Chapter 55 Bidding war

Chapter 55 Bidding war
Olivia glanced sideways at Cathy, the corner of her lips lifting slightly, and raised her paddle again.

“Two and a half million.”

Her voice was light, almost lazy, as if she were bidding on a casual trinket instead of a luxury item that could buy an apartment in the city. The sapphire cufflinks shimmered under the spotlight, deep blue gems catching the light with every movement, elegant and sharp like frozen starlight.

A murmur rippled through the hall.

A few other bidders hesitated, then joined in cautiously. Numbers rose in steady increments, the paddles lifting one after another as the price climbed.

“Three million.”
“Three point five.”
“Four million.”

By the time the price hit four million, the crowd had thinned. Most people had already bowed out, shaking their heads in disbelief. At that level, the game was no longer about value. It was about ego.

And now, only two paddles remained raised.

Olivia.
And Cathy.

The auction hall grew quieter, tension coiling in the air like a drawn bowstring. Phones were discreetly lifted, whispers exchanged. Everyone could sense it now. This was no longer an auction. It was a duel.

Olivia tilted her head slightly, her eyes calm, then spoke again.

“Five million.”

A soft gasp went through the room.

Esther, seated beside her, stiffened. She leaned closer, her brows knitting together. “Olivia,” she whispered urgently, “if you don’t have enough money, I can lend you some. But are you sure you want to keep going? Cathy clearly has bad intentions.”

Esther’s eyes flicked briefly toward Cathy, who was sitting straighter now, her lips pressed into a tight line, fingers gripping her paddle a little too hard. There was no charity in Cathy’s gaze. Only calculation. Only provocation.

Olivia did not even look worried.

Instead, she turned to Esther and gave her a mischievous wink, her eyes sparkling with something playful and dangerous.

“Don’t worry,” she said softly. “Watch me.”

That confidence made Esther pause.

Across the aisle, Cathy’s composure began to crack.

She had not expected Olivia to keep bidding.

At first, Cathy had raised the price simply to humiliate her. The idea was simple. Push Olivia higher and higher, let her show off, then watch her crumble when she couldn’t afford to pay. With cameras rolling and fans watching the livestream, the embarrassment would be delicious.

But now…

Five million.

Cathy’s chest tightened.

She knew exactly how much money she had available. Five million was her limit. Every extra cent beyond that would be a problem. A serious one. She could already imagine the headlines if she failed to pay. Lawsuits. Police involvement. Her carefully crafted image collapsing overnight.

For a split second, fear flashed in her eyes.

But then she looked at Olivia again.

Olivia’s posture was relaxed. Too relaxed. She looked like someone who knew something Cathy didn’t.

That alone made Cathy’s pride flare.

No.
She refused to believe it.

How could Olivia afford more than her?
How could this woman, who had just returned to the public eye, possibly have deeper pockets than a top influencer backed by sponsors and endorsements?

Gritting her teeth, Cathy lifted her paddle again.

“Six million.”

The number landed like a bomb.

Her friends, seated a few rows behind her, nearly dropped their phones. The livestream comments exploded instantly.

“Six million? Is she insane?”
“Those are just cufflinks!”
“Cathy is really going all out!”

Cathy straightened her back, forcing a smug smile onto her face. Her heart was racing, but she refused to show it. She turned her head slightly, glancing in Olivia’s direction, waiting.

Waiting for Olivia to bid again.

She imagined it vividly.

Olivia raising her paddle once more.
The auctioneer announcing an even higher price.
Then, moments later, Olivia panicking, unable to pay.
Security stepping in.
Police being called.
The livestream capturing everything.

It would be perfect.

But seconds passed.

And no paddle rose.

The auctioneer looked around the room, his voice steady and professional.

“Six million once.”

Silence.

Cathy’s smile wavered.

“Six million twice.”

Still nothing.

Her fingers tightened so hard around the paddle that her knuckles turned white.

“Six million… three times.”

The gavel came down with a sharp crack.

“Congratulations to the lady with number sixty eight for winning the sapphire cufflinks at six million,” the auctioneer announced. “Thank you for your generous contribution to the children in the mountain regions.”

The hall went dead quiet.

A pair of cufflinks with a starting price of one million had just sold for six million.

For a moment, no one knew how to react.

Some people exchanged stunned looks. Others whispered furiously. A few shook their heads in disbelief, unable to tell whether the bidders had lost their minds or if this was simply what happened when pride outweighed reason.

Cathy’s smile froze completely.

Her face stiffened, the muscles around her mouth twitching as reality slammed into her.

Olivia had stopped bidding.

Which meant…

She had won.

She had actually won.

And now she had to pay six million.

Her heart sank like a stone dropped into ice cold water.

Slowly, almost mechanically, Cathy turned her head.

Her eyes met Olivia’s.

Olivia was smiling.

Not smugly.
Not arrogantly.
Just… pleasantly.

She even lifted her hand slightly and mouthed two silent words.

“Congratulations.”

Cathy’s vision darkened.

Damn it.

She had been played.

Played cleanly.
Played mercilessly.

Every instinct in her screamed to tear Olivia apart right there. To throw the paddle. To curse. To stand up and storm out. But the red light on the camera across the aisle reminded her of the thousands of eyes watching.

Her fans were still streaming.
Her image was still on the line.

So Cathy swallowed the anger burning in her throat and forced her lips into a smile that looked more like a grimace.

Clap. Clap.

She even applauded.

Meanwhile, Olivia leaned back slightly, crossing her legs with ease.

Beside her, Esther finally lost it.

She bit her lip hard, then covered her mouth, shoulders shaking as she tried not to laugh out loud. When she glanced at Cathy’s stiff expression on the big screen, she couldn’t hold it anymore. A soft laugh escaped.

“Oh my god,” Esther whispered, eyes bright. “Did you see her face?”

Olivia’s smile widened just a little.

It looked like Cathy had just swallowed a fly.

The auction moved on.

After a brief break, the host announced the next items, one after another. The tension from the cufflinks slowly faded, replaced by the usual hum of bidding and polite applause.

Then—

“And now,” the auctioneer said, gesturing toward the stage, “we present the forty fourth auction item.”

A velvet cloth was pulled back.

On the red velvet lay something completely unremarkable at first glance.

A piece of deadwood.

Dry. Dark. Uneven.

A ripple of confusion moved through the audience.

Esther leaned forward sharply, almost standing up. Her eyes widened in disbelief. “What is that?”

Olivia’s posture changed instantly.

All the playful ease drained from her expression, replaced by focus so sharp it was almost intimidating. Her gaze locked onto the item as if the rest of the room had vanished.

“Chiba Chotanda,” Olivia said quietly. “An ancient and rare flower.”

Esther blinked. “That… doesn’t look like a flower.”

“It isn’t,” Olivia replied. “Not yet.”

Her fingers tightened around her paddle.

“This is the core,” she continued calmly. “Once cultivated properly, it blooms only once every fifty years. Its medicinal value is priceless.”

Esther inhaled sharply.

Around them, the room buzzed with confusion and skepticism.

“Five million,” someone called out suddenly, breaking the silence.

Olivia did not hesitate.

She raised her paddle smoothly.

“Six million.”

The number rang out clear and steady.

The room stilled once more.