Chapter 9 Auction of Power
Valenticia’s POV:
It was a week after that experience. The bruises on my body had disappeared, and the pain in my leg had diminished almost completely. I was healed, but something had changed in me—a waking thought, an assertion that it was time to take back my possession.
One morning, while drinking tea with my grandmother, she set down her cup and looked at me with a straight eye.
“You are going to a charity gala,” she told me.
I raised a brow. "A gala?"
"Yes," she nodded. "An auction, to be precise. This is where your takeover will start.”
I straightened in my seat, interested. "How?"
“You will donate and buy something expensive, making sure your name is among the high elites. You need to show them that you are claiming your rightful place.” She explained.
“Valenticia, the company is yours, but you have to make them know it.”
I drummed my finger on the table, thinking about what she had just said. It made sense. The upper circles of society operated on influence. If I needed to get recognition, I had to show them that I existed.
"Fine," I said finally. "I'll do it."
Grandma gave a pleased smile. "Good. I’ve already made all the arrangements.”
—
Soon enough, the gala night arrived.
I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection.
The gown I wore was breathtaking, if I do say so myself, a black and white satin that fit me just properly. With a single slit at the side. My hair was packed in a beautifully elegant updo, with loose strands cascading down on either side of my face. I wore few but flawless adornments. Diamond earrings, and a small bracelet.
I looked… different.
Almost as though I had become another person. Someone powerful.
I exhaled, steadying myself. This was no time for doubt.
As I was straightening my dress, the door opened and my grandmother walked in.
Her eyes lit up with approval as she surveyed me. “You look stunning.”
I tilted my head slightly as I smiled. "And so do you, Grandma."
She wore an exquisite wine-colored gown. A woman who had created an empire, who had inspired respect wherever she walked.
She gave me a knowing look. "Are you ready?"
I glanced back at the mirror one last time before nodding. "Yes. Let's go."
—
They were having a charity gala in one of the richest hotels in the city.
Flashing lights surrounded us from all angles, the moment we got out of the car. The media crowded around, cameras clicking as reporters shouted our names.
"Miss Valenticia, over here!"
“Madam ma'am, a photo, please!”
I corrected my posture and kept my face neutral. This was a new world, one I had once belonged to only in the shadows but had been cast out of. This time around, I was stronger, wiser and not going to be ignored.
As soon as we stepped into the ballroom, my heels clicked on the marble floor as I walked with my grandmother.
It was breathtaking. An enormous chandelier hung in the middle of the hall, which was packed with men in tailored suits and women in unforgettable gowns. Servers weaved between guests, serving champagne from silver trays.
I let myself have a tiny smirk. This was my now my world, too.
We sat in the front row, the place for the most distinguished guests. Sitting next to my grandmother, I could feel people staring at me.
Whispers. Murmurs. Speculation.
Exactly as I wanted.
Next was the donation part of the event.
The moment our turn came, my grandmother nodded at me approvingly, as if telling me silently that I should lead.
I rose gracefully, taking the microphone. “I would like to donate a very special piece on behalf of my family — this purple jade necklace.”
An aide held up the necklace in front of the audience. Rare, precious, and without a doubt valuable.
I received some approving glances from a few key influencers. Good. Let them talk. Let them remember my name.
It was all going according to my grandmother’s plan.
Afterwards, I needed to freshen myself up.
I hunched towards my grandmother. "I'll be back. I'm going to the washroom."
She nodded, and I stood smoothly, heading right out of the ballroom.
—
As soon as I exited the restroom, I slammed into someone.
A firm, solid chest.
Instinctively I took a step back, my lips parting to say sorry —
Then I froze.
That face.
That cold, unreadable gaze.
Him.
The man from that night. The one whose car had saved me.
He was wearing a perfectly fitted, crisply tailored black suit. One hand in his pocket, the other pressed a phone to his ear.
When we crossed paths, he hung up and looked at me. His cold, piercing eyes locked onto mine, and for an instant, something flashed there an emotion I couldn’t quite place. But in a flash, it was gone, replaced by the familiar indifference.
I cleared my throat. "Oh… I hit you."
He didn’t reply right away. Instead, he looked at me with that same inscrutable expression, then shifted his weight slightly, like he was about to walk off.
I panicked.
Without a thought, I reached over and lightly grasped the corner of his suit jacket, causing him to stop in his tracks.
“Pleasure to meet you,” I said, my voice was firm, even though I felt a nervous flutter in my chest. "We meet again."
He looked down at my fingers gripped around his suit and then slowly raised his eyes to mine. It was scary the way he looked like he could see straight through me.
"Why?" His voice had a deep, buttery tone, but no sweetness. "You don’t want us to meet? Why are you surprised that we have met again?”
I was speechless. That wasn’t the answer I was expecting.
I expected him to be polite, maybe even apathetic. But instead, he questioned me as if I had reason to be guilty.
I was quick to compose myself, brushing off my surprise. “No, that’s not what I meant,” I said, making myself smile politely. “I just wanted to say thank you once again for that night. I’d like to take you to dinner -- to thank you properly.’”
He didn’t even hesitate.
"No."
I blinked, briefly shocked.
Did he just… refuse me?
Before I could even react, he turned and walked away.
I observed him, irritation simmering within me.
“Well then how can I repay you if I don’t know who you are?” I called after him.
He continued walking but I heard him, low and teasing.
"Then find out yourself."
I watched him vanish out of my sight. What kind of man was this?
—
But a moment later my phone buzzed in my hand, jolting me out of the reverie.
I answered quickly. It was my grandmother, calling to check on me.
“I’m headed back to the hall,” I told her before hanging up.
I took a long breath to ease myself and returned to the ballroom.
—
I returned to my seat, but the auction had already started. Each bid grew, but everyone could feel the tension in the air while bidding until the very end, keeping their bid to themselves but waiting for it to feel right.
Then a voice came over the speakers.
“And the winning bid goes to… President Stefan Myles, CEO of New Dream Corporation, for a hundred million dollars!”
Gasps spread across the room.
I was also blown away by the eye-popping number.
How in the world would anybody pay that kind of money for that?
I looked around the room, hoping to see which loser had paid such a price.
Then, my eyes landed on him.
It was the same man.
My heart skipped and our gazes locked.
I stared at him, stunned.
Oh… it’s him.