I lingered in the guest room until the time I had agreed upon with Yasmine before finally leaving the room.
Originally, I had intended to avoid Nichs for a while, but to my surprise, he was already gone from the Coral Vi.
After bidding farewell to Tabitha and Cory, I drove to the firm to pick up Yasmine before heading to the auction venue that udia had informed me about. When we arrived, I was shocked to find that the person handling the reception outside was none other than Leo.
Yasmine confidently walked over and greeted him, only to be pulled aside and cornered by Leo.
I hurried over, only to hear Leo incessantly questioning why Yasmine hade, his words entirely trivial and inconsequential.
Realizing that Yasmine could handle the situation, I rxed slightly, but just as I let my guard down, the sound of a sharp p echoed through the corridor.
Momentster, she strutted into the auction hall as if nothing had happened.
udia had assured me that today''s auction would be incredibly discreet, with very few people there. Yet, from a distance, I saw that quite a number of people had shown up, including some familiar faces-Beth was among them.
Once most attendees arrived, I stepped out of the shadows. As I approached the registration desk, a door beside it opened, and someone pushed a wheelchair forward, walking alongside me.
udia''s face carried a smug, confident smile. "Ariana, you''re not as nonchnt as you im to be. Your presence here today proves that you''re afraid."
With my hands in my pockets, I smiled calmly as I continued walking. "Afraid of what?"
"Ariana, let''s not beat around the bush. As long as you bid four billion dors for this piece ofnd, I promise I won''t expose your photos."
"Four billion?"
"Ariana, you''re with Nick now. Don''t tell me you can''te up with four billion dors. If you try to plead poverty, I won''t believe you!" "That''s quite arge sum of money you''re asking for. Are you in a hurry to buy cemetery plots for yourself and Nelson?"
I left her with a faint smile and walked to my seat, no longer caring about the sound of the wheelchair rolling away behind me. Only then did realize that Beth''s seat was right beside mine.
Beth greeted me with a polite smile. "You''re here too?"
I nodded. "Ms. Gardner, are you interested in this piece ofnd as well?"
Beth''s smile exuded confidence. "I''m sorry, Ms. Jones, but I''m determined to win this."
My expression darkened slightly. I hade with the resolve to secure thisnd at all costs, only to have an unexpectedpetitor-someone I was rtively familiar with-appear.
Beth exined, "Apologies, but just
look at the business tycoons present
today. Every single one of them
likely has an eye on thisnd. Even if
I weren''tpeting, someone else would."
en
"Thisnd holds extraordinary significance to me..."
"Ms. Jones, it''s equally important to me." Beth''s gaze remained fixed ahead as she spoke, exuding the ambitious air of a wolf.
"XH Group needs thisnd. The year is almost over, and I have to show some results."
Yasmine smirked sarcastically beside me. "Aren''t you worried that Ari will call Nichs?"
Nevertheless, Beth maintained aposed, humble smile. "I''ll follow whatever instructions Mr. Hawk gives."
Yasmine discreetly nudged me with
her elbow, I understood her meaning, but I really didn''t want to create more trouble with Nichs when so many unresolved issues alreadyy between us.
I stopped conversing with Beth, instead focusing my gaze on Leo, who was bustling around on stage.
Before long, Nelson was wheeled out by someone. He looked haggard, as though he had just recovered from a serious illness.
Despite his weakened state, his gaze locked onto me with pinpoint uracy. His gaze was cold and menacing... It was the kind of look I had been subjected to for many years.
"It''s alright," Yasmine whispered, quietly squeezing my hand for reassurance.
I stiffened slightly, straightened my posture, and listened to Nelson''s insincere opening remarks.