CHAPTER 110: AUCTION EVENT 1

I looked around curiously as we entered the auction house. As a child, I used to come here often with my family for events, but one year we just stopped going. Now, it’s been close to ten years since I’ve stepped foot into my family’s business.

The exterior was as I remembered it, very grand and luxurious; however, the inside was very foreign to me.

The marble floors and red carpet made everything look very regal, as if you were inside a king’s castle. Priceless paintings covered the walls, along with beautiful, one-of-a-kind tapestries.

All of the staff wore matching black uniforms and carried a professional smile, guiding all of the guests to their correct seats.

Though everything looked extravagant and well put together, there was something about it that lacked the personalized touch that I remembered from my childhood.

"Welcome to the Moresi auction house. May I help you find your seat?" A well-spoken attendant walked over to us with a soft smile.

Instead of being grateful, Morgan instantly flared up.

"Do you not recognize the Misses of the Moresi family? How can you not know something so basic?!"

Her loud voice attracted the attention of everyone around, causing the attendant to look around in panic.

"I’m so sorry, Miss! I was recently hired and still haven’t fully memorized everyone! I will bring you over to the special booth right now!"

Morgan disregarded her plea for help and pointed her finger, "Don’t lie! We would never place a new hire at the entrance! Hurry and get lost, you’re no longer needed here!"

Christian secretly rolled his eyes, giving me a disapproving look at Morgan’s actions. There was one thing Morgan didn’t know, and that was how to be low-key. Having had enough of her haughtiness, Christian pulled her over to the side.

"Don’t let such a small matter ruin your mood. Your smiling face is too beautiful not to be seen. Let’s hurry over to our booth," he said in his low, magnetic voice.

His sweet talk worked better than candy. Morgan quickly motioned for the attendant to hurry up and bring us over before turning her attention back to Christian. Her face was full of smiles to the point that she started to look a little creepy.

Without wasting another moment, the attendant quickly led us up the beautiful staircase to where the VIP booths were located.

As the owners of the auction house, we had several booths that were permanently assigned to us for any event. They had the best view and the most luxurious furnishings.

"We’ve arrived. I’ll let your server know that you’ve arrived," she said, bowing her head nervously.

Morgan was too into Christian to care and simply waved her off. I gave her a small smile on her way out, hoping that she didn’t take Morgan’s words to heart.

-

The booth that we were assigned to was at the very center of the hall. It had a row of plush chairs and two sofas that were big enough to seat two people directly behind.

Just as we were deciding on where to sit, the door flung open behind us.

My blood turned cold when I saw who it was. Karl stepped inside wearing an ill-fitting suit, looking at me like I was his favorite meal.

"There’s my beautiful bride! I’m sorry I’ve been so busy that I haven’t been able to visit you recently. Don’t worry, tonight I’ll be sure to give you all of my attention."

He walked over and immediately grabbed hold of my hand. "I’m so happy to see that you’re wearing your ring. I spent a lot of time picking it out for you!"

Licking his lips, he continued to gaze at me with lecherous intent. It was so off-putting that I shivered from fear.

He was about to pull me over to sit at one of the couches when Christian came to my rescue.

"Karl, right? I believe we’ve met once before. Congratulations on your engagement. I suppose this makes us brothers-in-law," Christian laughed, extending his hand for a handshake. While he wore a smiling expression, his eyes remained very cold.

Karl looked at Christian with a slight annoyance, but knowing Christian’s status, he accepted the handshake.

"Thank you! I’ve been eying Leslie for a while now, I’m so glad she returned my feelings and accepted my marriage proposal," he replied, glancing over at me.

I could still feel my body shaking as Christian continued to keep Karl occupied. I never expected to see him here, and now that I did, I only wanted to go home.

Christian continued to talk Karl’s ears off when the announcer on stage began to make the introductory announcements.

"Shall we take our seats?" Karl asked, seeing an opportunity to pull away from Christian and come back over to my side.

I looked at Christian with a pleading expression. I would rather jump off this balcony than have to sit next to him for the duration of the event. Karl already made it clear that he didn’t care that there were others around, and would try to touch me inappropriately.

Just the thought of his nasty hands touching me sent me into a panic. Tears were fighting to burst out of my eyes at any moment.

"Yes, let’s take our seats. Today’s event is very special to me. In honor of us soon becoming family, why don’t we sit together to get to know each other better?"

Not waiting for Karl’s response, he pulled him over to the front row to take a seat in the individual chairs.

Morgan frowned at this, but I was extremely grateful. I knew that Christian was only doing this to prevent me from having to deal with Karl, causing my emotions to run wild.

Morgan decided to take a seat directly behind Christian on the small sofa, so I sat down beside her. This way, even if Karl wanted to get up halfway through the show to sit with me, there would be no available room next to me.

As the MC continued his introductory speech, recounting the rich history of the Moresi family and the founding of the auction house, a waiter entered our room with a generous assortment of drinks and refreshments.

A platter with fruits, cheeses, and crackers was placed on the small tables beside us, along with a few bottles of champagne. The timing of the delivery was perfect, just in time for the introduction of tonight’s event.

-

From the booth, I could see some of the other VIP guests, noticing that Cherie was looking angrily at Morgan for getting to sit next to Christian. She was accompanied by her father, who was busy listening to the Sophia introduction.

Though it was hard to see, the neighboring booth was where my parents and brother sat. Even from here, I could see that my father’s expression was off.

Why does he look so...nervous?

Everything looked to be going well, and the hall was filled with people. I couldn’t understand why my father would still look as if a disaster would strike at any moment.

In front of me, Christian began to pour Karl his second glass of champagne, even though it’s only been a few minutes since the bottles were delivered. I subtly placed a second bottle of champagne from my table onto Christian’s.

Though I wasn’t sure if his goal was to get Karl drunk, I would support it if it was.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! I am sure you are all waiting to see the exclusive pieces that the world-renowned Sophia Jewels has to offer you today! Remember, all of these pieces are one of a kind, and can only be purchased here tonight!"

The MC was working his magic, getting the crowd excited for the upcoming sale. Although most of the people here tonight were wealthy aristocrats, the starting price of the pieces was also very expensive.

I hoped that the bids would go well and that today’s sales would make Christian glad that he trusted me. Outside of the initial designs, Christian didn’t know what any of the jewelry looked like.

Excitement and anticipation welled up inside of me. I was more interested in seeing how Christian would react to the collection that Yulia and I came up with.

"And without further ado, let’s begin the Sophia Season launch event!" the MC exclaimed, causing the crowd to cheer and clap.

The lights turned off, darkening the entire hall before the large screen played the Sophia logo above the stage. A few moments later, a beautiful woman came out into the spotlight, holding the first item.

Everyone in hall sucked in their breath, completely overtaken by the beauty of the first piece. Even Christians turn to glance at me. His eyes told me everything I wanted to know.

He loves it!

My lips curved up into a big smile. I never expected to get such a grand reaction from everyone, especially since the first item was only a bracelet, the simplest design overall.

"Wow, what a beautiful pair of bracelets! The craftsmanship and quality of the stones are second to none! These bracelets will be sold as a pair, the starting bid is four million! Please place your bids!"

The MC capitalized on the crowd’s mesmerized state and quickly began to start bidding.

FOUR MILLION?

I couldn’t believe my ears! I was positive that when I submitted the list, the bracelets were supposed to start at half a million!

It didn’t take long for bids to come flying in! In a matter of a few seconds, the original four million starting point turned into ten million!