The moment the auctioneer finished speaking, I raised my hand. “Seven thousand.”No one else followed up. After all, the artist wasn’t known, and the piece didn’t have much collectible value.“Eight thousand!”A voice suddenly called out from behind me.I turned and noticed it was Jasmine.She gave me an overly sweet smile. “Oh, Mrs. Moore, my apologies. I happen to really like this piece too.”I turned back around. “Ten.”Jasmine: “Eleven.”My brows knit tighter and tighter.Nicholas shot her a scowl. “Who is that? Why is she bidding against you? Is she out of her mind?”I hesitated for a moment. “Fourteen.”Another voice chimed in. “Twenty.”I turned, frowning even deeper.May had joined in. She threw me a smug glance before turning her eyes on Miles with the hunger of a predator sizing up her prey.A rush of anger flared in my chest.I immediately called out, “Thirty!”“Fifty!”“Sixty!”“Ninety!”...A painting by an unknown artist with no reputation had been pushed all the way up
Miles caught sight of my expression and gave a faint smile. “Getting tired? Want me to take over the bidding?”But I was still fuming. “No. I’ll do it myself.”Forty thousand, huh?I thought about my bank account balance and felt a little bolder. “Sixty thousand dollars!”Gasps rippled through the room.This wasn’t just a bidding war anymore—it had turned into a full-on showdown, with prices jumping by the thousands instead of a few hundred.May raised her hand proudly. “Eighty hundred!”“Wow, May Rich is really going all in.”“What’s gotten into her? Looks like she’s actually trying to send a message to the Whites.”“Did you recognize her? That’s Julian Moore’s wife. You know...”“Wait, what’s she doing sitting with Mr. Wynn? They looked... pretty close.”“Oh, you don’t know? Julian and his wife are getting divorced. Word is, she finally got fed up with all his affairs and filed a divorce.”“But the divorce isn’t finalized yet, right? And she’s already moved on?”“Who knows? Maybe it’
He stepped into the center of the crowd and spoke calmly, “I intend to buy this painting and give it to my wife, Evelyn White.”Then he looked at me. “I hope she can forgive me. I’ve made countless mistakes… ignored the love she gave me. And now... I’m asking for her forgiveness.”The entire room erupted....I stood still, watching Julian from across the crowd.He looked nothing like the confident, arrogant man I first saw after losing my memory. His face was pale, drawn, his energy completely different like a ghost of who he used to be.His suit was wrinkled, probably from rushing over. Even his hair was messy, unstyled, like he hadn’t touched a comb or gel before leaving.His eyes locked on mine, tuning out the noise around us.I parted my lips but couldn’t bring myself to speak. I turned my gaze away from the heat of his stare.Nicholas stepped in front of me, his eyes full of fury as he glared at Julian. “What the hell is your problem?”Julian pushed through the crowd to face m
In the end, with Sharon’s mediation, the painting was purchased by Julian for forty thousand dollars and then gifted to me. May was kicked out of the auction, restoring the artwork to its fair value. Her chubby face was filled with displeasure, but with Nicholas, Julian, and the quiet Miles all present, she knew better than to throw a tantrum. She left immediately, leaving the painting to Julian. After making the payment, Julian had Sharon pass the painting to me. He left without a word. I saw him glance back at me one last time before walking away. In that look, I saw the same sorrow mirrored in his eyes. Could it be… he loved me too? I felt a hand rested on my shoulder, followed by a warm voice. "Eve, let’s go." I nodded and quietly took his hand. ... At the hospital, I unwrapped the painting. The wave of loneliness and despair it carried hit me like a tide. The scent of blood and crashing waves was so vivid, it felt almost real. I asked the nurse to help
Ian immediately said, “Yes. That land was originally planned for a Grade A office building, but the board never finalized a direction.” Miles took the iPad, glanced at it, and asked casually, “How much did May invest?” Ian replied at once, “Thirty million. She holds about forty percent of the shares.” Miles smiled. “That’s a sizable amount. Call a board meeting for me tomorrow. We’ll finalize the development direction for our plot.” Ian hesitated. “Uh… do you have something in mind, Mr. Wynn?” Miles gave a slight smile. “Let’s go with a high-end SOHO community focused on modern smart-home technology and full automation.” Ian froze. “That’s…” Miles gave him a half-smile. “Just go. I want the board to approve it tomorrow.” Ian nodded quickly and left the hospital in a hurry. Once he was gone, I looked at the seemingly harmless Miles. “With this move, May’s thirty million dollars just went down the drain.” Miles gave a drawn-out “Oh?” and said slowly, “How could that
May sank into her chair, stunned. “How is this possible? This can’t be happening… it’s impossible… all that money…” Suddenly, she grabbed the scrawny man by the collar and yanked him forward. “I don’t care how—you need to pull more funds together. We have to break ground. If we don’t, this project is going to rot unfinished.” The man could only nod. “Alright, alright… I’ll try again.” After all her yelling, May stormed out in a fury. No sooner had she gotten into the car than her phone rang. “May, bad news! A customer just returned a 130-gram gold wedding bangle, claiming it’s been filled with resin. Consumer Affairs has already sent someone to investigate!”May felt a loud buzz explode in her head. She shouted, “Can’t you just handle this yourselves? Pay them off! Triple compensation if you have to—we cannot let this blow up!” “Alright, alright—but May, someone from the Department of Trade and Consumer Affairs just showed up too.”May sat frozen in the car, hands and fe
His voice was thick with congestion, and I couldn’t help but ask, “Julian, what’s wrong with you?” There was a hint of surprise and joy in his voice. “Eve, are you worried about me?” I quickly changed the subject. “I wanted to ask why you released that apology statement.” Julian’s voice dropped low. “Because I messed up. And I felt I owed you an apology.” I sighed. “That’s not necessary. Julian, you don’t have to humble yourself like this.” His voice was soft. “Eve, I truly know I was wrong. I didn’t realize how deeply I hurt you. That day at the beach, when I saw the look in your eyes… my heart shattered.” I cut him off immediately. “Don’t. I don’t want to hear any of that.” A chill ran down my spine because I wasn’t ready to face that dark chapter of my life. Even now, after all this time, just thinking about it made me want to disappear from this world. Julian murmured, “I’m sorry, Eve… I…” Feeling annoyed, I said, “You don’t need to apologize. I don’t want your
The next day, after my usual check-up, Sharon arrived. She brought a lot of health supplements and a few beautiful landscape paintings. With an apologetic tone, she said, “Miss White, I made a horrible mistake at the gallery the other day. It was my poor planning.” Then she took out a box from her bag. “This is for you too. It’s a set of premium freshwater pearls. I thought they’d suit your taste.”I politely declined. “You’re too kind, Miss York. I can accept the supplements, but this gift is too expensive.” She smiled. “Are you still being so polite with me? Do you think of me as an outsider?” I hesitated. I wasn’t sure what kind of relationship Nicholas had with Sharon. I didn’t want him to blame me when he found out I accepted the gift.Sharon noticed my hesitation. Sharp as ever, she caught on right away.With a warm smile, she said, “Oh, it’s really not that complicated. I just felt a connection with you and thought it’d be nice to think of you as a little sister.”I
I hadn’t expected Nicholas to reject Sharon because he was worried she might treat me badly one day. My eyes burned with emotion. “Nick… she wouldn’t.” He shot me a look. “Wouldn’t? You’re such a softie. You’d probably thank someone for pushing you around. You’ve got no eye for people. But I know what I’m doing. I’m not picking just anyone to be your sister-in-law.” Then he started piling all the best dishes onto my plate, urging me to hurry up and eat. A few minutes later, Miles walked in with a sleek, elegant food box in hand. Nicholas gave him a look. “About time you showed up—we’re already halfway through.” Miles placed the box beside me with a small smile. “I had this soup made specially for Eve. It’s for after the meal.” Nicholas finished eating in a few quick bites and said, “Don’t try to smooth things over for Sharon. That woman plays too many games.” Miles replied coolly, “You’re well into your thirties and still don’t have a girlfriend.” Nicholas rolled his
The next day, after my usual check-up, Sharon arrived. She brought a lot of health supplements and a few beautiful landscape paintings. With an apologetic tone, she said, “Miss White, I made a horrible mistake at the gallery the other day. It was my poor planning.” Then she took out a box from her bag. “This is for you too. It’s a set of premium freshwater pearls. I thought they’d suit your taste.”I politely declined. “You’re too kind, Miss York. I can accept the supplements, but this gift is too expensive.” She smiled. “Are you still being so polite with me? Do you think of me as an outsider?” I hesitated. I wasn’t sure what kind of relationship Nicholas had with Sharon. I didn’t want him to blame me when he found out I accepted the gift.Sharon noticed my hesitation. Sharp as ever, she caught on right away.With a warm smile, she said, “Oh, it’s really not that complicated. I just felt a connection with you and thought it’d be nice to think of you as a little sister.”I
His voice was thick with congestion, and I couldn’t help but ask, “Julian, what’s wrong with you?” There was a hint of surprise and joy in his voice. “Eve, are you worried about me?” I quickly changed the subject. “I wanted to ask why you released that apology statement.” Julian’s voice dropped low. “Because I messed up. And I felt I owed you an apology.” I sighed. “That’s not necessary. Julian, you don’t have to humble yourself like this.” His voice was soft. “Eve, I truly know I was wrong. I didn’t realize how deeply I hurt you. That day at the beach, when I saw the look in your eyes… my heart shattered.” I cut him off immediately. “Don’t. I don’t want to hear any of that.” A chill ran down my spine because I wasn’t ready to face that dark chapter of my life. Even now, after all this time, just thinking about it made me want to disappear from this world. Julian murmured, “I’m sorry, Eve… I…” Feeling annoyed, I said, “You don’t need to apologize. I don’t want your
May sank into her chair, stunned. “How is this possible? This can’t be happening… it’s impossible… all that money…” Suddenly, she grabbed the scrawny man by the collar and yanked him forward. “I don’t care how—you need to pull more funds together. We have to break ground. If we don’t, this project is going to rot unfinished.” The man could only nod. “Alright, alright… I’ll try again.” After all her yelling, May stormed out in a fury. No sooner had she gotten into the car than her phone rang. “May, bad news! A customer just returned a 130-gram gold wedding bangle, claiming it’s been filled with resin. Consumer Affairs has already sent someone to investigate!”May felt a loud buzz explode in her head. She shouted, “Can’t you just handle this yourselves? Pay them off! Triple compensation if you have to—we cannot let this blow up!” “Alright, alright—but May, someone from the Department of Trade and Consumer Affairs just showed up too.”May sat frozen in the car, hands and fe
Ian immediately said, “Yes. That land was originally planned for a Grade A office building, but the board never finalized a direction.” Miles took the iPad, glanced at it, and asked casually, “How much did May invest?” Ian replied at once, “Thirty million. She holds about forty percent of the shares.” Miles smiled. “That’s a sizable amount. Call a board meeting for me tomorrow. We’ll finalize the development direction for our plot.” Ian hesitated. “Uh… do you have something in mind, Mr. Wynn?” Miles gave a slight smile. “Let’s go with a high-end SOHO community focused on modern smart-home technology and full automation.” Ian froze. “That’s…” Miles gave him a half-smile. “Just go. I want the board to approve it tomorrow.” Ian nodded quickly and left the hospital in a hurry. Once he was gone, I looked at the seemingly harmless Miles. “With this move, May’s thirty million dollars just went down the drain.” Miles gave a drawn-out “Oh?” and said slowly, “How could that
In the end, with Sharon’s mediation, the painting was purchased by Julian for forty thousand dollars and then gifted to me. May was kicked out of the auction, restoring the artwork to its fair value. Her chubby face was filled with displeasure, but with Nicholas, Julian, and the quiet Miles all present, she knew better than to throw a tantrum. She left immediately, leaving the painting to Julian. After making the payment, Julian had Sharon pass the painting to me. He left without a word. I saw him glance back at me one last time before walking away. In that look, I saw the same sorrow mirrored in his eyes. Could it be… he loved me too? I felt a hand rested on my shoulder, followed by a warm voice. "Eve, let’s go." I nodded and quietly took his hand. ... At the hospital, I unwrapped the painting. The wave of loneliness and despair it carried hit me like a tide. The scent of blood and crashing waves was so vivid, it felt almost real. I asked the nurse to help
He stepped into the center of the crowd and spoke calmly, “I intend to buy this painting and give it to my wife, Evelyn White.”Then he looked at me. “I hope she can forgive me. I’ve made countless mistakes… ignored the love she gave me. And now... I’m asking for her forgiveness.”The entire room erupted....I stood still, watching Julian from across the crowd.He looked nothing like the confident, arrogant man I first saw after losing my memory. His face was pale, drawn, his energy completely different like a ghost of who he used to be.His suit was wrinkled, probably from rushing over. Even his hair was messy, unstyled, like he hadn’t touched a comb or gel before leaving.His eyes locked on mine, tuning out the noise around us.I parted my lips but couldn’t bring myself to speak. I turned my gaze away from the heat of his stare.Nicholas stepped in front of me, his eyes full of fury as he glared at Julian. “What the hell is your problem?”Julian pushed through the crowd to face m
Miles caught sight of my expression and gave a faint smile. “Getting tired? Want me to take over the bidding?”But I was still fuming. “No. I’ll do it myself.”Forty thousand, huh?I thought about my bank account balance and felt a little bolder. “Sixty thousand dollars!”Gasps rippled through the room.This wasn’t just a bidding war anymore—it had turned into a full-on showdown, with prices jumping by the thousands instead of a few hundred.May raised her hand proudly. “Eighty hundred!”“Wow, May Rich is really going all in.”“What’s gotten into her? Looks like she’s actually trying to send a message to the Whites.”“Did you recognize her? That’s Julian Moore’s wife. You know...”“Wait, what’s she doing sitting with Mr. Wynn? They looked... pretty close.”“Oh, you don’t know? Julian and his wife are getting divorced. Word is, she finally got fed up with all his affairs and filed a divorce.”“But the divorce isn’t finalized yet, right? And she’s already moved on?”“Who knows? Maybe it’
The moment the auctioneer finished speaking, I raised my hand. “Seven thousand.”No one else followed up. After all, the artist wasn’t known, and the piece didn’t have much collectible value.“Eight thousand!”A voice suddenly called out from behind me.I turned and noticed it was Jasmine.She gave me an overly sweet smile. “Oh, Mrs. Moore, my apologies. I happen to really like this piece too.”I turned back around. “Ten.”Jasmine: “Eleven.”My brows knit tighter and tighter.Nicholas shot her a scowl. “Who is that? Why is she bidding against you? Is she out of her mind?”I hesitated for a moment. “Fourteen.”Another voice chimed in. “Twenty.”I turned, frowning even deeper.May had joined in. She threw me a smug glance before turning her eyes on Miles with the hunger of a predator sizing up her prey.A rush of anger flared in my chest.I immediately called out, “Thirty!”“Fifty!”“Sixty!”“Ninety!”...A painting by an unknown artist with no reputation had been pushed all the way up