Chapter 48
I swallowed the lump in my throat and clenched my fists beneath the table, forcing myself to look up at the auctioneer. The fourth photo flashed onto the screen.”
*Fourth photo. Starting bid, five hundred thousand!”
“Damn! I really like this one! A million and a half!”
“Two million!“&
“Two and a half!“&
“I’m keeping my bid open,” I finally said.
The room went quiet. All eyes tumed to me again, a mix of mockery and disbelief swirling in the air.
The auctioneer’s smile faltered. “Miss Graham, please don’t disrupt the auction. If this continues, we’ll have no choice but to ask you to leave.”
I met his gaze, unflinching. “I’m not disrupting anything. I said I’m keeping my bid open.”
Then I added, clearly and deliberately, “And not just for this one–for all three hundred sixty–five photos in this auction, I’m keeping my bid open for every single one.”
The silence broke into waves of laughter. The crowd exchanged glances and burst out in collective amusement. Even Maisy lost it–her shoulders shook with giggles as she leaned against Brandon’s shoulder, her whole body trembling with glee.}
Brandon looked down at her. The soft smile playing on his lips nearly twisted my stomach. That cold face of his, always unreadable, seemed to thaw just for her.
“She’s insane. All 365? That’s over 182 million just in starting prices!”
“She didn’t even have that kind of money before her bankruptcy!”
“Other than Mr. Willis, who else would dare say something so delusional?”
The auctioneer needed several seconds to gather himself. When he finally managed to speak again, his tone was firm.
“Miss Graham, your verified assets have already been exhausted in the previous round. You’re no longer qualified to keep your bid open.”
He turned to the other bidders. “Now then, who just bid two and a half million? Going once…”
Crash!
The sound shattered the room–my glass slammed into the floor, exploding into pieces at the auctioneer’s feet. He stumbled back in shock.
I rose slightly from my seat, voice cold. “I said I’m keeping my bid open. Didn’t you hear me?“>
A man in the audience groaned in annoyance. “Miss Leia Graham! We’ve tolerated your show for three rounds already. You’re broke! Just quit embarrassing yourself!“}
“Yeah! Fake bidding carries consequences, you know. The fact that we’re even willing to look at your photos is us doing you a favor–don’t overplay your hand!“}
The auctioneer’s patience wore thin. “Miss Graham, if not for Mr. Willis’s reputation, you wouldn’t have even set foot in this auction, let alone been allowed to bid, One more outburst and security will escort you out.“>
I narrowed my eyes, voice like steel. “Who said I have no money?”
Even Brandon flicked a glance in my direction.§
The room tensed. The audience went quiet, uncertain whether to scoff or stay silent
The auctioneer arched a brow. “You must be joking. This is a private auction, but we take asset verification seriously. We know exactly how much you came in with.”
I replied coolly, “And as long as I still have funds, I can keep my bid open, correct?”
“Yes, technically, but-”
“Then reverify my assets,” I cut him off.
Gasps and murmurs stirred around me. Even Brandon’s expression shifted slightly–just a faint twitch at the corner of his mouth.
I reached out and pulled the microphone toward me. “What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you’re all scared to keep playing now?“}}
“Hmph!” the auctioneer scoffed, recovering quickly. “Fine. We’ll verify again. But don’t regret it when you’re humiliated in front of everyone.”
The large screen behind the stage flickered. My photos vanished, replaced with a new display: digital numbers blinking into view.
‘Number 38, second round of asset verification,” the auctioneer announced.”
The room leaned forward. Eyes scanned the screen. Faces turned tense.
“Why is she so calm?” someone whispered. “Could she actually still have money?”
“No way. Mr. Willis already cut off all of Graham Holdings‘ partnerships behind the scenes. Even if she had a hidden account, there’s no way it’d be enough.”
“Then she’s bluffing. Or worse–lost her mind. Still… A man hesitated, gaze narrowing. “What if she really does have something up her sleeve?*%
Whispers surged across the room like a tide, suspicion and curiosity sharpening the mood.”
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4:11 PM
I remained seated, expression unreadable, watching the numbers appear one by one.%
*Asset verification complete,” the auctioneer announced.2
All eyes locked on the massive screen. Everyone held their breath.%
After the system deducted the previously declared bids I had kept open, the final balance displayed was-%
Zero.B
The room fell silent for a second.}
Then, it erupted.
“HAHAHAHAHA!!”
The entire crowd burst into raucous laughter.”
“And here I thought she had some real tricks up her sleeve! Turns out she’s just flat–out crazy!“%
“Delusional much? She really faked everyone out!“2
Brandon’s lips curled into a sneer. He didn’t say a word, but the contempt in his eyes was unmistakable. Beside him, Maisy was practically doubled over with laughter, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. The sheer joy on her face made it clear she thought this was the best entertainment of the night.
The auctioneer regained his composure and made a sweeping gesture. “Apologies, Miss Graham. You’ve disrupted the order of the auction. Please leave the venue immediately. Security!“}
A line of burly men began walking toward me without hesitation.%
I didn’t flinch.
Instead, I remained seated, calm and silent. I tilted my wrist and glanced at my watch, then slowly tapped my index finger on the armrest three times in rhythm with the ticking seconds.
Then, I made a slight “please” motion toward the screen./
“You may begin the asset re–verification now,” I said coolly.”
The auctioneer’s brow furrowed. “Miss Leia Graham, what do you take this place for? A playground? You think we have time to keep entertaining your fantasies?“}
He snapped his fingers toward the guards. “Get her out of here–toss her if you must.“2
But before they could reach me, the auctioneer suddenly froze.”
His eyes widened. Then he abruptly turned back to the screen./
“This… how is this possible?”
Even Brandon stood up from his seat in alarm. Murmurs ran through the crowd, louder now.
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