Chapter 151 Third Person's Pov

Chapter 151 Third Person's Pov
Third Person's POV 

"What's the plan?" Alex asked.

"Wait, let me think."

"We don't have enough time because whoever it is might decide to bounce now that they know we might be on to them."

"I don't think so," Silas chimed in. "Also, when the boss asks, I'm going to tell him you forced me to do this, okay, Adeline?"

"Sure." Adeline was very aware that this could all go wrong, but she would rather that than stay put while she and Zara were being dragged through the mud.

"Again, the main event starts soon. What are we doing?"

"Okay, you guys go into the auction room. Silas and I will let you know the next course of action."

"Fine." Alex led Zara into the main hall where the auction was taking place. He found them seats at a table that would allow them to see the exits clearly. 

The auction hall itself was a place of greed where the lighting was dimmed to highlight the glitter of diamonds on the items and the desperation of the elite to possess the shiniest things they didn’t even need. 

Every gavel strike sounded like a gunshot, and every bid was a declaration of war. At that moment, each family abandoned their friendship in a bid to outdo everyone else.

"Lot 42: An 18th-century sketch by Watteau. Opening bid, five hundred thousand dollars."

The auctioneer’s voice was a rhythmic drone, but in the front row, the tension was at an all-time high.

Alex sat with his legs crossed, his posture radiating the kind of bored, limitless wealth that made the surrounding socialites itch with curiosity. He didn't look at the stage or the items at all; his focus was completely on Zara.

His hand was draped over the back of her chair, his fingers occasionally brushing the nape of her neck. It was a gesture of calculated intimacy that was meant to be a cover for them, but for Alex, the heat of her skin under his touch was making it harder for him to breath. At some point, the image of him and Zara touching without an audience rose to his mind. 

He quickly dispelled the thought from his mind, but he couldn't bring himself to stop touching her soft skin. It was an addicting sensation. 

"Go for it." Adeline’s voice in his ear made him snap out of his reverie.

"Go for what?"

"Buy it. Make them realise that Zara Whitmore isn't just surviving, she's thriving and doing better than ever."

Zara leant into him as if telling him she wanted whatever was on display now, fully aware that they had eyes on them.

Alex nodded and then immediately raised his paddle without looking up. "Two million."

The room inhaled a collective gasp. The current bid had been seven hundred thousand. The jump was a display of sheer dominance.

Across the aisle, Richard Sterling, the same board member who had led the issue against Adeline, stiffened. 

His mask didn't hide the way his eyes darted towards Alex, searching for a face he couldn't find behind the mask.

"We have a hit," Silas whispered from the van. "Sterling’s heart rate just spiked."

"Wait, are you sure it's not a coincidence? I mean, he's old and power moves like this excites him?"

"He's the one, Adeline. He’s been watching Zara since they both entered, and let me tell you, it's not a look of admiration." 

In the command van, Adeline leant closer to the screen, her knuckles white. "Zara, Chloe is moving. She just slipped out towards the private lounges. Alex, stay in your seat. If you move now, the bidding from our side will stop. Zara, you’re on your own for this. Alex will be listening to help if you need it."

Zara stood up and smoothed the platinum mesh of her dress. She didn't look back at Alex, but she felt his gaze like a physical weight against her spine. It made her feel safer.

She followed Chloe through the corridors, making sure to be as quiet as possible in her heels. She found her former friend in a small lounge tucked behind the library.

Unsurprisingly, Chloe wasn't alone.

"I told you I couldn't handle her being here!" Chloe hissed, her back to the door. "The man she’s with is asking questions about the leaks. If the authorities get involved, I’m ruined, Richard!"

Zara stepped into the room at that moment. "That is the least of your problems, Chloe."

Chloe spun around, nearly dropping her glass. Behind her, Richard Sterling stood by the fireplace, his mask removed to reveal a mixture of arrogance and panic on his wrinkled face. 

"Zara Whitmore." Sterling said in that false, alluring grandfather voice of his. "You shouldn't be wandering off. It’s a delicate night for your family’s... situation."

"My situation is fine, Richard," Zara said steadily. "It’s yours that’s currently on life support. I heard the whole thing. My sister might be the lawyer, but I’m the one who knows how to spot a fake."

"You have no proof," Sterling sneered, stepping towards her. "You’re a disgraced socialite whose business is in the gutter. Who do you think the board will believe? Me? Or the girl who’s playing house with mobsters?"

"They will believe the recordings." A new voice entered the room.

Alex stood in the doorway. He wasn't comfortable with Zara being by herself while he sat there useless. His tuxedo jacket was unbuttoned just enough to reveal the deadly intent in his posture. He tossed a small recording device onto the table.

"Everything you just said to Chloe is currently being uploaded to a secure server," Alex said lowly. "And before you think about reaching for that panic button, Richard, you should know that I’ve already disabled the building’s internal security. The only people listening to you right now are us and Adeline."

"Hello, Richard," Adeline’s voice boomed through Alex’s comms, which he had switched to the room’s speakers. "Section 12.4, remember? I told you I’d fight you plain and clear. But it turns out, you were the one hiding in the shadows and sleeping in the same bed with Ilya."

Sterling’s face went from pale to ashen. "You think this changes anything? Ilya has enough on your father to bury the Whitmore name forever."

"Maybe," Adeline said lightly. "But he doesn't have anything on the Akilovs, and as of yesterday, I’m officially both."

The silence in the room was absolute. Zara looked at Alex, her eyes wide. She hadn't known. Alex’s gaze stayed fixed on Sterling, but his hand moved, instinctively finding Zara’s.

"Chloe, go home," Zara said tersely as she eyed her former friend. "The lawyers will find you in the morning. And Richard? I’d start drafting that resignation. My sister is coming for your seat, and she doesn't like to wait."

As they walked back out into the auction, they no longer had to pretend. They were a unified front. Morning came, and Zara was sure that the narrative would have changed. She could count on the gossipy nature of the wealthy to restore her to her former glory. 

"We have them," Adeline whispered in the van in relief. "We have the link. Now, we bring in Rowan Crawford."