Seeing Lydia Wynn approach his mouth with a cotton swab dipped in iodine, Alaric Blackwood flinched back. "What are you doing?"

"Mr. Blackwood, you have a cut on your lip."

"I know. Take the first-aid kit and get out."

"But Mr. Blackwood, your wound needs to be disinfected."

Alaric Blackwood pinched the bridge of his nose sharply. "I told you to get out."

’This assistant was hired by Quentin Blackwood. She’s single-minded and inflexible. She doesn’t follow orders and always does the opposite of what I say. She’s a complete pain to work with.’

"Mr. Blackwood, did you get into a fight?"

"Assistant Wynn, don’t pry into my personal affairs. Just do your job. Don’t do things I haven’t asked you to do, and don’t be nosy."

Lydia Wynn froze for a few seconds, then packed up the first-aid kit and left.

The moment she was out the door, Alaric Blackwood called the HR department and had the manager bring up the résumés of applicants for the executive assistant position.

He personally sorted through them. From the dozens of résumés, he carefully selected a few candidates, all of them male.

"Tell them to come in for an interview at three this afternoon."

The HR manager took the résumés, glanced at them, and nodded. "Understood."

Alaric Blackwood made an appearance at the afternoon interviews. After looking over all the candidates for the assistant position, he immediately singled out Preston Chase.

The man had an impressive résumé with extensive work experience. He had also served in the military and was a veteran.

"He’s the one. Tell him to start as soon as possible."

After that, Alaric Blackwood focused on his work. The dinner and social engagement that evening was with the heads of several companies he had worked with before. They were all there for the Dragonstone Mall acquisition, hoping to get a piece of the pie.

Meanwhile, Sophie Shaw picked up her car from the dealership during the day and went to the Golding & Ray Auction House by herself that evening.

Just as she parked her car in the auction house’s lot, a luxury car whose brand she didn’t recognize pulled up beside her. A tall, well-built man got out of the driver’s seat.

It was someone she knew: Yuri, the founder of Diamond Belle Jewelers.

He, however, didn’t recognize her.

Yuri had been a big shot at her university. As the founder and a renowned designer for Diamond Belle Jewelers, he had once returned to give a public lecture.

Sophie Shaw used to admire him greatly, seeing him as an idol. She had even asked for his autograph, only to be rejected by the aloof upperclassman.

The man was dressed in a custom-tailored suit, his hair slicked back neatly. He wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, and his aura was cool and noble, projecting a distant "do not approach" vibe.

Sophie’s feelings toward Yuri now weren’t very positive. She waited until he had walked into the auction hall before getting out of her car.

Even though he probably didn’t remember her at all, she remembered the fool she’d made of herself in public.

When Yuri came to the university to give his lecture, she had just been a sophomore. After the lecture, she had eagerly rushed forward to ask for his autograph in front of all the students and faculty, only to be mercilessly rejected by Yuri with a simple, "I have other matters to attend to. Please step aside."

Then, Yuri’s bodyguards had shoved her aside. They were rough, not holding back, and she was pushed so hard she nearly fell. It was Damian Morgan who had appeared behind her and steadied her.

And that was the day she and Damian Morgan met...

The thought of Damian Morgan soured her mood.

Composing herself, she walked into the auction hall and found her seat according to the number she had reserved in advance.

Her seat was rather far back, but she could see Yuri among those already seated up front.

He was sitting in the first row.

Not far from him, two rows back, were two other familiar figures.

They were Damian Morgan and his company’s designer, Yara Valentine. The two were sitting together, their heads close as they whispered to each other, their behavior a little too intimate.

An indescribable feeling welled up in Sophie. Watching the pair closely, she saw that when Yara Valentine spoke to Damian Morgan, her red lips were nearly touching his ear. And Damian was absolutely beaming.

It was easy to see from his expression that he held Yara Valentine in high regard.

’No way.’

’Are they having an affair?’

Just as her mind was racing with suspicion, Yara Valentine’s red lips finally did touch Damian Morgan’s ear.

Damian Morgan didn’t seem to mind at all. He took a handkerchief from his suit pocket and handed it to Yara, letting her wipe the lipstick smudge from his ear.

’It looked far too intimate, no matter how you sliced it.’

’Vianne Kane hadn’t come to the auction as Damian Morgan’s date, so she must have been tied up with work.’

’There was nothing wrong, in theory, with Damian bringing his company’s jewelry designer to broaden her horizons. Even if Vianne Kane knew he’d brought a female companion, she probably wouldn’t suspect a thing.’

But... Sophie had a strong feeling that their relationship wasn’t so simple.

’If they really were having an affair, wouldn’t that mean she had fatal leverage over Damian? Could she use it as blackmail to make him return control of the Heart of the Ocean to her?’

’If she did that, she could get back the shares that were originally hers.’

At this thought, Sophie’s heart began to pound.

She took out her phone, opened the video camera, and secretly recorded a short clip of Damian Morgan and Yara Valentine. She sent it directly to Anne on WeChat.

A few minutes later, Anne replied: "That scumbag is cheating again?"

’Looks like Anne felt the same way she did.’

Sophie: "Not sure. Let’s wait and see."

Anne was getting excited. "He hasn’t even married into the Kane Family yet, and he’s already this bold? Definitely worth keeping an eye on. If he really is cheating, make sure you get proof."

That was exactly what Sophie was thinking.

After the auction officially began, Sophie paid little attention to the first few items. Her focus was on Damian Morgan and Yara Valentine, right up until the staff brought the final, show-stopping piece to the stage.

The auctioneer began to introduce the item. "This is our final piece for today—Eternal Promise. It is the winner of an international jewelry design award and the work of the late genius designer, Lynn. Lynn was a very mysterious figure during her lifetime, and this is the only one of her designs ever made public. It is a one-of-a-kind piece... The starting bid is ten million."

Hearing the starting bid, Sophie felt her vision go black as a buzz filled her head.

’My god, that necklace is worth a fortune.’

Sophie felt like crying.

The moment the auctioneer finished his introduction, someone raised a paddle to bid.

It was Yuri.

The auctioneer announced, "To this gentleman, fifteen million."

Damian Morgan raised his paddle.

The auctioneer: "Twenty million."

Yuri glanced sideways at Damian Morgan, his expression cold, and raised his paddle again.

The auctioneer: "Twenty-five million."

"Thirty million... Forty million..."

Sophie was on the edge of her seat, gripping her paddle so tightly her palm was slick with sweat.

The auctioneer: "This gentleman again, fifty million."

She looked over at the sound of the announcement. It was Yuri who had raised his paddle.

Fifty million... Her hands were shaking.

She only had twenty million. Although Alaric Blackwood had given her a black card and said there was no limit, these were bids in the tens of millions. She was afraid he would call off the wedding.

"Fifty million going once, fifty million going twice... We have a bid from a gentleman for fifty-five million."

Just as the hammer was about to fall, Damian Morgan raised his paddle again.

Yuri shot him a look, then calmly raised his own paddle.

The auctioneer: "Sixty million."

After that number was called out, no one else in the room placed a bid.

"Sixty million going once, sixty million going twice, sixty million going three times."

The auctioneer’s hammer fell heavily. "Sold."