Chapter 41 Being Slapped in the Face

Edward's face grew even darker. His lips pursed tighter.

Having bid $9 million, $10 million was surely fine for him.

Suddenly, Lily stopped bidding, not because she couldn't afford it, but because she chose to give up.

She did it on purpose!

Though he had nothing to say, as no one forced Nicole to bid on this painting, she had made everything voluntary.

As several more items were auctioned off, Evelyn remained calm and did not bid.

Edward only wanted to acquire the Pocotimi wood chair, so he didn't participate in the bidding either.

Next up was a pair of Antique Clocks donated by Tiffany on behalf of the Wellington Group, with a starting price of $2 million.

Evelyn sneered disdainfully and shook her head. She would rather bid on the first replica than spend a high price on these two foolish Antique Clocks.

As expected, there needed to be more bidders. The auctioneer tried his best to raise the price but ultimately sold them for $2.6 million.

Tiffany's smile gradually disappeared.

She thought, 'At least someone bid...'

Edward, however, remained indifferent.
As an editor, I understand and will adhere to your requirements for the translation of the article. Here is the translated text:

For him, no matter what Tiffany did, Patrick's reputation would suffer. Edward and Patrick disagreed, but Tiffany and Patrick were on the same side.

"The next item, donated by KnightSpear Group, is a pair of Victorian silver cups given by Ms. Donna Taylor!"

The interest of all collectors in the audience was instantly aroused!

Evelyn looked surprised and glanced around busily.

Finally, in the back row, she spotted Donna's elegant figure.

Evelyn: "Aunt Donna, why are you here? Why didn't you tell me?!"

Nervously, Evelyn texted William.

William: "Ms. Taylor, I just found out too! Maybe Mr. Charlie sent Mrs. Donna over on short notice!"

She thought to herself, 'Damn! This Charlie is really unpredictable!'

Evelyn felt a bit flustered.

Almost all members of the Wellington family were present at this event today, and she was really worried that her identity as a member of the Taylor family would be exposed.

At that moment, she noticed Donna secretly giving her a thumbs-up gesture with a twinkle of understanding in her eyes.

Evelyn suddenly felt better and immediately understood what she meant.

She thought, 'Aunt Donna, you're truly clever!'

Everyone present couldn't help but want to win the KnightSpear Group's item.

"This silver cup is very rare, and Mrs. Donna unexpectedly donated two! The Taylor family is indeed generous, showcasing the generosity of a large corporation!"

"Although they are both corporations, the gap between the Wellington Group and KnightSpear Group is too big. Those two items are probably not as valuable as my family's Roman sculpture.

"Mr. Patrick's wife, her taste is somewhat worrisome."

Tiffany blushed and felt extremely embarrassed.

The contrast between the collections brought by her and Donna was like night and day, highlighting her pettiness and earning her no respect!

As the auction went on, Edward finally became interested. He twirled the number card in his hand.

"These silver cups are indeed good items."

"These ancient silver cups are still so shiny."

Upon hearing Evelyn's words, Edward couldn't help but look at her with mild surprise.
Evelyn was immersed in the charm of antiques. Her smooth and delicate skin resembled fine porcelain, and her beautiful face appeared even more enchanting under the lights. She was so beautiful that it took people's breath away.

Lily was quite beautiful, but Edward had never paid attention to her because his heart belonged to someone else. Sometimes, Edward even felt that Lily's choosing to be with him was a waste of life and a waste of her beauty.

Edward's gaze unintentionally moved downwards, ultimately settling on Evelyn's slim wrist. As expected, she still wore the gemstone bracelet that Byron had given her. Even though it didn't quite match her outfit today, she still refused to take it off, clearly showing her genuine liking for it.

Edward squinted his eyes and sighed.

The Ru kiln porcelain generated intense bidding, keeping the auctioneer busy!

"Ten million dollars!"

"Twenty-five million dollars!"

"Twenty-seven million dollars!"

"Forty million dollars."

Edward elegantly raised his number plate and announced the highest bid in the room so far.

Everyone was astonished!

Evelyn was secretly shocked, instinctively looking at Edward.

She thought to herself, 'This man might not have good taste in women, but he definitely has a good eye for antiques.'

Edward noticed her gaze. He turned his head and made eye contact with her.

In an instant, Edward was shocked by her overly rational and cold gaze, and his heart skipped a beat.

Evelyn quickly averted her gaze, avoiding looking at him any longer.

In the end, Edward successfully won the pair of silver cups, earning the envy of the crowd.

"I'll drink with you in the future, and you can serve me with this cup! A cup worth forty million dollars suits my status," Eric said with a smug smile.

"This cup is too small for you, not enough for a drink. I have a bigger one that suits your status," Edward coldly responded.

"What is it?"

"A toilet."

Eric looked puzzled and said, "Oh my! Is this how you treat your good friend?"

Evelyn overheard and turned around, unable to help but burst out laughing.

At this moment, Nicole felt it was not worth it. She thought to herself, 'Spending forty million dollars on a pair of cups, what is Edward thinking? Isn't it better to buy a mansion for forty million dollars?!' She hadn't even married Edward yet, and she was already worrying about how his money should be spent.

"Next up is a very meaningful item, a Pocotimi wood chair from the collection of an anonymous gentleman!" the auctioneer enthusiastically introduced the chair. The Pocotimi wood chair was protected by glass and carefully brought up by four staff members wearing white gloves.

"Edward, it's starting!" Eric hurriedly tapped Edward.
At that moment, he saw Edward and Evelyn as if they had pressed the start button and stood up from their seats, their movements in perfect sync.

They were both ready to win this auction!

"The starting price is thirty million dollars! The bidding begins!"

The wealthy investment banks raised their placards one after another. The auctioneer constantly raised the price, and the competition was extremely fierce.

Thirty million dollars was the highest price for the starting bid of the evening auction!

Tiffany and Debra, the mother-daughter pair who liked to steal the spotlight, were taken aback by this price.

Karen and Nicole had already become bystanders. They were as quiet as flowers placed in the back row.

Just then, a pristine white hand elegantly rose, and Evelyn calmly uttered a number.

"Sixty million dollars."

Everyone was astonished, all eyes fixed on Evelyn and her raised placard!

The mysterious and confident woman drew the attention of the entire room.

"Mom, did I...did I hear that right?"

Debra was full of surprise, incredulously saying, "That country bumpkin actually bid sixty million dollars? How dare she offer such a high price?! Is she just bluffing?!"

Tiffany remained silent. Her cold gaze fixed on Evelyn's figure.

Suddenly, Tiffany thought of something and looked at Donna, a cold smile forming in her heart.

She thought, 'So you really want to go from commoner to aristocrat? Let's see if you can stand firm in the Taylor family!'

"Seventy million dollars."

Edward slightly parted his thin lips, elegantly raising his hand. The lights cast a golden halo on his tall figure, making it impossible to look away.

He directly raised the price to a new height. Several determined bidders could only reluctantly give up.

"Seventy-five million dollars."

Evelyn remained composed, raising her placard without hesitation.

Once again, the crowd let out a collective gasp!

Even Eric, who was accustomed to grand scenes, remained silent.

He felt like he was witnessing a showdown between two masters in a Western movie as if a fierce battle would erupt in the next moment.

"Eighty million dollars."

Edward remained calm, but his eyebrows furrowed slightly, showing some anger.

In order to help Landon obtain the treasure, she had given it her all!

Evelyn licked her rosy cheek and felt a surge of determination.

She thought, 'Even if Landon doesn't reimburse me for this money, I will compete with Edward on my terms.'

But she knew when it was necessary to stop and weigh the pros and cons.

Antiques had extremely high value due to their historical significance, but she had a bottom line in her heart. Eighty million was already her limit, and continuing to bid would become a pointless fight, meaningless.

"Edward, you may have a high IQ, but you should also have some emotional intelligence."
Eric saw Evelyn looking a bit angry and hurriedly leaned in to remind him, "Ms. Brown clearly wants this chair. Why don't you give it to her? Besides, you used to be married, and Ms. Brown is a young woman. Isn't it a bit undignified to argue with her in front of so many people?"
"She is sitting there, representing Landon, competing with me. She has nothing to do with Landon," Edward stared straight ahead, his eyes cold.
Eric gasped and gave a thumbs-up, saying, "Absolutely correct, bro!"
"80 million dollars, first bid! 80 million dollars, second bid! 80 million..."
"One hundred million dollars!"
Wow! Unexpected!
A crisp voice suddenly came from behind. Edward furrowed his brow but did not turn around.
Everyone looked towards the elegant lady holding a sign, and it was Donna from the Taylor family!
Evelyn narrowed her eyes, suddenly understanding why Donna appeared.
She knew that Charlie was worried that Landon wouldn't want to spend the money, so he sent Donna to stabilize the situation!
Edward's gaze was as deep as the stars. After hesitating for a moment, he did not bid again.
One hundred million dollars was not something he couldn't afford; he just felt that continuing to bid would appear uncouth.
In the end, the Pocotimi wood chair was successfully auctioned off by KnightSpear Group. The audience erupted in warm applause!
Just when everyone thought the auction was coming to an end, the auctioneer suddenly smiled and said, "Next up is the final item of today's charity auction, also donated by KnightSpear Group!
This is the top-tier jewelry 'Heart of Flame' crafted by a renowned French jewelry designer in one month!"
Edward widened his eyes; his heart seemed to have been shot, and it stopped beating.