Chapter 4

The next item up for bid was a landscape painting.

My eyes narrowed.

That was my late adoptive father's favorite piece. It had always hung in his study.

Yolanda picked up the microphone, her voice sweet. "This painting was my father's keepsake. I'm donating it today, and all proceeds will go to children in mountainous regions. I believe this is what Dad would have wanted."

The room erupted in praise once again.

"Ms. Harding is as kind as she is beautiful!"

"Seriously, unlike that adopted daughter, who only knows how to hoard things that aren't hers."

Listening to the whispers around me, my nails dug deep into my palms.

Yolanda wasn't doing this for charity. She was doing it to humiliate me, to completely erase the last shred of my existence in the Harding family.

Braeden stood beside Yolanda, a smug smile playing on his lips, and glanced my way.

His eyes seemed to say, "See? You're nothing now."

The auctioneer started the bidding. "'Autumn Mountain,' starting bid at one million dollars."

For the painting's actual value, that wasn't particularly high.

But for the guests tonight, dropping big bucks on a non-masterpiece by a deceased painter was mostly about giving face to the Harding family and Braeden.

"One point one million!"

"One point two million!"

The price slowly crept up.

Yolanda stood on stage, soaking in the admiration. She put on a show and said, "This painting represents the past, but we, the Harding family, look forward. I hope the lucky bidder who takes it home will cherish this memory well."

When she finished, she shot me a pointed look.

Braeden's grin deepened.

He was convinced I could only watch, powerless.

"Two million!" A wealthy heir who was tight with Braeden yelled out.

The auctioneer raised his gavel. "Two million once, two million twice..."

Just as the hammer was about to fall, a clear, calm voice rang out from right beside me.

"Five million."

The entire room gasped, and all eyes snapped to our table.

The bidder was Darin.

Braeden's face instantly twisted. He glared at Darin, then whipped his head to me, his eyes full of accusation. "Aubrey, is this your doing? Who is he?"

Yolanda's face also changed. She hadn't expected some wild card to pop up out of nowhere.

To save face in front of his fiancée and to shut down this random guy, Braeden gritted his teeth and raised his paddle.

"Six million!"

Darin didn't even glance at him, looking cool as a cucumber, as if he had everything under control.

He casually tossed out two words.

"Ten million."

The entire banquet hall went dead silent.

Everyone realized this wasn't an auction anymore. It was a straight-up slap in Braeden's face.

Braeden's face turned beet red. He'd been in business for a few years and had some money, but most of it was tied up in new projects. He simply didn't have that much liquid cash.

But now he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Everyone in the room was watching him.

If he backed down, he'd never live it down in their circle.

"11 million!"

He practically squeezed those words out through gritted teeth, veins throbbing on his forehead.

Darin picked up a glass of champagne from the table, swirled it gently, and said nothing more.

The auctioneer's voice trembled with excitement. "11 million once! 11 million twice! 11 million three times! Sold!"

The gavel fell, and the dust settled.

Braeden had bought a painting that was meaningless to him for an insane price, all for his pathetic pride.

He shot me a murderous glare, like he wanted to eat me alive.

As soon as the auction ended, he and Yolanda stormed over.

"Aubrey, what's your deal? Did you intentionally get someone to embarrass me?"

Yolanda chimed in, her voice shrill. "Where'd you find this gigolo? Did you pay him to put on a show? Do you have any shame?"

Before I could even speak, Darin stood up. He was half a head taller than Braeden, completely dominating him in presence.

"Sir, please watch your language."

Braeden was momentarily stunned by his aura, but then his anger flared up, and he reached out to grab my arm.

"You're going to explain yourself today, you b*tch..."