Riley had actually made the Auremere's staff obey her.
Felicia's freshly done nails nearly snapped as she dug them into her palm, her eyes dark with resentment.
By now, Victor didn't care about anything else. He scrambled to his feet and ran three full laps around the floor, becoming the center of everyone's laughter.
Sophia's face burned red with humiliation. She had never felt so disgraced in her life. Thankfully, no one here knew her—otherwise, how could she ever show her face in public again, especially with Victor?
The moment he finished, she rushed forward and shoved his clothes into his hands.
Her eyes blazed with anger. "Riley, are you satisfied now?! Can we leave?"
Riley tilted her head slightly. "There's still one more thing. That wasn't the only condition of our bet."
"You—! Riley, don't push your luck! Don't go too far!" Sophia snapped, lunging forward as if to scratch her—but the sudden appearance of several bodyguards froze her in place. She could only glare, powerless.
Riley, however, looked completely unmoved.
No room for negotiation.
Victor gritted his teeth, then fell to his knees and bowed low.
"My Queen!"
"My Queen!"
"My Queen!"
His face flushed bright red, like a ripe tomato.
Felicia instinctively stepped back, disgust written all over her face.
How embarrassing.
Evan felt the same embarrassment—but somehow, his gaze drifted upward again, landing on Riley.
His heart began to pound.
She might be "foolish," but when she smiled… it was stunning.
Like warm sunlight in winter.
Like flowers in full bloom under the summer sun.
He couldn't look away.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his arm.
He turned and met Felicia's disappointed, wounded gaze, snapping him back to reality.
"Evan, we should go," she said softly.
"Right." He nodded, still a little dazed, stealing one last glance at Riley before leaving.
But she didn't even look at him.
That stung more than he expected.
Outside, the group followed Victor out of Auremere, still seething with humiliation. Sophia kept nagging beside him until he finally exploded.
"Shut up! If you had money, would I have ended up like this?!"
Sophia, already furious, snapped right back. "Maybe if you weren't so useless, you wouldn't have lost!"
"You—!" Victor glared at her, neck stiff with rage.
Felicia quickly stepped in, soothing them both. "Sophia, this really isn't Victor's fault. I didn't know my sister had connections with Auremere either. I've heard there are tricks to dice games… could it be that Auremere's staff was helping her?"
She paused, then added quickly, "I don't mean she cheated. It's just… this whole thing feels unfair. My sister really went too far this time. I'll apologize on her behalf. Please don't argue."
The moment she apologized, Victor's anger eased noticeably.
There was no way he'd admit he lost to an "fool."
It had to be rigged.
The staff in Auremere must have helped Riley.
That had to be it.
Miranda suddenly chimed in, as if struck by realization. "Wait—I saw Riley get into a luxury car after class before. Do you think… she actually has a sugar daddy?"
That made perfect sense.
A fool like Riley couldn't possibly earn the Auremere staff's respect on her own.
She must be backed by someone powerful.
The group's contempt deepened instantly. They cursed under their breath as they got into their cars and drove off, leaving Riley behind without a second thought.
What happened to them no longer mattered.
Riley had already taught Victor a lesson.
Back inside, Riley turned to the manager, eyes bright.
"So… can I take my little race car out for a spin now?"