My Wife Let My Mother Die—Now I'm the Billionaire King

Chapter 9 Part-1

The host was a young woman, dressed in a black formal jacket and a matching pencil skirt. She smiled brightly under the stage lights and announced the very first lot of the evening. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, we will begin tonight with a stunning, limited-edition luxury chronograph watch! The starting bid is a modest $10,000, with minimum bidding increments of $1000!"

Julia’s eyes instantly sparkled, she absolutely loved high-end luxury items like this to show off to her friends.

Seeing her excitement, Derek raised his bidding paddle high into the air without missing a single beat. 

He glared at Harry, letting out a loud sneer. "Look at the pathetic scum! He can't even afford his own mother's emergency surgery fees, yet actually shows up to a high-class auction just to window-shop and pretend he belongs here!"

Harry raised an eyebrow, completely unbothered. He had a massive 1.5 billion dollars sitting idle in his liquid bank account, not to mention the unlimited 10 billion dollar black card sitting inside his pocket. 

The only reason he wasn't bidding at the first item, was because he simply had no interest in competing for such a trivial, cheap item.

Derek successfully won the luxury watch for 20 thousand dollars. Julia praised him lavishly, clapping her hands and leaning into him. 

"Oh, Derek, you are so incredibly amazing.”

She glared at Harry, 

"Did you see that, Harry? That's what a real man looks like. You couldn't afford a single gear inside that watch…”

Some people laughed along, not knowing who exactly the taunt was directed towards. 

Several more minor lots passed under the hammer. What caught the crowd’s collective eye, was a breathtaking pink diamond ring, masterfully crafted by Caratlily, a world-renowned jeweler. 

Although it was a replica, it was still highly valued at a whopping 100 thousand dollars. The host announced the starting bid at 50 thousand dollars. Instantly, every single woman in the grand room was drawn to it, their eyes filled with desire.

Seeing Julia's eyes gaze on it, Derek eagerly raised his paddle again. Before the host could even call the number, he turned around to mock Harry ruthlessly. "Hey delivery boy, want me to buy this for your mom? Oh wait, you can’t even afford the taxes on it!" 

“He's right, you know. It feels so amazing to be taken care of by a capable, strong man… especially after being married to a sore loser.”

They had won the ring for $250 thousand dollars, and several women looked at Julia with jealousy over her good fortune. While some others were sympathising with her and congratulating her for finding a successful partner and leaving her toxic husband behind. 

Over the next hour, dozens of high-priced items went under the hammer. Harry kept his head low, feeling bored and uninterested. But Julia and Derek assumed his disinterest to be another sign of his poverty, feeling more confident in mocking and humiliating him with every second.

Finally, the main lights dimmed even further, and a dramatic spotlight hit the center stage. 

“And now, ladies and gentlemen, the moment everyone has been waiting for—the legendary antique ring from the fallen noble family, the House of Yorvenns. Legend says that this ancient ring is deeply connected to the bloodline of the Yorvenn clan, but not only that! It also holds the ultimate secret to a hidden treasure… vast enough to rival an entire nation! The starting bid is set at one million dollars, with minimum increments of 100 thousand dollars!"

Derek’s eyes turned red– he was absolutely determined to win this ring tonight. He had secretly prepared a total of ten million dollars, which was a whole year's worth of his massive allowance from his wealthy family abroad. 

For the true giants, which were the major families in the city, an old ring might mean very little, maybe just another addition to their vast collections. 

But for someone on the outskirts of powerful circles, like Derek, winning this legendary treasure meant everything. 

He had to have it, it was the ladder to prove his worth.

He raised his paddle high and shouted arrogantly, "Three million dollars!" 

The room gasped loudly at his boldness— this man had tripled the starting price in one go.

After all, it was just an old antique ring with a fictional story, without any real value. 

Winning it for a higher price could mean betting all your money on an illusion, if the legend turned out to be fake. 

And besides, Derek Johnson’s family had a fearsome reputation in the city. They were connected to both the underworld and the highest government authorities, and it was said his family had risen straight from the criminal shadows. 

Because of his background, no one else in the audience dared to raise their paddle against him.

The host grew visibly anxious, trying hard to stir up interest. After all, this was supposed to be the most anticipated item of the night, and it was sold on the first call?