Chapter 49 Competition Begin
Bryce frowned as he watched Rossie. Seeing his ex-wife boldly make a bid of nine million, he began to wonder where the money came from.
Seeing Rossie still sitting calmly in her place, Bryce began to think that she had brought money to bid on items other than the vase.
"Hmm, how much money did Rossie bring and how did she get it? I'm sure she could have bid on the vase for more than Lily did, otherwise why would she still be here? Then why didn't she continue bidding? Did she do it on purpose to get my attention?"
"Huh! Disgusting!" Bryce cursed silently.
The auction continued. Both Rossie and Bryce remained silent and made no bids. Bryce only had his eye on the dragon-engraved clock while secretly watching Rossie's movements.
"Next up is a pair of amethyst earrings donated by Mrs. Miranda Johansen. The starting price is two million!" exclaimed the auctioneer again.
Rossie sneered and shook her head in disgust. She would rather have the worthless vase than buy Miranda's earrings.
As expected, there were only a few bidders. Even though the auctioneer tried hard to promote the items, in the end, they sold for 2.5 million.
Miranda looked dejected because the earrings were actually worth almost three million. Moreover, everyone thought Miranda had bad taste.
On the other hand, Bryce remained indifferent. Whatever Miranda did, it would only ruin Gerald's reputation. He was not surprised by his stepmother's foolish behaviour; this had been going on for a long time.
"The Nexus Group is donating a set of sky blue teapots on behalf of Mrs. Carolina!"
The excitement immediately piqued the collectors in the audience! Rossie was also surprised and turned around in panic. Finally, she saw Carol's elegant figure there.
She immediately sent a text message to Darren. "Why is Aunt Carol here? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I just found out too, Miss Rossie. Maybe it was a sudden decision by Mr. Cavendish," replied Darren.
"Huh! What else is Dad doing?" Rossie muttered to herself, then held her head.
She felt a little anxious. Almost all of the Johansen family members were here today. She was worried that her identity as the youngest daughter of the Cavendish family would be revealed.
At that moment, she saw Carol quietly signalling with her thumb while glancing at her. She felt relieved, realizing that her aunt understood her situation. Once again, Rossie smiled, knowing that Aunt Carol had always been reliable.
The auction participants were eager to bid. They couldn't wait to get their hands on the items donated by the Nexus Group.
"That sky blue teapot is indeed a rare item, and Miss Carol donated it complete with cups! How generous the Cavendish family is!"
"It's very different from the Johansen family. They gave worthless items for the auction. They are so stingy!"
"Mrs. Johansen's taste is indeed terrible!"
Miranda's face flushed with embarrassment and discomfort. The difference between her collection and Carol's was like night and day. She was humiliated at that moment.
Even though Bryce wasn't involved in this, he still felt embarrassed. After all, he was a Johansen.
"The porcelain is perfect and transparent, and the quality is excellent. Behind every cloud is a silver lining. The sky blue color symbolizes a promising future after dark times."
Bryce glanced at Rossie secretly. He felt disappointed that Rossie had hidden her beauty while she was still with him.
His gaze drifted towards her and finally settled on her slender wrist. Sure enough, she was still wearing the bracelet her grandmother had given her.
Bryce furrowed his brow, and his heart pounded.
The sky-blue teapot attracted many interested buyers and overwhelmed the auctioneer, who couldn't stop talking.
"Twenty million!"
"Twenty-five million!"
"Thirty million."
Bryce elegantly raised his bidding paddle. He continued to call out the highest bid in the room.
Everyone was shocked. Rossie was also shocked and glanced at him accidentally. This man did not have good taste in women, but his taste in antiques was impeccable.
Bryce realized that Rossie was staring at him. He responded with a cold stare, and an aura of hostility instantly formed between them.
Rossie's heart was pounding; she didn't want to continue in this situation. She finally looked away from Bryce.
After fierce competition, Bryce finally won the rare teapot set, leaving all the guests envious.
"Hmm, you finally bid high too. Do you want to show the Nexus group your power?" Alex asked sarcastically.
Bryce turned to him and chuckled. "At least the Nexus group knows that they are in Aether City, and this is not their territory."
"Oh, are you threatening them?" Alex asked again.
"Hmm, just warning them."
"Then do you think they care about your threats? Didn't Johansen go bankrupt and just recover?"
Bryce fell silent, and his face darkened. Bankruptcy was a sensitive word to his ears.
Rossie accidentally overheard them. She turned away to hide her laughter.
She thought Alex was sometimes annoying in front of her, but he was also secretly on her side. Hitting Bryce with words had satisfied her this time.
Meanwhile, Lily looked upset because Bryce had spent $30 million on a teapot set.
"What was he thinking? Wouldn't it be better to use the thirty million to buy a house for us to live in after we get married?" thought Lily.
"The next item to be auctioned is very important. It is the personal collection of an anonymous man over fifty years. An antique watch engraved with a dragon."
The MC introduced the watch enthusiastically. He even played a demo video of the pocket watch on the big screen. Meanwhile, a beautiful woman stood beside him, showing the watch, her hands gloved to protect the antique from scratches.
"This is the most anticipated item!" exclaimed the host.
"The starting price is thirty million! Who wants to bid higher?"
A few moments later, Alex saw Bryce and Rossie both raise their paddles, and a flash of hatred appeared as the two locked eyes.
The wealthy businessman and banker raised their bid numbers one by one, and the auctioneer continued to call out the prices. This made the competition even more intense, and even though Rossie and Bryce hadn't had a chance to mention the numbers they were offering, the price had already reached forty million.
Miranda, Kelly, Daisy, and Lily gasped at the price being offered. They even counted on their fingers to estimate the final cost of the watch.
At that moment, someone raised their hand elegantly. "Fifty million," the bidder said calmly.
Everyone was shocked, and all eyes turned to the person who had made the bid. They were all stunned, including the Jones family.