Chapter 3

I looked at my ex-husband's eyes, and honestly, I wanna come near him and slap his face with my fiery hand. But controlling myself is the best option.

"Seemed so shock, Mr. Hemswood?!"

"You were gone years ago, and now you came back?"

"Nothing is impossible, Mr. Hemswood. Most especially if you were pushed by what people around you in the past did. And I think that made me come back."

"Y—You left with nothing, L—Lora!"

Her voice caught my attention. I throw a stare at her and walked to her after a few seconds of looking at her eyes.

"Because you took away everything from me, Samantha! You took my wealth, my life, and even my husband. Did you forget?!"

I closed my eyes, willing a sudden surge of composure to settle over me. I could not afford to let them see my vulnerability, not when the memory of what they had done still stung, especially the betrayal handed to me by Carson and Sam.

​"I do not believe for a second that you are rich, Lora Vance!" Samantha sneered, her voice ringing out clearly. "I remember the exact day you were thrown out of the mansion. Carson gave you nothing but a single suitcase of belongings and a pittance of cash!"

​A flurry of whispers rippled through the venue. The quiet awe that had greeted my sudden return began to dissolve, swiftly replaced by suspicion as her words took hold.

​"It is utterly impossible for you to return out of nowhere and bid one billion US dollars! Just who do you think you are?" She crossed her arms, running a disdainful gaze over me from head to toe. "Now tell me why anyone in this room should believe your absurd lie!"

"I have no reason to lie, Sam. Does my sudden resurrection terrify you that much? Tell me, is karma already devouring you where you stand?"

​"You—"

​Samantha lunged toward me, but Carson intercepted her, catching her arm mid-stride. He carefully smoothed the hem of his tuxedo, drew a long, deliberate breath, and swept a cold glance across every corner of the crowded hall.

​"Lora, whatever game you think you are playing, I suggest you stop it now." He exhaled a weary sigh, signaling to the room that my presence was nothing short of an embarrassment. "Look around at the people gathered here. Did it never cross your mind that you do not belong here?"

​"What are you saying, Carson?"

​"Your behavior in front of these wealthy guests is disgraceful, Lora. Enough of this madness! I am genuinely embarrassed by your desperation!"

​"Desperate? I am not desperate, Carson! Three years is a very long time. I dragged myself to the top and swore I would return. And here I am!"

​"Listen to yourself, Lora! You are spinning fairy tales that no one in this room will ever buy," Samantha spat, cutting in.

​"Lora, if your only intention tonight is to sabotage this auction just to force my attention onto you, stop it." Carson leaned in closer, his voice dropping into a harsh murmur. "If I were you, I would go home and return those fake clothes and counterfeit jewels right back to the thrift shop you stole them from."

The hushed whispers of the crowd swelled into a deafening chorus of taunts directed straight at me. A sea of accusing fingers pointed in my direction, their frantic hand gestures demanding my immediate expulsion from the hall.

​"Get out of here, Lora Vance!"

​"You are ruining a beautiful auction night!"

​"Miss Host, what are you waiting for? Fix this! Give the Golden Heart of Paradise to Carson already so his desperate ex-wife will finally shut up!"

​"Lora Vance, if I were you, I would pray for heaven to strike me down where I stand! You are an absolute embarrassment!"

​"Leave now, Lora Vance! Stop your ridiculous delusion that you can ever compete with the wealthy elite like us!"

​Sam sauntered toward where I stood. She reached out, gently tucking a strand of my side bangs behind my ear.

​"Do you see, Lora? Do you see how utterly disgusted they are by you and the scene you have created?" She let out a soft, mocking chuckle. "Your credibility is completely gone, Lora. Everyone forgot about you a long time ago, ever since your father died, and especially when Carson threw you away and divorced you."

I shoved Sam's hand away. The push was gentle, yet she dramatically hurled herself against Carson's chest.

​"Carson, I am hurt," she whined, feigning pain.

​"Lora, you have crossed the line! Leave now while I am still holding back my temper! If you do not want me to have the guards drag you out, leave on your own!"

​"Get out!" chorus the voices inside the hall.

​My eyes frantically searched for Scarlet, the only person who could prove my true identity.

​"Just leave, Lora!"

​"What a nuisance. We would have finished by now if this desperate woman had not caused a scene! One billion is a massive sum! And to think I believed it was real!" the host scoffed.

​"What I said earlier is true! I will take the Golden Heart of Paradise in exchange for my 1,000,000,000! I have the money! I am rich!"

​"Please, that is enough, Lora!"

​"Carson, I am telling the truth! I have the money! Even if I bought every single company represented in this room, it would not even deplete half of my wealth!"

​"You are insane!" Carson roared.

​He gently guided Sam to a seat before turning toward me. His face burned crimson, eyes glaring with unbridled rage.

​Carson firmly believed I was merely staging a dramatic stunt to capture his attention. He violently grabbed my wrist. I struggled against his grip and shoved him back.

​"I have the money and I can afford to participate in this auction!" My eyes widened, fiercely determined to force the truth upon them. "I am here because I am the CEO of La Lora! Therefore, not a single soul in this room has the right to throw me out!"

My piercing shout sliced through the suffocating tension, instantly striking the entire crowd dead silent. Every head snapped in my direction before their gazes collectively shifted toward the prominent seat reserved strictly for the enigmatic CEO of La Lora, a prestigious title whose true identity had eluded every single soul in this room until this very second.

​"W—What?" Carson stammered, his eyes widening in sheer disbelief. His throat hitched as he swallowed hard, the color draining from his face while raw, unadulterated shock washed over his features. The composure he so proudly maintained shattered into a thousand pieces.

​"Yes, Carson. You heard me loud and clear," I said, my voice echoing with an unwavering authority that held the room captive. "The very person all of you are so eager to humiliate and throw out of this hall is the CEO of La Lora!"