Chapter 145
Chapter 145
Lydia
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Everyone’s eyes were locked on Julia as she walked to the podium, her back was blocked. She let out a small, shaky smile when she sat behind the piano. “She once said she was good at music, I think we finally got the chance to witness how good she is.”
“She is an Everett, I doubt there’s something she can’t do.”
Mummers surrounded us as everyone awaited the sound. I looked over to Victoria, who adjusted uncomfortably in her seat. I smirked; she wanted to get me embarrassed, but it backfired, and now it was her beloved Julia who was up there about to ruin her image.
Julia drew in a deep breath. The wine made a gurgling sound as it met with my glass. I took a whiff of the wine before sipping slowly, closing my eyes to enjoy the sweet taste that spread all over my mouth.
Ragged sound covered the entire hall. It stopped, and the entire hall fell so silent that a needle would be heard if it dropped. “She should begin already.” The lady seated beside me said, with a hint of impatience.
The sound was jagged, notes crashed against each other, producing the most disturbing sound.
Just as I expected, Julia was bad at this.
“What is she doing?”
“Is this some kind of joke?”
“This is the worst sound I have ever heard.”
“She should have said she was bad at this, there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
One side of my lips pulled to the side. Just as expected, Julia didn’t know anything about music. She stopped abruptly and stood, her eyes swept across the hall. Nervous whispers spread around the hall. The MC was already walking to the podium.
I felt a sense of satisfaction as I watched Julia go back to her seat in shame. She turned out to be a joke instead. “Hmmm…” The MC began, still lost for words at what he had just heard.
Before Julia sat, she glared in my direction, her face a light shade of pink. I held her gaze, my eyes holding the same intensity. “She got what she asked for,” I whispered.
“I’m sorry about that, Miss Julia seems to have gotten out of touch.” he apologised.
“She got a taste of her own medicine,” I said. I looked over to Mason, “Hope you don’t mind?” I asked, and he shook his head. “Of course not.” He said, “tit for tat. I like that.”
The MC ended the anniversary party one hour later. It was already past 7 pm at this point. We had thirty minutes to admire the artwork, after which the auction would begin. I was looking forward to that the most.
10:52 Fri, Sep 12
Chapter 145
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E55 vouchers
“Do you plan to get anything?” I asked Mason as he swam through the crowd. He held my hand in his, a little card bearing the number of our seat in the other. Everyone was busy doing the same.
“Not really,” he said and stopped staring at the number before pointing to a seat at the rear, “found it.” He said, dragging me along to the seat. It was a round table with five chairs around it. We were the first to have found
- it.
Mason pulled out a chair for me, and I sat. “Like always with any auctions, I’ll pick whatever catches my eyes.” He said. I pulled down my phone, scrolling through my contact list in search of Mom’s name. “I wonder what will catch your eyes tonight,” I said, finding mom’s name and dialling it.
I had to check if Melanie and Liam were fine. The hall was a bit rowdy, so I excused myself to grind somewhere quiet. After ending the call, I returned back to my seat with the assurance from mom that the twins were fine.
The auctioneer climbed onto the podium and began. The first product was a painting by a famous artist who lived 70 years ago. The next was a scarf of a lady, they claimed to have lived in the 18th century.
Mason and I sat side by side, chatting as each item was brought to the podium. It almost felt normal except there were two pairs of eyes throwing daggers at us that were almost impossible to ignore.
Julia and Victoria are seated at the table next to us, giving them a complete view of it. Mason didn’t seem to care as he had his hand wrapped around mine.
“At this rate, you won’t be able to find anything you fancy,” I said. We spent more time talking than paying attention to whatever was going on on the podium.
“I don’t care, I already have what I desire right before me.” He said in an earnest voice, and my heart skipped a beat. Stupid heart. But I wanted to brush it, even though I already half knew it was me. “And what might that be?” I asked.
He brought my hand to his lips and kissed the inside of my palm. A tingling feeling ran down my spine. A simple touch from this man had my body reacting in a foreign way. I have always hated public displays of affection, but I think I might be switching sides. The other people around our table were too focused on bidding to be concerned about us.
I slowly slipped my hand away from his and curled so I could keep the touch and print of his lips on my palm for good. He didn’t need the words anymore. I already knew it was me. “You.” He said heat rushed into my face,
“Sitting here with you is worth more than any item they could possibly have.” He said. “Spending time with you, and having you this close, is all I ever desire. You know how I feel about you, and I will surely win your trust even if it takes an eternity. His eyes were proof that he meant every word.
My chest tightened, and I could feel all the walls I had built beginning to crumble. Our moment was, however, interrupted by the loud applause of the audience. It caught our attention, and we both shifted our focus to the podium.
My lips set into a firm line as I watched Victoria. She stood on the podium, her eyes staring right at us. My stomach turned when she smirked. What could she possibly have planned this time?
“It’s our pleasure to be blessed with your presence, Mrs. Woods.” The man at the stage said, and an applause
10:52 Fri, Sep 12
Chapter 145
75
55 vouchers
cut through the crowd again. When it died down, the man continued. “Mrs. Woods here has donated a necklace, a priceless jewellery that not only has unique designs? But also backed by a special meaning.” He stated.
I narrowed my eyes. Mason entwined our hands together, his hold tightened with each second that rolled by, proof that he was as unsettled as I was.
The man went on and on about how important this gift was. Victoria was donating the money for the gift to an orphanage. To everyone present there, it was such an honorable thing to do.
Victoria stood close to the man, all smiles. Finally, she was handed the microphone to speak. “This piece is important to me, especially to my son,” she said.
I noticed that behind her was a covered table in white. “Do you know what she is talking about?” I asked Mason and he shook his head, “I have absolutely no idea.”.
The auctioneer pulled on the edge of the white piece of clothing, and it slipped away, revealing a necklace placed in a plastic neck shape on the table.
Everyone leaned forward, trying to get a better view. But we didn’t need to try too much as the necklace was shown on the big screen.
I scoffed, sure that Victoria had her reason for doing this, she doesn’t do things without an ulterior motive. The same woman who tried to kill my twins and repeatedly stated that she didn’t care if Melanie died was donating to an orphanage. How ironic.
What’s so special about the neckl- I stopped on my track as my eyes traced the design.
My eyes widened. That necklace, Mason’s hold on me lessened. “That… That necklace, that’s-”
“Mine,” I said. Did Mason keep it? It was the first gift he gave to me. The necklace was so unique and special that I had to wear it at our wedding. After our divorce, isn’t the man supposed to throw off all the woman’s
stuff?
“Why is it here!” Mason asked. I turned to see him staring daggers at Victoria.
“What a beautiful design.”
“If this were mine, I’d never trade it for anything.”
“I wonder what the special story behind this necklace is?”
“This necklace was a gift from my son to his then–love. As we know, my son is here, I’ll invite him over to say a few things.”
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
Synopsis : Worst Fear
