The auction house staff was prompt. They quickly brought over a POS machine for Cecilia Croft to pay with her card and delivered the item she had won.

Just as Cecilia Croft signed the receipt, another item on the auction stage caught her attention.

The gemstone necklace the auctioneer was introducing was her mother’s heirloom.

She raised her paddle without a moment’s hesitation.

This time, Jude Sheridan refused to back down. After a few rounds of bidding, he made a "knockout bid."

A wave of whispers went through the room.

Cecilia lowered her hand in defeat, got up, and knocked on the partition to the adjacent private suite.

The partition didn’t open.

The next second, someone else raised their paddle, restarting the bidding. After a few more rounds, the price of the item had far exceeded its actual value.

Jude Sheridan’s knockout bid meant that no matter how high the price climbed, he was obligated to keep bidding, ensuring he remained the highest bidder, and he could not back out of the auction.

The auction was pushed to its climax.

In the end, Jude Sheridan won the item for thirty million.

The necklace itself, however, was only worth about two million.

Jasmine Vance clicked her tongue. "Is he crazy?"

Cecilia Croft rubbed her temples, having lost all interest in the remaining items.

"That was my mother’s heirloom. I have to go over there."

Jasmine Vance stood up with her.

"I’ll go with you."

Cecilia shook her head. "No, it’s fine. I can handle this."

She opened the door to her suite and walked out. At the same time, the doors of the suites on her left and right also opened.

A group of people emerged from the suite on the left first. The man in the lead wore a dark-colored shirt, the warm yellow light tracing the outline of his broad shoulders and narrow waist hidden beneath the fabric.

Several men in business suits followed him like planets orbiting the sun. He walked over with a faint smile, each step exuding an effortless, magnetic charm.

Cecilia recognized him at a glance—the man she had rear-ended.

"Mr. Hawthorne..."

She took the initiative to greet him.

As Sebastian Hawthorne passed by her, he gave a slight nod.

"Hello."

His voice was clear and cool, betraying no emotion.

A strange feeling welled up in Cecilia’s chest. It was stifling and uncomfortable, but more than anything, it was humiliating.

If she hadn’t met Jude Sheridan seven years ago, according to the agreement between the Croft and Hawthorne families, they would have been preparing her wedding to Sebastian Hawthorne.

The man she had once chosen without a second thought was now flaunting another woman at an auction and had just caused a huge scene. Sebastian Hawthorne was in the suite right next to hers; how could he not have heard?

Cecilia was mortified.

Just then, Jude Sheridan also walked out of his suite.

He had already received word that the person bidding against him for the item was none other than Sebastian Hawthorne.

His assistant was holding the newly acquired item. At a pointed look from Jude, the assistant brought it over to Sebastian Hawthorne.

"Mr. Hawthorne, our President Sheridan heard that you were quite fond of this piece and specifically instructed me to present it to you as a gift."

For Vantage, spending thirty million for a chance to connect with Sebastian Hawthorne was a bargain.

Jude Sheridan had always known when to cut his losses and when to invest.

Sebastian Hawthorne glanced at the item, then lowered his gaze to look askance at Cecilia Croft.

"This is what you settled for?"

Others might not have understood his insinuation, but Cecilia knew exactly what he meant.

She felt her face burn with shame.

His gaze was so aggressive that Cecilia couldn’t bring herself to look up.

Jude Sheridan’s assistant had an awkward expression on his face. The item in his hands had suddenly become a hot potato; he could neither give it away nor take it back.

Sebastian Hawthorne didn’t reach out to take the item. Instead, he lifted his eyes to look at Jude Sheridan, who was standing a short distance away.

"A gentleman doesn’t take what another man cherishes. I thank you for the offer, President Sheridan, but you should keep this treasure for yourself."

Jude Sheridan smiled and walked over, putting on an air of confidence. There was no trace of cautious sycophancy about him as he struck up a conversation with Sebastian Hawthorne naturally.

"A masterpiece is easy to find, but a true connoisseur is rare. I’m not really one to appreciate this piece. By giving it to someone who is, I find the fragrance of the rose lingers on the hand of the giver."

A faint smile played on Sebastian Hawthorne’s lips, his dark eyes filled with a brilliant light.

"Since President Sheridan has put it so eloquently, it would seem rude of me not to accept."

’Once I’ve connected with Sebastian Hawthorne, Vantage is bound to reach new heights.’ Jude Sheridan’s eyes crinkled with a smile, but deep within them lay ambition and a sense of certain victory.

Cecilia’s gaze was fixed on the item, a flicker of disappointment in her eyes.

’If the necklace was still in Jude Sheridan’s hands, I could still find a way to get it back.’

’Now that it’s in Sebastian Hawthorne’s hands, I don’t have the face to ask for it.’

Jude Sheridan took the brocade box from his assistant’s hands and presented it to Sebastian Hawthorne.

Sebastian Hawthorne reached out, took it, and passed it to the assistant behind him.

Now that the gift was delivered, Jude Sheridan naturally began to consider the right time to invite Sebastian Hawthorne out and further solidify their new relationship.

Before he could speak, Sebastian Hawthorne’s assistant, a man named Scott, spoke up with a cheerful grin.

"President Sheridan is truly a man of his word. Should we consider this payment for our suite fee?"

Sebastian Hawthorne chuckled. "What kind of suite costs that much?"

Assistant Scott said, "It naturally includes compensation for the mental distress caused by all the noise just now."

Sebastian Hawthorne: "That does seem reasonable."

Only then did Jude Sheridan realize that the person who had complained about the noise from his suite was Sebastian Hawthorne.

The words he had prepared caught in his throat, and he couldn’t bring himself to say them.

He wanted to explain, but Sebastian Hawthorne was already leading his entourage away, walking right past him.

Assistant Scott was a lively chatterbox, talking with Sebastian Hawthorne as they walked.

"If I’d known he was just going to give it to us, I would have raised my paddle a few more times to drive the price even higher."

Sebastian Hawthorne replied nonchalantly, "Be merciful when you can."

Assistant Scott: "You didn’t exactly look like you were letting him off the hook when you accepted the gift."

’That was twenty million dollars, just like that!’

Sebastian Hawthorne smiled serenely. "Because I am the true connoisseur."

Assistant Scott didn’t understand.

Jude Sheridan stood frozen in place, the look of certain victory in his eyes gone, replaced by sheer irritation.

He had been played for a fool without even realizing it, even spending an extra twenty million to gift the item to the very person who was mocking him.

Cecilia Croft stood quietly to the side, observing. Her silent demeanor seemed to be a quiet mockery of his blunder.

After all, she had warned him multiple times not to get involved with people like that.

He took a deep breath. Despite his foul mood, he still took the initiative to offer an olive branch.

"The items I won earlier—I’ll have my assistant send all of them to you."

Cecilia replied, her expression blank, "If you give them all to me, doesn’t that mean Ms. Keller wasted her entire evening sitting here with you?"

Jessica Keller chose that moment to walk out, looking at Cecilia with a timid gaze.

"Cecilia, President Sheridan bid on these items for you in the first place. It’s okay, I don’t need anything."

Cecilia gave a cold laugh. "So, Ms. Keller is just that considerate. No wonder all these men praise you for being ’above the chase for fame and fortune.’ It’s rare to see a woman so pleased with herself after being taken for a ride. If every mistress in the world learned from your example, I’m sure a lot of wealthy wives would have to worry less about their assets disappearing."

Jessica Keller’s face went deathly pale.

Jude Sheridan’s face darkened, his gaze turning icy cold, filled with a biting chill.