NovelEnglishI figured we would just leave after the auction wrapped up, but Lucas had other plans. Out of nowhere, he started throwing up bids like a man possessed. I was not paying much attention, but when he hit the two hundred thousand mark, the whole room started buzzing.
I scrunched my brow, curiosity getting the better ofas I peeked at the auction stage. There, bathed in the spotlight, was a string of beads that shimmered like tiny, captured flames. I could not tell what they were made of, but they glowed with a deep, rich red that was hard to look away from. Definitely not bargain-bin material.
However, two hundred thousand? That seemed steep.
I mean, beads are beads, right? How could they fetch two hundred thousand? Lucas caughteyeing them and curled an eyebrow. "Pretty, huh?" I bit my lip but nodded. They were pretty, no lie.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtHe seemed pleased with my reaction. The auctioneer was about to call it when suddenly...
"Three hundred thousand!" The voice that cut through the room was deep and resonant.
Everyone turned, confused and curious.
I knew that voice all too well and frowned. Lucas might be off his rocker, but what was Idris's deal? No way those beads were worth three hundred thousand.
Lucas snorted and lazily hoisted his bid card. "Four hundred thousand!" That was nuts.
"Five hundred thousand!" Idris's voice again, calm as ever, like he was discussing the weather instead of tossing around hundred thousands.
Lucas just laughed and raised his card. "5.2 million." Then all eyes were on us, or rather, on me. That number, 5.2 million, sounded so... personal. It was the kind of number that sparked rumors and envy.
At first, no one got why he would shell out so much for beads. However, as the bids soared, it was like they all suddenly got the picture.
"520 thousand," Idris said, without batting an eye.
The room went silent.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmA collective gasp rippled through the crowd as the auction hammer fell. A simple strand of pearls had just fetched a jaw-dropping one million. It was a charity auction, after all, and this kind of big spending was a bit over the top for the attendees who had only planned to chip in a modest sum. I scowled, my gaze instinctively drawn to Idris, who seemed unfazed by the commotion. I could not help but knit my brows together-he must have lost his mind.
Lucas, with his bidding paddle in hand, flasheda mischievous grin. "Looks like the Youngs aren't shy about flaunting their wealth, huh?" He did not seem interested in making another bid, which madebite my lip in frustration. It was not that I doubted the Youngs could n cough up the cash, it was Lucas's irritating presence, stirring up trouble just for the sake of it. Feeling my stern gaze, Lucas quirked an eyebrow. "What's the matter? Worried he's spending too much?" I let out a derisive snort. "The Youngs have money to burn. However, you-why did you stop bidding? Weren't you the one bragging about going broke for me? Scared off by a mere 5.2 million?" My taunt seemed to hit a nerve. He abruptly lifted his paddle, about to speak.
Before he could finish, I snatched the paddle from his hand and blurted out, "5.3 million." I then turned to Idris, who was standing not too far off.
Idris caught my eye, and I subtly shook my head, signaling him to stand down and stop the bidding war.
His gaze met mine, those deep, dark eyes unreadable, hiding secrets I could not decipher.
Maybe it was because of my plea, but Idris did not raise the bid any further.
So, the pearls, which should have gone for a few hundred thousand, were bizarrely driven up to ten million and ultimately snagged by Lucas.
I set the paddle down, a quiet sense of relief washing over me.
A soft laugh broke the silence, coming from Lucas, who was clearly in high spirits. "Hey Yvette, are you fretting over my bank account?. Scared I'll go all out with a one vel.n billion-dollar bid and end up flat broke?" Content belongs englishWhat a moron!
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