Chapter 113 The Invitation Trick
The thought of trending on social media again sent an unexpected wave of nervousness through me.
"No, no, no," I said suddenly, my mind shifting gears. "You guys need to check the security cameras right away."
Bill looked at me with concern. "Mrs. Sterling, is everything alright?"
"Did my moves look cool enough?" I asked with complete seriousness. "I mean, if I'm going to be all over the internet again, the camera angles better be good."
Bill's jaw dropped. "I... what?"
"If the angles aren't flattering, I can totally reenact the whole thing." I demonstrated a mock kick in the air. "We need to make sure all angles are perfect."
I raised one finger dramatically. "I must look absolutely stunning in every frame!"
My rapid-fire comments left both Mason and Chrissy stunned.
"Is she... is she serious?" Chrissy whispered to Mason.
"What the fuck is wrong with this woman?" Mason muttered under his breath.
Chrissy finally seemed to snap out of her daze, reaching for her phone. "I'm calling the police."
"Chrissy, don't!" Mason grabbed her wrist, panic flashing across his face.
She tried to shake him off. "Are you kidding me? She assaulted us! And he—" she pointed at Alexander "—kicked you so hard you coughed up blood!"
Mason shook his head vehemently. "No police, Chrissy. Please." His voice dropped to a desperate whisper. "Look, even though they hit us, we were clearly in the wrong here."
"How were we in the wrong?" she hissed back.
"You insulted her, you implied she was cheating on her husband, and you made a scene in public." Mason ran a hand through his hair. "If this gets reported, my reputation will be destroyed. My sponsorships, my career—everything will be gone."
"You two get beaten to a pulp and you're NOT calling the cops?" I practically shouted, throwing my hands up. "What kind of victims are you?!"
Chrissy shook her head frantically. "No, no, we're not going to..."
"CALL THE POLICE!" I demanded, my voice echoing through the hall. "RIGHT NOW!"
The crowd that had gathered around us started murmuring.
"You should probably just go," one woman in the crowd suggested to Mason and Chrissy.
"Yeah, just leave while you can," another man added.
"I mean, Mrs. Sterling did hit you," an older gentleman said thoughtfully, "but considering what you said to her..."
"Exactly!" I jumped in. "Put yourself in my shoes. Anyone would've knocked you on your ass."
This comment drew chuckles from the onlookers, who were clearly enjoying the show.
"Just go," someone urged. "Before it gets worse."
I moved to block their exit. "Oh no, you don't get to walk away now. We're settling this properly!"
Nick suddenly appeared in front of me, bending slightly to meet my eyes. "Emma," he said quietly, "if you end up at the police station today, you'll miss the auction."
I froze, staring at him with wide eyes as this critical information sank in. "You make an excellent point."
Turning back to Mason and Chrissy, I pointed toward the exit. "GET OUT!" I barked, making them both jump.
They didn't need to be told twice. Mason grabbed Chrissy's arm and practically dragged her toward the door.
Once they were gone, the crowd around us dispersed—but not before several people approached Alexander and Nick, eager to introduce themselves. I watched as they were quickly surrounded by exhibition attendees, all vying for their attention.
"Perfect," I muttered to myself. With Alexander and Nick occupied, I grabbed Luca's arm. "Come on, let's keep looking at the boards."
We spent the next couple hours exploring the exhibition. I carefully selected additional boards for my collection, feeling a rush of excitement each time I found something truly special. By the time we finished, my feet were aching but my heart was full of contentment.
As we exited the building, I spotted Alexander and Nick leaning against our car, smoking cigarettes and talking quietly. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face as I skipped toward them.
"Where's Bill?" I asked, noticing his absence.
Nick exhaled a stream of smoke. "Bill's not getting out of that exhibition hall anytime soon."
"He's busy securing all the auction items you wanted," Alexander added, his lips quirking into a half-smile.
I bounced on my toes, unable to contain my excitement. "Today was amazing! My collection is going to look incredible with all these new limited edition boards!"
Alexander's expression softened as he watched me.
Later that evening, after we'd returned home and freshened up, Alexander surprised me by announcing we were going out again.
"Where are we headed?" I asked as we pulled up to an exclusive private club I'd never visited before.
"You'll see when we get inside," he replied cryptically, taking my hand as we walked through the entrance.
The hostess led us to a private room in the back, and when Alexander opened the door, I found myself facing a group of seven men I'd never met before.
They all stood as we entered, greeting Alexander with obvious respect.
"What kind of meeting is this?" I whispered to Nick, who had appeared beside me.
"You don't know?" He looked genuinely surprised.
"No," I admitted, scanning the room again.
Nick shook his head, looking amused. "Alex really does spoil you."
"Just tell me what's going on," I hissed, elbowing him in the side.
"These seven men," Nick explained, "are the holders of invitation numbers 002 through 008."
I stared at him blankly.
"Your husband sold me out," Nick continued. "He told them that whoever gave their invitations to you would get to meet NM in person."
My eyes widened as understanding dawned. "You mean—"
"That's right. For the chance to meet me, they all handed over their invitations to you." Nick gestured toward a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses. "That's the designer of the 'Ocean Blue' series."
He pointed to another man in casual clothes. "And he designed the 'Alive' collection."
"But I thought you never made public appearances," I whispered.
"I don't," Nick replied with a grimace. "Your husband threw me under the bus."
"Why would he do that?"
"He was afraid you'd destroy the house when you found out you could only buy two boards." Nick sighed dramatically. "So he sacrificed me instead."
I glanced across the room to where Alexander was watching us, a self-satisfied smile playing on his lips. My heart swelled with affection for this man who went to such lengths just to make me happy.
Nick noticed my lovesick expression and rolled his eyes. "Great. You two really are perfect for each other."
As the night drew to a close, I found myself supporting a slightly tipsy Alexander as we walked out of the club.
"Alex, let's go home," I suggested, wrapping my arm around his waist.
He turned to me, his eyes slightly unfocused but still intense. "Let's go to the beach first. I want to feel the sea breeze."
"Sure," I agreed with a smile.
Alexander instructed Bill to take Nick home and then meet us at the beach later. Then he removed his arm from my shoulder and instead took my hand in his, interlacing our fingers as we walked toward the shoreline.
The club wasn't far from the beach, and soon we were standing on the sand. I slipped off my shoes, and before I could bend down to pick them up, Alexander had already gathered them along with his own, dangling them from his right hand while still holding mine with his left.
We walked in comfortable silence along the water's edge, the gentle rhythm of the waves providing a soothing soundtrack to our thoughts.
"Alex, are you okay?" I asked, noticing the unusual weariness etched on his face. "You look tired."
He nodded slightly. "Since returning to the US, I haven't slept more than four hours a night."
"Is work that demanding?" I asked, puzzled.
"It's fine. I finally wrapped everything up last night when you came home," he assured me with a small smile, continuing our leisurely stroll along the beach.
After walking a bit further, we sat down on the sand, watching the calm sea stretch out before us. The sound of waves gently breaking against the shore filled the air, and I felt the tension of the day melting away.
"Emma," Alexander said softly, his eyes reflecting the moonlight, "would you like to go away somewhere? I'd like to take you on a vacation."