"$5 million..."Everyone present, including the auctioneer, was stunned by the figure. It was not as though they had not seen a $5 million item before, but for a piece with a preceding bid of $1 million to suddenly jump to $5 million, it was ridiculous. And it was just a silver piece, after all.Inevitably, murmurs arose. "Could the silver be of such high quality?""Even if it is, it's just so small. $5 million; that's got to be the ceiling, right?"No sooner had the comment landed, someone bid. "$10 million."The indifferent male voice sounded slowly, causing the crowd to shift their stunned gazes once again to Hayden's position. He sat there with a calm demeanor, the overhead light casting an aura that highlighted his handsome features even more vividly.The crowd could not help but start whispering among themselves."What's going on? Is this thing really worth $10 million?""Who knows? Do they have some insider information?""Unlikely, right? If this thing were truly that v
For Hayden, $100 million was like pennies in a bucket, utterly insignificant."If you're not worried about his money, why wouldn't you let me bid?"Wyneth sighed in resignation."If you kept bidding, you would just become fodder for everyone's gossip, wouldn't you?""So we should just let him off the hook, just like that?""And what would you suggest?""Abduct him, bag him and give him a good beating."Wyneth was rendered speechless."That jerk!"Resigned, Wyneth finished the remaining wine in her glass and rose from her seat."I need to use the restroom."Immediately, Dean volunteered, saying, "I'll go with you.""There's no need. I can manage."She was not a little girl anymore. There was no need for her brother to accompany her to the restroom, but it seemed that her brothers still saw her as a child.After using the restroom, Wyneth emerged to wash her hands. The fruity wine she had drunk earlier seemed to be hitting her harder than she had expected. Her head was slig
"You're just what?"A chilling, detached voice echoed from her right, causing Wyneth to jerk her head in that direction. Unbeknownst to her, Hayden had approached, his face an icy mask as he gripped Evan's arm."Who dares to—" Evan had barely finished his shriek when he was prepared to unleash his wrath. But turning his head, he was met with a coldly handsome face—Hayden's. "M-Mr. Hamilton? What are you...?"'Is Hayden standing up for this woman? How could it be him? And why? What kind of connection does this woman have with Hayden?'Evan's mind raced as he spluttered out an apology. "I'm sorry, I didn't know she was with you. I'll avoid her from now on, Mr. Hamilton. Just pretend you never saw me."But no matter how Evan pleaded, Hayden's expression remained stonily cold. Hayden's mood tonight had been sour enough already. Seeing another man attempting to lay a hand on Wyneth was the final nail in the coffin.Seeing no response from Hayden, and his hand aching as if it might bre
Presumably bound by an agreement, she patiently stood in place, giving him an opportunity to say something. When silence continued to hang in the air, Wyneth quirked a brow. "Guess I'll take my leave then."Rooted in his spot, Hayden could do nothing more than watch her walk away.When Wyneth returned to her seat, she found Dean looking at her with an air of anxiety. Spotting her, he blurted out, "Where have you been? Meet anyone interesting in the ladies' room?"Wyneth gave him a puzzled look. "What's the matter?""Didn't run into that jerk, did you?" Dean cast a disdainful glance toward the VIP area. "I was talking to someone and he slipped out when I wasn't looking. Didn't go after you, did he?"If Dean got wind of the restroom incident, his temper would likely flare. She did not want any drama; she just wanted to finish the event and get back to filming. So, Wyneth answered simply, "No."Hearing her denial, Dean squinted at her with suspicion. "Really?""If you don't believe
As the words left his lips, Dean noticed Wyneth's intent to shed her shawl. His face shifted instantly, and he reached out to stop her, his hand capturing her slender, pale wrist."What?" Wyneth asked, surprised by his action.His expression turned serious. "Don't remove it. There may be people in some of these cars.""But I'm dressed underneath.""That doesn't matter," Dean insisted. "The style of your dress—isn't it a spaghetti strap? It's too revealing."Wyneth reminded him, "Dean, wasn't it you who picked this dress for me? Besides, what era are we in now? It's just a bare shoulder."Still, Dean was stubborn. "It's not appropriate." He scanned their surroundings, then gritted his teeth in frustration. "I won't let those bastards take advantage of my sister." After saying this, he took it upon himself to tighten Wyneth's shawl a bit more. "Wear it a bit tighter. Don't give those sleazy men a chance."This intimate exchange did not escape Hayden's attention. Dexter subtly glan
Hearing this, a flicker of guilt crossed Matilda's eyes as she realized the inadvertent revelation in her previous words. "What protective charm do I have? I've merely heard that you bid a whopping $100 million tonight on a charm that's not worth a fraction of that. As your mother, don't I have the right to question?"From the fleeting look in her eyes, Hayden probably already had an inkling of the truth. "Where's her stuff?""What stuff? Whose stuff?""Mom, there's no need to play dumb with me."Matilda locked eyes with her son for a long moment before finally confessing, "Fine, I took it. So what? Your grandpa insisted on finding some venerable master to bring you a bride to dispel the ill fortune, and who did he find? A girl without any notable background. And what's worse, how long did it take for you to awaken after she married you? Three years. Three full years. She leached off the Hamilton family for all that time."Hayden countered, "She lived off us for three years? Are y
Hayden was in no rush, his lips pressed together thinly as he waited patiently for her to continue.Samantha hesitated for a moment, then began to speak slowly, "Well, the story goes like this..."During the time when Hayden was unconscious, it was Wyneth who took care of him personally. Despite her young age, she was extraordinarily meticulous. When it came to Hayden's condition, she thought of everything that everyone else overlooked. Not only that, but she also gave her personal protective charm to Hayden, saying it would keep him safe. When Benedict and Gwendolyn learned about this, they praised Wyneth, saying that Hayden was fortunate and would surely wake up soon. But Matilda was extremely displeased when she found out about the charm."What's this nonsense? If these superstitious things worked, then why hasn't my son shown any signs of waking up despite her being a part of our family for so long? All she does is play these silly games with Father and Mother, and they're too o
Wyneth found herself in a lull lately, her early scenes having been filmed, leaving her with some free time to dive into her scripts. Shaun had initially planned to use this idle time to get her a few teachers to hone her skills. After all, a starlet should have a well-rounded portfolio of talents. To his surprise, when he started probing, he discovered Wyneth was already a multifaceted gem, with hardly a skill she had not mastered. The costs of hiring tutors were thus saved, and Shaun could not help but marvel."Ordinary folks wouldn't manage to be such a jack-of-all-trades. Your parents sure were strict," he said.His words gave Wyneth pause. Ever since her parents divorced and her custody was awarded to her mother, her education had taken an uphill trajectory. She recalled a time when her days were consumed by learning—always learning. It was either this or that, leaving her numb. Only when she grew up, came of age, was she able to break free from this life.Given her recent hiat