Chapter 3

A few days later, Birkstone hosted a grand auction, and Alexander was invited to attend. Elise had never been interested in auctions and had no intention of going this time either. Unexpectedly, Alicia insisted that she accompany her, saying it would be a good opportunity to broaden her horizons. With Alicia making the suggestion, both Alexander and Aaron naturally sided with her and insisted that Elise come with them. When they arrived at the auction, most guests had already gathered. Alexander's close friends in the social circle were present, and the moment they saw Elise, their faces darkened with disdain. Owing to her background, Alexander's friends had always looked down on her. Over the years, they made no effort to hide their contempt, whether in front of her or behind her back. Now that she had shown up with Alicia, their scorn became even more obvious. "What is Elise doing here? Does she even understand any of this?" "Just look at her. It doesn't matter how expensive her clothes are, she still gives off that same cheap vibe." "Exactly. Alicia and Alexander are a much better match." They flattered Alicia as if she were royalty, while completely humiliating Elise in front of everyone. However, Alexander remained silent through it all, as if none of it concerned him. Elise could only laugh bitterly to herself. He had been this indifferent for years, and somehow, she had never truly noticed. She used to think he was just naturally cold and distant. The auction commenced with a painting entitled "Radiance", reputed to be the final work of a famously reclusive artist whose pieces were highly esteemed in the art world. Given its significance as his concluding masterpiece prior to retirement, the opening bid was set at five million dollars. Alicia admired the painting and said, "Aaron's birthday is coming up. I'll buy this as a gift for him." Alexander gave a faint smile and a slight nod, silently approving her decision. Elise glanced at the painting, then let out a soft laugh. "This painting is a fake." Alicia looked at her in surprise. "How do you know?" Elise remained calm. "The original was purchased by a wealthy heiress five years ago and has been kept in her private collection ever since. It's never been loaned out." The people around them let out mocking laughs. "She talks like she actually knows something." "If the real one's in a private collection, how would she even know what it looks like? Is she claiming she's the heiress now? What a joke." Aaron tugged on Elise's arm with clear annoyance. "If you don't know anything, can you just stop talking? This is really embarrassing." She looked down at Aaron, only to see his little face flushed with frustration as he subtly scooted closer to Alicia. Alicia smiled and comforted him. "Elise hasn't attended many exhibitions, so of course she hasn't seen many works. It's normal not to understand. Don't get upset with your mother, Aaron." Her words dripped with superiority and barely concealed her mockery. Alexander stayed silent, but thoughtfully draped his coat over Alicia's shoulders. "Are you cold? If it gets colder, I'll have someone turn up the heat." He never spoke for Elise because he simply didn't care about her. If that was how it was, there was no reason for her to worry about them. In the end, Alicia bought the fake painting for a whopping ten million dollars. Halfway through the auction, Elise grew bored and got up to go to the restroom. On her way there, she unexpectedly ran into the very group of people who had never been kind to her.