Barrington was putting on a strong front, but deep down, he was far from confident. The next second, Trevor casually raised his bidding paddle and said, “Twenty million.” Just for a necklace, twenty million was already a sky–high price.
Barrington’s expression darkened as he followed up. “Twenty–five million.”
As he bid, he was already texting his assistant to compile a full list of his assets–he needed to know exactly how much he had at his disposal.
He’d already lost Xanthe. There was no way he was letting the necklace slip through his fingers, too.
But Trevor didn’t intend to give Barrington the chance to win. Leaning lazily against a window, a half–burnt cigarette still held between his fingers, he looked completely unbothered.
“I’m going all in,” he casually declared.
Those four words instantly made the room buzzed.
In auction terms, that meant he was willing to outbid anyone–no matter what price they
called.
But almost no one dared to make such a move not just because of the risk of a rival deliberately driving up the price–but also because most no one simply didn’t have that kind of nerve.
The last time someone used that phrase in an auction in Chicago, it had also been a
member of the Michelsons–Trevor’s father.
From the back row, Xanthe finally spoke. “It’s just a necklace. It’s not worth it.
“Xanthe,” Trevor said softly, “to Barrington and me, this is more than just a necklace.”
The auctioneer smiled and turned to Barrington. “Mr. Connolly, would you like to continue bidding? If you intend to go further, we’ll need to verify your funds. Your credit limit with our bank is nearly maxed out.”
People nearby began whispering to him with concern.
“President Connolly, just let it go. It’s the Michelsons–you can’t compete with that kind of wealth.”
“Exactly. Even if all of us pooled our money, we still couldn’t match Mr. Michelson. Backing down now is better than losing everything.”
Just then, Barrington’s assistant sent over the numbers.
[President Connolly, you only have twenty million in liquid assets left.]
Barrington wanted to fight, but he simply didn’t have the means.
Under the weight of everyone’s gaze, Barrington clenched his fists and finally let out a breath, his whole body seeming to deflate.
In the end, the necklace once belonging to Princess Diana went to Trevor. Trevor gave a lazy, triumphant smile and didn’t miss the chance to rub it in.
“I told you, Mr. Connolly. You could never beat me.”
His cocky voice rang through the auction hall as he added, almost like an afterthought, “Three days from now, Xanthe Wentworth and I are getting married. Everyone here is invited.”
And then, he looked straight at Barrington. “I’ve reserved a special seat just for you, Mr. Connolly. You’d better be there.”
Barrington suddenly stood up, staring Trevor down with cold eyes.
“Don’t celebrate too soon, Mr. Michelson,” he said flatly. “This isn’t over yet. Let’s see what happens next.”
With that, Barrington turned and left the venue.
Within the day, the news of Trevor’s dramatic bid for Xanthe had already gone viral.
Media outlets were all over it, pushing the narrative of Trevor as the ultimate devoted fiancé.
The day before the wedding, Xanthe came home from a prenup spa treatment to find her father sitting in the living room, face dark with worry.
“Dad? What’s wrong?”
He sighed and handed her his phone.
She took it and glanced at the screen. The headlines were disgusting, but she just gave an indifferent smile.
“The wedding’s tomorrow, and this is what Barrington pulls today. How clever.”
The internet was flooded with rumors–claims that Xanthe had once been married to Barrington. Even worse–she’d gotten an abortion a month after they split.
The comments were brutal, calling her a cheap woman.
Trevor, her now–fiancé, was rich, handsome, and popular. Over the years, he’d turned down countless women, all for Xanthe. That made her the target of even more envy and
resentment.
Now that Xanthe’s past had come to light, they couldn’t wait to drag her name through the
mud.
Holden slammed a hand on the table. “I knew that son of a bitch was no good. After everything you did for him, now he’s trying to ruin you?”
Heaving a sigh, he firmly declared, “He will pay for this. I will find him, make him come forward, and clear your name.”
Just as Xanthe was about to stop her father, her phone rang.
“Speaking of the devil.”
Chapter 20
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Barrington’s exhausted voice came through. “Xanthe, I’m sure you’ve seen everything online by now.”
“We didn’t have to come to this,” he said quietly. “If you’d just come back to me… If you agreed to marry me again, I’d make a public statement and clear it all up for you.”
Chapter 21
