Chapter 3

Iris's POV

That fever nearly killed me.

But maybe it was that near-death experience that made me more focused.

In the months after recovery, I threw myself into training like a maniac. Twelve hours of data memorization daily, three game predictions every night - I didn't dare slack off for a moment.

"Golden State Warriors home record 73.2%, away record 65.8%..." I repeated those numbers over and over.

"Good, continue!" Dad's tone had become gentler. "What about the Boston Celtics stats?"

"Boston Celtics, season average 112.4 points scored, 103.7 points allowed..."

Gradually, my predictions became more and more accurate. From missing one or two games per week, to one miss per month, to three straight months with ZERO mistakes.

The cattle prod was put away. The knife disappeared too.

Those horrific punishments seemed like ancient history.

That night, I perfectly predicted three games again. When the final game ended, Mom and Dad went almost CRAZY.

"One hundred twenty thousand dollars!" Dad jumped up excitedly. "One hundred twenty grand in ONE NIGHT!"

"My genius daughter!" Mom Linda hugged me tight. "You're our little money goddess!"

That hug felt real, warm, full of love. At least it seemed that way.

"We're RICH!" Dad danced around the living room. "We're fucking LOADED!"

A month later, we moved.

From that stinking basement to the most luxurious apartment building in Las Vegas. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the entire city, marble floors gleaming in the sunlight.

"Welcome to our new home, little princess!" Dad pushed open a pink door. "This is YOUR room!"

I was stunned.

The entire room was pink - pink walls, pink princess bed, pink curtains, and stuffed animals everywhere. The vanity was covered with Barbie dolls, the closet packed with beautiful dresses.

"My little princess, you EARNED all this." Mom said gently. "Because you gave us this life."

I walked into the room, gently touching those soft toys. This was my dream room.

"Daddy," I asked carefully, "we'll never go back to that basement, right?"

"NEVER again, baby." He said firmly. "That hellhole is history. From today on, you're a real princess."

The next few months were like a fairy tale.

They took me to Disneyland, where we spent three whole days. I rode a carousel for the first time, watched fireworks for the first time, took pictures with Mickey Mouse for the first time.

"Buy it! Buy EVERYTHING!" Dad waved his hand in the toy store. "Whatever my daughter wants!"

They bought me the latest iPad loaded with games and cartoons. A whole closet full of designer clothes, each piece worth a fortune.

"This dress is eight hundred dollars," Mom said in the boutique, "but my little princess deserves the BEST."

Dinner was no longer cheeseburgers, but steaks and lobster at fancy restaurants. We stayed in luxury hotel suites, flew first class everywhere.

This was the life I wanted. This was a real family.

But late at night, when I lay alone in that pink princess bed, I couldn't help looking at my arms.

The scars were still there.

Yankees 7:4

Celtics 112

And dozens of other scars, big and small, each one a record of my former pain.

Do they really love me? Or do they just love my ability?

That question haunted me.

During the day, when they bought expensive gifts, I felt loved. But when I saw the GREED in their eyes calculating betting profits, I started doubting again.

If my ability disappeared, would they still love me?

If I predicted wrong again, would those punishments come back?

I didn't dare test those answers.

Three months later, things began to change.

That afternoon, I was playing with my new dolls when the doorbell rang.

"Mr. Miller, pleasure seeing you again." An unfamiliar voice came from outside, heavily accented.

I quietly crept to the staircase, hiding behind the banister to eavesdrop.

Three men in expensive suits sat in the living room.

"Mr. Miller, your daughter is truly miraculous." A man with gold-rimmed glasses said. "Our organization is very interested in her."

"Of course, of course." Dad's voice sounded nervous. "Her ability is... unique."

"We'd like to propose a partnership," another man said. "Long-term cooperation, mutually beneficial."

Partnership? I gripped the banister tightly.

"We can provide a bigger platform, richer rewards," the glasses man continued, "but correspondingly, the stakes will be higher too."

"How much higher?" Mom asked.

"Say... ten million dollars to start."

Ten million? My heart began racing.

"Ten million?" Dad's voice trembled. "That's... that's huge..."

"Precisely because it's big, the profits are big too," the third man smiled. "We know your daughter's accuracy rate. This is guaranteed money."

"What does exclusive partnership mean?" Mom asked nervously.

"Higher security, steadier income, and of course, greater responsibility."

I heard chairs moving - they seemed to be exchanging documents.

"You can consider this contract carefully," the glasses man said, "but we hope for a quick response. Opportunities like this don't come often."

"We... we need to discuss this." Dad said.

"Certainly, but don't take too long." The man's voice became meaningful. "There aren't many talents like your daughter in the market, but our patience is LIMITED."

Twenty minutes later, the men left. I quickly ran back to my room, heart pounding.

Ten million dollar starting bets?

Half an hour later, I heard excited discussion from downstairs.

"Ten million, Linda! TEN MILLION!" Dad's voice was ecstatic. "If this works, we'll be BILLIONAIRES!"

"But the risk is huge too..." Mom said worriedly.

"Risk? What risk?" Dad shot back. "Iris has been perfect for over sixty games straight! She's our money printer!"

"What if... what if she's wrong?"

"She WON'T be! ABSOLUTELY not!" Dad said firmly. "Our daughter is a GENIUS! A prophet!"

At dinner, they acted like nothing happened.

"Baby, did you have fun today?" Mom asked gently.

"Yes, Mommy." I forced a smile.

"Tomorrow we'll buy more toys, okay?" Dad said, but I noticed a fanatic gleam in his eyes.

"Daddy... are you guys doing some big business?" I asked carefully.

Dad and Mom exchanged glances, then both smiled.

"Our little princess is so SMART!" Dad ruffled my hair. "Yes, Daddy's doing big business. Business that will make our whole family happy forever."

Looking at their expressions, dread filled my heart.