Chapter Six
Silence swept the crowd.
Elena’s breath caught, her fingers curling into fists at her side.
Lucas forced a smile, though his teeth clenched. “Honored guest…? He’s poor and useless, and I don’t understand whatever he must have said to you, Miss Catherine, he’s a liar. Don’t allow him to trick you.”
“ Do I look like someone who can be tricked in your eyes? Trust me, I’m smarter than that.”
Catherine snorted, took Adrian’s arm, and walked into the banquet hall without paying them any further attention.
Elena’s heart twisted as she followed Lucas into the banquet hall. She had just divorced Adrian—barely freed herself, she thought—and yet, in what felt like a blink, he stood confidently at the side of a woman like Catherine Moretti. A woman more powerful, more dazzling, more untouchable than Elena could ever dream of being.
The discomfort gnawed at her chest, bitter and sharp.
But so what? He was still trying to rely on women to make a living. Thinking of that, a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes.
Inside the grand hall, conversation swelled like a tide. The chandeliers blazed overhead, scattering brilliance across tables lined with velvet and crystal. Guests swirled like currents, each smile hiding ambition, each greeting dripping with calculation.
And at the center of it all stood Lucas Brown.
The moment he stepped in, guests flocked to him as if drawn by gravity. Businessmen and politicians greeted him warmly, their laughter exaggerated, their words filled with flattery.
“Mr. Brown, what an honor to see you tonight!”
“Ah, such a fine couple! Miss Elena and you truly are a perfect match.”
“Yes, yes—no doubt the most enviable pair in the city!”
Lucas basked in their attention, his chest swelling with pride. He exchanged handshakes like a king granting favor to his subjects, his smile broadening with every compliment.
One guest leaned in conspiratorially.
“ I hear the auction tonight features a most extraordinary treasure. A vintage ring from the private collection of Chairman Armstrong, the president of the Business Association himself. Rumor has it, it’s worth a fortune. But who else could possibly afford it, if not you?”
Lucas’s eyes glittered, and he threw his head back with a laugh.
“That ring? Hah! Then it’s as good as mine already. No one here can outbid me.”
The circle erupted in polite laughter, eager to echo his arrogance.
But across the room, Catherine Moretti’s lips curved into a sharp smile. Her voice carried just enough for all to hear.
“Really? What a bold claim. But let me correct you. If Adrian wanted to, he could buy not just that ring—he could buy out this entire auction house.”
A beat of stunned silence filled the air.
And then came the laughter.
It rolled through the crowd, mocking, cruel, dismissive. Heads turned toward Adrian, their eyes dripping with ridicule.
“That guy? Please—he couldn’t afford a meal in here, let alone an auction house.”
“What trick is he using to make her speak for him?”
The whispers grew, biting, poisonous.
Lucas smirked, seizing the moment. “Director Moretti, surely you’re joking. Adrian Cole? The same man Elena divorced because he couldn’t even pay the bills? A man like him has no place here, let alone in an auction.”
Adrian, who had been silent through it all, finally stirred. His expression was calm, detached, as if the sneers and insults around him didn’t even reach his ears. He looked toward Lucas, then at the ring displayed on the auction list, its gleaming image stirring something deep in his chest.
“I’m not interested in buying the whole auction,” Adrian said evenly, his voice cutting through the laughter.
“But that ring…” His eyes hardened, a glint of determination sparking like fire. “…is mine.”
The room fell still.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
