Chapter 40 Raising the Price
Evelyn did not wear a cumbersome evening dress. Instead, she chose a black suit of her design, with a topaz brooch by the top jewelry designer Alexa pinned to her chest.
She exuded an air of elegance and had a unique, sleek style that outshone the group of socialites and noble daughters.
They were gratified princesses, while Evelyn had always been a fierce queen.
Nicole, seeing the person she despised become the center of attention, clenched her teeth in hatred.
Unfortunately, at this moment, two women beside her exclaimed and stared at Evelyn, discussing incessantly.
"Oh my god, who is she? She's so classy."
"If it weren't for her youthful appearance, I would have thought she was the CEO of some conglomerate. Her presence outshines all the men."
"Did you see her brooch? That's Alexa's masterpiece, 'Ragnarok.' Three years ago, someone offered a billion dollars to buy it, but Alexa didn't even bother selling it."
"What? Ragnarok?"
Anyone with knowledge of the jewelry industry would know about Alexa and the global sensation caused by the exhibition of "Ragnarok" three years ago.
Nicole was too preoccupied with her anger earlier and didn't pay attention to Evelyn's attire. Upon closer inspection, the jealousy ate at her, making her teeth ache.
"It seems Lily has received many benefits from Mr. Taylor."
Karen was both envious and admiring, punching Nicole in the face. "I worked hard to cultivate you, and in the end, your methods are no better than a country girl's. Your aunt has given you advice and opportunities to get close to Edward. Otherwise, with your abilities, how could you have captured Edward's heart?"
"Mom, I have already won. Why do you still say words that dampen my morale?"
Nicole clenched her fists tightly, her eyes red. "Even if Lily hooks up with Landon, what does it matter? The Wellington family is no less than the Taylor family, and besides, they're already divorced. Lily is just a discarded woman. Edward will never go back to her. He is my man for life."
"You two have not obtained a marriage certificate yet, so you must not let your guard down."
Karen still had a lingering fear. "Lately, Mr. Wellington has been distant towards you, and even I can see it. Moreover, that old Bryon is still refusing to accept you. He's finding ways to delay the divorce. We can't be careless about this matter. If you think that just because Lily isn't living at Edward's house now means you can relax, then you're truly foolish."
Nicole couldn't help but notice that Edward was less enthusiastic about her than before. These past few days, she couldn't even see Edward, leaving her unable to use her skills in seducing men.
Evelyn brought a whiff of fragrance as she passed by Tiffany and Debra in the back row.
"Mom, where is that country girl going to sit?" Debra asked nervously.
Tiffany's smile froze. She thought it would be surprising enough for Lily to attend the auction, but she actually walked towards the front row, reserved for the most influential people.
Edward watched Evelyn walk to his side and felt his heart skip a beat.
But she didn't even look at him, treating him like a stranger. She gracefully took her seat in Landon's position.
"Landon asked Ms. Brown to attend on his behalf? I didn't even know about this," Eric said, shocked and confused.
Edward kissed her tousled breath and frowned, glancing at the woman two meters away from him.
Evelyn smiled, her red lips making her stunning but emitting a cold aura that kept people at bay.
She really didn't even look at him, treating him like air.
"Oh my god, so 'Ragnarok' was with her."
Eric abruptly slapped his thigh. "Three years ago, for my mother's birthday, I did everything I could to buy Ragnarok as a birthday gift for her.
I offered one hundred million dollars, begging Alexa shamelessly to sell me the brooch, but she didn't even acknowledge me.
I didn't expect the brooch to end up in Ms. Brown's hands. Landon really takes her seriously, and I truly admire him.
Edward listened to these words, reminiscing.
No one understood the feeling of going to great lengths for a loved one better than him.
Back then, to prepare a birthday gift for Nicole, he had spared more than half a month and made the journey to Flancia. He had faced numerous rejections and contempt before begging the designer to create the "Heart of Flame."
It had been three years since Lily married him, and he had never given her a gift.
Now, she was with Landon, and that man gave her a dazzling love like diamonds.
Edward's high brow cast a shadow over his eyes. An inexplicable bitterness rose in his heart.
Landon treated his ex-wife so well. No matter how he thought about it, it made him uncomfortable.
As if it made him seem useless as an ex-husband.
All the guests arrived, and the auction officially began.
Eric, representing the Clark Group, wore a high-end YSL suit and had an extraordinary demeanor as he delivered the opening speech.
Debra stared at her "husband" in admiration, her mind already naming their future eight children.
The applause thundered, and Eric stepped down from the stage. He grinned and showed off his two rows of white teeth, raising his eyebrows mischievously at Evelyn.
Evelyn responded with an indifferent roll of her eyes.
Edward saw Eric's flirtatious behavior and wished he could kick Eric in the leg.
"Dude, how did I do just now?"
Eric returned to Edward's side with a smile and bumped his elbow against him.
"Good job, next time..."
Edward looked at him with a mysterious gaze, "I broke up with you."
Eric grabbed his arm in frustration, "What did I do to offend you? You're harder to figure out than all the hundreds of girlfriends I've had combined."
Soon, the first auction item was presented to the crowd: an old oil painting from a bygone era. The brushwork was simple, and the form was divine; it was truly a masterpiece. However, the artist was not famous, so the starting price was only one million dollars.
Edward had a moderate interest in antiques, thanks to his grandfather and father's influence while he was growing up.
With just one glance, he realized that there was an identical painting in his grandfather's studio.
His grandfather's painting was genuine, while this one from Platinum Auction House was a finely crafted reproduction.
Reproductions and counterfeits were vastly different, and some high-quality reproductions had fetched high prices. However, having seen the genuine article, this particular one seemed less enticing.
"One million and five hundred thousand dollars."
"Two million dollars."
"Three million dollars."
Just as the auctioneer was about to bring down the hammer, a clear and gentle voice rang out.
"Five million dollars." Evelyn calmly raised her paddle.
The crowd turned their surprised gazes toward this mysterious and beautiful woman.
Edward glanced at Evelyn's graceful profile and felt doubtful.
He thought, 'First of all, this painting is not worth five million dollars. Three million dollars would be more than enough.
Secondly, Lily spent so much time with her grandfather, regularly helping him take care of those precious items. She couldn't possibly know where the genuine painting was. So why would she waste money on this replica?
"Six million dollars."
The crowd looked towards the back again.
There, Nicole held her paddle high as if afraid that others wouldn't notice.
How could she tolerate this woman stealing the limelight? She wanted to reclaim her lost face tonight.
"Seven million dollars." Evelyn calmly raised her paddle once again.
"Eight million dollars." Nicole followed suit, shouting, drawing the attention of those around her.
Karen started to worry. She had never attended such a high-end auction before, and the price of a single painting skyrocketed to seven million dollars in the blink of an eye. And this was just the first item.
She thought, 'Shouldn't we take a break from bidding on other items?'
"Mom, should we follow along?" Debra asked Tiffany in a slightly displeased tone, unhappy with Nicole stealing the spotlight.
"We're family. Let's not fight amongst ourselves."
Tiffany had attended many auctions like this before and knew that good items were usually saved for the end.
"Nine million dollars." Evelyn raised her paddle once more, unwilling to give up.
Karen's blood pressure rose.
She hadn't expected to spend this much money on a birthday gift for Bryon, and she was really concerned about her money.
"$10 million," Nicole exclaimed, raising her paddle again with red eyes.
The crowd erupted in astonishment.
Eric, however, burst into laughter. "This is only the first item, and it's not even something valuable. Yet, it has reached this price. I'm making a profit. Edward, should I thank you for your previous efforts or your current wife?" he said with a smile.
Edward clasped his hands on his knees, fingers intertwined tightly, and remained silent, but his expression revealed his displeasure.
"Nicole, don't follow Lily in bidding next time. $10 million is too much," Karen anxiously advised, sweating as she held Nicole's hand.
Evelyn let out a scoff, her hand raised, but then she put it down.
"$10 million. Sold. Congratulations to Ms. Adams from the Adams Group for acquiring the painting," the auctioneer announced.
Nicole felt triumphant and smiled confidently, thinking she had won and overshadowed Lily.
Meanwhile, Karen almost fainted and couldn't force a smile.
At this moment, William was outside the venue, observing the situation inside through his phone.
He thought, 'Ms. Taylor, you're truly impressive. You manipulated Nicole into bidding nine times the price for a replica. You've completely seen through this foolish woman.'
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