Chapter 87
42
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After seeing that Julius was still in the game, the auctioneer’s voice picked up again, excitement and happiness blending into his professional tone.
“One hundred sixty million dollars!”
Julius raised his paddle without hesitation, his expression calm and unbothered. Like he was bidding on a five-dollar coffee mug and not a multimillion-dollar piece of art.
Elara watched him, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Did he actually need the painting? Was this about the art itself? Or was he just doing this to get her attention, to prove some kind of point to Marcus? She honestly didn’t know anymore.
“One hundred seventy million!” Marcus called out, his voice sharp.
Julius didn’t even blink. His paddle went up again.
“One hundred eighty million!”
A collective gasp went through the crowd. People were leaning forward in their seats now, completely absorbed in what was happening. This wasn’t just an auction anymore. This was a spectacle. A battle between two men with too much money and too much pride.
“One hundred ninety million!” Marcus countered.
The crowd erupted. Actual screams of shock and excitement filled the room. Some people were on their feet now, craning their necks to see both bidders. Phones were coming out, people recording this moment because they knew they were witnessing something extraordinary.
“Two hundred million dollars!” Julius’s voice rang out clear and strong.
Another wave of gasps. A woman at the table next to them actually clutched her pearls like she was in a
Victorian novel.
Elara sat frozen in her seat, watching this insanity unfold. Two hundred million dollars. For a sculpture. This was absolutely unhinged.
“Two hundred twenty million!” Marcus shot back immediately.
The auctioneer was practically vibrating with excitement now, his professional composure cracking under the weight of the commission he was about to make. “Two hundred twenty million dollars! Do I hear two hundred forty?”
Julius’s paddle went up like it was nothing.
“Two hundred forty million!”
The crowd were losing their minds now. People were screaming, clapping, standing up to get a better view. Elara had never seen anything like this in her life. The energy in the room was electric, charged with the testosterone-fueled competition happening between these two me
“Two hundred fifty million!” Marcus called out, his voice getting harder now. He was getting frustrated.
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Chapter 87
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It kept climbing. Two hundred sixty. Two hundred eighty. Three hundred. Each new bid was met with louder screams from the crowd, people genuinely shocked that the numbers were still going up.
Elara glanced at Marcus’s face. His jaw was clenched so tight she thought his teeth might crack. A vein was pulsing in his temple. He was beginning to get pissed now, really pissed. She couldn’t tell if this was about the art anymore or if it had become something else entirely. An ego thing. A dick-measuring contest using millions of dollars as the measuring stick.
But either way, he was getting bored of it. Tired of playing this game.
“Four hundred million dollars,” Marcus said, his voice cutting through the chaos like a blade. Cold and final. “Let’s wrap this shit up and go home.”
The room went completely silent. Even the auctioneer seemed stunned into momentary speechlessness.
Everyone turned to look at Julius, waiting to see if he’d counter.
Julius stood there for a long moment, his paddle still in his hand. He looked at Marcus, then at Elara, then back at Marcus. Something passed across his face, some calculation happening behind his eyes.
Then he lowered his paddle and sat down.
“Four hundred million dollars!” the auctioneer practically shouted, his voice cracking with excitement. “Going once, going twice, sold to paddle number seventeen! Congratulations, Mr. Thorne!”
The room erupted into applause. People were standing, clapping, some of them still looking shell-shocked by what they’d just witnessed. Four hundred million dollars. For a single piece of art. At a charity auction.
This would definitely be in the news tomorrow. Hell, it would probably be international news.
Elara felt every eye in the room turn toward their table. People were staring openly now, not even trying to be subtle about it. Staring at Marcus like he was some kind of god, and staring at Elara like they were trying to figure out who she was and why Marcus Thorne had just spent nearly half a billion dollars at an auction while she sat beside him.
The rest of the auction felt anticlimactic after that. A few more pieces were sold, but nobody’s heart was really in it anymore. How could anything else compare to what they’d just seen?
When it finally ended, people started gathering their things and heading toward the exits. The event was finally over. Time to go home.
Mimi and Dante left first, both of them looking exhausted from the drama of the evening. They were already waiting in the car outside, probably grateful to escape the chaos.
Marcus and Elara were making their way toward the exit, moving through the crowd of people who kept stopping Marcus to congratulate him or shake his hand or ask about the sculpture he’d just acquired.
That’s when Aurora appeared again.
She materialized out of the crowd like she’d been waiting for this exact moment, timing it perfectly. Her red dress was still immaculate, her makeup still flawless, her smile still that same blend of sweet and
venomous.
“Heyyy, Marc!” She reached out and touched his arm, her fingers lingering there. “Don’t tell me you were
Mon, May
Chapter 87
leaving without saying goodbye?”
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Marcus opened his mouth to respond, but Aurora cut him off before he could get a word out.
“I mentioned wanting to discuss something very important with you earlier, remember? About the Wellington Group’s investment proposal and something else, a bit personal?”
“I remember,” Marcus said cautiously.
“Well, I’m all ears if you want to talk about it now, but…”
She glanced at Elara, her expression becoming almost apologetic. Almost. “I’d really like Elara to excuse
- I don’t feel comfortable saying it in front of her, given the fact that she already hates me.”
Marcus looked over at Elara. Elara gave him a look that very clearly said don’t you fucking dare.
He turned back to Aurora. “It’s fine. You can say it.”
Aurora’s smile faltered for just a second, surprise flashing across her face. She’d clearly expected him to send Elara away, to choose her comfort over his wife’s presence.
But she recovered quickly, her expression becoming more vulnerable. Almost pleading.
“Marcus, please.” She took a breath, like she was gathering courage. “Can I come stay at your house for just
two weeks?”
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