The announcement silenced the laughter almost immediately.Thirty million dollars was an enormous sum, even for the wealthy guests gathered in the auction hall. Ricardo had pushed the price far beyond what most people would consider reasonable, and he had made it clear that he was willing to spend a fortune to secure the Lamborghini.He leaned back in his chair, breathing heavily as he stared at Kade. Thirty million dollars was the absolute limit of what he could spend that night. He had access to considerable wealth, but even he couldn’t throw money around without restrictions forever. If he went beyond that amount, he would be risking funds he had already committed elsewhere and exposing himself to questions he didn’t want to answer.Still, he was confident that Kade couldn’t match him.Thirty million dollars. Let’s see you add a dollar to that, you bastard.Around the hall, guests began whispering among themselves.“Thirty million? That’s insane.”“There’s no way that bodyguard can

Ricardo could no longer contain his anger. He shot to his feet, pointing at Kade as though the auction house had just committed a crime against him.“I refuse to accept this! There is no way that a nobody like him can afford that car!” he shouted. “He’s a scammer! He made that ridiculous bet because he knew he couldn’t afford to lose in front of everyone. He was just bluffing, and now you’re all pretending this is legitimate!”His outburst immediately drew the attention of the surrounding guests. Although many had laughed at Kade’s strange bidding pattern, Ricardo’s accusation made some of them reconsider the situation.He did have a point. Thirty million dollars was an enormous amount of money, and Kade certainly didn’t look like someone who could spend that much on a car. He wore no expensive suit, displayed no jewelry, and had arrived with Elara, a woman whose own family had cast her out. Where could an ordinary bodyguard possibly obtain such a fortune?“What if he’s right?” one gu

For a moment, nobody spoke. Then Ricardo burst into laughter again, followed by several guests who found Kade’s explanation even more ridiculous than his earlier bidding strategy.“Someone will transfer the money?” Ricardo repeated mockingly. “Who? Your employer? Are you going to ask your boss to buy you a Lamborghini?”Kade ignored him and reached into his pocket.What he pulled out was an old-fashioned button phone, the kind most people had abandoned years ago in favor of modern smartphones. Its small screen and worn casing looked completely out of place in an auction hall filled with wealthy guests carrying the latest devices.The moment they saw it, the crowd erupted into laughter.“Look at that phone!”“Is that thing even connected to the internet?”“Someone who can’t afford a decent smartphone wants us to believe he can spend thirty million dollars on a car?”A well-dressed man sitting nearby shook his head. “I’ve seen people pretend to be wealthy before, but this is something e

For a moment, Ricardo remained silent. Then he burst into laughter, although the nervousness in his eyes betrayed him.“Apologize to her? Are you out of your mind?” He pointed at Elara with open contempt. “She’s nothing but a banished member of the Voss family! I’m the heir to the Banks family. Do you honestly think someone like me would kneel before her?”He straightened his back, desperately trying to reclaim the authority he had lost.“You should be the one kneeling before me, you arrogant bastard! Do you even know who I am?”Ricardo stepped forward and thrust his finger toward Kade’s face.That was a mistake.Kade caught his outstretched hand before Ricardo could pull it back. His fingers closed around Ricardo’s index finger, and with a sharp twist, he snapped it backward.CRACK!“AAAAAAARGH!”Ricardo’s scream tore through the auction hall. He doubled over, clutching his injured hand, his face contorted with pain as he stumbled backward.The surrounding guests recoiled in horror.

Elara’s smile gradually faded. She kept her eyes on the road, but her fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel.“It’s not that simple, Kade. I’m already struggling to keep Genesis Corporation afloat. The company hasn’t been doing well, and I’m carrying a debt of nearly a hundred million dollars. I still have to repay the loan I took out, and things haven’t exactly been going according to plan.”She let out a quiet sigh. “With everything that’s happened, I can barely figure out how to save the business. Starting another one is the last thing I can afford to think about.”Kade’s expression became thoughtful. He had already heard about the difficulties Elara was facing after her family turned against her, but he hadn’t realized the situation had become this serious.“Oh the hundred million dollars loan?” he repeated.Elara nodded. “Yes. And if Genesis Corporation continues to struggle, paying it back will become even more difficult. I don’t want to abandon the company, but so