Chapter 4 - The Bidding War
The entire ballroom gasped collectively at my astronomical bid.
Spencer snapped his head toward me, his face twisting into a mask of absolute outrage and confusion.
Cassandra tugged frantically on his tuxedo sleeve, demanding that he win the necklace for her.
"Ten million dollars!" Spencer yelled, completely losing his composure and his common sense.
He was bidding with money he absolutely did not have, driven purely by his fragile, toxic ego.
"Twenty million dollars," I countered instantly, not even bothering to look in his direction.
Patricia Albright, my former mother-in-law, marched over to Spencer and whispered aggressively in his ear.
She tried to warn him that the company accounts were already stretched dangerously thin.
Spencer shoved her hand away, completely blinded by his desperate need to assert dominance.
"Twenty-five million dollars!" Spencer roared, sweating profusely under the bright ballroom lights.
The auctioneer looked directly at me, waiting eagerly to see if I would continue the massive war.
I smiled gracefully and lowered my numbered paddle to my side.
"I concede," I announced politely.
"The gentleman clearly needs the jewelry much more than I do."
Spencer smirked in arrogant triumph, wrapping his arm proudly around a squealing Cassandra.
He believed he had successfully humiliated me in front of Boston's elite society.
"Sold to Mr. Spencer Albright for twenty-five million dollars!" the auctioneer cheered, slamming his wooden gavel.
A beautiful hostess immediately approached Spencer holding a secure electronic payment terminal.
"Please insert your card to finalize the charity donation, sir," the hostess requested politely.
Spencer confidently pulled a sleek black credit card from his wallet and swiped it through the machine.
The machine beeped loudly, flashing a bright red error message across the small screen.
"I am sorry, sir, but this card has been heavily declined," the hostess informed him nervously.
Spencer's smug smile completely vanished as the surrounding guests began to whisper loudly.
"That is impossible, run it again right now," Spencer demanded angrily.
He swiped three different corporate cards, and every single one was instantly rejected by the terminal.
Thomas had done his job perfectly, freezing absolutely every asset tied to the Albright name.
Cassandra's excited smile completely melted away, replaced by profound public humiliation.
Patricia began screaming at the innocent hostess, claiming the machine was obviously broken.
The head of gala security, a massive man in a dark suit, immediately approached their table.
"Sir, if you cannot provide the funds, I must ask you to leave the premises immediately," the security chief warned.
Spencer panicked, frantically pointing his shaking finger directly at me.
"She is the real scam artist, she artificially drove up the price and she should be the one thrown out!" Spencer shouted.
The security chief turned slowly to look at the woman Spencer was violently accusing.
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His stern expression instantly melted into a look of absolute, profound respect.
He completely ignored Spencer and bowed a full ninety degrees directly toward me.
