Chapter 7

The auction staff worked quickly. Within minutes, they brought over a POS machine for Chloe to pay and handed her the bracelet she’d won.

Just as she signed the receipt, a new item on the stage caught her attention—a gemstone necklace being introduced by the host.

Her breath caught in her throat. That necklace had belonged to her late mother.

Without hesitation, she raised her paddle.

This time, Brian didn’t hold back. The two of them went back and forth for several rounds before he raised the stakes literally.

A murmur swept through the room.

Chloe slowly lowered her hand and gave up, then knocked on the partition between their suites.

No one answered.

Moments later, another bidder joined in, and the price began to soar far beyond the necklace’s actual worth.

Brian had already gone ‘all in’—a signal that he’d keep bidding no matter how high the price climbed and wouldn’t back out until he won.

The crowd buzzed with excitement as the bidding war reached its peak.

By the end, Brian secured the necklace for three million.

The piece was barely worth two.

Vanessa let out a low whistle. “He’s lost his damn mind.”

Chloe rubbed her temples, too drained to care about the rest of the auction.

“That necklace was my mother’s. I need to go talk to him.”

“I’m coming with you,” Vanessa said, standing.

Chloe shook her head. “It’s fine. I can handle it.”

She opened the door and stepped into the hallway—just as the suites on both sides opened at the same time.

From the left, a group of men walked out first. At the center was a tall man in a black shirt, the warm light tracing the lines of his broad shoulders and narrow waist. The businessmen around him moved with him, naturally falling into formation as if he were their center of gravity.

Chloe recognized him immediately—it was the man from the car accident, the one she’d rear-ended days ago.

“Mr. Horden,” she greeted softly.

Nick Horden gave her a slight nod as he passed. “Evening.”

His voice was calm and low, impossible to read.

Something twisted quietly in Chloe’s chest—part discomfort, part shame.

If she hadn’t met Brian seven years ago, the marriage arrangement between the Horden and Spencer families would have made Nick her fiancé.

Instead, she had thrown it all away for the man who was now flaunting another woman at the same event. And Nick had been sitting right next door, hearing every bit of the commotion.

Her face burned.

A moment later, Brian stepped out of his suite, composed as ever. He’d already learned that his main rival for the necklace had been Nick Horden.

At Brian’s signal, his assistant walked over to Nick, holding a velvet case.

“Mr. Horden,” the assistant said politely, “Mr. Shaw heard you were interested in this piece, so he asked me to deliver it to you as a gift.”

Three million for a chance to build a connection with Nick Horden—Brian considered it a fair trade. He always knew how to make a calculated move.

Nick glanced briefly at the necklace before lowering his gaze to Chloe.

“This kind of trash?” he said flatly.

Most people didn’t understand what he meant, but Chloe did.

Her face went crimson, her skin prickling hot under his gaze.

There was something sharp, almost cruel, in the way he looked at her—so cold and unflinching that she couldn’t bring herself to look back.

Brian’s assistant froze, looking painfully awkward. The necklace in his hands had suddenly turned into a baked potato—too hot to give away, too embarrassing to take back.

Nick didn’t reach for it. Instead, he looked straight at Brian from across the hall.

“A gentleman doesn’t steal what someone else holds dear,” he said coolly. “But thank you, Mr. Shaw. You should keep it for yourself.”

Brian gave a practiced smile, striding over with easy confidence. There wasn’t a hint of deference in his posture, only the polished ease of a man used to getting what he wanted.

“True talent deserves recognition,” he said smoothly. “I may not appreciate this piece myself, but it’s only right to give it to someone who does. A gift, after all, should bring pleasure to both sides.”

A faint smile tugged at Nick’s lips, his dark eyes glinting with restrained amusement.

“With words that generous, refusing might seem rude.”

Brian’s eyes softened with a polite smile, but ambition flickered beneath the surface. Securing a connection with Nick could take Vision Studio to another level—and he knew it.

Chloe’s gaze lingered on the jewelry box, a flicker of loss passing through her eyes.

If the necklace had stayed in Brian’s hands, she might’ve found a way to reclaim it. But now that it was with Nick, she didn’t have the face or the courage to ask.

Brian took the velvet box from his assistant and offered it again.

Nick accepted it this time, then casually passed it to the aide behind him.

With the exchange done, Brian was already planning how to follow up—how to turn this meeting into something more profitable.

Before he could speak, Nick’s assistant, Patrick Scott, smiled politely.

“Mr. Shaw truly lives up to his word,” he said. “Does this mean you’ll also be covering our suite bill tonight?”

Nick gave a faint chuckle. “And how expensive is that?”

Patrick grinned. “Well, it includes a small fee for the headache your… noise caused earlier.”

Nick nodded lightly. “Fair enough.”

It took Brian a second to realize what that meant—the earlier noise complaint had come from Nick himself.

The excuse he’d been rehearsing stuck in his throat. Before he could recover, Nick turned and walked off with his team, leaving Brian standing there.

As they walked, Patrick kept chatting, half teasing.

“If I’d known he was going to hand the necklace over like that, I’d have driven the price even higher.”

Nick’s tone was casual. “Show mercy when you can.”

“Mercy?” Patrick shot him a look. “You didn’t sound very merciful when you took that necklace from him.”

Nick’s lips curved faintly. “Because I was the one doing the judging.”

Patrick blinked, confused.

Back in the hall, Brian stood frozen, the smug satisfaction in his eyes replaced by frustration.

He’d been played and hadn’t even realized it until now. He’d just burned through three million for the privilege of handing his prize to the man who’d humiliated him.

Chloe watched quietly from the side, saying nothing. Her silence carried more bite than words ever could.

She had warned him more than once not to get involved with people like that.

Brian exhaled sharply, trying to regain composure.

“The items I just bought,” he said stiffly, “I’ll have them all delivered to you.”

Chloe looked at him blankly. “All of them? Then what will Miss Lawson do? Sit there like a pretty ornament all night?”

Right on cue, Candice appeared in the doorway, looking small and hesitant.

“Miss Spencer, these items were always meant for you. I don’t need anything. Really.”

Chloe let out a quiet, scathing laugh.

“How noble of you, Miss Lawson. No wonder men adore you. It’s rare to see a woman so proud of being used for free. If all the mistresses in the world learned from you, rich wives everywhere could finally relax about their assets.”

Candice’s face drained of color.

Brian’s expression darkened, his gaze turning cold and sharp, the chill in his eyes enough to slice through the air.