Chapter 46
Chapter 46:
The bid crashed over the auction hall like thunder, stunning everyone into silence. A heavy stillness filled the room, the kind that made one’s ears ring. Even the auctioneer seemed caught off guard. His voice cracked and rose in pitch as he nearly choked on his own excitement. “Ladies and gentlemen! The gentleman in the second-floor private room has placed a bid of one hundred million! Yes, you heard that correctly—a full hundred million p>
Of course, he knew exactly who had made the offer. Ethan Martin—CEO of Martin Group and the main shareholder of the auction house—was not just any guest. But Ethan had always preferred to remain in the background, never one to make a show of himself.
So, following the unspoken etiquette of the elite, the auctioneer referred to him only as “the gentleman in the second-floor private room,” keeping things discreet.
The moment the words left his mouth, a shockwave ran through the audience below. Whispers rippled across the hall like wildfire.
“Wait… what did I just hear? Did he say a hundred million p>
“This whole time Maxton was pushing the bid one million at a time—clenching his jaw, fighting for it—and then this guy just drops a hundred million like it’s pocket change? Brutal p>
“I mean, who does that? Who tosses out a hundred million without blinking? That’s not just wealth anymore—that’s something else p>
People began shifting in their seats, some even standing, craning their necks in hopes of catching a glimpse of the second floor. But no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t see into the private suite—it was sealed off from view.
Meanwhile, in the private room, Noelle was seated beside Ethan when he quietly said, “One hundred million p>
𝖰𝗎𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗍𝗒 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗌𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝗈𝗇
The words sounded so calm coming from him—so smooth and steady—but her hand jerked, and coffee splashed over the rim of her cup.
She turned to him slowly, her eyes wide, her voice low and uncertain. “You’re seriously this grown… and you’re bidding this much for a necklace p>
She looked completely thrown off.
Ethan let out a quiet sigh, pinched the bridge of his nose as if he couldn’t believe he had to explain this, and grabbed a napkin to wipe the spilled coffee from the table.
He calmly wiped the table in front of her, his tone light and almost dismissive. “I saw you looking at it earlier. You seemed to really like it p>
Noelle blinked, momentarily speechless. Was he doing this… for her?
The auctioneer was still riding the high of the moment. It wasn’t every day someone tossed out a number like that. His voice rang out again, this time directed toward Maxton. “The gentleman in the second-floor private room has offered one hundred million. Do we have any higher bids? Anyone p>
Maxton’s expression soured. He had come in confident, certain he would win. The necklace was supposed to be Willa’s. But sixty-nine million had already pushed his limit—and now someone had casually raised the price by over thirty million, as if it meant nothing. There was no point in continuing.
Willa sat frozen beside him, blindsided by the turn of events. Just moments ago, the necklace had practically been hers. She had already imagined herself wearing it, already pictured Noelle’s stunned expression. Now, it was slipping away before her eyes.
“Maxton…” she called anxiously.