The chime rang at eight o'clock sharp, signaling the official start of the highlight of the exhibition. In the brightly-lit main hall, the auctioneer grabbed his mic and introduced the auction to the guests."Today's exhibition continues the dreamy minimalist design concept of a famous designer in Bayridge, while adopting a high-luxury artistic style. “All the exhibits on display today will be auctioned. We would like to present to you the high-end jewelry owned by the main organizer, as well as exhibits from other organizers; including rare high-end jades, calligraphy, painting relics from a century-old ancient capital, and ingenious master-level handmade wood carvings that have been discontinued.“This is not only an auction, but also an opportunity for cooperation. Many business giants are present among the guests. Grab the chance to buy items of your interest and earn the priority to cooperate with the organizers!”Albert entered the auction hall happily, his arm hooked with M
Christopher's aura was too powerful. Seeing that the auction was about to begin and all the guests had to be seated, the waiter pulled Ethan away with a smile."Sir, please come with me."Ethan wailed in his heart, but he couldn’t shout it out. He could only glare angrily at Christopher to show his contempt.Melody watched Ethan being pulled away. His expression was filled with sadness and anger, which was quite amusing.Hmm…She wondered what was wrong with Christopher that day. Frowning, she glanced at him. He was calm and composed, without any embarrassment. As the auction was about to begin, everyone was already seated. It was too late to change seats.Melody looked away; she decided to try her best to ignore Christopher and focus on the auction instead. As long as Christopher remained silent, she could try her best to pretend that he didn’t exist. She refused to let his presence affect her.When Christopher saw her looking away, he clenched the cup in his hand tightly unt
How dare Melody flirt with another man when he was still around! Was he dead to her?Christopher didn’t realize that he was being completely unreasonable. He was only Melody’s ex-husband, and nothing more. He had no grounds to be jealous.Deeply upset, he felt the urge to do something—anything. Without thinking, he immediately raised his sign and said calmly, "Two hundred thousand."The auctioneer was once again overjoyed. "Two hundred thousand dollars! Do I have more than two hundred thousand dollars?"Melody gritted her teeth, and turned to look at Christopher. That bastard didn’t bid on the jewelry displayed earlier, but competed for the necklace she was interested in.Christopher crossed his hands in front of him and leaned on his chair, showing a leisurely posture.Melody was annoyed.Christopher didn’t wear jewelry, and he was too old for the one Albert was wearing. Melody could guess who Christopher would give it to. Most likely, it would be that bitch Talia!Melody felt
After all the exhibits were displayed, Albert hurried off the stage, changed clothes, and rushed to Melody with the chocolate cake he had ordered in advance. "Mel, I left in a hurry just now. Here, it’s for you. You must be hungry." He took a seat next to her, smiling cutely. "I ordered this from your favorite shop. Try it."Melody was warmed by his actions. "Thanks.""Hey! No more thanks, remember? I’ll buy you cake every day if you like it."Albert inched closer to her, and they chatted in a harmonious and peaceful way. "You’ve spent so much money on me, but I couldn’t do anything in return."Melody looked at him—he was acting like a big golden retriever, eager for its master’s attention. She couldn’t help but ruffle his hair gently. "This necklace is beautiful, and I like it. It’s worth it, and so are you. I’m very pleased you’ve worked hard and have a successful career."They were immersed in their conversation, and paid zero attention to the fuming Christopher beside th
Melody's tone was unkind, and there was no warmth in her eyes.Christopher's mood, which had just calmed down, began to fluctuate again. His expression was terrifying. "Your friend? What friend?"Melody refused to reply. Glancing at him once more, she sneered, "I don’t have to answer your question. All you have to know is if you insult him again, get ready for a court case!"Christopher's face turned even more terrifying.His ex-wife showed tender care for another man in front of him…He missed her care. He gripped his wine glass tightly; the veins on the back of his thin palms bulged, causing the guests next to him to look sideways in fright.They couldn’t hear what Melody and Christopher were talking about, but they could guess from their interaction. Looking at Christopher's frightening expression, they felt that if it weren’t for the guests, he would have smashed his wine glass without hesitation.Everyone around him was frightened.The female guests who came late whisper
"No, I can afford it." Melody took a sip, and immediately raised her sign. "Two hundred and fifty thousand!"The guests whispered when they heard that. "That's crazy! It’s just an ordinary portrait."Those novice embroidery enthusiasts who bade just now backed down when they saw Melody’s interest in that portrait. They knew they couldn’t compete with her.The auctioneer called, "Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, going once!"Everyone glanced at Christopher in unison.Not all of them liked silk hand embroidery, but they liked to gossip. They were curious whether Christopher would compete with Melody again.The host called again, "Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for the second time!"They guessed Christopher was uninterested in the portrait."Do I have more than two hundred and fifty thousand dollars? Alright, then…"Seeing that the host was about to close the bid, Christopher raised his sign calmly and said steadily, "Three hundred thousand."After a short observa
The tug of war soon reached its climax.This time, Melody didn't act impulsively. Instead, she pondered for a moment before raising her sign. "600,000 dollars."Christopher countered, "650,000 dollars."Melody frowned. "660,000 dollars.""700,000 dollars.""730,000 dollars."Christopher was convinced she didn't understand appreciation. He finally raised his sign for the last time. "1,200,000 dollars."The brand representative was moved to tears. He hadn't expected to find someone who truly appreciated the embroidery piece, and was willing to pay such a high price for it.The auctioneer announced, "1,200,000 going once!"Melody didn't raise her sign again. Instead, she lowered her gaze in silence.Albert was concerned. "What's wrong? Do you need more money? I can help you buy it."She shook her head. "No need. I don't want it anymore."Albert was puzzled. "Why? You clearly liked it a lot."The auctioneer, without waiting for their conversation to end, quickly continued. "1,
"If you like that kind of silk hand embroidery, I'll try to help you find an even more beautiful one, alright?" Albert consoled her.He had despised Christopher for a long time. His animosity towards Christopher was different from his feelings toward Melody. It was a fierce clash between two alpha males, compounded with a bit of...an undisclosed grudge.Originally, he wanted to console Melody. However, he ended up getting heated. "He clearly doesn't understand anything, but he wants to fight for love. He’s so arrogant, it’s despicable! “Mel, letting him off so easily is too frustrating. How about we come up with a way to teach him a lesson?” Albert raised his fist and made a striking gesture. "We can hire a few people, find the right time, and give him a beating! What do you think?" Watching Albert, Melody was rendered speechless.How should she put it? Could Albert be her real brother? Their thoughts were so in sync, this could be considered a kind of unspoken understandi