. Who knew she was such a firecracker in private?" "Now that's what I call a masterpiece. I hear she's three months pregnant, too. Adrian Rhames is a lucky man." The men in the room exchanged lewd smirks and crude remarks. My fists clenched, my nails digging into my palms. I stared at Adrian, my body trembling. "Why?" Ours may have been an arranged marriage, a merger of two powerful families, but we’d built a life on three years of shared history. Despite Chloe's constant interference, the past year had been filled with genuine affection. I was carrying his child. Adrian pulled Chloe closer, his gaze softening with adoration for her. "Because you always have to compete with Chloe. You make her unhappy." He gestured to the screen. "You love calling the final price, don't you? Here are 999 lots. Take your time." Chloe giggled, a mask of innocence on her face. "Adrian, darling, don't you think this is a bit much? The Geller family is practically gone. I doubt a pregnant woman like her has the kind of money for this, even if she sold herself." Laughter erupted around me, and predatory eyes fixed on my body. "Her parents are dead, and Rhames Enterprises absorbed her family's company. The only ones here who could afford the whole collection are Mr. Rhames and Miss Sterling themselves." Adrian shot me a look, his eyes stripped of any warmth. "I won't have Chloe's eyes sullied by such filth. I won't be bidding. The rest of you, feel free." "A generous man, Mr. Rhames!" the crowd cheered. Chloe snuggled into his chest. "Darling, you crushed the Geller family and took over their company for me. Max must be broke now. Should we... help her out?" He kissed her forehead, his voice dripping with love. "Don't you worry about her, sweetheart. She owes you this." I stared at the man who had become a stranger. "The downfall of my family's company... that was your doing?" I whispered, my voice shaking. He sneered, as if the answer was obvious. "The Gellers were an eyesore to Chloe. I was just helping her clear the view." My breath caught in my throat. My heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vise. It was all a long, calculated revenge, all because I had dared to reclaim my parents' lockets from his precious Chloe a year ago. Adrian looked down on me, his voice a cold command. "Max, I'll give you a choice. Call the final price, or... get on your knees and apologize to Chloe. A thousand times." I took a deep, shuddering breath. "I will not kneel to her." A flicker of surprise crossed his face, quickly replaced by a scornful laugh. "Max, do you really think you're in a position to choose?" I turned to the auctioneer, my eyes hard as stone. "Begin." My humiliation was now on full display. The auctioneer, a smirk playing on his lips, raised his gavel. "Lot number one: The Kitchen. Bidding starts at one million dollars!" A collective gasp swept through the room. "The kitchen! Mr. Rhames has exquisite taste in locations." "I never thought the high and mighty Max Geller could be so... accommodating. I bid two million!" A wave of nausea washed over me as I watched the screen. It was my birthday. Adrian had baked me a cake, and I, moved to tears by the gesture, had let him lead me into a night of passion right there on the kitchen counter. Adrian watched me from his elevated seat, his eyes filled with derision. His gaze was a knife, carving away at my shattered heart. All eyes were on me. The jeers and whispers threatened to drown me. I sank back into my chair, my voice a threadbare whisper. "I call the final price." But the attendant didn't light the signal lamp above my seat. Instead, he leaned in, his tone mocking. "Mrs. Rhames, I'm afraid your accounts have just been frozen." "What?" Disbelief washed over me. After my family's company was liquidated, I still had a ten-million-dollar trust fund—the last thing my father had left for me. "Accounts frozen? Then what's she going to bid with?" "I thought she'd at least snag one or two. Turns out she's got nothing." I shot up from my seat, my eyes locking on Adrian, who sat enthroned on the second-floor dais. "You did this!" He shrugged. "Rhames Enterprises owns your family's liquidated assets. Is it really so strange that an outsider's access has been... restricted?" Chloe let out a delicate laugh. "Oh, Max, if you're out of cash, why not humble yourself a bit? I'm sure any of these fine gentlemen would be happy to sponsor a beauty like you if you make it worth their while." The room erupted in raucous laughter. A greasy-looking older man even reached for me, trying to pull me into his lap. The auctioneer pressed on. "Mrs. Rhames, if you cannot call the final price, we will have to resume the bidding for this lot." I slapped away the groping hands and, with trembling fingers, dialed my emergency lender. "I need a loan. One hundred million." The men around me smirked, their interest momentarily lost. The auction proceeded. The auctioneer smiled as he brought down the gavel. "Seat 13 calls the final price! Congratulations to Mrs. Rhames on acquiring 'The Kitchen'." "What a shame. I was looking forward to seeing the lady of the Geller manor in action." "Don't worry. She's borrowing from the sharks. Payback is brutal. A hundred million won't last her long." "Exactly. There are 999 lots. Let's see how much she can borrow." I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. The screen had already switched to the next lot. "Lot number two: The Balcony! Bidding starts at one million!" the auctioneer announced with theatrical flair. The room was buzzing again. "First the kitchen, now the balcony! The man's an artist!" "I bid three million!" A man beside me leaned in close, his hand brushing my leg. "Mrs. Rhames, why don't you play with me for a bit?" "Yeah, Adrian Rhames doesn't want you, but I do. You be a good girl and take care of me, and I'll buy this next one for you." "Get away from me," I hissed, my voice dripping with ice. The man sneered. "After what we've seen on screen, you're still playing the saint?" "Five million!" another shouted. "Ten million! And when I get it, I'll project it onto the Geller family mausoleum for all to see!" A chill shot through my entire body. Trembling, I raised my paddle. "I... I call the final price." The gavel fell again, the auctioneer's smile widening with cruel delight. "Seat 13 calls the final price. Congratulations again, Mrs. Rhames, on your acquisition of 'The Balcony'!" The gavel fell. Lot three. Lot four. The videos kept coming. And I could only keep raising my paddle, my hand shaking more each time. Calling the final price. Again and again. Until I had acquired 99 lots. "Lot number one hundred: The Rooftop Garden! Bidding starts at one million!" "I call—" "Mrs. Rhames," the auctioneer interrupted, his smile laced with pity. "Your current balance is no longer sufficient to call the final price." The men in the audience started whistling and catcalling. "Out of money, are we? Perfect. I've always wanted to see how a prestigious family like the Gellers raised a woman who enjoys... alfresco encounters." "You play with me, and I'll buy it for you." I ignored the filth being thrown at me and dialed the lender one last time. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Rhames. You've reached your credit limit. We cannot extend you any further loans." I lowered the phone in despair, my gaze instinctively flying to Adrian on the second-floor dais. He was holding Chloe, but he felt my stare. The last embers of what I once thought was love in his eyes died, replaced by cold contempt. Every eye in the room turned to him. After all, he was the only person left who could afford to buy the remaining 899 lots for me. Adrian simply looked down at me. "Max, my earlier offer still stands." Kneel and beg? A cold, humorless laugh built in my chest. Chloe stirred in Adrian's arms, her voice a saccharine whisper, feigning magnanimity. "Darling, Max took care of you for so long. Even if there was no love, there was effort. Why don't I buy the rest for her?" The crowd murmured in approval. "Miss Sterling is so kind. Even now, she's willing to help." "No wonder Mr. Rhames adores her. How could a shameless woman like Max ever compare?" I squeezed my eyes shut, branding the humiliation Adrian was heaping upon me into my soul. I would never forget this. Chloe rose from Adrian's side and glided towards me. She leaned in, her voice a triumphant hiss. "Listen, you little bitch. Divorce Adrian, get rid of that bastard in your belly, and I'll give you a billion dollars to buy the rest of these videos. How about it?" "Get lost," I snarled. Chloe dramatically stumbled backward, as if I had shoved her with all my might. She collapsed to the floor, her body wracked with sobs. "I'm sorry, Max! I... I was only trying to help..." Adrian rushed to her side, scooping her up. Then he turned and slapped me across the face, the sound echoing in the silent room. "Who gave you the right to touch Chloe!" I wiped a trickle of blood from my lip, my gaze locking with his, cold and unyielding. It was the first time I had ever seen him so furious in all the years of our marriage. And it was for another woman. "Continue the auction!" Adrian roared at the auctioneer. "Sell every last one! Let the whole world see the real Max Geller!" But Chloe clung to him, her voice a gentle balm. "Adrian, it's alright. I'm fine. Max is just having a hard time accepting all this." She looked at me with pity. "Ultimately, she can't stand seeing how much you love me. She has every right to hate me." Adrian cradled her, his gaze on me turning glacial. "Chloe is still defending you, and yet you act with such venom." It was utterly, laughably absurd. This was the man I had loved for four years. "Adrian Rhames," I said, my voice clear and steady. "Let's get a divorce." "What did you say?" "I said, let's get a divorce." I met his gaze, my own unwavering. This marriage was nothing but a tool for his revenge. Now that he had gotten what he wanted, it was time for it to end. He seemed stunned for a moment, then a cold sneer twisted his lips. "What game are you playing now, Max? You think this little act will make me pity you?" "I don't need your pity. We're over." I signed the divorce papers without a moment's hesitation. As my pen left the paper, Adrian’s expression darkened into a thunderous scowl. Chloe, however, couldn't hide the triumphant glee in her eyes. She looked down at me as if I were a stray dog kicked to the curb. Minutes later, a notification pinged on my phone. A billion dollars had been deposited into my new account. I looked at the auctioneer. "Continue the auction." Chloe pressed herself against Adrian's chest, her expression aggrieved. "Adrian, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault..." "It has nothing to do with you," he bit out, his usual comforting tone absent. His eyes were fixed on me. "I'd like to see what she has left to bid with now that she's no longer a Rhames." Lot #101 appeared on the screen. "Lot one-oh-one, a... multi-person video," the auctioneer stammered, "starting bid, two million dollars!" The room exploded. The jeers grew louder, more vicious. "The Gellers were such a respected family! I can't believe their daughter is into this kind of thing! If her father knew, he'd claw his way out of his grave!" "If you have such needs, Mrs. Rhames, you should have called me!" "Five million!" "Ten million!" "I bid twenty million!" The bids escalated, a frenzy of voices clamoring for my deepest shame. The auctioneer looked at me, a sly smile on his face. "Mrs. Rhames? Are you still calling the final price?" Adrian watched from above, a conqueror's smugness on his face. He was certain I was out of options, that I would have to crawl back and beg him. "Max, my conditions haven't changed..."
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