One Night With A Mysterious Billionaire (The Heiress's Revenge)-Chapter 62: The season of bromance is over

"Bitch," Cynthia muttered under her breath, anger simmering just beneath her composed exterior. She forced herself to maintain the polished, refined facade of a lady, careful not to create a scene.

Everyone knew that whatever Cynthia wanted, she got. Yet here she was, challenged for the first time over something she didn’t even need, she wanted it because Lane had shown interest. She had assumed Lena would relent if she kept raising the bid, but she had lost.

Her liquid funds barely reached twenty million, and her father hadn’t yet given her control of the company. She couldn’t make any decisive moves yet.

For now, she would have to concede, but only temporarily. How long could she tolerate that lowly bitch standing in her way? Her fingers dug into her palms as her gaze lingered on Lena from her VIP section.

The sight was unbearable, happiness and laughter radiated from Lena’s face, with Raymond looking at her as if she were his entire world.

Cynthia’s heart clenched. She couldn’t allow this to continue. Raymond would slip through her fingers. There was a time when she had complete control over him, but now... he couldn’t even stand her, let alone consider marrying her.

A flush rose to her cheeks as memories of humiliation flooded back, from the engagement to this very auction, Raymond had done everything in his power to distance himself from her, no matter how soft she pretended to be. Cynthia exhaled sharply.

"It seems I’ll have to take the hard way now," she murmured, her voice low and dangerous. "It’s a pity. I thought we could reach an agreement, but it appears I’ll have to take the name myself, whether you like it or not."

Her eyes stayed fixed on Raymond and Lena, unblinking.

Meanwhile, Lena was blissfully unaware of the storm brewing across the room. She was fully immersed in the excitement of the auction, laughter dancing on her lips.

"It seems Raymond is treating you well?" Sylvia finally asked the question she had been holding since her arrival.

Lena nodded thoughtfully. "Yes... he’s doing his best."

Sylvia’s lips curved into a knowing smile. "I’m surprised at how fast both of you have changed. Knowing Raymond, he’s never kept a woman this long. And knowing you... you were always timid, reserved. But now..." She sipped her wine, her eyes gleaming.

"What change do you see?" Lena asked, intrigued.

"You’ve become bolder... more daring. And while I like this side of you, you must tread carefully. Cynthia is not someone to be trifled with, she will stop at nothing to get her way. I’m sure you’ve experienced it firsthand." Sylvia’s gaze sharpened, almost conspiratorial.

"You mean... my kidnapping?" Lena asked, her eyes darkening. "It’s not proven," Sylvia replied

"It is not proven yet, but as someone who has been in the social circle for long, I have my suspicion, we all do but you know, it is only suspicion without proof" she smiled, sipped her wine and looked towards Cynthia’s booth, Lena followed her gaze and she and Cynthia’s gaze locked, with none of them ready to back down. And the staring contest began.

Sylvia smiled as she watched the two ladies engaged in a fierce battle of staring.

"You know Lena," Sylvia spoke and that broke Lena’s reverie. "you should know how far you are willingly to go with Raymond, is he worth it and would there be protection if this ever ends. You are threading on dangerous waters,"

"Why are you speaking in riddles, you sound different from the Sylvia I know in your city " Lena said and noticed Sylvia’s eyes trained on someone, Liam to be precise, her eyes silent and lost, filled with unspoken emotion.

You should ask yourself how far you are willingly to go Lena, don’t let the trill of high society consume you, the three of them seated there, are nothing but danger wrapped in tuxedo, that is all I can say"

Sylvia smiled and started looking at the stage as the autoneer called out another item, Lena’s eyes darted from Sylvia to Raymond and his friends and then to Cynthia before finally resting on stage where the next item was being displayed, her heart in turmoil as she contemplated what Sylvia just told her.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, the final item of the evening, a rare pair of gold cufflinks once worn by Emperor Augustus of Rome himself. A relic of power, legacy, and empire." the auctioneer’s voice boom

"We begin bidding at 10 million dollars for the"

"Ten point two million. Do I see Ten point three?"

Another paddle rose.

"eleven million. Lena raised her paddle, with a smile silencing the crowd. Before whispers began to fly

"Twelve million" Cynthia raised her paddle. It was no longer hidden that they were in a competition and anything Lena chose to bid for became interested.

Another person, a man in a blue tux, raised his paddle ignoring the whispers. The tempo of his voice sharpened, rhythmic and precise. "thirteen million. Thank you, sir."

The numbers climbed swiftly, tension tightening like a drawn bowstring.

"thirteen point five million... fourteen million ,fifteen point five million, fifteen point seven hundred million..."

Silence hovered.

"seveteen million," a calm voice called from the back belonging to Lena came

A wave of whispers spread across the hall.

"Twenty million dollars" the man on blue tux raised his paddle, it seems he really wanted that cufflinks

"twenty million dollars. Fair warning... Once...

Thirty million dollars" Raymond finally raised his paddle. He had been watching Lena and saw the disappointment etched on her face. He doesn’t know why she wanted the cufflinks but, if she needed it, why let it go? So he raised his paddle to stop the cufflinks from going to someone else but to Lena, she thought he also fancied the cufflinks thereby making her happy that they shared the same taste because Lena’s intention was to get for him..

The hall erupted in loud gasps, some openly discussed how the cufflinks does not what that outrageous amount, but on second thought it was Mr Black, money was never a problem to him.

Thirty million going once... twice ...The gavel struck.

"Sold! For thirty million dollars!"

The gavel struck the podium with a sharp crack that echoed through the room. Applause erupted signifying the end of the auction.

assistants moved swiftly to finalize the paperwork with bidders who won the bids for each item. With a satisfied smile, the auctioneer adjusted his cufflinks.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes tonight’s auction. On behalf of the house, we thank you for your distinguished presence. Safe travels, and we look forward to welcoming you again."

"Do you really need those cufflinks?" Damon asked, suspicion lacing his tone.

"No, I don’t," Raymond replied deadpan, his gaze calm but unreadable.

"Then why did you buy it, paying that outrageous amount?" Liam pressed, exasperation clear in his voice.

"Because my kitten wants it. Isn’t that reason enough to buy it for her?" Raymond’s voice was low, possessive. He casually pulled out his phone, sending a quick text with only a few words: It is time.

Lena waited, anticipation tightening her chest. The previous item had already been delivered, and now the cufflinks arrived. But they were far from ordinary; these were breathtaking, forged not merely as accessories, but as statements of power and legacy.

Crafted from solid 24-karat imperial gold, the metal carried a deep, sunlit glow, warm, rich, and impossibly smooth. This was no ordinary polished gold, it radiated a heavy, regal brilliance, as if history itself had been captured within its sheen. Under the chandelier lights, the surface shimmered like molten sunlight spilling across silk, reflecting every glimmer with majestic intensity.

Lena gasped, breath catching at the sight. She held the cufflinks delicately in her hand, and in that instant, her eyes met Raymond’s.

The room around them seemed to dissolve, leaving only the two of them in a bubble of quiet intimacy. Ignoring the onlookers, she stepped closer, letting the world fade away.

"Can I put it on you?" she asked softly, her voice carrying a mixture of reverence and playfulness, her eyes brighter than the gold in her hands. Raymond simply nodded, watching as she carefully removed his previous cufflinks and replaced them with the new ones. Her fingers brushed over his wrists, deliberate and gentle, and she smiled, satisfied.

"Perfect," she muttered, rising on tiptoe to place a brief, teasing kiss on his lips. "You look handsome... Mr. Handsome." Raymond chuckled darkly, remembering her teasing words from the day they first met.

"You finally decided to go with that name," he said, pulling her close and holding her at his waist. She nodded, her lips curling into a shy smile.

"Don’t drool on me. I know that’s the next thing you’re going to do," he teased, earning a playful smack on the chest.

"I drool just once," Lena shot back, defensively.

Raymond smirked. "I counted five in public, and several more at home."

"That many?" Lena’s eyes widened in mock horror.

They both laughed, lost in their own world, forgetting their friends seated just a few feet away.

"When you asked me to join you tonight, I never realized it would be to watch you and Lena display your love for each other," Damon said, sulking dramatically.

Lena’s arms wrapped around Raymond’s back as she smiled, leaning into him.

"All evening, I felt like a third wheel," Damon continued, "disturbing your alone time."

"Not to mention the silent gazes, plotting, and endless eye contact," Liam added, rolling his eyes.

"The bromance season is officially over," Sylvia interjected sharply, "go get yourselves girlfriends... or wives."

"I better do that," Damon muttered thoughtfully, earning a burst of laughter from everyone, including Lena and Raymond.

For a moment, the world felt light, warm, and full of joy, an intimacy shared in the midst of grandeur, laughter ringing around them, echoing into the night.