As the ballroom doors swung open, ire and Adrian walked in together, side by side. The grand auction hall was filled with crystal chandeliers, rich velvet curtains, and the quiet hum of murmured conversations. Businessmen and socialites alike mingled and sipped


    champagne, waiting for the night''s main event.


    ire scanned the room, her eyes briefly catching the sight of Alexander, standing near a group of men in suits. He was effortlessly charming, as usual, talking business with a few older businessmen who seemed eager to hear every word.


    They found their seats in the beautifully decorated auction room, settling in just as Alexander entered too, but, of course, he was instantly sidetracked. A couple of businessmen snagged him before he could sit down,unching into a dry conversation about mergers and investments. Typical Alexander, never missing a chance to talk business.


    ire sighed and leaned back in her chair, scanning the room. "I wonder how many people are here just to show off," she muttered, raising her eyebrows at a woman whose diamond ne looked big enough to have its own zip code. Adrian chuckled softly, "Probably most of them. You doing, okay?"


    ire shed him a bright smile. "I''m fine, really. Alexander doesn''t bother me. Not anymore. Tonight''s about jewels, not drama."


    Adrian gave her a knowing look but didn''t push the subject. He knew better than to dig too deep when ire insisted, she was okay. He also knew ire well enough to see through her.


    Ten minutester, the host grabbed the microphone and tapped it to get everyone''s attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. The auction will begin shortly."


    ire straightened up, and so did Adrian. The room buzzed with excitement as people began to settle into their spots. ire''s gaze wandered to the table next to theirs, where Alexander had just sat down, looking perfectly at ease as if he owned the ce. "Of course, he''s sitting right next to us," ire muttered under her breath.


    The auction began with Mr. Saint Laurent, Adrian''s grandfather, stepping up to give a short weing speech. He was a stately man, oozing with old-world charm. He thanked everyone for attending and gave a brief history of the jewelry they were about to auction off, proudly boasting how the Saint Laurent family had a legacy that stretched back for generations.


    "Thank you all foring," Mr. Saint Laurent said in his deep voice. "This evening, we will showcase some of the finest and rarest pieces from our collection, including the renowned Rose Ne, which has been in the family for over a century."


    "Let''s start the auction, shall we?" The crowd buzzed with excitement. "Our first item," the host continued, "is the Rose Ne. Starting bid: one million dors."


    A few hands shot up around the room, the bids climbing quickly. Two million. Three million. ire watched with mild interest but didn''t raise her paddle. That ne wasn''t her style.


    After a few more pieces came and went, a stunning ne caught ire''s eye. The starting bid for this one was three million dors. Without hesitation, she raised her paddle. "Five million," she said confidently.


    Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Going all in?"


    ire smirked. "It''s beautiful. Worth every cent."


    Other bidders tried to match her, but ire wasn''t backing down. When the gavel finally came down, the ne was hers. She smiled triumphantly, leaning back in her chair.


    "You''ve got good taste," Adrian said, chuckling.


    "I know," ire replied with a grin.


    "Goin once, going twice, sold to Ms. Peterson." The host, with a dramatic ir, gestured toward the staff, who carefully wheeled out the final piece of the night. This ne was unlike any of the others—an intricate masterpiece, with the host exining that it was nearly impossible to craft.


    "And now, the bidding for this extremely rare piece will start at twenty million dors."


    The crowd gasped.


    "Twenty-two million,"


    "Twenty-five,"


    "Thirty!"


    ire''s eyes widened, and she whipped her head around to see who had bid thirty million dors. Her stomach sank, and her expression turned cold when she saw her.


    Gretta.


    Gretta was thest person ire wanted to see tonight. ire had no idea how that woman had even gotten an invitation to this auction, but there she was, sitting with her head held high, looking as if she owned the room.


    As if feeling ire''s icy re, Gretta turned her head, meeting ire''s eyes. She smirked, a smug little twist of her lips that made ire''s blood boil.


    ire leaned back in her seat and casually raised her paddle. "Forty million."novelbin


    Gasps rippled through the audience, but ire barely noticed. Her eyes were locked on Gretta, who looked less confident now, though she quickly masked it with a tight smile.


    "Fifty million," Gretta fired back, her tone strained but trying to sound nonchnt.


    Whispers erupted in the room as the stakes climbed. ire''s heart raced, but she wasn''t about to let Gretta see her sweat. She raised her paddle again. "Sixty million."


    The crowd collectively held their


    breath. Gretta''s smirk wavered. For


    a split second, ire thought she


    might have won, but Gretta nced down at her paddle, then at her husband''s empty chair, and hesitated. The reality hit her she didn''t have that kind of money. Not after ire had engineered her husband''s recent downfall. Gretta''s face fell as she ced her paddle down, defeated.


    ire''s smirk widened. This victory was almost too easy.


    "Going once..." the auctioneer announced.


    ire could already taste her triumph.


    "Going twice..."


    And then, out of nowhere, a voice cut through the room. "Seventy million."


    ire''s eyes widened in disbelief. That voice-it was unmistakable. Alexander Harris.


    She didn''t even bother to turn around. Instead, she just rolled her eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn''t stay stuck.


    "Of course, it''s him," she muttered under her breath. Why did he always have to show up at the worst possible moment? Without thinking, ire raised her paddle again. "One hundred million."


    The crowd audibly gasped. She wasn''t sure why they were so surprised. It was just money, after all.


    ire leaned back in her chair;


    certain Alexander would back off. What would he even do with a


    diamond ne, anyway? He


    wasn''t exactly known for wear


    shy jewelry. But then, a horrible thought crossed her mind. What if this wasn''t about him? What if he was nning to give the ne to someone else?


    Abigail.


    The thought made her frown.


    Her heart pounded as she watched the auctioneer raise his gavel. "Going once..."


    "Two hundred million," Alexander''s voice rang out again.


    A stunned silence fell over the room. Even ire, who usually prided herself on staying calm under pressure, couldn''t help but gape at the ridiculous number.


    "Two hundred million?" she whispered, eyes narrowing. "What is he ying at?"


    Gretta, sitting just a few seats away, was watching the whole thing unfold with a mixture of amusement and schadenfreude. She leaned in slightly and whispered, "Looks like someone''s out of their depth." The auctioneer''s voice sliced through the tension. "Going once... going twice... sold to Mr. Alexander Harris for two hundred million dors!"


    Apuse filled the room, but ire


    remained seated, her expression unreadable as she slowly stood up She pped along with the others but there was no warmth in her apuse. Her eyes were locked on Alexander, who was making his way


    toothe front to finalize the sa


    the sale.


    He barely nced at her, offering only the faintest nod in acknowledgment. It wasn''t even a smug look-he was just... neutral.