Ascension of the Untouchable Billionaire.

Chapter 6. Auction.

Huge.

That was the only word that came to mind when one thought of the grand hall of the plaza.

Crystal chandeliers, each the size of a small car, hung from a vaulted ceiling painted with gold-leafed frescoes. 

The air was a thick cocktail of expensive champagne, aged scotch, and the distinct, cloying scent of multiple perfumes in one room.

But Nicole's mind wasn't on any of that now.

She had followed Steven into the room after Noah and his woman had walked in, but instead of focusing on her fiance, her eyes kept drifting back to the couple in question. 

She felt a strange, gnawing discomfort in her chest—a sensation she hadn't felt in years. 

She had spent three years looking down on Noah, pitying his lack of ambition, his devotion to her family and his simple needs. 

She had convinced herself that leaving him was an "upgrade."

But seeing him on the arm of a woman who held the financial keys to the city made Nicole’s "upgrade" feel suddenly, sickeningly fragile. 

Chantel wasn't just beautiful; she was a force of nature. 

And she was looking at Noah as if he were the only man in the room.

It has to be a stunt, Nicole told herself, her grip tightening on her clutch. 

She refused to believe anything different.

---

As they moved deeper into the hall, the social vultures began to circle. Steven Crestwood was the heir to a fortune, and in this room, that made him a god.

"Steven! My boy! Excellent to see you," a silver-haired man boomed, clapping Steven on the shoulder. "And this must be the lovely Nicole. We’ve heard great things about Nicholson Industries. A perfect match, truly—beauty and business acumen joined with the Crestwood legacy."

A chorus of sycophantic murmurs rose from the surrounding guests.

"They really are the golden couple of the season," a woman in a diamond choker gushed. "It’s so refreshing to see power paired with actual class."

Steven preened under the attention, his chest puffing out. He cast a triumphant look back at Noah, who was standing near the edge of the crowd with Chantel. "Thank you, everyone. We’re just looking forward to the auction. I hear Mr. Shinren has outdone himself tonight."

The crowd buzzed at the mention of the name. Markus Shinren, the President of the City Business Association and the host of the evening, was a man who didn't deal in trinkets.

"The Astraea Ring," the silver-haired man whispered, his eyes wide. "The private collection of Shinren himself. They say the central stone is a 'Void Sapphire,' so dark it swallows the light. The opening bid alone is enough to buy a fleet of yachts."

He turned to Steven with a knowing grin. "I imagine only a man of your stature could even dream of raising a paddle for such a piece, Steven."

Steven laughed, his voice loud enough to carry across the hall. "Well, the Crestwood vault is deep. If Nicole likes the ring, consider it as good as hers. I don't believe in letting 'rare' things slip through my fingers."

---

Chante, who had been listening from a few feet away, let out a sharp, melodic scoff that silenced the nearby conversations.

"The Crestwood vault?" she said, her voice dripping with cold disdain. "Monsieur Crestwood, your vault is a piggy bank compared to what is standing right here."

She leaned in closer to Noah, her eyes flashing with a wicked delight. "If my Noah wanted to, he could buy this auction house, the land it sits on, and every single soul in this room including the auctioneer, and still have enough left over to buy your family's shipping company for breakfast."

For a heartbeat, there was a stunned silence. 

Then, a ripple of laughter broke out, starting with Steven and spreading through the guests like a contagion.

"Buy the auction house?" a guest mocked, pointing at Noah. "With what? Lug nuts and motor oil?"

"Director, your sense of humor is as sharp as your fashion," another woman laughed, fanning herself. "But we all know who he is. He’s the ex-husband Nicole just scraped off her shoe."

"It's true," Anna, Nicole's sister, chirped as she joined the circle, her face twisted in a smug grin. "He’s been a parasite for years. I don't know what kind of 'services' he’s providing you, Director, but don't let him fool you into thinking he’s anything more than a beggar in a borrowed suit."

The mockery grew louder, a cacophony of elite derision directed at the man who, only hours ago, had been sliding out from under a rusted truck. 

They saw a fraud. 

They saw a "nobody" who had somehow tricked a high-ranking official into being his shield.

Noah stood in the center of the storm, his expression unreadable. 

He wasn't looking at the laughing faces. He wasn't looking at Steven’s arrogant smirk or Nicole’s pitying gaze. 

He was looking at the velvet-covered pedestal at the far end of the stage where the auction items were being prepared.

"You're right," Noah said, his voice quiet but carrying a weight that seemed to anchor the room.

The laughter died down, replaced by a curious, mocking silence.

"I have no interest in buying the auction house," Noah continued, his eyes finally shifting to Steven. "I don't care about the building, and I certainly don't care about the opinions of people who value themselves by the balance of a bank account they didn't even earn."

He took a step forward, leveling them all with a gaze that looked cold enough to freeze the bowels of hell itself.

"But that ring?" Noah pointed toward the stage. "The Astraea Ring? That belongs to me. And there isn't a vault in this city deep enough to outbid me for it."

The words hung in the air, silencing the laughter and drawing the attention of everyone nearby. Steven's face flushed with anger. Nicole's eyes widened in disbelief.

‘He can't be serious’, she thought. ‘He actually thinks he can compete with Steven? He's delusional.’

Steven stepped forward, his voice dripping with condescension. "Is that so, Noah? And how do you plan to acquire this ring? With your… Black Card?" He sneered, emphasizing the last two words. "I'm sure Ms. Dubois here will be happy to foot the bill. After all, what's a few million dollars to a senior director of Apex Sovereign Bank?"

Chantel's eyes flashed dangerously. "You shut your gutter of a mouth Crestwood before I shut it for you. And don't underestimate Noah. You have no idea what he's capable of.”

Steven’s face turned a violent shade of red. "Whatever. I’ll enjoy watching Noah crumble when the auctioneer asks for proof of funds."

Nicole looked at Noah, a strange shiver running down her spine. The way he was standing, the look in his

eyes... 

It was like she was looking at a stranger.

How can a man change so much in one day?