Chapter 5

When Melissa woke up, Hayden was standing by her bedside, watching her in silence. There was no telling how long he had been standing there.

Seeing her open her eyes, he sat down, wrapped his arms around her, and offered her a glass of water.

Melissa had no strength left in her, so she let him feed her the water in silence.

"Melissa, don't blame Lydia for what happened yesterday. She was just being a little playful…"

Melissa quietly pulled away and shook her head. "I don't blame her. I lost, so I accepted the penalty."

Looking at her pale face, Hayden felt a sudden pang of sympathy. "Melissa, I'm sorry for being too busy to spend time with you lately. There's an auction tomorrow afternoon. I'll take you there, and you can buy whatever you like."

Melissa was about to decline, but then she remembered she was leaving Cavareth in just a few days. If he picked up on anything suspicious now, slipping away would become much harder.

At that thought, she nodded. "Okay."

…

At the auction the next day, determined to make it up to Melissa, Hayden spent lavishly throughout the entire first half. He bid on every single treasure in sight, even though she showed no interest in any of them.

During the intermission, a swarm of reporters crowded around them.

"Mr. Davies! You've remained single all this time, yet you bought so many jewels today. Can we assume you've found a significant other?"

"Mr. Davies, could you tell us who the lucky lady is?"

"Mr. Davies! Have you finally found the lady of Davies Corp?"

Facing the wave of questions, Hayden offered a composed smile. "While I can't reveal her name just yet, I can tell you all that I do have a special lady in my life."

As soon as he said that, the hall erupted in thunderous gasps and cheers.

The stoic CEO of Davies Corp had a girlfriend. This was hands down the biggest piece of gossip in the city.

"Mr. Davies! Please, give us a hint about her!"

As the reporters pressed on, Hayden glanced at me. After a moment's hesitation, he was about to speak. "My partner is actually—"

Melissa held her breath, listening intently as a strange wave of nervous tension washed over her. Was he finally going to go public with their marriage?

Suddenly, he stopped mid-sentence, his eyes locking dead ahead.

Following his gaze, everyone turned around to look.

Dressed in a red dress paired with snow-white high heels, Lydia was striding gracefully through the main entrance.

She greeted the cameras with radiant confidence before taking the seat right beside Hayden.

Melissa could clearly feel Hayden freeze beside her.

Whispers immediately began circulating around them. "It looks like Ms. Webb is Mr. Davies' wife."

A flicker of something unreadable crossed Hayden's eyes when he saw her dressed so seductively.

Lydia leaned forward casually, exposing a swath of her fair skin to Hayden.

Melissa heard his breath hitch and accelerate. She pulled her gaze back, struggling to suppress the unease inside her.

Throughout the second half of the auction, Melissa remained completely distracted.

However, when the grand finale item was brought onto the stage, she froze instantly.

It was a glass bracelet, the last keepsake left behind by Aimee.

After Aimee passed away, she had left this bracelet to her. Melissa had tucked it away safely in a chest after her wedding, only to realize a few days ago that it had mysteriously vanished.

She had been devastated over losing it, never imagining it would resurface here, at a public auction.

Staring fixedly at the bracelet, she resolved that she had to win it back, no matter what.

The moment the auctioneer finished introducing the piece, she raised her paddle without a second thought. "Five million dollars."

Hayden looked at her out of the corner of his eye, surprised by her sudden interest in the item.

Knowing the bracelet's origin all too well, Lydia offered a sly smile and raised her paddle. "Ten million dollars."

Melissa whipped her head around, only to meet Lydia's provocative smirk.

After taking a deep breath, Melissa raised her bid once more. "20 million dollars."

Smiling, Lydia turned to Hayden with a pout. "Hayden, I really love this bracelet. Could you ask Melissa to let me have it?"

Hayden turned his gaze to Melissa. "Melissa, I've already bought you so much today. Why don't you let Lydia have this one?"

Melissa shook her head firmly. "I don't want any of those things you bought. I only want this bracelet."

As Hayden looked at her stubborn expression, anger flared inside him—especially after she claimed she didn't want anything he had bought her.

Just as the auctioneer was about to strike the gavel for the third time, Hayden made a gesture.

The auctioneer slammed down the hammer with excitement.

"Mr. Davies has placed a blank check bid! Congratulations to Mr. Davies on securing the bracelet!"

Melissa stared at Hayden in complete disbelief. He merely stated in a cold voice, "I've bought the bracelet to give to Lydia."

The light in Melissa's eyes vanished in an instant. She clenched her hands tightly. Her nails dug deep into her palms.

She watched helplessly as Lydia happily wrapped her arm around Hayden's and led him toward the VIP lounge.

When Melissa lowered her head, her phone vibrated with a new text message. "Come to the lounge. I'll give you a front-row seat to a good show. Once it's over, the bracelet will be yours."