The auction began at approximately 8 pm.Under Yvonne’s supervision, Xenia’s Auction had prepared a total of 12 items for the auction, all of which she had acquired from collectors over the years. The items had greatly appreciated in value over time. The decorative labels also helped to add value to the items.Only Yvonne herself would know how profitable each and every item had become.She peeked at the auction below, where the rich were bidding for the items. She could almost hear the jingle of the cash registers, which put her in a good mood. She swung her legs lightly.Her high heels dangled from her toes. Her stockinged legs seductively showed under her dress.Suddenly, Katie’s booming voice echoed across the hall as she increased the bid. She was obviously drunk.The entire hall gasped as Katie increased the bid by five million dollars in one go.From where she sat, Yvonne could clearly see Noah pulling Katie’s arm down.However, Katie merely inched closer to Noah and w
With that in mind, Katie took a deep breath and confidently gave the speech she had prepared.She was a natural on stage. Her graceful gestures conveyed her affluence.The crowd applauded once more as she finished her speech.Katie's hand was sweaty as she held the microphone, but she felt elated.She raised her eyebrow provocatively at Yvonne in the crowd.Carmen then retrieved the microphone. "Of course, we would like to thank our esteemed guests and Xenia's Auction for providing the items for tonight's auction.""And now, let us invite the director of Xenia's Auction, Ms. Yvonne Miller, to give a speech."The blood drained from Katie's face when she heard this. She gaped at Carmen while wondering if her ears were playing tricks on her.There was no way Yvonne was the director of Xenia's Auction!Noah was also taken aback but managed to maintain his composure as he dragged Katie off the stage.It was Yvonne's turn on stage. It would be awkward for them to linger.Katie's h
Noah got out of the car and quickly disappeared from Mark's view.Mark then closed his eyes and snorted. He couldn't help but imagine how Yvonne had looked while she had confronted him.On one side was Yvonne, who was willing to protect her loved ones with everything she had. And on the other was Noah, who only thought about sabotaging his own.Mark rested an arm on the armrest and massaged his temples. He frowned when he felt a strange tinge of affection and suppressed it.His eyes reverted to their usual cold gaze.He had wanted to threaten Yvonne tonight so she would stop her investigations.But he had changed his mind on a whim. He wanted to see her reaction upon finding out the truth.It was bound to be interesting.After all, she viewed her loved ones with such importance. Their betrayal would break her.…Yvonne couldn't help feeling a lingering cold around her even after returning home from the auction.It only went away after she took a hot shower.She heard her
Three minutes ago, the capital of Taloria was struck by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake.Yvonne panicked and quickly called Stephen.She was frozen in fear while she listened to the robotic voice message.The sun was shining brightly through the windows. Yet her hands trembled.Stephen had to be fine. Nothing bad could happen to him!She managed to calm herself down after the initial panic.Then, she utilized Emerald Group's network to arrange communications with the smart chip project team in Taloria.She also contacted the earliest possible rescue team to head over to Taloria's capital that night itself.Yvonne left the office in a hurry and missed the HR manager, who had come to deliver a document. Hayden dealt with the HR manager in Yvonne's stead. "Ms. Miller left in a hurry. It seems she has an emergency. If this report isn't too important, how about you come again after she returns?""I see …" The manager nodded. "That's fine. I'll wait for Ms. Miller to return."Prior to
Yvonne had participated in several rescue missions back when she had worked for Emerald Group. Hence, she could be considered experienced. But as they moved toward the epicenter, the city ruins came into view, leaving her feeling uneasy.She averted her eyes to avoid seeing the bloody field of scattered limbs.Humans were nothing but mere ants when faced with the wrath of Mother Nature.The more Yvonne thought about it, the more anxious she felt.No matter how strong Stephen was, he was only a man. How could she be sure that nothing bad had happened to him?The thought overwhelmed her and left her gasping for air.As a result, she almost lost her balance and fell while getting out of the car. Fortunately, Abel, one of Yvonne’s subordinates who had come with her, supported her."Are you okay, Ms. Y?""I’m fine."Yvonne shook her head and composed herself. "Any response from our men?""Not yet, but please don't worry. The earthquake destroyed the local communication systems
When they arrived at the factory ruins, Abel thought Yvonne would really collapse on the spot this time.However, to his surprise, her reaction was faster than theirs. She instantly grabbed a life-detection device and climbed up the debris. When Abel saw that, he hurriedly asked the others to help as well. All of them split up and acted separately, which resulted in higher efficiency.As time passed, they managed to rescue several people. Yvonne treated and bandaged simple wounds on the scene itself. Then, she instructed her subordinates to send the victims to the local government's temporary medical station. Under the scorching noon sun, the horrid wounds looked even more terrifying. By this point, Yvonne was already exhausted. Her vision blurred, and she could barely hold a needle firmly. In a daze, she saw Curtis grabbing her with one hand and saying, "Don't mind me! Save my friends first!" Yvonne shook her head, and the face before her changed to a stranger's. She
Yvonne fainted and developed a high fever. Thus, she was unconscious for a full three days and nights. During that time, she woke up in a daze several times but couldn’t open her eyes. She could only vaguely feel a warm and dry hand holding hers.Trapped in a nightmare, she kept hoping that the hand would pull her back to reality. This was her fourth nightmare since she had fallen unconscious.In her nightmare, the sky was red. Yvonne walked through the ruins. Dust filled the air, and she coughed while moving forward. Suddenly, a group of people ran toward her.Before Yvonne could react, one of them, a man wearing a black mask, pulled her away. She wanted to ask what was happening but failed to do so. She could only let the man lead her into a corner. Shortly after, intense gunfire broke out outside. The man pushed Yvonne's head down, then rose and started firing his gun rapidly. Empty bullet casings hit her body and clattered to the ground. She covered her ears and ti
Two days later, an aftershock startled Yvonne awake. The first thing she saw was Stephen's worried face. His body was almost entirely sprawled across the hospital bed, holding on to the side railings with both hands, protecting her beneath him. The building was swaying, and the bed was shaking. All around them, things crashed, and people screamed.Yet Yvonne remained surprisingly calm as she looked into Stephen's eyes. Her usual fierce and aggressive gaze softened, leaving an unwavering determination in her eyes.After a while, the aftershock subsided. The loud noises around them seemed to fade away. She heard him sigh quietly in relief. Yvonne smiled lightly and asked, "Are you hoping we die together in this position?""Maybe you can survive," Stephen answered. During the aftershock earlier, he had already weighed his options and made a judgment.They were on the eighth floor of a crowded hospital, and carrying her downstairs might be even riskier. His body had reacted a