Chapter 186
“Of course not!” Audrey spun around and wrapped her arms around his neck, planting a quick kiss on his chin “Just don’t want to cause you
troub
“You won’t” Yann cupped the back of her head with his large hand and leaned down to kiss her. “Do whatever you want to do. Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks.”
Andrey kissed him back, and she almost became his dinner right then and then
Yann’s endless devotion had become her strongest armor, giving her the power to chase her dreams. A man this wonderful deserved all the love she could give him in return.
Three days later, Valerie headed to Haldenwick for the auction. This was her first time attending such an event, so she picked out what she thought was her most impressive outfit.
But once Valerie arrived, she realized just how ordinary she looked compared to everyone else. Even the auction house staff were wearing jewelry that cost more than anything she owned
Valerie found herself seated in a corner spot where she didn’t know a soul. She craned her neck awkwardly, looking around the room, until she finally spotted Audrey.
She was wearing a soft pink blouse with gray wide–leg pants, her long hair pulled back in a high ponytail that showed off her elegant neck.
Audrey showed her card number and was led to a seat toward the back. It wasn’t a great spot, but it was a hundred times better than where Valerie was sitting
Once Audrey settled in, she pulled out today’s auction catalog and started flipping through it, completely ignoring Valerie’s desperate attempts to catch her eye
Even though they were sitting far apart and had their personal grudges, Valerie still felt some relief seeing a familiar face. Having Audrey there made her feel less nervous than she had been earlier,
Valerie opened her little booklet and saw that the staff had crafted a touching backstory for her emerald brooch, pricing it at 500 thousand dollars.
The auction house rep had told her that based on past sales, the minimum it would go for was 700 thousand dollars.
When the time came, Valerie would give Cheryl her 300 thousand dollar cut and still have 300 thousand dollars left for herself
e was already making plans for how to spend that 300 thousand dollars.
The more Valerie thought about it, the more excited she got.
sha
The auction started quickly with a vase from the late 1800s as the first item. It had some damage, but the crowd was really into it. The bidding started at 250 thousand dollars and climbed all the way to 500 thousand dollars, with people still raising their paddles.
Valerie’s face flushed with excitement. If she had a bidding paddle, she would’ve loved to jump in. That kind of participation made one’s blood pump with adrenaline.
After seven or eight items had been sold, it was finally time for her emerald brooch.
Valerie clutched the auction catalog tightly, listening to the auctioneer tell the heartwarming backstory. She was almost starting to believe it herself.
“We’ll now begin the auction with a starting bid of 500 thousand dollars!” the auctioneer announced.
The room fell silent, then quiet murmurs started spreading through the crowd.
Valerie couldn’t make out what people were saying, so she quickly looked over at Audrey. “Isn’t she supposed to be competing with me? Why isn’t she
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*sing het paddle?‘ the theaght
Alidny seemed to feel her stare and slowly lifted her head, flashing Valerie a Britant so
Valerie’s heart dropped like a stone. All that excitement she’d been feeling suddenly felt like someone had dumped ice water over her head. chill run down her spine. Has Audrey set me up?‘ she thought.
The auctioneer repeated the emerald brooch’s backstory, but still, nobody raised a paddle. The murmuring got louder, and Va people were saying, “They’re really suctioning off anything these days, aren’t they?”
Valerie’s emerald broach became the first item of the day to go unsold. She felt miserable.
It wasn’t until the staff came over to talk to her about lowering the price for a second auction that reality i
“You promised me 700 thousand dollars!” Valerie’s voice cracked as soon as she spoke. She felt so wronged, absolutely crushed.
Caught boat an
When they first approached Valerie about the auction, they made it sound amazing–700 thousand dollars. She’d already planned out her whole beautiful future with that money. Now it hadn’t sold at all.
Valerie couldn’t hold back her tears, but the staff member didn’t care how pretty or touching her crying looked. They just wanted to solve the problem quickly.
“In all my years working here, this is the first time I’ve seen a situation like yours. Sometimes auctions are just about luck,” the staff member said politely, handing her a pack of tissues.
“If you don’t want to lower the price, that’s fine too. You just won’t participate in the second auction.”
Valerie sniffled and tried to calm herself down. “How much would I have to lower it?”
“Usually around 20 percent, so that would be 400 thousand dollars”
Valerie fell silent. That was exactly what she’d paid for it. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, making her wince from the pain.
If Valerie sold it for 400 thousand dollars, she wouldn’t even have enough to pay back her loans. But if she didn’t participate in the second auction, sho’d still have to pay the auction house fees. No matter how she looked at it, she was screwed.
‘Damn Audrey, Valerie thought bitterly. ‘She said she wanted to buy it, so why didn’t she raise her paddle? Why didn’t she bid?”
Valerie cursed Audrey thoroughly in her mind before finally agreeing to the second auction, hoping to minimize her losses.
After the auction ended, the auctioneer brought out the emerald brooch again.
This time the murmuring was even louder, but still nobody raised their paddle.
Audrey kept staring at the stage the whole time, but her hand might as well have been broken–she just wouldn’t lift it.
Valerie wanted to rush over and grab Audrey’s wrist to help her raise it, but the moment she started moving staff members stopped her. She wasn’t allowed to go to the bidding area.
valerie could only watch helplessly as her emerald brooch failed to sell for the second time. She bit her lip so hard it started bleeding before the staff finally escorted her backstage.
When the auction was actually over, Audrey walked out of the hall only to find Valerie blocking her path with red, swollen eyes.
“Audrey! Why did you go back on your word! You said you wanted the brooch–why didn’t you bid? Are your arms broken or something? Why didn’t you raise your paddle” Valerie’s voice got louder and shriller with each word until it finally cracked.
Audrey looked startled for a moment, then lifted her right hand to show it was working just fine.
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Mon,
Chapter 186
“You bitch!” Valerie lost it completely and swing her hand i
Bat before she could make contact, men grabbed he wrist,
“Valerie, I didn’t blame you before because Clayton was the one who messed up,” Audrey said collly. “But you keep provoking me over and over again, so don’t blame me for not being nike anymore.”
“nach!“Valerie not only had to pay the auction house fees, but she also had to pay back her high interest andins loans. nothing. She was so fufious she could barely think straight and wasn’t listening to a word Audrey said
- n. She’d lost everything and gained
Audrey shook off her grip.
valerie raised her hand again, pointing right at Audrey’s nose. “I knew it. You still can’t get over Clayton. You set me upi
p because you want me to back off
Even though Clayton couldn’t give Valerie the luxury lifestyle she wanted, she wasn’t about to let Audrey have her way, if Audrey wanted Clayton back, Valerie would never give him up.
“Clayton’s pathetic too–he divorces you and then decides you were amazing. But I’m never divorcing him, so you two will never be together in this
lifetime.“Valerie hissed…
Audrey raised an eyebrow with a mocking smile. “Clayton’s just like that brooch you had. Once you’ve touched it, I don’t want it anymore.” She turned and started walking away.
Valerie glared viciously at her retreating figure. ‘Of course, this whole thing has been Audrey’s scheme from the start, she thought.
Valerie quickened her pace, and when Audrey reached the stairs, Valerie suddenly reached out and shoved her down.
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.
