Chapter 37 It''s mine


    "I know you are making that up,


    11


    led, "Whatever floats your boat, Lisa."


    ire stared at Lisa amused and since she didn''t care what Lisa think, ire chuckled.


    Alex, who had been listening quietly, was stunned by ire''s sudden disy of knowledge about cars. He knew firsthand that ire wasn''t particrly interested in automobiles, making her expertise in this moment all the more surprising.


    A flicker of admiration crossed Alex''s features as he watched ire confidently discuss the features of the car. He couldn''t deny that seeing her in this light, knowledgeable and assertive, was undeniably attractive to him.


    On the other hand, Lisa stood there unable to believe what she was hearing. ire, who she had always underestimated in matters outside of fashion and luxury, was proving her wrong once again. It irritated Lisa to no end, and a wave of frustration washed over her, making her want tosh out.


    The auction manager, brimming with excitement, approached ire with a smile.


    "Miss, I heard you talking about cars earlier. Are you


    you interested in our vintage car up for auction?"


    ire returned the smile, nodding. "Yes, I am. I''ve always had a passion for ssic cars."


    ire''s eyes briefly flicked towards Alex, a hint of irritation evident in her gaze, she walked away with Matthe and the manager as he give ire a tour.


    Meanwhile, Lisa, still simmering with frustration after witnessing ire''s confident demeanor, balled her hand into a fist. She couldn''t believe her bad luck at encountering ire once again, especially in such a high-profile setting.


    Turning to Alex, Lisa began to vent her distress. "Can you believe it? Of all ces, ire shows up here!"


    Alex, however, was lost in his own thoughts. Despite Lisa''s rant, his mind kept drifting back to ire, her presence suddenly striking him as attractive in a way he hadn''t noticed before.


    Lisa waved her hand in front of Alex, trying to regain his attention. "Alex, are you even listening?"


    Startled, Alex snapped out of his reverie. "Sorry, Lisa. I was just... thinking."


    Frustrated by Alex''s distraction, Lisa crossed her blend in with."


    er arms and huffed. "Eine, I''m going to look around. Maybe I''ll find someone


    I could


    With that, Lisa walked away, leaving Alex. He watched her go, but his gaze unconsciously drifted back to ire, who was engrossed in conversation with the auction manager near the vintage car disy.


    Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Alex reminded himself that ire might simply have memorized details about the car, exining her knowledge earlier. He tried to focus on the uing auction, pushing aside any distractions. The host''s voice cut through the chatter as the auction officially began.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us tonight. We have some exquisite items up for bidding, starting with our prized vintage car."


    ire, seated with Matthew by her side, crossed her legs elegantly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. She couldn''t wait to participate in the bidding for the vintage car, her excitement palpable in the air.


    As the bidding started, the room filled with hushed murmurs and the asional enthusiastic bidder.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, we have here a stunning Aston Martin Lagonda, a true gem for any collector," the host dered, his words. met with eager murmurs from the audience. "We''ll start the bidding at ￡48,599. Do I hear any takers?" The first bidder wasted no time, raising their paddle confidently. "￡50,000," they called out, setting the tone for the bidding war that


    was about to unfold.


    The room came alive as bids flew back and forth, each increment raising the stakes. "￡55,000," chimed in the second bidder, followed swiftly by another raising it to ￡60,000.


    The host''s grin widened as he watched the bids climb. "We have ￡60,000 on the table. Arly further bids?"


    The crowd fell into a momentary hush, the tension palpable as potential buyers weighed their decisions.


    "Going once at ￡60,000," the host announced, scanning the room for any final offers.


    No one spoke up, and the host continued, "Going twice at ￡60,000."


    With a swift motion, he brought down the gavel. "Sold to bidder number 54 for ￡60,000!" he proimed, eliciting cheers and apuse from the audience.


    ire sat attentively at the charity auction, her eyes sparkling with anticipation as the host announced the bidding for the Porsche 911 Carrera from 1987, a car she had admired earlier in the evening "We''ll start the bidding at ￡40,561,"


    The biddingmenced swiftly, with the first bidder raising the stakes.


    "￡50,000."


    "￡55,000.


    ire observed the back-and-forth, waiting for the opportune moment to join in.


    "￡62,000."


    "￡65.500.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    "We have ￡65,500 on the table. Any further bids?"


    ire sensed it was time to make her move. With a confident gesture, she raised her paddle and called out, "￡70,000."


    The host acknowledged her bid, announcing, "Going once at ￡70,000." The tension in the room heightened as everyone waited to see if there would be another bidder.


    When no further bids came, the host dered, "Going twice at ￡70,000, sold to bidder number 32."


    T


    A wave of apuse filled the room as ire''s purchase was finalized. She couldn''t contain her smile as she realized she had secured the Porsche 911 Carrera she had set her sights on. Matthew, who was seated beside ire, leaned in and whispered, "Well done, ire. That was a great bid."


    ire nodded graciously; her satisfaction evident. "Thank you, Matthew. I''ve had my eye on that car for a while."


    The atmosphere crackled with anticipation as the auction for the Ferrari F40, the gem of the event, began.


    The crowd murmured excitedly; their eyes fixed on the sleek red beauty that was rarely seen on the market. Among them, ire''s eyes sparkled with excitement as she whispered to Matthew. "That car is gonna be mine."


    On the other side of the room, Alex couldn''t hide his own excitement. His gaze was firmly set on the Ferrari F40, a car he had admired for years. He, too, had made up his mind to bid for it.


    The auction host took the stage, setting the stage for the final and most anticipated auction item of the evening.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you the Ferrari F40, starting at ￡460,000," he announced, igniting a wave of anticipation among the bidders


    The bids started rolling in swiftly. The first bidder raised the stakes to ￡480,000, then another pushed it to ￡500,000, and the numbers climbed rapidly until it reached an impressive ￡769,000. It was clear that this was going to be the highest-priced item of the evening. out,"


    Alex raised his paddle confidently, calling out, "￡800,000."


    ire frowned slightly, not willing to lose to Alex again after the previous bid for Annalise''s painting. She raised her paddle and dered, "Eg00,000.


    The crowd gasped at the sudden jump in price, but the bidding war was far from over. Alex countered with a bold move.


    ￡100,000,000


    11


    Not to be outdone, ire raised her bid.


    "￡120,000,000.


    She was serious about winning th


    the Ferrari F40.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, it seems that we have apetitive bidder."


    "￡200,000,000." Alex dered.


    ire was silent, hesitating whether she should continue or let Alex win.


    "E200,000,000, going once, going twice..."


    ￡300,000,000."