(12) I Feel Sorry, Mr Collins

Despite the last dash she did, Charity still ended up in the back seat with Lucas.

The silence stretched between them, thick and uncomfortable. Charity could feel Lucas's presence beside her like a physical weight, the memory of his hands on her, his teeth against her skin, still fresh in her mind.

She kept her eyes fixed on her phone, refusing to acknowledge him.

"Do you like Paige?"

Out of the blue, Lucas said something she couldn't understand where he pulled it out from. She glanced at him, blinked, and confused.

"He's just nice." She simply answered.

Paige is indeed a good person ever since she met him.

Just recalling, she said, "Well, the moment he met me at the ward, when I was just healing from the gunshot, he took care of everything. He made sure I had everything I needed, never asked for anything in return. He's... genuine."

Lucas tried to remember, scrutinizing her answer. He assigned Paige to help him handle everything for Charity indeed. Two years ago, she was still healing, and he wasn't around much to help her. The realization seemed to sour something in his expression.

"I paid him to do that." He scoffed, turning away from Charity like a child in a tantrum. His profile was sharp, almost petulant in the dim light.

"He deserves a raise then." Charity answered back, unbothered at his attitude.

She must have gone used to his personality by now.

"Anyway, I was told the things you bought will be sent soon enough. Remember to wear them." He reminded, his tone clipped.

"I bought?" Charity thought in her head.

She doesn't want to argue anymore and just goes home so she keeps her mouth shut.

The dresses, the jewelry, the shoes, all of it had been Lucas's doing. But arguing would only prolong this interaction, and she desperately needed space to think.

Thankfully, no devil conjured in Lucas once more that night. The trip to her home was peaceful and she was dropped off without any pesky remarks from him again.

While Charity's night ended with a win and a doubtful loss, Violet wasn't having it.

Their drive to their house was quiet.

None of them spoke, the embarrassment and humiliation was just too loud even if they were silent. Samuel had barely looked at her after the auction, his disappointment a palpable presence in the car.

This week was too disappointing. Violet decided to call over Pia the next few days to their house for tea. She needed company, needed someone to listen to her complaints, to validate her anger.

"The Queen's Throne is such a hyped novel." Pia said while reading a physical copy of the book.

She sipped the tea and kept looking at Violet who sat across her.

The greenhouse was beautiful, filled with carefully cultivated plants and trees that Samuel had commissioned for her. But even the peaceful surroundings couldn't soothe Violet's frayed nerves.

They were both at the greenhouse, enjoying the fresh shade of plants and trees. The afternoon sun filtered through the glass roof, casting dappled shadows across the marble table.

"I'm playing the mistress." Violet said in a bitter tone, causing Pia to purse her lips and put the book down.

"Like I said, 'too hyped'. And the leading lady is kinda annoying like, she's too cliche acting revenge on people that hurt her." Pia shifted the topic once more, trying to ease Violet's ego. Her friend could be oblivious, but she was trying.

"Whatever." Violet rolled her eyes and kept staring at the magazine she was holding.

The glossy pages blurred before her eyes, her thoughts consumed by the auction, by the person who had humiliated her.

Her nonchalance made Pia huff that she pulled up her phone to scroll through social media instead. The silence between them was comfortable, but Violet could feel Pia's curiosity exuding off her.

"You know, my husband and I attended Christie's a few days ago." Violet suddenly said, raising the attention from Pia immediately.

"Bitch, you did? What was it like??" She asked, clearly excited to hear more. Pia set down her phone, giving Violet her full attention.

Violet grinned. Of course, people like Pia have no access to such an exclusive event. Not even prominent news anchors were able to get a peek inside. The memory of being there, of being seen among the elite, was a balm to her wounded pride.

"Private. No poor people allowed~" She laughingly answered, enjoying the way Pia's eyes widened with envy.

"Duh, I can't even get into one even if I date a governor at this point." Pia sighed, clearly envious of Violet. "You're so lucky. Samuel really spoils you."

"Oh, you just can't believe it. The President was there too but we weren't able to meet them. Every guest was separated through premium rooms." Violet pressed on to brag, lightly sipping at her tea. The warmth of the liquid did nothing to ease the cold knot of resentment in her stomach.

"I can just imagine, ahhhh!" Pia squealed. She propped her chin between her hands and asked enthusiastically, "What did you buy? Oh God, tell me you got that Krupp diamond ring? Were you the person that bought it for a hundred million dollars??"

Instantly, the sweet tang on Violet's tongue turned sour and bitter. Her expression darkened and Pia could tell but can't point out what went wrong. The mention of the ring, of that particular humiliation, was like a knife twisting in her gut.

"What?" Pia shrugged her shoulder, confused by the sudden shift in Violet's mood.

"No." Violet cleared her throat. She set the magazine down and faked a smile, "But Sammy bought me a souvenir. It's a ceremonial knife from years ago. Very... historical."

"Oh." Pia looked visibly disappointed. She noticed the sharp glare from Violet that she changed her tone in the instant. "Oh! That's great! Of course, there's nothing you two can afford given you were invited to that event!"

Violet's mood didn't get any better. She clenched her fists, imagining if she had won the bid instead. The ring should have been hers.

"Violet." Pia suddenly called after a while, her voice hesitant.

"What?" She responded, a little harsher like a snake with venom.

Pia shrank back. She carefully turned her phone towards Violet and there were countless images of Vivianne Goldthorne. What horrified them both is that she is wearing a diamond ring, the Krupp diamond ring!

The images were everywhere, social media, gossip sites, news outlets. Vivianne Goldthorne, the mysterious new starlet, wearing the most expensive piece at the auction.

Violet's hands trembled as she reached for Pia's phone, zooming in on the ring. It was unmistakable. The same ring she had been outbid on. The same ring that should have been on her finger.

"That bitch," Violet hissed, her voice venomous. "Who does she think she is?"

"I don't know," Pia said, her voice small. "But Violet, everyone is talking about her. They're saying she's the new darling of high society. That she's important."

"Important?" Violet laughed, a sharp, bitter sound. "She's nothing. A nobody. I don't know how she got into that auction, but I will find out. And when I do..."

She didn't finish the sentence, but Pia could see the promise of destruction in her eyes.

---

Samuel was at his office, drowning in paperwork from both Advance and his next new film.

The stack of contracts and scripts seemed endless, each one demanding his attention. He saw his phone buzz on his desk and Violet was calling him nonstop. The screen lit up with her name, the persistent vibration and a headache waiting to happen.

With too much stress at the moment, he placed his phone farther from him and ignored the calls. He didn't have the energy for her drama, not when he was drowning in work. Just as he was to dive again into work, the intercom from his secretary beeped.

"Sir? Miss Vivianne Goldthorne is right here. She said she has something important to discuss." His secretary's voice sounded, unsure of what to do.

Samuel frowned, he didn't have any schedule with Vivianne at the moment. Still, he was curious, and he wanted to know more about her. The woman had been a mystery since she appeared in his life, a disruption to his carefully ordered world.

"Send her in." He shortly answered.

A moment later, the door opened and a slim lady entered, wearing a mini black dress and a tempting stiletto that clicks over the tiles in a seductive rhythm. The black fabric hugged her curves in all the right places, and the heels added a dangerous sway to her walk.

"I'm so sorry for suddenly intruding, Mr Collins." Charity said apologetically, her voice was soft and melodic.

"It's alright. But I prefer if you notified me in advance. What is it?" He casually asked, observing her.

Then, his gaze strayed a little too far. From her familiar face, to her white neck, pretty collarbone, and then her chest. Slowly, his eyes lowered to her waist and that is when he noticed a familiar ring on her finger.

The Krupp diamond ring. The one that should have been Violet's.

Charity was not oblivious of his offensive gaze. She had the least to expect from Samuel after all.

"I was hoping to meet you personally, Mr Collins." Charity took the initiative and leaned on the desk. Her movement clearly did not offend a bastard like Samuel. In fact, she could see the way his eyes followed the motion.

"About?" He cleared his throat and tried to focus on the matter but the lady was just too pretty to ignore.

"I'm still guilty for suddenly overtaking Mrs. Collins from the leading role. I would like to offer an apology. If there is anything I could do."

Charity carefully said as she slowly saw through his vile mind just from his eyes alone. She could practically see the thoughts forming behind them, the calculations and desires.

Samuel was clearly amused, he wanted to play along but his silent phone suddenly buzzed again and Violet's name appeared on screen. The distraction was unwelcome, a reminder of the wife waiting at home.

"Oh my, it seems I came at the wrong moment." Charity stepped away, looking hesitant and guilty. "Maybe we should speak of this another time?"

Samuel forced a smile and nodded. He wanted more interaction with her but he can't just shove away his persistent wife.

"See you again, Mr Collins." Clearly having enough of her performance, Charity waved goodbye.

She had a little bit of satisfaction seeing the way Samuel wanted her to stay but he is conflicted. The power shift was delicious.