Chapter 27: Jealousy at the auction.

ISADORA’S POV

Rafael grabbed my waist on the dark balcony and kissed me until my legs could not hold my weight anymore.

We fell asleep holding each other tight, ready to face the war that was coming the next day.

When I woke up at six o'clock in the morning, the bright sunlight was coming through the big window, and the room was very quiet.

I turned my head to look for Rafael, but his side of the bed was empty, and his shoes were gone from the floor.

I sat up on the bed quickly, wrapping the sheet around my body as fear returned to my chest and I stood up and walked toward the bathroom, but the door was wide open, and nobody was inside.

I walked over to the small wooden table near the door, and I saw a white paper lying right beside my purse.

I picked up the white paper with my shaking hands and read the words written in big black ink.

It was a handwritten note from my sister Rosalind.

I stepped out of our car outside the big auction house in Marbella. 

Valentina had invited all the richest people in Spain to celebrate her new control over half of my family estate. 

I wore a long emerald green silk dress that fit my body closely, and I put on my gold wedding ring so everybody would see it. I decided that I would not sit at home and hide while Valentina celebrated stealing my family land.

When I walked into the main hall, many wealthy men turned their heads to look at me, but I kept my chin up and walked with confidence.

Valentina was standing near the main stage in a silver dress, drinking champagne and talking to some rich buyers. She looked at my green dress and her eyes narrowed, but I ignored her completely and walked toward the front row.

Then a tall man with dark hair and a tailored navy suit stepped into my path with a smooth smile on his face. His name was Prince Lorenzo from Italy, and he held out his hand to greet me as I came near.

"You are the most breathtaking woman in this room tonight," 

Lorenzo said, taking my right hand and kissing the back of my fingers as my skin tingled with surprise.

"Thank you, Prince Lorenzo," I said, pulling my hand back gently as I smiled at him to show good manners.

Lorenzo did not step away, but instead, he stood close beside me and began to talk about the expensive paintings hanging on the walls. 

In my mind, I knew Rafael was standing a few feet behind us near the main entrance, watching every single move we made. I could feel the intense heat of Rafael's eyes burning into my back, but I decided to stay right where I was and continue talking to the prince.

I wanted Rafael to see that other powerful men found me attractive, and I wanted him to feel a little bit of the pain I felt when Valentina was around him.

"Will you allow me to sit beside you during the auction?" Lorenzo asked, offering his arm to me as my heart beat fast in my chest.

Before I could answer the prince, Rafael walked up behind us with long steps and put his broad hand firmly on the back of my waist.

"She is sitting with her husband tonight," Rafael said, pulling my hips back against his front as his voice came out thick and deep.

Lorenzo looked at Rafael's face and then looked at the hand resting on my waist, but he did not leave us alone. "A beautiful woman like this deserves the finest treasures in the world," Lorenzo said, smiling calmly as he adjusted his jacket.

"And she already has the man who can buy them all for her," Rafael said, tightening his grip on my waist until I had to lean back against his chest.

The auction started a few minutes later, and we all sat down in the high leather chairs in the middle of the room. 

Lorenzo sat right across the aisle from us, and he kept turning his head to look at me and smile while the auctioneer began calling out prices.

The first item was an old diamond necklace that belonged to a Spanish queen. I turned my head slightly to look at the sparkling diamonds, and Lorenzo immediately raised his white bidding paddle into the air.

"Five hundred thousand euros for the prince," the auctioneer called out, looking toward Lorenzo with a big smile.

Rafael did not even look at the necklace, but he raised his paddle high above his head without waiting a second. "One million euros," Rafael announced, his voice carrying clearly across the quiet hall as my mouth dropped open.

Lorenzo turned his head to look at Rafael with surprise, and then he raised his paddle again. "One point five million," Lorenzo said.

"Three million euros," Rafael said immediately, holding my hand tightly in his lap while staring directly into Lorenzo's eyes.

The whole room went quiet, and nobody else raised a hand to bid against him. The auctioneer called out three times and ended the sale, declaring that Rafael had won the diamond necklace for three million euros.

I leaned closer to Rafael and whispered into his ear. "Are you out of your mind?" I asked, feeling my body grow warm from his intense focus. "You just spent three million euros on a necklace I only glanced at for two seconds."

"I do not care if it costs ten million," Rafael whispered back, his breath hot against my neck as his thumb rubbed the back of my hand. "Every time you look at something in this room, it belongs to you, and no other man is buying it for you."

The second item was a rare gold ring, and the moment I looked toward the display case, Lorenzo raised his paddle to bid two hundred thousand euros.

Rafael raised his paddle before Lorenzo could even put his hand down. "Two million euros," Rafael said, not even looking at the ring on the stage.

The people in the room began to murmur and point at us, realizing that Rafael was spending millions of euros just to defeat the Italian prince. 

Valentina stood near the stage with a dark look on her face, realizing that Rafael was giving all his attention and wealth to me instead of her estate deal.

By the time the third item came up for sale, Lorenzo realized he could not compete with Rafael's endless money, and he put his paddle down on his chair with a sigh.

Rafael won every single item I looked at during the auction, spending over eight million euros in less than one hour just to show everyone in Marbella that I belonged to him completely. 

My heart was pounding inside my chest with a mixture of thrill and shock as I watched him dominate the entire room for my sake.

When the auction ended, Lorenzo stood up, gave me a small bow from across the aisle, and walked out of the hall into the night.

Rafael stood up immediately, took my wrist in his hand, and dragged me away from the crowd before Valentina or my father could approach us. He pulled me through a side door and took me onto a dark, private balcony alcove that looked out over the sea.

He pushed my back against the stone wall and blocked me with his body, trapping me completely in the shadows.

"Did you enjoy making me angry with that prince?" Rafael asked, his voice low and dangerous as he pinned my wrists beside my head.

"I was only talking to him," I whispered, my breath coming out in short gasps as his chest pressed flush against mine.

"You belong to me, Isadora," Rafael growled softly, lowering his head until his lips brushed against my ear. "Never try to play this game with another man again, because I will destroy anyone who tries to come between us."

He lowered his mouth and kissed me with a wild, possessive heat that made all the air leave my lungs completely. I wrapped my legs slightly around his leg and held onto his shoulders with my hands, surrendering to the deep passion that was burning between us. He kissed my lips deeper and deeper until my knees gave way, and he had to lift my waist with his strong arms to keep me from falling to the floor.

He pulled back just a fraction of an inch, his dark eyes glowing with a slow-burning desire as he looked into my face.

"Swear to me right now that you will never let another man touch your heart," Rafael warned softly, his breath hot against my swollen lips as my head spun with love for him.