Veiled Auction Queen: Bidding For His Ex-Wife's Heart

"Emilia, the service is about to start. Is Daniel seriously still not here?" someone called out.

Wearing a simple black dress, Emilia Moore sat before her mother's coffin inside the church as the stark overhead lights washed her already pale face in a ghostly glow.

She glanced down at her phone, its battery nearly dead, and the call she had made to Daniel Wright-her husband of three years-remained unanswered.

With her mother gone, Emilia-now seven months pregnant-had spent the past week handling every detail of the funeral alone. Her husband hadn't shown up once.

Work always consumed him, and she had consistently tried to be patient and considerate about that.

Wanting to believe in him, she kept persuading herself that he must simply be overwhelmed with responsibilities.

"He must be busy. Probably can't make it," she whispered as tears slid down her face. She then slowly pushed herself upright despite the heaviness of her swollen belly and added in a hoarse, trembling voice, "Let's begin the service."

Beside her, her aunt, Lynda Moore, spoke with open scorn. "Emilia, just how busy could Daniel really be? It's been a full week, and he hasn't shown up even once. It's like your mother means absolutely nothing to him."

Kimberly Moore, Lynda's daughter, let out a derisive laugh. "Mom, you're wrong. It's not that he doesn't care about her mother-he doesn't care about her at all. And the baby she's carrying? Obviously not them either."

Their harsh laughter cut straight through Emilia, and a bitter weight tightened in her chest, yet she stubbornly reminded herself that Daniel had always fulfilled his responsibilities as a husband and would never skip something like this intentionally; he must truly be swamped with work.

Just as she barely convinced herself of that explanation, the truth struck her like a sudden blow.

Kimberly glanced down at her phone and exclaimed, "Hold on-isn't that Daniel? He's trending in the news right now!"

She intentionally turned the phone toward Emilia.

Emilia lowered her eyes. The screen showed a video that had begun spreading online that very morning, though it had clearly been recorded the night before.

The headline read, "Daniel Wright Goes All Out for Isabel Hayes' Birthday."

In the footage, dazzling fireworks burst across the dark sky while a man sat calmly in a chair, composed and authoritative, his deep gaze resting steadily on the young woman beside him as she pointed upward at the fireworks with a radiant smile.

Though the fireworks lit the sky brilliantly, Emilia's eyes remained fixed on the man.

She recognized him immediately as Daniel, her husband.

Shock and humiliation crashed over her when she realized he had spent the previous night celebrating another woman's birthday beneath those blazing fireworks.

For a long moment, her mind emptied completely. Her whole body went rigid, leaving her unable to move.

The crackling fireworks continued in the video while Kimberly's mocking voice rang out beside her. "Emilia, didn't you say your husband was busy? Oh, he's definitely busy-busy renting out an entire venue to celebrate another woman's birthday!"

Emilia's hands tightened into fists as the image of Daniel arranging such a magnificent fireworks display for someone else replayed in her mind.

All this time, she had believed he was merely occupied with work.

Even while drowning in grief after losing her mother, she had handled everything herself without asking him for help.

For an entire week, he had ignored her calls and never appeared for the funeral arrangements, yet somehow he had time to reserve a whole venue and launch fireworks for another woman's celebration. The cruel irony stung sharply.

The woman in that video was Isabel Hayes, Daniel's first love and the person who truly held his heart.

Emilia, though, had only married him because his grandfather, Danny Wright, insisted on it-a way to repay her father for saving his life.

For three years, she had clearly understood that Daniel didn't love her, and because of that, she had never burdened him with her troubles or asked anything more of him.

He had always been distant and unromantic, indifferent to holidays and completely devoted to his work. Only now did she realize that he did understand romance-he simply chose never to show it to her. With one spectacular display of fireworks, he had turned her into the biggest joke of all.

She clenched her teeth, forcing the pain back down, and turned her eyes away from the phone. She couldn't fall apart-not yet. Her mother's funeral came first. She had to get through it.

Straightening her back with effort, she ignored the mocking stares around her and slowly walked toward her mother's coffin.

Her mother's last wish had been to see Daniel one more time.

At that time, she had called him again and again without any response, and now she suspected he had probably been with Isabel even then.

Her mother had always hoped that she and Daniel would live happily together for the rest of their lives. But now Emilia felt that dream might never become reality.

After handling everything by herself, once the funeral meal ended and all the relatives and friends had departed, she sat alone in a chair in the church hall.

Daniel finally arrived, dressed entirely in black, his striking face expressionless as his gaze landed on Emilia before sweeping briefly across the silent hall, and for the first time, a trace of apology appeared in his usually unreadable expression.

Emilia raised her eyes to him, one hand resting on her swollen abdomen, and in that instant, all the pain she had buried deep inside surged violently upward.

Taking a slow breath, she forced down the bitterness clawing at her chest and kept her face blank as she asked calmly, "Finished with work?"

Daniel didn't notice the hurt hidden beneath her words. "I was stuck in meetings the whole day."

"And last night? Did you enjoy the birthday party?" Emilia asked sharply.

Daniel's eyebrows drew together. Before he could respond, a woman in a red dress stepped into the room with his jacket draped loosely over her shoulders. Isabel had followed him here.

Emilia's expression turned even colder.

"Emilia, I'm really sorry. Daniel stayed with me last night. My mother became ill a few days ago, and he didn't want me dealing with everything alone, so he stayed to help. That's why he missed your calls-it was my fault. I shouldn't have bothered him," Isabel explained gently.

Bitterness flooded Emilia's chest as she listened. "Was your mother seriously ill?"

"Not really. Just a small cold and a slight fever. She's almost fully recovered now," Isabel answered.

A dull ache settled deep in Emilia's heart, and although she struggled to restrain herself, the redness in her eyes and the slight trembling of her lips betrayed her emotions.

Daniel's frown deepened. When he first learned of Emilia's mother's death, he had been in the middle of an important meeting, and by the time it ended and he intended to attend the funeral, Isabel had run into trouble, and with one matter after another demanding his attention, Emilia had completely slipped from his mind.

Even so, he did feel a faint sense of guilt toward her.

He started toward her mother's photo, as if to offer a final tribute, but Emilia caught his arm and held him back. "There's no need. Her mother is more important. Stay with her and take care of her mother."

Daniel froze in place.

Emilia couldn't stay there any longer, so she slowly rose from the pew and prepared to leave.

She didn't cry, because she refused to waste tears on someone who didn't deserve them.

As Daniel watched her walk away slowly and with difficulty due to seven months of pregnancy, something clenched in his chest.

Isabel had called him in tears and panic simply because her mother had caught a minor illness, yet Emilia had faced the death of her own mother completely alone.

"Where are you going? You shouldn't be walking around like that. Don't forget you're pregnant," Daniel called out after her, trying to stop her.

Emilia's lips curved into a bitter smile, thinking sarcastically that he seemed to remember her pregnancy only now.

She believed he cared neither about her nor about the child she carried, since he had left his pregnant wife alone to tend to another woman's mother.

She lowered her gaze to her belly, and amid the storm of pain inside her, she seemed to reach a quiet decision as her pace quickened toward the elevator.

Daniel felt his heart sink. He started after her, but Isabel suddenly grabbed his arm. "She just lost her mother. Maybe we should give her some time alone."

He frowned at her, pulled his arm free, and replied coldly, "She's not in a good place right now. She might do something reckless. You can go home by yourself."

When Daniel walked out of the building, Emilia was already nowhere to be seen.

He scanned the bustling street ahead, then took out his phone and dialed a number. "Track Emilia's phone and find her location right away."

A faint hint of worry appeared on his otherwise calm expression.

An hour later, his assistant called. "Sir, your wife is at the hospital."

"Why is she there?" Daniel demanded, his voice drawn tight with strain.

The assistant paused before replying, "She... she went there to end the pregnancy. And she's already seen a lawyer-the divorce papers are done. She signed them."

All thoughts vanished from Daniel's mind. His eyes widened in complete disbelief.

Five years later, in the country of Klicta, the grand hall of its most prestigious auction house was packed with social elites and public figures.

On stage stood a woman in white-the auctioneer. Her hair was perfectly styled, a fine veil covering her face. Though her features were hidden, her elegance was unmistakable; every move she made held the room's attention.

She presented the lot in fluent Klictan, calm and composed. The moment she finished, the bidders below erupted into a fierce bidding war.

Her clear, radiant eyes moved steadily across the room, and with the gavel held confidently in her hand, she presided over the entire auction with natural command.

Daniel watched quietly from the balcony on the second floor. Tilting his head a little, he glanced toward her again. "So that's the person Grandpa insisted on meeting?"

Archie Chapman, his assistant, handed him a file. "Yes. Her name is Amelia Morgan. She joined this auction house five years ago. At her very first auction, she sold an antique painting originally valued at one million dollars for sixty million, which was sixty times the starting price. That sale made her famous."

Daniel's eyes narrowed slightly. "Has she always worn that veil?"

Archie paused for a moment as he considered the question. "Yes. I once heard someone offered her ten million just to take it off, but she refused. People say she must be terribly unattractive if she's so determined to hide her face."

Daniel pressed his cigarette into the ashtray and continued watching her in silence. "She has beautiful eyes."

He felt certain that someone with eyes like that could hardly be unattractive.

Besides, they reminded him of Emilia-the woman who, five years ago, had left behind divorce papers, secretly ended her pregnancy, and vanished without leaving even the slightest trace.

"Bring her to me," Daniel said as he stood.

After taking several steps, he stopped and turned back toward Archie. "It's been five years, and you still haven't found anything about Emilia?"

Archie's expression stiffened uneasily.

People often claimed that no one could disappear without leaving behind some trace, yet Emilia had done exactly that, and in those five years not a single clue about her had surfaced.

Daniel sighed in frustration. "Keep looking."

In his mind, Emilia had been merciless-divorcing him, ending the pregnancy, and cutting off every path he might use to find her.

No one knew that he, the CEO of the Wright Group, had been the one handed the divorce agreement. No one knew that for the past five years, he had searched desperately for the woman who had walked out of his life.

He intended to find her, because he wanted to ask what unforgivable mistake he had made to deserve such cruelty.

When Daniel walked away, Archie remained standing there, rigid as cold sweat spread across his back. He had searched everywhere for Emilia, but found nothing.

Trying to locate someone who had been missing for five years was like searching for a needle lost in a haystack.

Archie muttered to himself, overwhelmed by frustration. "Where on earth are you?"

The auction eventually concluded. Amelia offered a graceful bow before stepping down from the podium.

Five years earlier, Emilia had arrived in Klicta and begun working at an auction house under the name Amelia Morgan. To avoid unnecessary trouble, she always kept her face hidden beneath a veil whenever she worked.

She walked back toward her office.

At that moment, a cheerful little girl ran straight toward her with open arms and wrapped herself around Emilia's leg. "Mommy!" she called brightly.

Emilia lifted the veil, revealing a delicate face of striking beauty. She bent down, picked up her daughter Olivia Moore, and kissed her gently on the cheek. "Have you been waiting here long, sweetheart? Where are your brothers?"

Olivia clenched her small fists and lifted her chin with irritation. "They went outside to play!"

"They didn't take you with them?" Emilia asked.

"They said they're playing boys' games and I can't join," Olivia replied.

Emilia sighed quietly. She understood perfectly well that her two sons had simply wanted to play by themselves without Olivia following along.

Back then, crushed by heartbreak, Emilia had originally planned to terminate the pregnancy. Yet when she finally stood outside the operating room, she found she couldn't bring herself to go through with it. In the end, she decided to keep the babies.

Two months after settling in Klicta, she gave birth to three children-two boys and a girl. They were Leo Moore, the eldest, Asher Moore, the second son, and Olivia, the youngest.

Leo was calm and reliable, Asher was energetic and mischievous, and Olivia was the gentlest and sweetest of the three.

Holding the lovely little girl in her arms, Emilia felt deeply grateful for the choice she had made years earlier.

"Mommy, guess who the three of us saw today?" Olivia suddenly asked.

"And who was it that you saw?" Emilia asked softly.

"My terrible father," Olivia replied.

She spoke loudly, yet Emilia somehow failed to hear the words clearly.

"What did you say you saw, Olivia?" Emilia asked.

"We saw our father-the TV guy! His name's... um... Daniel. He's a bad man. A really, super-duper scary man," Olivia said while waving her hands to demonstrate.

When Emilia heard those words, a sharp ache rose in her chest.

During the past few years, Daniel's name had rarely been mentioned around her.

For a time, she had almost forgotten that he even existed.

But hearing Olivia speak his name now stirred up old memories, leaving a bitter taste in her heart.

She couldn't imagine how Daniel could possibly be here.

However, since her children only knew that their father's name was Daniel Wright and had seen him on television a few times, she assumed they must have mistaken someone else.

"You must have mistaken someone for him, dear. He wouldn't come here," Emilia said.

"But-" Olivia began. Two knocks sounded at the door and cut her off.

"Who is it?" Emilia called out.

"Amelia, are you busy in there? The manager wants you in his office right away. A very important client asked to see you. The manager said you should hurry," a voice from outside replied.

Emilia found herself wondering who this supposedly important client could be.

Their auction house regularly hosted wealthy patrons, yet it was rare for the manager to show anyone such urgency and deference.

The thought made her mildly curious about just how significant the visitor really was.

"I'm free right now. I'll head there immediately," she answered.

"But I really did see him," Olivia murmured, her small brows knitting together.

Emilia turned toward her, and the little girl blinked her wide, watery eyes before asking in a faintly disappointed voice, "Are you going back to work again, Mommy?"

She gently guided Olivia onto the sofa and spoke with a hint of apology. "Stay here for a little while, sweetheart. I'll be back soon, okay?"

Olivia wished her mother would stay with her, yet she knew she couldn't stop her from returning to work. She had always been a very obedient little girl.

"Alright, Mommy. I'll wait here for you."

Emilia leaned down to kiss her cheek again, slipped a piece of bread into her hands, and said, "Eat this for now. Later, I'll take you and your brothers out for a big dinner, alright?"

"Okay," Olivia answered obediently.

Emilia smiled softly, lowered the veil over her face once again, and walked out of the room.

Holding the bread tightly in both hands, Olivia hurried to the doorway and peeked quietly outside.

Seeing her mother disappear down the hall made her feel terribly bored.

She set the bread aside, tapped her smartwatch, and sent Leo and Asher a voice message in her gentle tone. "Where are you? I'm coming to find you."

Soon afterward, a location pin appeared along with their voice reply: "Underground parking lot."

In the underground parking lot, Leo and Asher stood beside a black Maybach.

Leo crossed his arms and gave Asher a thoughtful look. "You're certain this belongs to that awful man?"

Asher was busy drawing across the car with colored markers.

When he finished, he stepped back and looked over his work with obvious satisfaction. "I'm sure. I saw him get out of this car myself."

Studying the crooked words scrawled across the vehicle, Leo muttered under his breath, "This hartless man abandind his wife and kids."

Leo smacked his forehead and stared at Asher like he could not believe what he was seeing, then said, "Mom's always telling you to hit the books properly and quit wasting so much time on computer games. You've been glued to those games way too much, haven't you? You even spelled two words wrong!"

"Ah, don't fuss over little things," Asher said with a cheeky grin. After scribbling out the words, he sketched a ridiculously over-the-top pig right next to them.

As he drew, he gave a mocking snort and muttered, "What a pig."

He wanted everyone to know that Daniel, their father, was an absolute scumbag.

Even though they had never actually met Daniel face-to-face all these years, they had heard his name before and seen him on TV, smiling brightly at events with another woman.

So the second they spotted him here, they recognized him at once, and they were certain it was him.

Emilia had never wanted to speak to the children about Daniel at all. Most of what they knew about him had come from her best friend, Madison Ward, who had only told them because they kept pressing her with questions.

That was why the children knew Emilia had brought them here to live on their own, because Daniel had hurt her deeply. In their eyes, he was unworthy of being their mother's husband, let alone their father.

"Leo, Asher! What are you two doing?" Olivia came running over.

"Shh!" Asher quickly covered Olivia's mouth. "Keep your voice down. We're doing something bad."

Olivia promptly slapped both hands over her own mouth and nodded, promising to stay quiet. Then she noticed the words Asher had written on the Maybach and said, "Asher, you misspelled two words."

Asher gave an awkward wave of his hand. "Ah, don't fuss over little things."

Leo took Olivia's hand and asked, "Has Mommy finished work yet?"

"The manager called her into the office," Olivia answered.

Meanwhile, the moment Emilia stepped into the manager's office, the manager hurriedly waved her over and introduced her to the important client. "Amelia, come here and meet Mrs. Wright. Mrs. Wright, this is Amelia Morgan, the auctioneer you wanted to see."

The instant Emilia heard the manager call someone "Mrs. Wright", she lifted her eyes and frowned faintly.

To her astonishment, she saw Isabel, the very woman Daniel had loved so deeply.

What the manager said made it clear to Emilia that Isabel had, by all appearances, become Daniel's wife. Still, the revelation didn't shock her, because she had long believed Daniel would marry Isabel the instant their divorce was over, considering how deeply he loved her.

She'd walked away back then so Daniel could be with Isabel. Never thought she'd see her again-especially not here.

Something faintly bitter curled through Emilia's chest, and her face cooled at once.

Looking polished from head to toe, Isabel lowered her coffee cup and looked over Amelia-who was really Emilia behind a veil-with open disdain in her eyes.

What she had heard was that Amelia, the head auctioneer at this house, had a sharp eye for antique authentication, had become famous after a single legendary auction, and had been blown up by online gossip into some sort of miracle talent.

Isabel had expected someone far more impressive. Instead, she was annoyed to find that Amelia wouldn't even reveal her face.

Nor could Isabel make sense of Danny's urgency about meeting Amelia.

She gave a cold snort. "So, you're Amelia Morgan. I hear you're more than an auctioneer, and that you know how to authenticate antiques as well. We intend to hire you, and you'll return with us to the Wright estate in Zloigas for a few days to inspect some antiques. Name your price."

Isabel had no doubt Emilia would accept, because an offer like this was not something people refused, especially with the name Wright behind it.

With deliberate ease, she raised her coffee cup and took a sip, fully expecting Amelia to fawn over her.

Inside, Emilia let out a cold scoff. She did, in fact, know how to authenticate antiques, yet she had already made up her mind that she would never work for Isabel or Daniel.

She had left in the first place to keep them out of her life, so there was no chance she would go back to Zloigas with Isabel.

"Sorry, I'm only an auctioneer. If you need someone to verify whether antiques are genuine, you'll have to ask someone else. I can't help you. I've got something else to handle. I need to leave now."

On that note, she turned to leave.

Isabel froze in surprise. Being refused was the last thing she had expected.

She hurriedly called after Emilia, "Wait. Do you have any idea who I am? Think before you answer."

"I have thought about it carefully. My answer is no," Emilia said coolly.

"What is your problem? I'm offering you money to come with me. Who are you to say no?" Isabel snapped, pushing to her feet and seizing Emilia by the arm.

She needed to get Emilia back with her, or Danny would not be pleased.

A crease formed between Emilia's brows as her eyes dropped to Isabel's hand, still locked around her wrist.

Then her eyes widened.

There, on Isabel's wrist, sat a diamond bracelet, every inch of it drenched in glittering stones, the kind of dazzling masterpiece that was clearly worth more than a hundred million dollars. In an instant, Emilia knew it was her family heirloom.

Her mother had placed it in her hands herself and told her to guard it carefully, because one day it might be of use to her. Yet when Emilia had fled in haste all those years ago, she had left it behind at the Wright estate. Never had she imagined she would find it now on Isabel's wrist.

At once, she assumed Daniel must have been the one who gave it to Isabel.

Rage surged through her at the thought that he had taken something that was hers and handed it to Isabel simply because he wanted to give Isabel a gift.

Emilia twisted her hand around and caught hold of Isabel's wrist, then asked in a low, heavy voice, "Does this bracelet belong to you?"

Isabel threw Emilia an irritated glance. "Of course it belongs to me. My husband gave it to me. It's not as though it could ever be yours."

That answer confirmed Emilia's suspicion. A sharp ache cut straight through her chest when she realized Daniel had known perfectly well that the bracelet was hers, and had still given it to Isabel anyway.

In her heart, she cursed him as the lowest kind of scumbag for handing his ex-wife's heirloom to his new wife without the slightest trace of guilt.

"Let go." All at once, a cold, commanding voice rang out.

Emilia lifted her gaze and found a man standing in the doorway, though she had no idea when he had appeared there, and her eyes collided with his dark, piercing stare.

He was tall and broad-shouldered, standing straight as a blade, with a face so strikingly handsome it was impossible to ignore, and even in stillness, he carried the crushing presence of a man long used to power.

Emilia's hands curled into fists.

It was Daniel.

Shock hit her when she realized Olivia had not been mistaken.

A wave of frustration swept through her for failing to expect him; with how fiercely he and Isabel loved each other, if Isabel was here, then of course he would be beside her.

Not once in the five years since her departure had Emilia imagined she would ever see Daniel again. She had never wanted to see him again either, because there was something she feared.

She had given birth to three children. If Daniel learned the truth, he would absolutely take them away from her. A family as powerful as the Wrights would never allow children of their blood to remain outside the family.

Those children were Emilia's whole world. She would never gamble with even the smallest possibility of losing them. That was the reason she had hidden behind a veil all these years and stayed alert at every moment.

Emilia balled her fists tighter; Daniel's gaze stayed fixed on her, as though he were trying to see through the thin veil and uncover her face.

Her heart would not stop pounding.

Isabel jerked her wrist free from Emilia's grasp and immediately softened her manner, saying in a gentle voice, "Daniel, I already spoke to Ms. Morgan, but she flatly refuses to come back with us. She seems to think very little of us."

Inside, she gave a silent sneer, thinking that anyone bold enough to show contempt for the Wright family was simply begging for trouble.

With that in mind, she raised her chin with pride.

Daniel fixed Emilia with a cold stare and said, "Name your price."