?Chapter 41:


    “Fifteen million, one hundred thousand!” Joyce dered, her voice tight with tension.


    Dani, calm andposed, effortlessly raised her own paddle.


    “Sixteen million.”


    “Sixteen million, one hundred thousand,” Joyce quickly added, unwilling to back down.


    Without missing a beat, Dani smoothly countered, “Seventeen million.”


    At that moment, Joyce felt the weight of the room’s gaze upon her.


    She tugged at the fabric of her dress, her thoughts a whirlwind. Bidding any higher would consume her entire allowance from Caiden for the next six months.


    “Ms. Holt, will you continue?” the auctioneer inquired, his smile coaxing.


    “This piece is truly a heart’s desire. Do you wish to bid further?”


    Joyce’s cheeks flushed a deep shade of red.


    Continue? How could he suggest such a thing? Unlike Dani, who wielded her own fortune with independence, Joyce was acutely aware that every dor she spent was at Caiden’s discretion.


    Her heart seethed with envy, but her expression betrayed only a delicate vulnerability. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she grasped Alexander’s sleeve.


    “Alexander, Dani is trying to disgrace me in front of everyone.”


    Before Dani could mount a defense, Lillian burst forward, her finger pointing usingly at Joyce.


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    “Enough! How much more nder will you throw at Dani? This is a respectable auction! If it’s beyond your means, just admit it. Why me others for your loss? Enough with your theatrics!”


    Joyce’s tears cascaded down her cheeks, adding dramatic ir to her sorrow.


    Alexander stood abruptly, his icy stare locking onto Lillian.


    As he prepared to speak, Dani also rose, stepping forward to pull Lillian back. Her warm gaze hardened.


    “Enough, Dani!” Alexander interjected smoothly.


    Despite her efforts to extinguish the old mes, his words sliced through her, painfully sharp. After all, he was the one she had cherished for so long.


    Pressing her lips tightly, Dani fought back the quiver threatening to betray her emotions. On the verge of speaking, she felt a shadow fall over her. A hand enclosed her wrist and pulled her back in one smooth, protective motion.


    “Cut the nonsense, Mr. Bet. Who’s really crossing the damn line here?” The words, tinged with authority, sliced through the thick silence in the room. His piercing gaze swept over the gathered onlookers, finally anchoring on Alexander.


    “So, Dani was once blind to your maniptions, and now you presume to push her around at your whim? Cut the shit. This nonsense ends now.”


    The atmosphere in the room turned icy.


    Every gaze shifted toward the speaker. It took a moment for the crowd to fully recognize him. Cedric Phillips, a titan of industry, renowned for his unyielding tactics and strategic brilliance.


    Commanding every bit of the room’s energy, Cedric, however, seemed aloof to the intense stares fixated on him. His eyes locked onto Dani’s, his voice low and steady as he spoke.


    “Don’t bother fighting with pigs—they love the mud, and you’ll just end up covered in their filth.”


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