Chapter 34 The Black Heart
Autumn had no idea how to respond and was uncomfortable with their hateful stare at her. She just looked at Crystal silently, not getting a good vibe from them.
"Why did even she bring her kids here?" Emma asked.
"To look at the items, obviously. Where would they see such expensive items? As they can't have them, they can at least see them." Catherine commented, and they all burst out laughing.
Autumn's face fell as she looked at them innocently, not fully understanding what they were saying.
"Oh, come on. Aria was able to give an Autumn Collection bag as compensation. Have you forgotten? Maybe she can bid this one too." Crystal spoke up in protest.
However, anyone can see the mockery in her words.
"Huh... getting one Autumn Collection bag is easy. But she will never be able to win a bid here. You can dream, little brat." Margaret said.
Even prominent families lost bids during the auction. So it was impossible for someone like Ariadne to win a bid.
"But she can beg Mr. Watson to get it for her." You know?" Catherine added suggestively, refering to Ariadne and Zidane's secret relationship.
"What is going on here?"
They all fell silent when they heard the voice from behind. Jose informed Xander that the guests had been escorted to the auction area, so he returned. He approached them, a frown on his face. He looked at Autumn, who was also watching him. She appeared uncomfortable.
"What are you saying to her?" he asked.
Everyone looked at each other's faces before Crystal cleared her throat. "Oh, we're just asking if she likes any of the items."
Xander shifted his gaze away from Autumn and gave Crystal a suspicious look.
"She likes this one. As her aunt, I would like to get it for her, if Ariadne can't." Crystal added, pointing to the pendant behind Autumn.
Xander looked at the box.
"I don't want this. I like that one." Autumn pointed at another box.
"Mommy'll get it for me." she added confidently, smiling.
After seeing Xander, she felt better and resumed her bubbly personality. Everyone looked at the other box and exchanged glances. It was a beautiful bracelet. They assumed it was the girl's fantasy, which would soon be dashed when her mother failed to win the bracelet in the bid.
"We should go now. Let's go, Xander." Margaret cleared her throat.
"Go ahead. I will be there in a while." Xander said as he returned her gaze to Autumn.
They all nodded before leaving with a guard.
"Why are you alone here?" he asked right after they left.
"Adi went to the restroom with Tiara. I didn't want to go with them, so I stayed here." Autumn replied.
"Where's your mother?"
"She's busy." she said, returning her gaze to the pendant.
"It's a new place for you. You shouldn't roam alone." Xander frowned at the thought of Ariadne leaving her children alone.
If she was busy, she shouldn't have brought them along.
"I'm not alone. There are guards here. Look." she pointed at the guards who were looking at them.
Xander was surprised by her carefree attitude. She reminded him of Ariadne. He realised the little girl was quite stubborn and decided not to push it any further.
"Do you want it?" he asked as he noticed her longingly looking at the pendant.
He was not sure if Ariadne could win a bid because it was difficult to do so here. He was contempleting whether he should get it for her or not. He was certain that Ariadne would reject it, even if he bought it for her daughter.
"No. It's up for auction."
Xander frowned, thinking something. However, before he could say anything, Tiara and Adrian arrived.
"Hello, Mr. Blake. Good evening." Tiara said, amused, while Adrian gave him an emotionless look.
Xander looked down at his leg before turning to Tiara. "Why did you leave her alone?"
"Oh.... thank you for your concern, but I had someone watch over her." Tiara winked at a guard standing far away.
Following her gaze, Xander also glanced at the guard. The guard looked away, shyly.
"We should go now. See you later, Mr. Blake, and good luck with the bidding." Tiara grinned as she led the children towards the auction area.
Autumn turned her head and smiled at him, waving her hand. He paused for a moment at her smile before realizing he was alone in the hall and heading in the same direction as them.
...
The auction hall was also elegantly decorated. There were a total of thirty six tables. Each table had a name plate with the family head's name. The Millers had their table a little away from the Blakes. However, Margaret insisted that Crystal and Catherine sit with them. Crystal sat next to Xander. Only Aaron and Emma sat at their designated table. The Watsons' table was next to the Blakes. While, Tiara and the kids sat with the Watsons, there was no sign of Ariadne.
All of the guests were seated at their respective tables, including the brand owners. Jose also arrived and sat beside Xander. However, one of the tables near the Blakes remained vacant. It also had a name plate, but it couldn't be seen from the other tables due to the large gaps between them.
After a while, Ariadne arrived. Everyone looked at her. She looked around the tables and spotted her kids with the Watsons. As she approached the table, Zidane's mother invited her to sit with them. Judging by the way they all sat together and chatted with smiles, it was obvious that the Watsons liked Ariadne and her family. Crystal and Catherine shared a knowing look. Xander was also watching Ariadne's every move.
The head of the organizer took the stage and addressed all of the invited guests, expressed his gratitude to everyone, and gave a brief history of the auction. The emcee took over the stage after he left. He explained the auction rules.
There would be five sets, each containing six items for auction. The first set contained the most expensive items, while the fifth contained the cheapest ones. After the third set, there would be a two-hour break before the auction resumed.
"Let's look at the items from the first set."
Pictures of the first set of items appeared on the big screen, behind the stage. There were six necklaces from each brands. However, the brand names were not mentioned. This rule was designed to ensure that products were judged on their quality rather than their brand.
"I want one of the necklaces from this set." Crystal whispered in Xander's ear.
"Which one?" he asked, looking at the screen.
"I will let you know when it goes up for auction," she said playfully.
They showed all five sets at once before returning to the first set.
"Let's start with the first item of the evening."
The emcee selected a card from the box in front of him on the podium and read, "The Red Leaf".
A platform raised from the center of the stage, with the necklace in a box on top of it. It was a necklace with a leaf design and a red diamond. The screen also showed an image of the necklace.
"The starting price of this necklace is ten million."
Watson family was the first to make a bid for the necklace. After them, the Steele family and two other families joined in the bid. Eventually, the Watsons won the bid for sixty seven million which was relatively high and could be the highest bid of the evening.
"Congratuation to Mr. Gerald Watson and his family on winning the first bid of the evening. Ladies and gentlemen, 'The Red Leaf' from Sparks."
Everyone applauded as they anticipated such a high bid for Sparks. The Brand's name would be announced following each product's bidding, so that everyone could track the money raised by each brand.
After that, another two necklaces were auctioned. However, Xander didn't bid on any of them as neither Crystal nor Margaret wanted them.
"The fourth product is 'The Black Heart'" the emcee announced as he read the card, and a necklace appeared on the stage.
"This is the one, Xander. I want this one." Crystal shook his arm excitedly, drawing his attention to the screen.
Everyone admired the necklace because it was stunning.
"Beautiful" Xander also praised.
"The starting price for this necklace is fifteen million."
Steele family placed the first bid.
"You must get me that one, Xander." Crystal said like a child demanding a toy.
Xander nodded and signaled Jose, who lifted the bidding paddle.
"Twenty million, Mr. Blake."
Ariadne glanced at Xander instinctively. She was enthusiastic because it was from her own brand. However, her gaze drawn to Crystal who was glaring daggers at her. She leaned in close to Xander and smirked at Ariadne while holding his arm.
"Twenty five million, Mr. Steele."
Ariadne averted her gaze and focused on the bidding, brushing aside her irritation. It was her and her family's day, and she wouldn't let anyone ruin it.
Jose raised the paddle again.
"Thirty million, Mr. Blake."
Ariadne did not look back at them.
"Her smile will fade after a while. Just wait." Tiara whispered in Ariadne's ear with a smirk, surprising the latter.
Tiara's eyes were fixed on Crystal, casting her a challenging glare. Ariadne didn't notice, but Tiara witnessed their exchange. Ariadne smiled as she realised what she was referring to. Crystal's expression hardened after seeing them smile and she looked away.
The bidding continued between Xander and Timothy Steele. Everyone admired the necklace. However, they did not dare to bid because they knew Xander was interested in the necklace. Beating Xander in a bid was impossible. After the Watsons, only the Steele family was brave enough to challenge Xander. Both families were rivals as they were the two wealthiest families in Zavion City.
"Eighty million, Mr. Steele."
The bid intensified as both parties refused to let go of the necklace. Everyone was looking with interest. It was the most entertaining bid of the evening so far.
"Hundred million, Mr. Xander."
Everyone gasped and looked at Xander. Even Ariadne was surprised. It was the highest bid of the evening so far. Everyone looked at the Steeles, the atmosphere was tense. The Steele family talked about themselves before deciding to give up.
"One hundred million going once, One hundred million going twice... sold." the emcee announced as he banged the podium.