#Chapter 449: Just Shy

Olivia Dianna’s final artwork, her most rare piece, was unveiled on the stage and elicited a gasp from the audience. My eyes widened slightly as I took in the beautiful abstract piece, a swirl of shapes and colors that almost seemed to resemble a landscape, but not quite. “Ladies and gentlemen, ” the auctioneer announced, “the final work of art by the incomparable Dianna Miller. Let the bidding begin.” Beside me, Dianna drew in a sharp breath and clutched her necklace. I glanced at her, then at Nathan, who gave my waist a squeeze. “Here we go,” Nathan whispered. All at once, the auction hall began to fly into a frenzy of bidding. The auctioneer could barely keep up, his voice rising in pitch and cadence as his hands flew to point out the cacophony of bidders. “I’m hearing five thousand… ten thousand… twelve… fifteen thousand!” A woman dressed in furs and pearls near the front shot up from her seat, waving her bidding card dramatically. “Twenty thousand!” she cried