MICHAEL'S POVWhile the entire Fletcher family cowered in terror at the sound of the Hamilton family's approach, I remained calm, standing tall in the center of the destroyed foyer. The broken glass and scattered debris around us told the story of the evening's chaos, but I felt no fear about facing the consequences.Sarah moved to stand beside me, trying to project strength, but I could feel her trembling slightly as she pressed close to my arm."Michael," she whispered urgently, "what are we going to do? How are we going to explain this to them?"Before I could answer, the front door opened and two figures stepped into the foyer with the commanding presence of people accustomed to absolute respect.Mr. Hamilton was a distinguished man in his seventies, impeccably dressed in a tailored navy suit that probably cost more than most cars. His silver hair was perfectly styled, and his sharp eyes immediately began scanning the room, taking in every detail of the destruction.Beside him sto

MICHAEL'S POVThe marble floor was cold, but Sarah’s family looked even colder as they lay down, trembling, waiting for the Patriarch’s punishment. I could feel the shame and terror radiating off all of them, and it only made my jaw clench harder. Was this what they’d been reduced to—waiting to be whipped for a vase they never even wanted?Sarah’s father was on his knees, hands clasped together, voice hoarse from begging. “Please, Patriarch Hamilton, please! Isn’t this punishment too much? Two hundred strokes… My family—my wife, my daughters—they’ll die!”The Patriarch just sneered, waving him off like a bug. “You break a hundred-million-dollar vase and expect sympathy? Pathetic. If you don’t want your family to suffer, pay up—one hundred million dollars, right now.”Sarah’s mother was sobbing, clutching at the Matriarch’s skirt. “Please, we’re not criminals, we’re just—”The Matriarch yanked her leg away, curling her lip. “You’re beneath criminals. At least a thief knows to pay his d

MICHAEL'S POVI stared at the Hamilton patriarch, my jaw clenched with determination. "I agree to the bet."The old man's eyes gleamed with malicious satisfaction. "Perfect. When you fail to produce even a fraction of that money, I'll personally make sure your punishment is twice as severe.""Just give me your account number," I said, pulling out my phone.He rattled off the numbers with obvious glee, probably already imagining how he'd humiliate me in front of everyone. I opened my banking app and began entering the transfer details, but the moment I hit submit, the screen froze."Come on," I muttered, tapping the screen repeatedly. The app was glitching, refusing to load properly.The patriarch burst into laughter. "Oh, this is rich! He's already coming up with excuses!""What's wrong now, Michael?" Carmen sneered from behind me. "Let me guess—your imaginary bank account is having technical difficulties?"I tried refreshing the app, but it kept crashing. Frustration bubbled up insid

MICHAEL'S POVThe moment I stepped up to the counter, the bank teller barely glanced up from his paperwork. When he finally looked at me, his expression immediately shifted to one of disdain."What do you want?" he asked curtly, his tone suggesting I was already wasting his valuable time."I need to withdraw some funds from my account," I replied politely.He looked me up and down with obvious disgust, taking in my simple clothes and casual appearance. Without another word, he pointed dismissively toward the opposite side of the bank."You need to go to that counter over there," he said, already turning his attention to the next person in line—a man in an expensive tailored suit.I stood there, stunned by his blatant dismissal. "Excuse me, but why are you sending me to another counter while you're helping other people withdraw money right here?"The teller didn't even look at me as he processed the wealthy man's transaction. "Sir, please move along. You're holding up the line."Behind

MICHAEL'S POVThe teller was still wiping tears from his eyes, basking in the laughter from the crowd around us. "Sir, this comedy routine has gone on long enough. I really need you to move to the appropriate counter for your... financial level.""Actually," I said calmly, "I'd like to speak with your branch director."This sent him into fresh peals of laughter. "The branch director? Oh, that's perfect! You want to complain to management because I hurt your feelings?""He wants to file a complaint!" Carmen cackled from behind me. "This keeps getting better!"The Hamilton patriarch was thoroughly enjoying himself. "Yes, call the director! I want to see this pathetic man get thrown out by security personally!""Maybe they'll ban him from the bank entirely," his wife added with malicious glee. "Save everyone the trouble of dealing with him in the future."The teller shook his head in amusement. "Fine, fine. You want the director? You'll get the director. But don't say I didn't warn you w