Chapter 385 Tugging in the Bustling Crowd
"Where are you going?"
"Restroom."
"How many times tonight already?"
Thalia smoothed her dress. "Mind your own business."
The bracelet auction was still a while away. Thalia didn't want to stay in this environment any longer. When she went to the restroom looking for Michael earlier, she'd noticed a balcony—getting some fresh air would be better than staying in this kind of setting.
Her goal was clear. She didn't want to waste her time on other things.
Thalia walked all the way to the restroom balcony. Just as she was about to push the door open, someone pulled the glass door open from inside.
The man wore a black suit. One hand was just putting his phone in his pocket, the other held a cigarette. His presence was sharp and hard, like a soldier fresh from the battlefield.
Thalia stepped aside to let him pass. The moment she looked up and saw the man's face, she froze slightly.
The man didn't seem to notice Thalia's surprised look. When he reached the restroom entrance, he stubbed out his cigarette on the trash can.
Thalia snapped back to her senses and quickly followed him.
She only stopped when she saw the man's figure disappear around the corner on the first floor.
"Do you know him?"
Grace's sudden voice interrupted Thalia's thoughts. She shook her head. "No, just looks familiar."
"Do you know him?"
"Never seen him. Let's go back inside!"
At this kind of event, anyone who could get in must be someone registered and known. If this person was from Emerald City...
"You haven't touched anything in my study, have you?"
"Your junk? I'm not interested," Grace said dismissively.
Shortly after the mother and daughter returned to their seats, the bracelet came up for auction.
Thalia's mind wasn't on the bracelet at all right now. Her eyes wandered around the venue, as if searching for someone.
On the second floor, Angelina watched William holding up his number paddle and bidding frequently, then looked at Thalia, who seemed distracted and lost in thought.
"Is Mr. Brown trying to win the bracelet for Ms. Smith?"
William didn't respond, but his glance at her said it all.
"You're up here raising your paddle and bidding, while Ms. Smith down there looks lost in thought. What do you think she's thinking about?"
Only then did William's gaze fall on the public area on the first floor.
Thalia's eyes were slightly narrowed, seemingly thinking about something, looking completely spaced out.
"Definitely not thinking about Mr. Brown. With Thalia's personality, when she's thinking about someone, she usually just goes straight to them."
Hearing Daniel's words, Angelina nodded in agreement. "That makes sense."
"Thirty million dollars, going once."
"Thirty million dollars, going twice."
"Thalia," Evelyn heard that someone had bid thirty million dollars, and William had stopped, so she quickly kicked her.
"What are you thinking about? Do you still want the bracelet or not?"
Thalia suddenly came back to her senses and glanced at the second floor.
Her eyes met William's across the distance, her gaze carrying a hint of warning.
The two were far apart, but their silent battle of looks in the noisy crowd seemed to filter out all the noise in the world.
The emotional tension between Thalia and William, to observers like Angelina and Daniel, looked like silent affection.
Thalia watched as William showed no sign of raising his paddle.
When the auctioneer was about to call it for the third time, Thalia bid herself. "Thirty-one million dollars."
If someone was willing to give, she was naturally willing to take.
If someone was being stingy and couldn't make up their mind, she didn't absolutely have to have it.
She'd remember this grudge.
"Aren't you..."
"Don't I have money? Waiting for someone's charity?"
Evelyn was speechless.
Why so angry? Got her heart broken by a man and taking it out on her?
Upstairs, Angelina clicked her tongue, looked at William, and the sarcastic comments came pouring out. "What's that saying? If I ask you for something and you don't give it, then I'll just earn it myself."
"Ms. Smith really is something else."
"When someone asks you for something, they're giving you a chance."
"Mr. Brown, you're done for. You don't even have a chance to show off anymore."
Daniel saw William's face getting darker and darker, so he poured Angelina a cup of coffee. "Drink your coffee, talk less."
Downstairs, Thalia finally won the bracelet for thirty-four million dollars. People below were whispering to each other.
"I just saw Thalia looking toward the second-floor box. I was wondering if Mr. Brown wanted to buy the bracelet for Thalia, but I guess not."
"Yeah, but it's also strange. As soon as Thalia made a bid, Mr. Brown stopped bidding, and that made others afraid to continue. Otherwise, how could Thalia have gotten this bracelet for just thirty-four million dollars?"
"Could it be that Mr. Brown deliberately gave it to her as charity?"
"I doubt it! Aren't they on good terms?"
"Who knows? In high society, who can say for sure?"
And these gossiping voices entered Thalia's mind word for word.
After the charity gala ended, there was supposed to be a wine tasting.
Thalia had no intention of staying. She waited for Grace in the parking lot.
"What's this about?" Grace was a bit confused when she saw Thalia standing by her car.
"Waiting for you so we can go home together."
Grace was puzzled.
Thalia wasn't going back to Mistwood Hill?
"Didn't you say William would buy the bracelet for you?"
"It's not like I don't have money."
Thalia was being stubborn.
Grace could tell, but didn't call her out on it.
"Mr. Brown, Mrs. Brown, and Mrs. Smith have gone back to the Smith Villa."
"When did they leave?" The man's expression was dark. Even from a distance, Finn felt the air around him was thin, wishing he could stay far away.
"Ten minutes ago."
"Go to the Smith Villa."
Finn didn't dare delay. He was afraid the longer he took, the angrier the person in the back seat would get. He wished he could stand up and press the gas pedal, and when they hit a red light, he wished he could work some magic to turn it green.
...
"Ms. Smith, what are you looking for?"
As soon as Thalia got home, she took off her shoes and went upstairs barefoot into her study, frantically searching through the bookshelves.
"Nothing, go about your business."
"I put your milk on the desk. Remember to drink it in a bit. It won't taste good when it gets cold."
Thalia stood on a chair, taking books down from the shelf one by one, flipping through them. In less than ten minutes, the previously empty desk was piled high with books.
Thalia muttered to herself. "Why can't I find it?"
"I remember it was here!"
Downstairs, the maid had just gone down when she saw a well-dressed man with an outstanding presence standing at the door. It wasn't until he entered the house that she could see clearly who it was.
"Mr. Brown."
"Where's Thalia?"
The maid glanced at Grace, and only after getting her permission did she respond. "In the study on the third floor."