Chapter 8

Eleanor struggled violently. "Get off me!" However, the man was strong, and it looked like he was about to succeed. Suddenly, the lights in the hall dimmed again, and a moment later, a loud thud echoed as the entitled young man was kicked to the ground. Someone quickly dragged him away from the scene. Eleanor's heart skipped a beat. She instantly recognized the person who had stepped in—it was Alexander's personal bodyguard. She instinctively glanced toward Alexander. The darkness made it impossible to see his expression. All she could see was him still holding Amelia close. When the lights came back on, he looked calm and collected, as if nothing had happened. A surge of bitter irony washed over Eleanor. What was he thinking this time? Wasn't it ridiculous that he could protect his first love and still step in to help her? There was no time to dwell on it. Soon, the auction officially began. The first item up was the large collection of Alexander's gifts that Eleanor had donated, with a starting bid set at 100 million dollars. The room erupted in whispers and gasps. Alexander's eyes immediately went sharp. He narrowed them as they landed on Eleanor, clearly recognizing where the items had come from. Anyone familiar with him could tell this was the quiet before a storm. Eleanor met his gaze without flinching, and a faint, almost imperceptible smirk tugged at her lips. As bids began flying in one after another, Amelia tugged on Alexander's sleeve and whispered, "Alexander, that blue diamond is so beautiful. I like it." Alexander paused for a few seconds, then finally raised his paddle. In the end, the entire collection sold for a staggering one billion dollars, claimed by Alexander and handed directly to the smiling Amelia by his side. Eleanor felt a surge of bitter irony. The gifts had ended up exactly where they belonged. During the intermission, she got up to touch up her makeup in the restroom. As she stepped out, Eleanor saw Alexander leaning against the hallway wall, holding a cigarette. The drifting smoke softened his sharp features but did nothing to dim his gaze's intensity. Eleanor kept her eyes ahead, planning to walk past, but he suddenly grabbed her wrist. "Why did you auction off those things?" he asked. Eleanor didn't answer immediately. Instead, she looked up at him with a mocking edge in her voice. "Why did you step in for me just now?" Alexander frowned. Just as he was about to speak, Eleanor interrupted, her words dripping with sarcasm. "Let me guess. Was it because I'm Wendy's friend? Did she ask you to keep an eye on me?" She stepped closer, tilting her chin up to meet his stern face, smiling coldly. "Did she also ask you to manage my love life, Mr. Grant?" Alexander pressed a hand to his forehead, looking slightly weary. Finally, he said, "Eleanor, you always act like a hedgehog, covered in spikes. How is that helping you?" It wasn't helping at all, but if she didn't keep her guard up like a hedgehog, she would have been picked apart long ago—by that household and by the woman he loved, Amelia. Just as she was about to argue, Alexander continued, "Your last lover was me, so the next one shouldn't be any less. That guy from earlier doesn't even come close. If you need a man, I can introduce someone." Eleanor froze for a moment, then, as if hearing the cruelest joke, laughed until tears welled in her eyes. Who did he think he was? After stabbing her in the heart with the deepest cut, how dare he lecture her about her standards for a partner? Was it possessiveness, or did he just think she was embarrassing him? She stopped laughing and looked at him heartbrokenly. "Alexander, my life is none of your business. You don't need to care about me." Her tone was flippant, laced with self-mocking despair. "As for men, I can have as many as I want. Nobody's watching, and in the future, you won't be able to control me." Alexander seized on the words and asked, "What do you mean by 'nobody's watching?' Where are you planning to go?" Eleanor said nothing. She yanked her hand free and turned sharply, leaving him behind. Back at her seat, all she wanted was to escape this place of endless trouble as quickly as possible. As the next auction item was presented, Eleanor's gaze froze instantly. It was a classic and elegant sapphire necklace, the most treasured heirloom her mother had ever owned. She turned to Amelia, meeting her triumphant, self-satisfied gaze, and immediately understood. Robert must have secretly given Elizabeth's heirloom to Amelia, and Amelia had the nerve to put it up for public auction. Eleanor forced herself to sit back down and calm her racing heart. She couldn't stand by and let Elizabeth's cherished necklace fall into someone else's hands. After several rounds of intense bidding, Eleanor finally won the necklace, paying several times its market value. She exhaled in relief and was just about to go on stage to claim it when Amelia suddenly stood up. Amelia's voice was gentle but sharp with malice. "Wait a moment. I'm sorry, I grabbed the wrong auction item. I don't want to auction this necklace as it's from my personal collection. I must have mixed it up." Holding the necklace, she smiled at Eleanor like a victor and started to walk away. Eleanor immediately chased after her and intercepted her outside the club. "Amelia! Give me back the necklace! I'll pay you whatever you want!" Eleanor pleaded desperately. A cruel smile played on Amelia's lips as she toyed with the necklace in her hands. "I'm not short of money." She walked to the edge of an artificial lake, staring down at the murky water. Then, she looked back at Eleanor. "Aren't you supposed to love beauty, pride yourself on it, and always want the best? If you want it so badly, go get it yourself." With that, she flung the necklace into the lake without hesitation. There was no pause. Shocked gasps and murmurs rose from the crowd as Eleanor leaped into the icy water without thinking. Eleanor groped desperately through the murky water. The mud stained her expensive gown and ruined her carefully applied makeup. When Alexander stepped out after finishing his cigarette, he froze at the sight before him.