Chapter 34 The Betrothal Token is Auctioned
The sun set in the west, painting the sky red like balls of flame.
Elysara Isle looked somewhat eerie and sinister in the dark red light and shadows.
This was a very small island, covered with wild cherry trees everywhere. The winery occupied 1 acre and was the only building on the island.
The attendant checked the invitation with its gold-embossed cherry blossom pattern and led us into the underground wine cellar, arranging a large private room as we requested.
The room was renovated while keeping the original cellar structure intact. Vintage copper lamps were embedded in the walls, their warm yellow light reflecting off the neatly stacked oak barrels on both sides. The air was filled with the rich aroma of aged cherry wine, mixed with a hint of damp earthy smell.
The room had a huge one-way mirror through which we could see the auction hall. The auction hadn't started yet—there was just an empty stage in the hall.
Amelia looked around curiously: "Why isn't anyone here?"
She regretted asking as soon as the words left her mouth, because everyone else seemed so calm, making her look inexperienced.
Ashley and Arthur never missed a chance to mock her: "You don't even know that?"
Amelia stiffened her neck and shot back: "Do you know?"
Ashley and Arthur put their hands on their hips, completely confident: "We don't know, but we're kids!"
Amelia felt frustrated: "Who says adults have to know more than kids?" She glanced at me, "Do you know?"
I chuckled softly, "It's the rule of the Shadow Auction. All guests can't see each other. They bid anonymously through the bidding devices in their rooms, and transactions are done privately. After a successful transaction, you can pick up the item on the spot, or have Silver Eagle Auctions secretly deliver it to your door."
"Bella, you know so much!" Ashley and Arthur praised me dramatically.
I smiled, "Actually, Jonathan told me on the way here. He's very knowledgeable and knows many things others don't."
Jonathan quickly waved his hands modestly.
"Knowledgeable?" Lucas curled his lips with ill intent, "Then we'll have to learn a lot from Jonathan later."
Jonathan almost cried, asking me quietly: "How did you provoke such a man?"
"Bad luck." I sighed, shook my head, and picked up the palm-sized bidding device that looked like a phone from the table.
One invitation could get you one bidding device. You needed to pay a deposit to activate the account. I heard Amelia gasp quietly: "Ten million dollars! So expensive, why don't they just rob people!"
Michelle said disapprovingly: "Don't make such a fuss."
Jonathan said good-naturedly, "Although the deposit is large, the auction house only charges 10% after a successful bid. If you don't buy anything tonight, they charge a 5% service fee, and the rest is refunded."
"A five hundred thousand dollar service fee is still ridiculously expensive!" Amelia's voice trembled with distress.
Just then, three attendants entered the room, pushing carts with food and drinks. Hearing this, they smiled slightly and explained to Amelia: "Our auction house provides food made from fresh ingredients flown in from around the world. Guests can order anything they like, and over a hundred chefs from three-Michelin-star restaurants are at your service."
"Food is food, it's just a gimmick to make money," Amelia muttered quietly. The attendant smiled but didn't respond.
I opened the menu and ordered several handmade desserts that my brothers and I liked, planning to take them home.
Coming to a place like this wasn't about eating, but some nice collection wines and usually queue-limited, purchase-restricted dishes were on the "hidden menu." Buying these things made the five hundred thousand dollars not such a loss.
I saw Karen's favorite sweet pear rum chocolate pie on the menu, then turned to see Jonathan spending all his money on chocolate pies.
Meeting my teasing gaze, Jonathan smiled shyly.
Lucas, beside us, suddenly snorted. I rolled my eyes, not knowing what he was huffing about this time.
When ordering, Amelia made another mistake—she ordered too much and was politely reminded by the attendant that she needed to pay extra.
At seven o'clock in the evening, the auction started on time.
A luxurious vintage crystal chandelier hung from the dome in the center of the venue, its light scattering through prisms onto the platform. The masked auctioneer unveiled the first item—an exquisitely crafted golden crown.
The crown was shaped like a wreath, set with over a hundred diamonds of various colors and sizes. It could also be taken apart into two diamond necklaces. Though not large, it was worth over thirty million dollars.
Marcus blinked, "Bella, isn't this?"
Marcus didn't say "engagement token" out loud, but this crown was the engagement gift Jonathan's family gave me when we got engaged!
I looked calmly at Michelle. Michelle seemed just as surprised as I was.
She whipped her head toward Amelia. Amelia's eyes darted around, clearly panicking.
I saw Michelle secretly pinch Amelia's thigh. Amelia winced in pain, tears welling up in her eyes, but she forced herself to hold it in—this didn't match her personality at all.
I guessed that Amelia had something to do with the crown appearing at the auction.
After a moment's thought, I vaguely guessed the reason.
Not long ago, I happened to find out that Amelia owed a huge sum of money. Shortly before she came to Starstream City, she accidentally damaged a painting worth billions of dollars at an antique exhibition and was charged three hundred million dollars for repairs.
In fact, Amelia had probably fallen into someone's trap, though she hadn't realized it. After selling many things, she should still have a funding gap of about two hundred million dollars.
This crown was probably stolen and sold by Amelia from her home.
Lucas suddenly challenged Jonathan: "Well-informed Jonathan, can you tell us the origin of this treasure?"
Idiot, I cursed in my mind.
Jonathan was carefully observing the crown. Hearing this, he came back to his senses, "Of course, this was a war trophy from ancient Celestria's King Edrick Valentine's second expedition, given to his beloved daughter Princess Alissa Valentine, symbolizing that Alissa should bloom like flowers and grow beautifully and strongly."
Historically, Alissa's marriage wasn't smooth. I privately felt that although I, who received this crown, grew up like Alissa to become a capable woman with broad horizons, my marriage was equally troubled, as if fate had arranged it all along.
Jonathan briefly introduced the background, then talked about the crown's details. He even knew clearly which diamond had fallen off and been glued back on.
Lucas was very surprised. He wanted to make things difficult for Jonathan, but didn't expect Jonathan to be as knowledgeable as I said.
"Jonathan knows so much," Lucas said through gritted teeth.
Jonathan shrank his neck: "Just a coincidence."
While we were talking, the auction had already quietly begun.
Behind the auctioneer was a large screen where numbers and anonymous IDs were changing rapidly. In less than a minute, the price had already exceeded eighty million dollars.
Jonathan's hand trembled as he pressed the bid button.
I patted his shoulder: "Don't worry."
Although Jonathan and I had called off our engagement, this crown was the Fletcher family's heirloom and meant a lot to Jonathan.
I kept bidding up the price. Lucas seemed to notice and joined in.
Only three IDs remained alternating on the screen, then Jonathan dropped out—he didn't have enough money.
The crown's price exceeded one hundred and seventy million dollars. In the room, only Lucas and I held bidding devices. Jonathan pleaded helplessly with him: "Lucas, could you please stop?"
"Don't beg him!" I was furious with Lucas, "I won't lose!"