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CHAPTER 134
As soon as Alex lowered his paddle and sat back, signaling his withdrawal from the bidding war, Mia's face went through a rapid transformation of emotions.First came disappointment—sharp and immediate. Her eyes dropped to her lap, her shoulders sagging slightly.Alex had assured her he had this under control, had promised he knew what he was doing, and she'd believed him.Had let herself hope that maybe, just maybe, she could have The Last Eye.That symbol of eternal love that had captivated her for years.But now he'd given up. Backed down. And The Last Eye would go to Simone after all, to be used exactly as she'd feared—as a tool of manipulation, a corrupted symbol of forced engagement rather than genuine love.But almost immediately, relief washed over the disappointment.Because while part of her was sad about losing the artifact, another part was genuinely relieved that Alex hadn't bankrupted himself trying to win it.Eight hundred and fifty million dollars was an insane amount
CHAPTER 133
Simone walked back to his seat with deliberate calm, projecting an image of someone who'd simply been standing to stretch, not someone who'd just been publicly defeated. He sat down, picked up his paddle, and raised it high.The auction hall, which had been starting to disperse as staff prepared to move to the next item, immediately went silent again.The auctioneer's eyes widened. "Mr. Greene? Are you... are you re-entering the bidding?""Seven hundred million dollars," Simone announced clearly, his voice carrying across the hall with renewed confidence.The crowd erupted in shocked exclamations and frantic whispers."He's STILL going?!""Seven hundred million!""This is insane!""Who's going to win?!"Simone turned in his seat, looking toward the VIP section where his mysterious opponent sat hidden from view. He smiled—smug, superior, absolutely certain he'd just outmaneuvered whoever was in there.Go ahead, Simone thought viciously. Bid higher. Price yourself out of the market. Sho
CHAPTER 132
Simone stood frozen, his paddle still lowered, feeling the weight of hundreds of eyes on him. The auction hall had gone quiet after the gavel strike, but that silence was somehow worse than noise—it meant everyone was watching, waiting to see how the Greene heir would react to his very public defeat.He could feel their stares. Could sense the whispers that would start the moment he left the room.Could imagine the stories that would spread through high society circles within hours.Simone Greene was outbid. Simone Greene backed down. Simone Greene lost.His teeth ground together so hard he could hear it in his own skull. His jaw ached from the pressure. Every muscle in his body was tense with barely suppressed fury.If he gave up now—if he just accepted this defeat and walked away—the humiliation would follow him for months. Maybe years.Every business meeting, every social event, every family gathering would carry the unspoken knowledge that he'd been beaten. That someone had challe
CHAPTER 131
Simone stood there, his entire body still trembling, but now it was a mixture of rage and humiliation and the bitter taste of being forced to accept defeat.Because Marcus was right. The Greene family patriarch—Simone's father—was notoriously harsh on what he called "childish displays of ego." He believed in strategic use of wealth, in calculated investments, in money being a tool rather than a toy.If Simone went to him and said "I spent seven hundred million dollars on an artifact because I got into a bidding war with someone who challenged me at an auction," his father would be furious. Would question Simone's judgment. Would possibly even reduce his access to family funds in the future as punishment for irresponsibility.But if Simone backed down now, he could frame it as mature financial decision-making. Could claim he recognized the bidding had exceeded rational limits and chose family fiscal responsibility over personal satisfaction.It would still sting. Would still feel like
CHAPTER 130
The subtle insult—the implication that Simone might be bidding beyond his means—landed like a slap. Several people in the crowd actually gasped or covered their mouths to hide smiles."I never withdrew from the bidding," Alex continued. "I simply paused to verify my resources. The auctioneer hadn't struck the gavel. The sale wasn't finalized. I'm still in the game. Unless, of course, you'd like to claim that checking one's finances before making a half-billion-dollar purchase is somehow improper?"Simone's face had gone from red to purple, veins standing out on his forehead and neck. His entire body was trembling with fury—at the continued defiance, at the public questioning of his accusations, at the fact that this nobody was STILL refusing to back down."You—you can't—" Simone stammered, so angry he could barely form coherent sentences. "This is—I won't—you have NO RIGHT—"His hands had clenched into fists at his sides, his breathing ragged. The professional, charming facade he'd be
CHAPTER 129
The auctioneer raised his gavel, the sound of it about to strike wood echoing in everyone's mind before it even happened. Five hundred million dollars. An astronomical, record-breaking sum. And apparently, uncontested."Five hundred million dollars to paddle sixty-seven," the auctioneer announced, his voice carrying the weight of finality. "Going once... going twice..."Simone stood tall, his chest puffed with victory, already imagining how he'd present The Last Eye to Mia as an engagement gift. Already planning the public narrative about their destined love. Already savoring the defeat of the upstart who'd dared challenge him.The gavel began its downward arc."Going three times—""Five hundred and fifty million dollars."Alex's voice cut through the moment of triumph like a knife, calm and unbothered, as he raised his paddle without even glancing in Simone's direction.The gavel froze mid-strike.The entire auction hall erupted in gasps and shocked exclamations."WHAT?!" someone sho
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