[Hyde POV]
I eased the Aston Martin DB6 into the long driveway, its glossy dark green finish gleaming under the late afternoon sun.
Sliding out, I adjusted the cuff of my crisp white dress shirt beneath the tailored charcoal Italian suit I had ordered online.
The jacket hugged my shoulders perfectly, flaring just slightly at the bottom, giving a subtle nod to the 70s cut without looking out of place.
A pale blue silk tie peeked beneath the lapels, held in place by a simple silver tie clip, while a white linen pocket square rested neatly in the breast pocket.
My black leather oxfords clicked against the marble steps as I walked toward the mansion, a sleek gold watch glinting on my wrist. Cufflinks caught the light every time I moved.
As the butler escorted me inside, I saw a familiar face.
She wore a low cut golden sequined dress, showing the mole on her cleavage, and she wore a large diamond pendant necklace on her pale white skin.
"Steven!" She greeted me happily, her voice hoarse from a lot of smoking.
"Mrs Rockwell." I greeted the pale blonde lady who's an inch taller than me. She leaned in and kissed my cheek. "I'm glad you're finally here."
She had come to the auto shop before, so we knew each other.
"You look as beautiful as ever." I complimented her.
She smiled brightly and said, "Thank you very much. You look quite dashing too."
"Dashing enough to make you leave your husband?" I teased.
She laughed, "I'm old enough to be your mother."
"You had me when you're 8 years old?" I pretended to be shocked.
She giggled, covering her mouth slightly. "I know you're just being nice, but that's feel pretty good to hear."
She was around 40 this year, so me calling her twenty five was a huge compliment.
A waitress handed me a champagne, which I pretended to drink, but actually put inside my system storage. I didn't want to get too drunk today.
The whole place reminded me of Bruce Wayne's mansion in late 80s Batman movies, the Tim Burton Batman.
There were a few of the people here who wore leisure suits, the 70s style polyester ones.
Surprisingly, Bruce clicked on a glass and said, "Everyone. Now that my last guest is here, we can all move to the ballroom. I have a few items prepared for the auction, which I'm sure you'll enjoy."
"Auction?" I was confused.
Mrs Rockwell touched her chin with her gloved hand and said, "He suddenly turned this into an auction this afternoon. I'm so worried it'll ruin the party."
I have an inkling of the items he had prepared. I just wasn't sure why he did it.
"People will think we're broke." Mrs Rockwell sighed.
"Isn't this stuff he got from other people?" I asked, quite loudly. "I remember him saying he's trying to help people with this."
Mrs Rockwell realized what I was doing and said, "I think so. A few of his friends went bankrupt and had to sell their family heirloom."
It started a murmur around the area, which spread to the entire party.
Bruce approached me with a smug face and said, "Don't worry. I'll handle it," before I could even say anything.
Inside the ballroom, he has 10 items he placed inside a glass cage, on top of a velvet pillow, without any labels on them.
It was a silent auction, which Bruce said he was inspired to do from going to a friend's house.
"Steven. Go mingle." Mrs Rockwell said as she saw her friend calling for her.
I sighed and turned to the people nearest to me. A scary looking brunette girl was standing there.
"Hello, I'm Steven Hyde." I introduced myself to her.
She was silent at first, eyeing me up and down before introducing herself, "...Austen."
"Like the author? Jane Austen"
Taken aback, she nodded and said, "Yes."
She has supple red lips, pointed nose, red hair and red eyeshadow. She wore 70s style make up that was caked on her, and wore a black, provocative dress.
"Are you here alone?" I asked. "Would you like some company?"
"I'm not. And I don't like talking to people." She said with a sharp glare.
I smiled and said, "Perfect. I don't want people to get close to me. We can help each other out and just hang out together in silence."
Austen has a confused expression. She stared at me for a while and said, "...Sure."
"Good. Do you want to check out the items with me? Nod if you want to, ignore if you don't."
Her eyes flickered slightly. Then, she nodded. We went to check out the items that were sitting on the velvet pillow.
One of them was an egg. Like the one people steal in heist movies. I used my appraisal on the 8 items, and it wasn't worth that much, except for the egg.
The silent auction meant that if we wanted to bid, we put it on a piece of paper and gave it to the butler.
Then, the butler will say whether the price we bid was too low.
"Are you done?" Austen asked me.
"Yeah."
We went back to the back of the party, drinking in silence. Austen suddenly asked, "What item do you think is worth the most?"
"The egg." I replied.
"The egg?" She raised an eyebrow, a bit curious and a soft smile grew on her tight face. "Really? You're calling it an egg?"
"It's it? Should I call it a classic Fabergé-style jewelled egg, with…" I paused, letting her lean in slightly, curiosity flickering across her features. "...gold body, inset with tiny rubies, sapphires, and emeralds."
I swirled my drink.
"I'm guessing it's late 19th-century design inspired, maybe Russian imperial style, but made for collectors. Mechanically, it's got a hidden hinge. Opens to reveal a miniature enamel figure inside."
"It has a hinge?!" Austen was shocked. "What's– what's the value of that thing?" She asked.
"It's not exact. Maybe around 325 thousand–"
Austen immediately went to the butler, leaving me alone. And because of that, someone approached me, which meant I had to talk to them.
"Hi, I saw you on TV. You're the REV IT UP guy, right? I'm Jensen." A middle aged man approached me.
I shook his hand, wearing a business smile, "Hello Jensen. I'm Hyde."
"You have even more charisma in real life Mr Hyde." Jensen said gleefully. "Should I introduce you to my daughter? This is Chrissy."
A skinny, petite girl approached me wearing a silver dress. She was quite cute by the 70s standard.
However, as Austen came back, both of them flinched and quickly retreated. "Sorry. Didn't realize you already have company."
"Hmm?" I turned and saw Austen giving the girl murderous eyes. I scoffed slightly, finding the situation amusing.
Austen suddenly grabbed my elbow fabric, and stared at everyone as if marking her territory. She didn't talk, which made the situation eerie.
"Did you stab someone or something? They sure are afraid of you?" I asked playfully.
"No, I didn't. But my dad was arrested for creating a cult and sacrificing babies to the evil lord." She watched my face intently as she said that.
I scoffed and said, "Damn evil lord. Your dad gave him fresh newborns, at the very least he can do was not get him caught."
Austen was quite astonished by my words. Then, she laughed for the first time.
"I was lying. But, your words… I guess that makes good sense."
I just shrugged slightly. "So you don't believe in god?" She asked, slightly worried.
"Heavy topic to ask someone on a first meeting. Also a bold choice to ask. But yeah,... I don't believe in god." I replied casually.
"Good. Me too." She replied. "If there's a god, he won't be very good."
"Oh, are you referring to that? "If a god's all powerful, then he can't be all good. If he's all good, he can't be all powerful" argument?"
Austen was greatly taken aback by it. "What do you mean?" She asked.
"Well, you never heard about it before? Let's see how I can explain this. The argument goes like this. If a god is all-powerful, he could stop evil. Right?"
I sipped my wine and continued.
"Anything bad that happens, he could prevent it. But if he's all-good, he would want to stop evil, because, well, he's all-good. But evil exists. So he couldn't be all powerful. That's the paradox."
Her eyes widened. "So… if he's real, then… Why doesn't he stop stuff like wars and… and babies dying? Things like that?" She muttered, her eyes glued on me.
"Exactly," I said, leaning closer. "It's not about disproving God. It's about showing the simple stories we hear in church or books… they don't cover the complexity of the world."
"People have tried all sorts of explanations. Some say evil is necessary for free will. Others say it's punishment. Some religions say it's an illusion. Hinduism, Buddhism, even Gnosticism, they've got different takes. It's insane how many ways people have tried to make sense of the same problem."
She fell into a daze. I smiled wryly and said, "Did I do too much? I didn't break you, did I?"
"No. I've been studying this for a long time." Austen replied. "It's the basis of my Phd. But it was rejected."
"Let me guess. Too controversial?" I asked teasingly.
"The community burned down my thesis." She replied seriously. "And called me a devil worshipper."
"That's… too bad." I held her shoulder to comfort her. She was taken aback by it, and her face turned to my hand.
"Oh sorry." I pulled my hand away hurriedly.
"Don't… Don't worry about it." She replied, looking a bit conflicted.
The butler came to her a couple of times, telling her that she got outbidded. She increased her bidding price a few times more to ensure she got the egg.
Finally, the auction ended. The name of people who won the bid was revealed, but not the price of their bid.
"Austen, DuPont." The butler announced.
"Is that you?" I asked her.
She nodded as a reply.
"So that's why people are scared." I muttered teasingly. She was the richest person in the room. And I picked her ever so casually.
She let out a small laugh, amused by my reaction. "You don't seem to mind it much?" She asked.
"Not really. I thought you're a scary girl. Now, you're still a scary girl. There's not much difference."
The butler called her into the private room with the other winners. She brought me along with her.
As soon as he saw her, Bruce smiled and said, "Austen. Did you become scarier?"
"Shut up Bruce." She cursed. "I won the egg. Give it to me." She said demandingly.
They obviously know each other. Bruce told me afterward she was his friend's daughter so he knew her since she was very young.
Bruce laughed and said, "Yes. You're the only one here who'd spent fifty grand on a thirty thousand egg. I thought daddy has already cut you off from the family fortune? Can you afford to spend money, that lavishly?"
Bruce was a bit worried for her. I realized he was looking out for her from his gaze. It was like looking at a member of his family.
She smirked and said, "Why? Did you not see the true value of the items you sell?"
"Huh?" Bruce was confused. He saw me and said, "Oh Steven. Guess what people paid for your diamonds?"
Austen turned to me with a face full of shock.
"I don't know? One hundred sixty five grand?"
Bruce froze. Then, he scowled childishly. "Who told you? Damn it. I wanted it to be a surprise."
My appraisal updated me on the value of the diamonds as I saw them inside the room.
The same thing happened for the diamond stud Jackie bought. The value was updated once she gave me the check.
"You–" Austen was really surprised.
"He's pretty rich too. Richer than you right now, I think." Bruce said annoyedly. "Give me the egg. I'll buy it from you. Don't waste your money too much Austen!"
Austen turned to Bruce and smiled softly.
"Stop that, you're creeping me out." Bruce shuddered.
"Bruce, let me take a look at that egg."
"What– You aren't going to throw it to the ground like last time, would you?"
"No." Austen replied, but Bruce didn't believe him. "The butler will hold it." He said adamantly.
The glass cage was removed, and Austen wore a glove to check out the egg. Then, she leaned in and whispered to me slightly. "Where's the hinge?"
"Press the red ruby with your thumb. You can feel it go down a millimeter." I said.
"What?" Bruce was confused. "There's no hinge. I've checked!" He was annoyed.
"Put your index finger on the flower. Twist it at a 45 degree angle."
"Are you sure?" Austen was worried.
"Trust me."
I was reading the instructions from the system. Even I couldn't see where the flower was on my own.
She sighed and did it anyway. Then, we heard a clacking sound.
A Faberge egg was priced high wasn't because of the jewelry, but the mechanical ingenuity on it.
Without a hinge, it would be worth around 30 thousand. But if it has something inside? The value jumped up tenfold.
The egg opened, revealing a hidden figurine.
Bruce was extremely surprised by the reveal.
The butler was also shocked.
"Congrats Miss Austen. You just raise the price of the egg tenfold." I clapped slightly, celebrating her.
I actually felt a bit bad inside. I thought for sure the egg would go for less than two hundred thousand in the auction, that's why I didn't bid. I didn't have the liquidity to chase it that high.
Otherwise, the egg would've been mine.
…
With the egg being opened, the appraiser in the house said it was worth over half a million dollars. Bruce bought it from Austen at that price, and the almost-broke rich lady has a lot of money again.
"So… your father really cut you off over that thesis of yours?" I asked her casually.
She nodded and said tiredly, "The world's not prepared yet for that discussion."
We sat alone inside the guest room. She usually stayed here when she came to visit Bruce. Suddenly, she leaned in and gave me a peck on the lips.
I was taken aback, but I wasn't going to push her away. She pressed her body weight on me as she leaned in, causing me to fall flat on the couch.
Then, she reached for my belt.
I slid my hand up her skirt, and grabbed her butt.
She paused slightly and said, "I grew up being told a woman's worth has something to do with restraint and obedience."
She stared into my eyes. "I stopped believing that a long time ago. You don't strike me as the kind of man who'd be bothered if a woman decides for herself. or, do you?"
"I actually love it." I said with a smirk.
She smiled and said, "Good."
Then, she began riding me on the couch. I lowered her dress slightly and kissed her skin.
She leaned in and sucked on my neck, biting it slowly. I continued pleasuring her for about an hour. We did it by the windows and even saw people leaving the party in droves.
There was no talking, only sex.
Finally, it was over. Both of us laid down on the bed, not an ounce of fabric on our bodies.
She leaned in, pressed her warm body on my torso and stared at me in the eyes. "You're quite good."
"So do you." I grabbed her butt slightly.
She smiled softly and said, "I'm leaving for France after this."
Paris. The place women would run off too in the 70s, especially those who rejected American conservatism.
It was a safe haven for artists, grad students, heirs, and philosophers.
"I see." I replied, a bit disappointed. "So we can't do that again huh?"
She teased me, saying, "It doesn't have to be. France is a big place. If you're willing to leave."
I thought about it and said, "I can't. I've got too many things tied down here."
"I see." She replied, a bit disappointed.
Austen moved away slowly and began putting on her dress again. She turned to me and said, "Thank you for noticing what no one else did."
"Thank you for that lesson with the tongue." I said playfully.
She laughed again and threw me something. "Here. A gift."
It was her panties. It was still wet. We both laughed and she finally left.
I finally winced and said, "Ow. My back is bleeding. She's too ferocious."
If I went to France with her, I was sure I would be in the hospital within the month.
I have a medical box in my system, so I used Build Mode to put ointments on my back and plastered it. Then, I finally wore my suit back.
…
Bruce told me the money was in a trust. I could use it whenever I wanted, without having to pay taxes for it.
It was easy to do for him and I didn't have to explain where the money came from. So no one would think about looking for me if they found the diamonds.
I drove straight back home casually, the Aston Martin was cruising on the road smoothly after my modifications.
I finally got out of the suffocating clothes. The next morning, I was in my rock-tshirt and jeans again.
I didn't go to school since I received a call early this morning.
The basketball court offer was closed, and I could sign the deed transfer today. I used my lawyer for it to avoid meeting with the town councilmen.
The last time we met, it didn't go very well. Even though that timeline was erased.
The land was sold pretty fast since the town councilmen wanted to avoid answering questions at the town meeting this afternoon.
So, all of Donna's effort to gather people had failed. She had a really angry expression, her face became as red as her hair.
"Maybe I will lose the bet and get beat up." I muttered, shuddering slightly.