Chapter 45
Chapter 45:
Right after Maxton placed his bid, another wealthy guest from across the room lifted his paddle. “Fifty-six million p>
Maxton shot him a dismissive look and countered immediately. “Fifty-eight million p>
Not willing to give up, the other bidder fired back. “Sixty million p>
Maxton didn’t flinch. “Sixty-three million p>
Your 𝗱𝗮і𝗅у 𝘥𝘰s𝖾 o𝖿 n𝘰ve𝗹𝗌 𝘰n g𝖺lոo𝗏𝖾l𝘀.с𝘰𝗺
The two men went back and forth, their voices cutting through the air. The auctioneer barely needed to intervene as the tension grew.
The price climbed higher and higher, all eyes locked on the two determined bidders. Everyone waited to see who would back down first.
The other man clenched his jaw. “Sixty-five million p>
Maxton hadn’t expected him to push that far. His calm expression wavered slightly. “Sixty-six million p>
The gap between bids was shrinking; Maxton was clearly nearing his limit.
The other bidder frowned, hesitation flashing across his face before he raised his paddle again. “Sixty-eight million p>
Maxton paused this time. He wasn’t as composed as before, but when his eyes met Willa’s, he exhaled slowly and raised his paddle once more. “Sixty-nine million p>
The other man froze, clearly torn. After a long pause, he finally lowered his paddle. He was done.
Maxton let out a quiet breath, relief washing over his face. Any more, and he might not have been able to keep up.
Around the hall, murmurs broke out.
“Looks like Maxton Moss came out on top. He clearly has money to burn p>
“He’s not even married. Who’s he buying it for p>
“Must be his little sister p>
“His sister p>
“Yeah, Willa Moss, Malcolm’s beloved daughter. She’s right there with the three Moss men p>
“Wait, isn’t Noelle Moss their daughter too? The one they just reunited with after she’d been missing for years p>
“You must be new. Noelle might be their real daughter, but she’s not the favorite. Willa’s the one they actually care about p>
“That’s odd. I’ve seen Noelle—she’s way more elegant and beautiful than Willa p>
“Well, people spend where their heart is. The Moss family doesn’t spend anything on Noelle. She’s clearly not important to them p>
“Exactly. Willa’s got it all. With her family wrapped around her finger, she’ll probably inherit the family fortune one day p>
Even though they were whispering, Willa caught fragments of their words. The envy in their voices filled her with satisfaction. This was the life she was meant for—admired, praised, and spoiled.
Noelle? She was nothing but a shadow, not even worth comparing to her.
As far as Willa was concerned, the necklace was already hers. She could hardly wait to show it off in front of Noelle.
Up front, the auctioneer lifted his gavel, barely able to contain his excitement. “The sapphire necklace—Mr. Maxton Moss has placed a bid of sixty-nine million! Any higher offers? Sixty-nine million going once! Sixty-nine million going twice! Sixty-nine million p>
Just as the auctioneer was about to bring the gavel down, a firm, steady voice rang out from the second floor, halting the entire venue.
“One hundred million p>
One hundred million?