Chapter 8

The auctioneer presented one item after another. At first, Melissa was hesitant to bid and appeared cautious. But as the event progressed, she grew bolder. If her gaze lingered on an item briefly or she mentioned liking it, one of the Horton brothers would immediately bid and secure it for her. Their extravagant display drew envious glances from the crowd. "The Horton brothers are so generous with Melissa. If only I were in her shoes," someone whispered. "I used to think they adored Emelie and that she'd marry one of them," another commented. "I know, right? Who would've thought it'd turn out this way? They've abandoned Ms. Richmond for the maid's daughter. How humiliating!" Emelie felt the pitying looks directed her way but remained unfazed. She silently counted the items as they appeared, patiently waiting for the last lot. Finally, the auctioneer carefully unveiled the final piece—a bracelet. As he described its history with reverence, Emelie could no longer sit still. She clenched the bidding paddle tightly in her hand, ready to make her move. The bracelet had once been her father's token of love to her mother. She was determined to win it back no matter what. "The starting bid is 30 million. Let the auction begin!" "40 million!" "50 million!" "60 million!" The price quickly climbed as bidders enthusiastically raised their paddles. Eventually, most gave up, leaving only a few participants, including Emelie, in the race. When Emelie continued bidding resolutely, Melissa sensed her attachment to the bracelet. Her eyes gleamed with mischief, and she turned to Anthony, Marcelo, and Connor. "That bracelet is gorgeous. I wonder if it would look good on me." The three men immediately sprang into action. "I'll get it for you!" The brothers joined the bidding war, driving the price higher and higher. "100 million!" "150 million!" "200 million!" Emelie's heart sank with every increase. They knew exactly what the bracelet meant to her. When the bracelet was lost years ago, she had been inconsolable. The three of them had comforted her by drawing sketches of the bracelet and vying to cheer her up. "Don't be sad, Emelie. We'll find it, no matter the cost. One day, it will return to you." Now, that promise was nothing more than a joke. As the price soared to an unimaginable 1.5 billion dollars, Emelie glanced at her finances. Winning the bid would deplete her entire inheritance and force her to borrow money. While she hesitated, Anthony made a gesture that caused the crowd to instantly gasp in shock. The gesture signified his intent to outbid everyone, no matter how high the bracelet's price climbed. At that moment, Emelie's hope vanished. She had no chance of winning. When the bracelet was finally delivered to Melissa, she looked at Anthony with adoration. "Anthony, you won this for me. Why don't you put it on me?" Marcelo and Connor immediately protested. "Mel, I could've bought it for you too if Anthony hadn't gotten there first! Anthony, I'll reimburse you for the bracelet. Let me be the one to put it on her." As Marcelo spoke, he handed Anthony his card. Connor tried to shove his card into Anthony's hand as well. He said, "I've got money too, Anthony. Why don't you let me have it instead?" As the three argued over the chance to put the bracelet on Melissa, she pretended to fumble with it. The bracelet slipped from her grasp, hitting the floor with a crisp sound and shattering into pieces. In that instant, Emelie felt her heart shatter along with it. "Oh, no! I accidentally dropped it!"