Chapter 2

"Lady Helena Valeria bids ten silver coins."

Leon announced my name. The wine pitcher froze in Cassian's hand. He spun around, and the moment he saw me, the color drained from his face. He looked from me to the gold tray in front of Livia, his eyes darting wildly.

"When did you get here?"

I didn't answer. The gold-tray bid was already active, and the price jumped automatically. Leon called the new figure. Cassian lunged for the bidding paddle in Livia's hand, then reached for the seal in the tray.

Leon pressed down on the edge of the tray. "Mr. Severus, once the gold-tray bid is active, it cannot be revoked."

"She did it without my permission!"

"That is your house seal." Leon's tone was flat. "She has been sitting beside you and bidding in your name all evening. You never once denied that she had the authority to speak for you."

Cassian's hand hung frozen in midair. He finally turned to Livia. "You saw Helena. Why didn't you tell me?"

Livia's eyes reddened instantly, her voice small and wounded. "I thought she'd come over on her own once she arrived. She was sitting in the back the whole time without saying a word. How was I supposed to know what she wanted?"

When Cassian looked at me again, the panic in his eyes had already shifted to blame. "If you were here, why didn't you say something?"

"If I had, I wouldn't have gotten to see all this, would I?"

Cassian opened his mouth but nothing came out. I raised my paddle again. The gold tray matched automatically. The price had soared far past the necklace's actual value. No one in the hall was looking at the item anymore; every head had turned to watch us.

Cassian strode to my side, leaned down, and spoke in a low, tight voice. "Stop. We'll talk about this at home."

"Talk about what?"

"Livia doesn't understand how important this necklace is to you."

"She just called it 'something a dead woman left behind.'"

Cassian's expression darkened further. "She grew up without a mother. She doesn't understand these things. Don't stoop to her level."

I looked up at the silver dolphin on the stage. "You understand."

"What?"

"You know it belonged to my mother. Before the auction started, you promised to buy it back for me."

Cassian was silent for a few seconds, then his tone turned matter-of-fact again. "Of course I know. That's why I'm telling you to stop bidding. The gold-tray bid will secure it in the end. The necklace won't leave the Severus house."

"But whose neck will it end up on?"

Cassian glanced involuntarily at Livia. She was sitting beside his seat, clutching the fabric of the crimson gown with both hands, looking equal parts wronged and frightened, as if she were the one being robbed.

He lowered his voice. "She's already had a scare tonight. Let her wear it for a few days. Whenever you miss your mother, you can just borrow it back from her."

It took me a moment to process that. "It's mine, and I have to borrow it from her?"

"I'm the one who'll win the bid. Once we're married, what's mine is yours. There's no need for the two of you to keep score like this."

Livia heard him from across the room and immediately chimed in. "We'll be family soon. I'm only holding it for Lady Helena."

I looked at Cassian, and my mind went back four years. The first time he appeared at the Valeria estate, he was soaked to the bone, and creditors were already blocking the gates of his ancestral home. He said he needed only one chance. If someone would believe in him, he could get back on his feet.

I paid off his most urgent debt, bought back his ancestral home, and purchased his first merchant ship for him to manage. Back then, he held my hand and swore he would never forget who had pulled him up when he was at his lowest.

I raised my paddle again. The whispers around us grew louder.

Someone snickered. "Is Mr. Severus afraid of his fiancée?"

Another voice answered. "If he were, would he let his secretary sit in his fiancée's seat?"

Cassian heard them, and his expression grew darker. Moments ago, he had been pleading with me to stop. Now he straightened and deliberately raised his voice. "Helena. Enough."

I didn't lower my paddle.

"Livia grew up without a mother," he said. "She only wants to keep something she likes. You have ships, a mansion, more jewelry than you could ever wear. Can't you let her have one old necklace?"

"Because it was my mother's."

"Your mother has been dead for years."

The words hung in the air. Even Cassian froze for a second. He knew he had gone too far, but he didn't apologize. Seeing everyone staring at him, he doubled down instead. "I'm not asking you to forget her. I just wish you'd show a little compassion for a girl who never had a mother."

People around us started urging me to let it go, telling me not to ruin an engagement over something old. Cassian saw the support and immediately stood taller, no longer pleading. He was waiting for me to back down in public, so everyone would know I still did what he told me to.

I nodded and raised my bid again.

The price was now enough to buy a small merchant ship. Livia finally panicked. She clutched Cassian's sleeve, no longer able to play the victim. "Make her stop!"