The Million Pound Gamble

When a mysterious envelope containing a million-pound banknote lands in my hands, I'm thrust into a high-stakes social experiment. The rules are simple: spend it without ever cashing it. But in Victorian London's cutthroat society, wealth is power—and power attracts danger. Will I play the game or become its pawn?

The Million Pound Gamble

When a mysterious envelope containing a million-pound banknote lands in my hands, I'm thrust into a high-stakes social experiment. The rules are simple: spend it without ever cashing it. But in Victorian London's cutthroat society, wealth is power—and power attracts danger. Will I play the game or become its pawn?

The envelope sticks to my damp palm as I duck into a doorway off Strand. Two hours ago, I was counting pennies for a boarding house cot; now this crisp rectangle of paper could buy Mayfair. 'Valid for one million pounds' glows unnaturally bright in the gaslight. My thumb catches on the Bank of England seal—raised ink meant to deter forgers, not madmen. Across the street, the Savoy's doorman eyes my frayed cuffs. A choice: walk away and preserve my dignity, or step into the golden cage? The note burns through my pocket lining as a hansom cab splashes past. That's when I see her—the woman from the ship, pencil poised over a notebook, watching me like a specimen. The game begins.