Chapter 42: The auction
The host smiled as he stood beneath the spotlight. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us today. We have prepared some of the rarest collections gathered from around the world. Let the auction begin."
Applauds echoed through the hall.
The first item was an oil painting from three hundred years ago. After several rounds of bidding, it was sold to a wealthy collector.
The second item was a marble sculpture crafted by a renowned artist. It attracted several guests and was sold for an astonishing price.
One after another, rare antiques appeared on the stage—handcrafted porcelain, historic artifacts, vintage music boxes, and many more.
Elena looked at the entrance, wondering why Elias had not arrived yet.
"Elena," Noah called her in a hushed tone. "Do you want something? Tell me, I’ll buy it for you."
Elena turned to him. "I don’t need you to buy anything for me."
She then looked back at the host.
The muscles of his face twitched. Irritation shimmered beneath his skin. "You will regret it."
"I won’t," she muttered, not even looking at him.
Noah’s hands stiffened with tension.
"Now," the host said excitedly, "we move to our jewelry collection."
Several screens lit up behind him.
"The first piece is a ruby ring from the nineteenth century."
The ring appeared on the screen.
"Starting bid: one million."
Prices climbed rapidly.
"Five million."
"Six million."
"Seven million."
Tessa’s eyes sparkled. "It’s beautiful," she whispered, holding Noah’s hand.
Noah glanced at her. "You like it?"
Tessa beamed as she nodded quickly.
Noah raised the paddle. "Ten million."
The bidding continued until the final price reached thirty-five million.
Noah won the bidding.
"Sold." The host struck the hammer.
A wide grin surfaced on Tessa’s face almost immediately.
When the ring was delivered, Noah handed it to her.
"Thank you, Noah," she cooed. But the moment she looked at Elena, her smile turned provocative. She even took out the ring and slipped it onto her finger.
"Elena, look at this." She deliberately flashed the ring to her. "Isn’t it beautiful?"
Elena faked a smile. Then she turned to the next item displayed on the screen.
Noah looked at her, a hint of guilt crossing his face. He leaned in closer and whispered, "You still have time. Tell me if you want something."
Elena said nothing. She didn’t even glance at him.
Her attitude irked him further. The softness on his face vanished.
’Fine,’ he muttered in his mind. ’Keep being stubborn. I’d like to see how long it will last.’
"A pair of diamond earrings from a royal private collection." The host’s voice reverberated again.
"Starting bid: ten million."
Several bidders immediately joined.
"Twenty million."
"Thirty million."
"Forty million."
Elena calmly raised her paddle. "Fifty million."
Noah whipped his head toward her.
Tessa immediately frowned. "I want those earrings," she demanded.
Noah hesitated. He had already bought her a ring. Besides, Elena seemed to like it.
’Should I buy it for her?’ The thought crossed his mind.
But seeing Tessa’s expectant eyes, he couldn’t muster his courage to disappoint her.
He raised his paddle. "Sixty million."
"Sixty-five million," Elena responded calmly.
"Seventy million."
"Seventy-five million."
"Eighty million."
The crowd became restless. Whispers spread through the hall.
"That’s way too expensive."
"The earrings aren’t worth that much."
Soon, every other bidder dropped out. Only Noah and Elena remained as if they were fighting for their pride.
"Eighty-five million," Elena said again.
"Ninety million," Noah roared.
Tessa became frustrated. She knew it was overpriced, but she couldn’t stop him either. She wouldn’t want to accept defeat.
"Elena, are you sure you have that much money?" she asked. "Stop bidding. Or you will be embarrassed yourself."
Elena glanced at her and then raised the paddle. "Ninety-five million."
Noah looked straight into her eyes and said, "One hundred million."
Elena leveled the glare. Something close to amusement flickered beneath her composed face. This time, she had not raised the paddle.
Noah won again.
"And it’s sold," the host announced the result.
Tessa was overjoyed. She accepted the earring, her eyes sparkling.
But Noah wasn’t happy at all. He turned to Elena. "You did that on purpose, didn’t you?" he whispered.
Elena merely quirked her lips. She neither confirmed nor denied it.
Instead, she shifted her attention back to the stage.
The next item appeared.
The entire hall fell silent.
On the giant screen, the emerald green necklace shimmered.
Murmurs spread across the hall.
"This necklace once belonged to a powerful aristocratic family in Europe nearly two centuries ago. It disappeared during a period of political unrest. Recently, a private collector found it. And now, it’s here to be auctioned today."
The host gestured to the screen. "This necklace is the centerpiece of today’s auction."
He paused for a moment. "The starting bid is fifty million."
Tessa’s eyes immediately lit up. She wanted it desperately.
But she hesitated.
Noah had already spent a fortune on her tonight. Tessa couldn’t ask him to buy it for her.
The bidding quickly began.
"Sixty million."
"Seventy million."
"Eighty million."
Elena calmly joined. "Ninety million."
Tessa became increasingly restless. Every time the price rose, her desire grew stronger.
When Elena continued bidding, she finally couldn’t remain silent.
She grabbed Noah’s arm. "Noah, I want it. Please..."
She gave him a pleading look.
Noah silently stared at her.
"I-I have never had the chance to wear something so rare and valuable," she said. "I really want it."
Noah’s eyes drifted to Elena. He hadn’t bought a single thing for her. But he had already purchased two expensive items for Tessa. Now she wanted the most valuable jewelry of the evening.
He knew if he bought it too, Elena would be even more furious. But he still couldn’t bring himself to refuse her.
Noah raised his paddle. "One hundred million."
The bidding war intensified.
"Two hundred million."
"Three hundred million," Noah announced.
"Four hundred million," another bidder countered.
Noah’s jaw tightened. "Five hundred million."
Nobody spoke.
The bidding reached half a billion. No one was willing to spend that much.
The host looked around. "Five hundred million going once. Five hundred million going twice—"
Someone came in closer and whispered something in his ear.
The host smiled. "Our special guest bid for the first time. And his bid is six hundred million for this necklace."
Everyone turned toward the private booth.
Even Noah froze. His expression changed. He didn’t want to continue against the heir to the Rowan family.
"Six hundred million going once. Six hundred million going twice. And sold."
The hammer struck. "Congratulations to Mr. Rowan."
Applause filled the hall.
An assistant immediately carried the necklace toward the private booth.
Elena stared at the dark silhouette behind the tinted glass. Her suspicion returned. With Elias not here with her, her doubts only deepened.
’Could it really be Elias?’
But she couldn’t see the man’s face.
Soon, the host announced the end of the auction. "Thank you, everyone, for attending today’s event."
Guests began standing and preparing to leave.
Elena rose from her seat as well. Just as she turned, a man in a black suit approached. In his hand was an elegant velvet box.
The hall gradually fell silent. Everyone watched him curiously.
Tessa’s eyes brightened with anticipation. She wondered what the man was bringing.
The man stopped right in front of Elena. He then opened the box, revealing the emerald green necklace.
"My boss wishes to gift this precious necklace to the most beautiful woman present tonight."
A collective gasp swept through the room.
Tessa smiled and stepped forward, assuming it was for her. After all, she was the most beautiful woman in the hall. This was what she thought.
The man turned to Elena. "Madam, please accept this."