"That''s Dalton," ra whispered to Nora. "Alpha of the Birch Pack. He''s wealthy, but I don''t think even he would go head-to-head with Arnold for too long."
Nora nced at Dalton, a tall, well-dressed man with sharp features. His expression remainedposed as he made his bid.
Linda, as expected, countered.
The numbers climbed. Fifteen million. Eighteen million, The
The room fell silent.
twenty.
Dalton sat back, shaking his head with an amused smile, conceding.
The
green diamond bracelet was Linda''s.
Nora let out a slow breath. *At least she''s spent enough already. She shouldn''tpete with me anymore.
She hoped.
But the next auction item proved her wrong.
The sculpture of a werewolf whistling at the moon was brought onto the stage.
It was breathtaking-carved from silver-grained maple wood, its surface naturally streaked with silver veins, reflecting light like ripples in a moonlitke.
Nora''s chest tightened. *This is it.*
Her grandmother would love it.
The bidding began, and she immediately raised her paddle.
Linda''s head turned. Her eyes met Nora''s, and something sharp flickered in them.
Then, without hesitation, Linda raised her card.
The price doubled in an instant.
Nora''s heart sank. "So she is doing this on purpose."
Dalton, watching the escting bids with mild amusement, joined in.
Nora took a deep breath and raised her paddle again...
The tension in the room grew thick as the numbers climbed higher and higher.
Dalton met her gaze from across the room. He studied her for a moment before offering a small, polite nod.
Nora returned the nod with a slight smile.
It was an unspoken agreement-this wasn''t personal for him. If she wanted it enough, he would let it go. Then, the bid reached eighteen million dors.
Nora hesitated.
Her budget was twenty million. If Linda went any higher, she would have to let it go.
Just as she was about to breathe, Linda''s voice rang through the hall.
"Twenty million dors."
A murmur ran through the audience.
ra tensed beside her. "She''s pushing you," she muttered. "She doesn''t even want it-she just wants to make you lose."
Nora clenched her fists.
She had prepared for this.
"Twenty-two million dors," she said firmly.
A hush fell over the room.
Linda smirked, crossing her legs with a slow, deliberate motion. She turned to Arnold, whispering
something in his car. He didn''t even blink before nodding.
"Twenty-five million," Linda said, her voice smooth and confident.
Nora kept her expression neutral, but her stomach twisted. She had expected Linda to push, but not this aggressively. She nced at ra, whose brows were furrowed in irritation.
"This is a game to her," ra whispered. "And Arnold is happy to fund it."
1211
Nora knew ra was right. Linda had no interest in the sculpture itself-it was just another way to assert dominance, another opportunity to put Nora in her ce. But this wasn''t just about pride. The sculpture was the perfect gift for her grandmother. If she lost it, she wouldn''t have another chance.
Taking a slow breath, she raised her paddle. "Twenty-seven million."
A few gasps rippled through the room. The stakes were rising fast.
Linda''s lips curled upward, as if pleased with the challenge. "Thirty million."
Nora''s pulse pounded in her ears. She was reaching her limit. She had set a budget, but if she let this go, she would regret it.
ra touched her arm. "Are you sure?"
Nora''s jaw tightened. "Yes."
She lifted her paddle. "Thirty-two million."
The auctioneer''s voice echoed through the hall. "Thirty-two million! Do I hear thirty-five?"
Linda twirled a loose strand of hair around her finger, then tilted her head at Arnold. Another whisper. Another nod.
"Forty million," she said.
A murmur swept through the crowd. Even Dalton, who had been watching with mild amusement, sat up straighter.
Was
Nora''s fingers curled into her dress. Forty million was absurd. The sculpture valuable, yes, but Linda wasn''t bidding for its worth-she was bidding to break her.
ra swore under her breath. "This is insane."
The room waited. All eyes were on Nora.
She took a slow, steady breath and lifted her paddle. "Forty-five million."
The auctioneer''s voice boomed. "Forty-five million! Going once-"
Nora stiffened.
The room went silent.
Linda directly quoted fifty million dors.
The entire auction hall buzzed with murmurs.
The number was astronomical for most, but Linda sat there, poised, her red lips curving into a smirk as she tapped her perfectly manicured nails against the paddle.
She didn''t even blink at the outrageous amount.
Nora clenched her fists under the table.
Fifty million was beyond what she could afford, but the gift was important. It wasn''t just any item-it was something her grandmother would cherish.
Taking a deep breath, she hesitated, then reached for her phone. There was only one person she could turn to for help.
Arnold.
Her heart pounded as she dialed his number. The rings felt endless before the call finally connected.