Chapter 402 Kicked Out
Jake took a shortcut and barely made it before the entrance closed.
Sophia and Jake rushed inside.
The auction hall was packed, with just two seats left for them.
Sophia thought they'd be in the back, unnoticed, but their seats were in the second row!
They walked past several rows to the front, and the cameras turned on them.
Sophia wanted to stay low-key, but that wasn't happening.
This auction was a big deal, held once a year with tons of valuable items, so the crowd was full of wealthy folks.
As Sophia sat down, she noticed a familiar head in front of her.
The air conditioning was freezing, and Sophia, in a dress, felt her knees getting cold. Jake saw her rubbing her knees and draped his suit jacket over her legs.
"Thanks," Sophia said, not refusing because she didn't want to get sick.
The familiar figure turned around, and Gabriel saw Sophia and Jake together. His brow furrowed slightly.
'They're sitting so close, and Jake's attention to Sophia is annoying.'
Gabriel felt stifled.
Just then, the host started speaking, and the auction began.
Gabriel whispered to someone next to him, and after a bit, that person walked over to Sophia.
"Ma'am, can I switch seats with you?" he asked gently, "I'm too hot, and your seat is right under the air vent."
Sophia was feeling a bit cold and looked at Jake.
"If you're cold, go ahead and switch," Jake said, regretting not picking a better seat.
Between sitting with Sophia and keeping her warm, Jake chose the latter.
Of course, he also saw through Gabriel's plan.
Sophia didn't hesitate much and switched seats.
Gabriel smiled slightly, but when he saw Jake's jacket still on Sophia's legs, he felt annoyed again.
A black diamond necklace worth eight million dollars was displayed on stage. Gabriel leaned slightly towards Sophia and whispered in a voice only they could hear, "Do you like it?"
His voice, deliberately lowered, had a husky, seductive tone.
Sophia clutched the jacket on her legs tightly, staying expressionless and not responding.
Gabriel chuckled softly and raised his paddle after the host's announcement.
The black diamond necklace eventually went to Gabriel.
Next was a pair of diamond rings worth ten million dollars, with special significance.
After the host's introduction, there was a murmur in the audience.
Some women were coaxing their husbands to buy the rings.
The diamond rings eventually went to Matthew, the CEO of Micro Circuit Group.
"Next is a villa in Harbor Bay."
A 4D exterior view of Harbor Bay appeared on the screen.
Seeing the familiar place, Sophia, who had been sitting quietly without any expression, showed a hint of nostalgia.
That villa was her family home.
After the Kelly family incident, all her father's assets, including the villa, were used to pay off debts.
She had recently found out that the villa would be auctioned at this event.
Sophia had planned to use the money from selling her house to buy back the villa. Although it wasn't much, she thought she could get a loan from the bank to cover the rest.
The starting bid for the villa was five million dollars.
For the attendees, none of them lacked houses, but some were interested in Harbor Bay's environment. Within seconds, someone placed a bid.
The price quickly hit seven million dollars, and no one else bid.
Sophia clutched her clothes, silently noting the final bidder's name.
"Mr. Lopez from Micro Circuit Group bids eight million dollars!"
"Mr. Lancaster from the Lancaster Group bids nine million dollars!"
Matthew, sitting in the third row, glanced at Jake, got a signal, and bid again.
"Mr. Lopez bids ten million dollars!"
"Mr. Lancaster bids eleven million dollars."
The villa's price had already shocked everyone.
No matter how good the environment was, it wasn't worth that much, especially for an old villa.
People whispered, "Is this a showdown between Micro Circuit Group and the Lancaster Group?"
"It seems this is more than just buying a villa."
The crowd buzzed with excitement.
The price hit twenty million dollars when Jake's phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, he got up with a serious face and went out to take the call.
Matthew saw the price rising and Gabriel's determination to buy it.
He didn't understand why Jake was interested in such an old villa. At thirty million dollars, Matthew hesitated, wanting to see Jake's opinion, but Jake was nowhere to be seen.
Ultimately, Gabriel bought the villa at a price several times higher than the market value.
Sophia felt a mix of emotions.
Gabriel must have known it was her former home. He had countless properties and didn't need another house, so why did he buy it?
Sophia wondered how she could gather thirty million dollars to buy the house back from him.
Alex went to make the payment, and Gabriel said to the person next to him, "I've bought what I wanted. I have something to do, so I'll leave now."
"Mr. Lancaster, aren't you staying for the rest?"
"No."
Gabriel got up and left.
Three minutes later, Sophia received a message from Gabriel.
Gabriel: [Emma called me, not sure what's going on. I'm waiting for you in the parking lot.]
Worried about Emma, Sophia looked back and saw Jake was not there, so she sent him a message, left his jacket on his seat, and hurried out.
After finishing his call, Jake saw Sophia's message, and a flash of anger crossed his face.
'It must be Gabriel's trick again!' he thought.
Returning to the hall, he found the villa had been bought by Gabriel. He shot a sharp glance at Matthew, who felt a chill run down his spine.
"What's wrong with Emma?" Sophia anxiously got into Gabriel's car.
Gabriel looked serious and replied, "She couldn't explain over the phone. Let's hurry back."
"Okay."
Gabriel sped up.
They rushed home to find the three kids in the living room, playing games, coding, and drawing, all happily busy, with no sign of any trouble.
"Emma, didn't you call me saying something was wrong?" Gabriel preemptively hugged Emma, winking at her.
Emma realized what was going on and secretly laughed.
She thought, 'Daddy must have tricked Mommy again.'
"I didn't call."
Gabriel stiffened. 'Great, Emma is being mischievous again.'
This was undoubtedly Gabriel's most awkward moment ever.
He was exposed by Emma on the spot.
Sophia said nothing. Seeing it was late, she went to the kitchen to make lunch for the kids.
An hour later, the aroma wafted out. Gabriel, sitting on the floor playing with the kids, smelled it and felt hungry.
However, when he eagerly sat at the dining table, Sophia kicked him out.
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