Preparations For The Auction

Adele~

"Any idea who it’s from?" Emily asked.

The three of us were sitting on my bed, staring at the black box before us. There was no complimentary card, no message, just a mysterious box I didn’t know what it held yet.

"Are you going to open it, or should I?" Sarah reached out, her fingers brushing the lid.

"Wait!" I pulled the box toward me. My heart beat a little faster. Part excitement, part dread. "What if it’s... weird? Like a prank or something?"

Emily laughed, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "Adele, you’re too cautious. It's just a box. Probably a gift."

"Yeah, but from who?" I muttered, inspecting the box again. It was sleek, tied with a black satin ribbon. It was luxurious, but understated. Whoever sent it had taste.

I finally slid my fingers under the ribbon and pulled. It came loose with a soft whisper. Sarah leaned in closer, practically vibrating with curiosity. Emily crossed her legs and waited, her eyes sparkling.

I lifted the lid.

Inside, nestled in black velvet, was a pair of the most stunning heels I had ever seen. Midnight blue, sleek, with delicate silver embroidery running along the sides like vines. Elegant. Expensive. Absolutely breathtaking.

"Oh. My. God," Sarah breathed. "Those are designers. Like, really designers."

Emily whistled low. "Girl, someone is serious about impressing you."

I stared at the shoes, stunned. They didn’t feel real. I hadn't owned anything this beautiful in my entire life.

"But who..." My mind raced. The only person I could think of was Ryan, but this was definitely not Ryan for many obvious reasons.

“What's that? There's something under that.” Sarah gently lifted the velvet and gasped. “It's a dress!”

My gaze locked on the dress. Unblinking.

It shimmered under the light, a deep midnight blue to match the heels, with subtle silver threading that caught the light like stars. The fabric looked impossibly soft, like it would slide through my fingers like water.

Sarah’s mouth fell open. “Adele… this is custom. I’m telling you, this is serious.”

Emily reached out but stopped just short of touching it. "That’s... not off the rack. Someone measured you for this."

Measured me? I couldn’t even form a coherent thought. My hands trembled slightly as I carefully lifted the dress from the box. It was sleeveless, elegant, with a cinched waist and a flowing skirt that hinted it would move like a dream when I walked.

Sarah looked at Emily, eyebrows raised. "Ryan doesn’t have this kind of taste."

"No way," Emily agreed instantly. "And even if he did, he wouldn’t hide it. He’d shove a 'Come Back Immediately' note in there or something."

I nodded, my throat dry. "It’s not him. I know it’s not."

“Then who?” Sarah demanded.

The only other person that came to mind made my stomach flip over – Detroit West.

I shook my head quickly. No. No way. He barely knew me. We’d only exchanged a few words last night – nothing to suggest he even knew my taste, let alone my size.

But somehow, a whisper deep inside me said otherwise.

He knew.

Emily grinned, elbowing me. "Girl, you’ve got a secret admirer. And judging by this," she gestured dramatically at the box, "he's seriously wealthy."

Sarah nudged the box toward me again. "There’s no card or note?"

I shook my head — but then, a tiny glimmer caught my eye. Something tucked deep into the folds of the velvet. My fingers brushed a small black envelope.

Heart hammering, I opened it.

Inside was a simple, handwritten note:

Wear it tonight for the auction.

My breath caught in my throat.

Detroit West.

Sarah and Emily leaned in, reading the note over my shoulder.

"Huh? No name? Boring," Sarah pouted.

Emily gaped at me. "Adele. He's the one you’re attending the auction with?"

I nodded slowly, a guilty weight pressing down on me. I didn’t dare tell them everything. Emily had already fished the gossip from me once, and now... now, I couldn’t tell which man they hated more between Detroit or Ryan.

But some stubborn voice inside warned me: Don’t keep this a secret. If it backfired later, it would be too late to explain.

Smiling sheepishly, I told them the truth… well, most of it. I left out the part where he gave me two billion. And the part about why I was going to an auction. And also the part where I’d already signed the marriage contract.

The girls just stared at me.

They didn’t blink. They didn’t breathe.

I waved a hand in front of Sarah’s face. "Uh, hello?"

She gasped, like she'd just been resuscitated. "ADELE! You’re telling me a billionaire sneaked into your room in the middle of the night and you’re going to an auction with him?! And you didn’t lead with that?!"

Emily blinked at last, her voice a scandalized whisper. "You’re insane. Insane! That’s like... billionaire royalty!"

I groaned, burying my burning face in my hands. "I know, I know! It’s not what you think. I barely know him. He’s just... helping me out."

Sarah flopped back onto the bed with a dramatic groan. "Helping you out? Girl, he sent you Cinderella’s entire wardrobe! This is not 'helping.' This is courting."

Emily leaned in, grinning wickedly. "And if this is his idea of starting... I can’t wait to see how he escalates."

I raised a brow at her. “Didn't you hate him over the month?”

"Huh?" Sarah jolted up before Emily could answer. "Who the hell hates a generous billionaire?" The look on her face could make a rat laugh.

Yet she'd cursed him more than she'd ever cursed Ryan – for taking ‘advantage’ of me.

We all burst into laughter. I hunched over the box, laughing so hard my stomach hurt.

Right.

Who hates a generous billionaire... one like Detroit?

“Now, babes," Sarah said, slapping her thighs and jumping up, "get your fat ass off that bed. You need a makeover. Right now."

“Huh?” I blinked. "What more do I need? Just a bath and sliding into—?"

Sarah and Emily exchanged a loaded look.

Then Sarah exploded into boisterous laughter again.

"Yah, we know you probably never wore makeup properly, but see, times are different now. You’re no longer married to that douchebag, and tonight? It’s an auction for the wealthy. I mean, WEALTHY. There’s a chance you'll run into him. Or that flat-bum BITCH, Julia. And the last thing we want is for you to feel small around them.”

And with that, I was dragged to town again. Once more, Emily snatched Mark's credit card.