Chapter 136 Charity Auction
Annie scoped out the place and finally spotted Margaret chilling in the corner. But the person with Margaret wasn't some dude; it was a chick who looked kinda familiar.
Annie squinted at Juniper for a bit, racking her brain, and then it hit her—this was Juniper Hayes, the big boss at Leo Studio. Back when the Fisher Group got slammed with that plagiarism mess, it was Juniper who stepped up for Margaret and totally crushed Marilyn.
The two of them were laughing it up, looking tight.
'What's the deal with Margaret and Juniper? Isn't Margaret just some country bumpkin? Why's she hanging with Juniper?' Annie was scratching her head over it and plopped down not too far from them, catching bits about Margaret hitting up a charity auction tomorrow.
Annie's eyes lit up, and she shot a quick text to Lucy.
Annie: [Hey Miss Clark, Margaret's gonna be at the charity auction by Leo Studio tomorrow.]
Lucy replied fast: [Get ready.]
Margaret had a few too many and was starting to feel it. Juniper grabbed her hand. "Enough with the drinks, come crash at my place for a bit."
"Alright." Margaret rubbed her temples, feeling the buzz.
A bit tipsy, Margaret got up and headed for the bar's exit with Juniper. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar face.
'Annie?' Margaret frowned. 'Is she here by chance, or is she tailing me?'
After crashing at Juniper's place, Margaret didn't wake up until almost noon the next day. Rubbing her temples, she saw a message from Juniper.
Juniper: [I'm off to prep for the charity dinner. There's breakfast in the kitchen, heat it up yourself. I sent you the plan for next season's releases, check it out when you can. See you tonight.]
Juniper was always so thoughtful, and Margaret felt a warm fuzzy feeling.
After breakfast, Margaret went through the plan Juniper sent and made a few tweaks.
Tonight's charity dinner was at a swanky five-star hotel in Fleurancia. Juniper, being the boss, had everything set up at the hotel early on. Margaret, after saying hi to Juniper, found a low-key spot to sit.
This charity auction was a big deal, with a bunch of high-class folks showing up. Lucy had Michael snag an invite and slipped into the auction hall. She scanned the room and spotted Margaret in the corner, but no sign of William.
Looked like William didn't give a damn about Margaret; otherwise, she wouldn't be flying solo at this fancy event after a late night out.
A nasty glint flashed in Lucy's eyes.
At eight on the dot, the auction kicked off. The host started with a smooth tone. "Welcome to tonight's charity auction by Leo Studio. All the money we raise tonight goes to charity. Thanks for your support! We've got ten items up for grabs, all donated by Leo Studio, hoping to find their perfect match."
The crowd clapped, and the host declared, "Let the auction begin!"
"First up, we've got an antique porcelain bowl. Let's bring out the etiquette lady!"
The etiquette lady glided to the center, holding a fancy tray. The host pulled off the red cloth, showing off a delicate porcelain bowl.
"Starting bid is five hundred grand, with each raise no less than fifty thousand. Let's get those bids rolling!"
Margaret glanced at the bowl; it was just one of the many antiques Xavier had lying around. Auctioning it for charity seemed like a good move.
The bowl quickly went for two million bucks.
Next up was a plush toy cat, looking super lifelike.
"This plush cat is adorable, right?" the host said. "But don't be fooled; it's crafted by the international master Leo themselves. Those eyes? Yep, they're diamond-studded, making it a real collector's item."
Someone in the crowd whispered, "Made by Leo? That's rare."
"Bet it's worth a fortune. Wonder who'll snag it."
Margaret had sewn this cat by hand and really liked it, so she planned to buy it back.
The host's voice boomed again. "Starting bid for this cat is one million dollars, with each raise no less than a hundred thousand. Let's start the bidding!"
As soon as the host finished, someone quickly raised a sign. "One point two million!"
"One point five million!"
"Two million!"
The price shot up to five million in no time.
"Current bid is five million. Any takers for more?" the host called out.
Margaret grinned and raised her sign. "Ten million."
The host's voice went up a notch. "This lady bids ten million. Any higher bids?"
Before the host could finish, Lucy shot her sign up. "Twelve million!"
Lucy glared daggers at Margaret. She hadn't planned on bidding, but if Margaret wanted it, she had to have it!
Seeing Lucy's challenge, Margaret just smiled and raised her sign again. "Fifteen million."
'Fifteen million!' Lucy thought, 'How does this country bumpkin have so much cash? Probably William's money!'
Lucy scanned the room but didn't see William. She strutted over to Margaret and sneered, "Margaret, does William know you're blowing so much cash on a plush toy?"
Margaret looked at her like she was an idiot. "Whether he knows or not, what's it to you?"
"So he doesn't know?" Lucy sneered. "If you win but can't pay, that'd be pretty embarrassing, huh?"
"Not your problem, Ms. Clark." Margaret smirked and pulled out a black card, waving it in Lucy's face.
Lucy suddenly remembered Margaret using that card to snag the dress at the boutique.
Fury bubbled up in Lucy. This time, she had to win!
She raised her sign again. "Twenty million!"
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