Grace spotted familiar faces among the crowd—the CEOs who had dismissed her at Sirius's banquet for Priscilla.They had belittled her as a mere attendant when Sirius stormed out, eager to trample on her dignity."Mr. Hudson." she addressed one of them pointedly. "Didn't you call me an attendant? Yet you can't afford what an attendant can buy?"She continued, "Mr. Lawrence, how about you? Why don't you raise the bid? If it's worth it, go for it. Otherwise, just admit you lack the funds." One by one, Grace called out the business tycoons, and their faces flushed with anger. These men were used to dominating the business world and had never been so humiliated, especially by a secretary. Their pride wounded, the CEOS began bidding out of spite."120 million dollars.""150 million dollars!"On stage, Albert was seething with rage. The ring could have been secured for a mere 100 million dollars, but Grace's showboating had forced their hand.Furious, he turned to Nelson. "Where
Initially, Mr. Lawrence was just fueled by anger toward Grace and sought refuge in the restroom to escape further embarrassment. Unfortunately, his rage-induced stammering led to Grace interrupting him repeatedly. Finally articulating his intentions, he rushed off to the bathroom.His words triggered a wave of laughter throughout the hall."Haha, she's still raising the bid while Mr. Lawrence needs to relieve himself!""Mr. Lawrence's bathroom break costs 300 million dollars!""A truly golden shower. This is going to be a legendary story."Priscilla blushed with shame as she was mortified by Grace's antics.Grace felt embarrassed as well. She had relentlessly raised the bid on a man who merely wanted to use the restroom.To mask her embarrassment, she rationalized that it wasn't her money anyway and decided to maintain her extravagant facade."An extra 300 million dollars is nothing. Money comes and goes, but my preferences are priceless!" The crowd was impressed by her see
Frederick furrowed his brow. "I bid three billion dollars!" He leaned in toward Grace, his voice low and urgent. "I strongly advise you to stop this reckless bidding. Don't drag June into this mess!" Priscilla was frantically trying to restrain Grace as well, her panic rising with each passing moment. She wasn't as blinded by the excitement as Grace.Even liquidating all of the Harmon family's assets would barely yield four billion dollars. Grace had already bid half of that; there was no way anyone could cover such an astronomical amount.She saw Albert's anger rising, confirming her worst fears.But Grace was oblivious to Priscilla's pleas. She shook off her hand and shouted, "I bid four billion dollars!"The room spun around Priscilla as she envisioned the disastrous consequences of such an outrageous bid at the Smith family's auction.Frederick was initially determined to reclaim his father's relic but found his efforts thwarted by Grace's foolish actions.In a strategic
A stunned silence fell over the room as all eyes turned to Grace.It was obvious to anyone with a shred of common sense that she couldn't possibly afford such an exorbitant sum.The nonchalant way she tossed around billions as if they were mere pocket change was utterly bewildering.Anxiety overwhelmed Priscilla, tears streaming down her face.This was a disaster. If they couldn't produce the funds, the Smith family's retribution would be swift and severe—they might even throw them to the sharks.Noticing Priscilla's distress, Grace questioned, "Why the tears, Prissy? Shouldn't you be celebrating my triumph?"Priscilla could only stomp her feet in frustration.Grace's naivety was astounding! If this led to their ruin, Grace would soon understand the gravity of her actions."Grace, we're talking about 6 billion dollars! Where are we supposed to find that kind of money?"Grace sighed. "Oh, Prissy, isn't there money in the card? How could you overlook something so important? Give
This was no ordinary card reader; it was a specialized device designed for elite families like the Smiths.Grace swiped her card with an air of confidence, which then emitted a series of beeping sounds.Everyone present recognized the familiar sound of insufficient funds. Who could realistically have 6 billion dollars in their bank account?Grace's expression hardened."Did you make a mistake? Why isn't it working?" she asked.The hostress felt deeply wronged but dared not speak up in front of someone wielding such immense wealth. Nervously, she explained in a low voice, "I assure you, madam, I did not make a mistake."After all, a card reader was a simple device, how could she have erred?Grace took the card reader, confidently punching in 6 billion dollars and adding two sets of zeros for emphasis.She then turned to the hostess and said firmly, "This is how one enters 6 billion dollars. This is how to operate a card reader!" With a flourish, Grace swiped her card, the move
Isabella's patience with Grace's antics had finally run out. Even tossing her into the sea wouldn't satisfy the hatred she felt. With a dismissive wave, she snarled, "Chop them all into mincemeat!"Immediately, a group of assassins drew their gleaming blades and advanced on the three cousins.Isabella's rage was so all-consuming that she didn't hesitate to include Grace's group, the Miller sisters. The onlookers gasped as they were horrified by Isabella's cruelty.The Smith family of Valyr City was known for their tyranny, but this display of ruthlessness from the seemingly harmless Isabella was chilling. The three women were paralyzed by fear. They huddled together, never having encountered such brutality before.Grace's mind raced in confusion. Albert had promised the card was loaded, yet he now feigned ignorance, leaving them in mortal danger. Unmoved by the women's plight, the assassins raised their gleaming knives and lunged. "Frederick, save me!" June cried out instin
Without hesitation, Frederick declared, "Let them off the cruise!"Grace and Priscilla were stunned, never expecting Frederick to come to their rescue. Tears welled up in June's eyes as she exclaimed, "I knew Frederick would save me!"Still shaken, Grace whispered, "This is a powerful Valyr City elite. She'll kill without a second thought. Frederick is useless. How can he possibly save us?" As Priscilla looked into Frederick's determined eyes, her doubts wavered. At their most desperate hour, he had rushed to their aid, and memories of their past flooded her mind.Isabella hesitated to harm the three women, fearing June's potential connection to a hidden sect could jeopardize her family's position. Yet, releasing them without cause would shame the Smith family.Caught in this predicament, she saw an opportunity as Frederick approached."Why should I release them just because you say so?" Isabella retorted. "Then why do you want to kill them?" Frederick calmly countered I
Isabella's face hardened as she heard the hostess' words. Fury welled up inside her, but with no outlet on the three women, Albert had conveniently presented himself as a target. Though the Four Major Families of Stanva City might seem formidable to ordinary people, they were insignificant to the Smith family of Valyr City.With a wave of her hand, she commanded her men, "Throw him into the sea." Albert was soaked in cold sweat and paralyzed with fear. He pleaded desperately, "Ms. Isabella, I did instruct them to bid, but I never told them to bid six billion dollars! It was the York family of Valyr City who asked me to bid on their behalf. Please, spare my life for the sake of the York family!"Isabella's expression shifted.The York family of Valyr City, one of the Salmasian Ten Titans, was indeed a force to be reckoned with. However, failing to act would make it seem like the Smith family feared the York family with so many witnesses.Isabella amended her order to the men i