Chapter Ten

It looks like Ethan was lost in another universe. He looked at the holographic message before him, and he nearly leapt for joy. "System message: Win with the highest bid money and win the sum of $34,000,000. Note: You are to finish with the highest bid." 

Ethan looked at the message, and it vanished. 

"Is this even real? Or is this some kind of joke?" Ethan was completely lost. One minute the system was asking him to humiliate Carter, and the next, it was asking him to bid high. Was the system trying to humiliate him right in front of the whole student?" 

Ethan was immediately brought back to reality when the Joseon crown was brought before the whole students. Many gasps, seeing how shining the object was. "Do you think either of them can afford this?" Another voice said out loud 

Carter grinned and looked at Ethan, who was now sweating. Ethan cleaned his head with the back of his palm. "Shall we?" The auctioneer said, looking at both of them.

"Forty dollars." Carter said bring out a piece of paper. Many of the students smile, some chanting Carter's name in the background. 

"Forty five," Ethan said, raising the auction by five dollars. 

Many of the students froze; they all looked at themselves. 

It was no joke between the two of them. The auctioneer smiled. 

" Fifty!" Carter countered, his voice confident and smooth.

" Fifty-five!" Ethan retorted, his eyes locked on Carter's.

The bidding war had begun, with the entire student body watching in awe. The auctioneer's smile grew wider with each escalating bid.

Ethan forgot about what the system had in store for him. All he could think about was just bearing Carter for once. 

" Sixty!" Carter shouted, his face angered by the fact that Ethan was leveling with him. 

" Sixty-five!" Ethan shot back, his voice unwavering.

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause, sensing the intensity between the two bidders. Elena, standing beside Ethan, grinned mischievously, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Seventy!" Carter bellowed, his fists clenched.

" Seventy-five!" Ethan replied, his eyes blazing with determination.

The bidding continued, each increment fueling the tension. The students chanted "Ethan! Ethan!" and "Carter! Carter!" as the two rivals clashed.

Sophia, standing beside Carter, looked increasingly worried. "Carter, stop," she whispered, tugging on his arm.

But Carter shook her off, his focus fixed on defeating Ethan.

"One hundred thousand!" Ethan declared, his voice ringing out across the hall.

The room fell silent, stunned by the astronomical bid. Carter's face paled, his eyes darting to Sophia.

"Do you have any more to give?" the auctioneer asked, his voice dripping with drama.

Carter's jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with anger. "One hundred ten thousand!" he snarled.

Ethan's smile grew wider. He knew he had Carter right where he wanted him.

"One hundred twenty thousand!" Ethan countered, his voice dripping with confidence.

The crowd gasped, sensing the climax of the bidding war.

The auctioneer looked at both of them. He grabbed his microphone. "CCan we have a recess, please?" 

Carter took a glance at Ethan as he walked off the podium. As the students all went to the cafeteria to get snacks, they all whispered about the auction bid. 

"That was really tough in there. Do you think Ethan has the money? He kept raising the auction bid like he had the money piled up somewhere," one of the students said, and the rest burst into laughter. 

"I bet it is just a show-off. Ethan is dying to humiliate Carter for stealing his girlfriend, and everyone knows that." Another replied 

"We are going to see who turns up as the winner. I bet Carter is going to win the bid." 

Sophia looked at Carter, whose face was as hard as a stone. "Why are you going all out? Is this about humiliating Ethan, or is there more than you are not telling me?" 

"Can you just let me think? Do you think I don't have the money?" Carter looked at Sophia angrily. 

"I get you want to win the bid to make him look like a fool, but do you have to yell at me?" Sophia stood up angrily, but Carter drew her back. "I am sorry I yelled at you. I just don't want you to see me as being weak. I am going to win this with you by my side." He said it with a smile. Mark walked closer to Carter, "Where are you heading with this? Can you handle that huge amount of money?" 

"That is why I need you to lend me some money." Carter looked at him. 

"How much are you asking for?" Mark asked

"Can I get $500?" Carter raises an eyebrow at him. "Should I send it into your bank account?" He asked 

Carter nodded and he immediately sent it. 

Meanwhile, Ethan sat down, his heart thudding. He was now sober and began to think. 

Different thoughts raced as he began to wonder about the shame and ridicule that would happen to him if he couldn't afford such an amount of money. He wouldn't only lose Elena, but he would be ridiculed and would have to pay twice the amount of money for the auction. 

The loud bark from the microphone sent a shockwave down Ethan's spine. "Are you alright?" Elena said with a smile, bringing him caffeine. "I'm good." Ethan replied 

"You are doing beautiful out there. I didn't know you had such money." Elena replied with a smiling face. 

Ethan felt lost; he felt like he was lying to just one person who might have taken his side. He opened his mouth to talk, but the auctioneer's voice boomed again. 

"Should we begin? We are expecting both our biders back at the podium." He said it with a smile. 

Carter stood up with a cheer from Sophia while Ethan stood up with Elena cheering him on. 

Both walked to the podium. "The last bidder with the highest price takes home the crown and becomes king of the auction ceremony." The auctioneer said with a smile. 

Carter looked at Ethan and could see the fear on his face. He looked at his phone and the last amount he was having.He knew he was going to have to sell the antique to have it twice.

his money back. 

"Two thousand dollars!" Carter shouted, and Ethan's froze.