Chapter47 The Attitude of Asking Me
After she spoke, Caius remained silent.
This item wasn't the main event, and the bidding was slow. Linnea pressed the hand she was holding—the one that would raise the paddle—and called him again. "...Caius? Say something."
"Is that the attitude you use to ask me for something?" Caius glanced lightly at their clasped hands. "Let go."
Linnea didn't dare release him. She was afraid the moment she did, Caius would bid on the item and give it to Vivienne. That was the special rule of this auction: the person who bought the item could publicly announce its final recipient.
This necklace was made by a struggling designer whom Linnea's mother had once sponsored.
Her mother loved the piece, but she hadn't kept it for herself.
Because she loved the design so much, she believed it needed to be appreciated by more people to reach its full value. So, she donated the necklace to a local public science museum for display. The designer subsequently gained fame and fortune, escaping poverty.
How could Linnea have imagined that after her mother died, that family would steal even this necklace and put it up for auction at their private event!
Her only hope now was Caius.
"Caius, please."
"Just that? Linnea, you really are bad at flirting."
"I can't think of anything to say that would please you."
"Yeah, you're right. We're not outside, so you can't take me on another thrilling drive. A shame, isn't it?"
Linnea clenched her jaw. That awful Caius! He was refusing her, but still taking the opportunity to tease her!
She swallowed her pride and continued. "If you want, we can schedule a trip to a racing club. Or... I can please you in bed."
"But that would cost me a lot of money," Caius said, idly rubbing the bidding paddle. He slightly flexed his fingers, and her soft palm followed the movement, staying tightly pressed against the back of his hand. He found this amusing, but he still teased her. "Linnea, you said before that you didn't need me to give you material things."
"I..."
Linnea understood.
Right, she couldn't ask Caius for money. Even though her request wasn't for money, in Caius's eyes, the necklace only had monetary value.
"Bidding one million!"
"Bidding one point one million!"
"One point one five million..."
The cost of the necklace had now reached a level where it could never be considered a casual gift for a mistress.
Linnea was out of options.
"Then please don't bid on it, okay? It's beautiful, and I don't want you to give it to Vivienne."
Even if the necklace couldn't return to the already demolished museum, as long as Caius didn't buy it, it could go to the home of another wealthy person who would cherish it, perhaps as a treasured item for a rich young woman. That would be a good outcome.
And Vivienne's family, seeing that Caius didn't bid on it, would be too busy guessing his reasons for breaking their arrangement to risk buying it themselves. They were more afraid of annoying Caius than they were interested in saving face.
It was a perfect scenario in her mind, but Caius just laughed again. "You're so possessive. If you can't have a nice thing, then your 'rival' can't have it either?"
Linnea had no defense left. "I'm begging you."
"Bidding two million! Two million once, two million twice..."
Vivienne, not far away, cast a look of frantic impatience their way.
Caius looked back at her. After a moment, he used his other hand to wrap around Linnea's restless fingers, one by one peeling them off his hand, and he raised the paddle.
Linnea's heart sank.
Caius said flatly, "Bidding ten million."
The room erupted in whispers.
"Mr. Caius is bidding ten million? For a necklace that's not even a highlight piece?"
"Looks like the relationship between Mr. Caius and Miss Vivienne isn't as distant as we thought..."
Linnea was even more heartbroken. Ten million? No matter why Caius bought it, it definitely wouldn't be for her. She had clearly overestimated her importance to him.
Linnea was so upset that she felt a wave of shame and didn't dare to look up at the bidding. Because of this, she didn't realize that Caius had been holding her hand this whole time.
Caius broke the silence. "Why do you want that necklace?"
"I just thought it was pretty, nothing special," Linnea said, pursing her lips. Then she added, "Caius, I was wrong. I shouldn't have tried to compete with her."
Caius took in her expression. The little look of vulnerability she always wore when she was upset.
"This necklace is connected to your mother, isn't it?"
Linnea gasped. Caius's intuition was terrifyingly accurate. She was about to deny it, but Caius warned her, "Tell me the truth."
Linnea had to craft a better lie. "The person who made this necklace was a friend of my mother's before he became famous. I don't like Vivienne, and I just didn't want to give her anything that has any connection to me."
"I see," Caius conceded. "I'll let it go for now."
Linnea relaxed, but then realized that Caius was holding her hand even tighter. Palm to palm, his rough fingers interlaced with hers, sealing their hands in an intimate clasp.
"The next time you ask me for something, do it like this."
The kitten's paw was indeed soft.
Caius looked into her eyes. They were slightly stunned, unable to process why they were suddenly holding hands.
A staff member rushed over, holding the certificate of ownership. "Mr. Caius, please sign the name of the recipient on the certificate."
Caius took the pen and signed.
The staff member glanced at the name and their initially excited expression froze. "Mr. Caius, are you sure...?"
"Absolutely."
"...And should we announce this publicly?"
"No need," Caius said. "She's shy."
The staff member hurried away, speaking briefly to Vivienne. Vivienne's face instantly turned black, but the two at the table didn't notice.
A suit jacket was draped over Linnea's shoulders, enveloping her. The fabric was stiff and still radiated the heat of its owner, completely shielding her from the cold air.
"You're an ice block." His large hand slipped inside the jacket and squeezed her cold palm again. "Were you going to wait until you froze to death to tell me? I don't want my assistant to get a fever on the job."
Linnea was stunned for a few seconds. "How did you know?"
"I'm not an emotionally blind block of wood. If you behave yourself, I can be more considerate."
"Besides, once you get a fever, you lose control. You get cranky, you cry, and you get incredibly honest, which makes me want to tease you even more. And this... is not the place for that kind of fun."
"Caius...!"
Linnea's face, which had gone cold and stiff, flushed hot again.
In the warmth, Caius leaned in close to her.
He placed the crystal necklace around her neck.