The waiter wasn’t wrong–Barrington really didn’t have that kind of status anymore.
In the end, he could only sit in the hotel lobby downstairs, occasionally glancing up toward the upper floors.
But Xanthe, seated beside Trevor, never once looked in his direction.
Barrington took a sharp breath and reminded himself, ‘There’s still a chance. Don’t rush it.‘
Before coming, he had done his homework–he knew this auction featured a necklace once owned by Princess Diana.
Xanthe had mentioned more than once how much she admired Princess Diana. If he could win the bid, maybe–just maybe–she’d be in a better mood.
Soon, the auction officially began. The first few items were all sold for tens of millions. The fourth item up was the Princess Diana necklace, with a starting bid of five million.
Barrington was the first to raise his bid. “Six million!”
In the top–floor private box, Trevor chuckled, his tone teasing. “Looks like he’s trying to win you over with this. He’s clearly not over you, babe.”
Even Xanthe hadn’t expected Barrington’s obsession with her to run this deep.
‘Maybe it’s true,’ she figured, ‘people always want what they can’t have.‘
“How pathetic,” she mumbled, shaking her head.
If Barrington had just put in this much effort earlier, things between them wouldn’t have ended like this.
Now, he had no one to blame but himself.
“I know you’ve loved Princess Diana since you were young,” Trevor said gently. “Let me bid on it for you.”
He gave the waiter a subtle nod. “Eight million.”
Downstairs, Barrington’s expression darkened.
‘If he wants the necklace too, he thought to himself, ‘there’s no guarantee I can outbid him!‘
When he looked up, he saw Xanthe leaning close to Trevor. The sight made Barrington’s hands clenched into fists even harder.
“Nine million!” he shouted again.
Gasps echoed throughout the room after that.
“What made the necklace valuable is its meaning–but a bid that high has already surpassed its actual worth.”
“Isn’t that the famous CEO from Springfield? No wonder he dared to compete with the Michelsons. He’s clearly not from around here.”
“You don’t know the half of it–I’ve got an inside scoop. That Springfield guy’s in love with the Wentworths‘ heiress. No wonder those two men are fighting over the same thing.”
11:28 Sat, 12 Jul A MA
“Dang, the Wentworths and the Michelsons are the cream of the crop. The Connollys in Springfield only rose to prominence in the last few years, didn’t they? He really thinks he stands a chance with the Wentworths‘ heiress? He’s better off dreaming in Springfield.”
They weren’t even whispering. Barrington could hear every word, but he could only press his lips into a tight line.
For the past three years, even though their marriage was a secret, it was obvious to everyone that Xanthe liked him.
Back then, she was just his secretary, and there had always been whispers like this.
Once, she had seriously said to him, “Barry, let’s go public. I’m tired of hearing people talk like this.”
At the time, he dismissed it. “People say whatever they want. We can’t control that. As long as we’re good with each other, that’s all that matters.”
She’d been upset with him for days afterward, and he’d thought she was being unreasonable and too sensitive.
Now that he was the one on the receiving end of those same whispers, he finally realized just how cruel those words had been.
Upstairs, Trevor narrowed his eyes. “So Barrington wants to go head–to–head with me financially?”
Xanthe raised an eyebrow. “Why? Think you’ll lose?”
Trevor let out a soft chuckle. “I’m just worried he’ll go bankrupt trying to keep up–and then you’ll feel sorry for him.”
“Feel sorry for him?” Xanthe scoffed. “Not a chance. I’d only feel sorry for your wallet. After all, that’s going to be our shared marital property someday.”
Trevor leaned in and brushed his lips against her earlobe, chuckling. “Well, since you’ve said the word, I won’t hold back.”
With a mischievous grin, he stood and walked to the window, looking down at Barrington with an arrogant smile.
“Seems like Mr. Connolly really likes that necklace,” he said lazily. “But my fiancée likes it too, and when she likes something, I give it to her whatever it takes.”
Behind him, Xanthe’s cheeks flushed. Trevor had done it on purpose–calling her “fiancée” in front of everyone, just to provoke Barrington.
Down below, Barrington sat up straighter, his eyes cold. He spoke slowly and clearly.
“What a coincidence. My wife also loves that necklace.
“She’s been upset with me lately because I made a mistake. I was planning to get this necklace to make it up to her.
“If Mr. Michelson is interested in something else, I’ll gladly step aside–But not for this
one.”
In an instant, the atmosphere in the auction hall turned tense.
Chant
2/3 17.3%
11:28 Sat, 12 Jul AM ·
ས ཊཱི 64%=
Though the two men had kept their words vague, everyone in the room was sharp enough
to connect the dots.
The spotlight fell on Trevor’s face, his deep eyes adding a chill to his presence. “Step aside? No one has ever taken something I set my sights on. That necklace–I’ll get that for my fiancée.”
“If you insist, Mr. Connolly, then let’s play fair and square. Besides, I’ve got plenty of money,” he emphasized. “It’d be fun to play along.”
