The Husband I Loved for Eight Years Never Loved Me-Chapter 139: A Charged Atmosphere
Chapter 139: A Tense Standoff
Claire Ainsworth looked at her too, her eyes filled with blatant provocation.
"Sorry, Miss Evelynn, but I quite like this set too. And when I like something, I always fight for it to the very end."
As Claire Ainsworth spoke, Tristan Sterling, who sat beside her, merely sipped his wine in silence, his handsome, profound features unreadable.
Rachel Royce looked at Claire Ainsworth, her expression indifferent. "Is that so? Then may the best woman win."
While the two were talking, the bidding had already gone through three rounds, reaching thirty-one million.
Claire Ainsworth raised her paddle again, jumping the price in one go: "Fifty million!"
From the looks of it, she was determined to win.
Everyone in the venue turned to look at the main table. It seemed this jewelry set was out of reach for anyone else.
Rachel Royce raised her paddle and increased the bid. "Sixty million."
"..."
The organizer, seated in the middle, clearly sensed the hostile atmosphere. The feeling of drawn swords made one’s nerves tighten involuntarily.
This round of bidding had clearly become a battleground for the two women.
Tristan Sterling and Julian Jennings sat beside them, quietly watching them bid, both appearing to indulge them.
Soon, the price for the jewelry set was driven up to ninety-five million.
The rest of the crowd was silent.
They were watching as if it were a fierce battle, waiting to see who would ultimately win this set of Imperial Green jade jewelry.
Claire Ainsworth: "One hundred and ten million!"
Rachel Royce called out calmly, "One hundred and eleven million."
Rachel’s increments were getting smaller and smaller.
Seeing Rachel Royce’s calm and composed demeanor infuriated Claire Ainsworth. She subconsciously glanced back at Tristan Sterling.
Tristan Sterling said softly, "If you like it, keep going."
With her worries assuaged, Claire Ainsworth immediately added another thirty million.
Rachel once again added one million on top of that.
Claire would make a jump, and Rachel would leisurely add another million.
When Claire followed suit by adding only a million, Rachel shot the price up by thirty million.
Instantly, the composure on Claire Ainsworth’s pretty face began to crumble.
"Miss Ainsworth, are you still bidding?"
Claire Ainsworth stared at her, her brow tightly furrowed. In a fit of anger, she raised the bid straight to two hundred million.
The crowd was stunned.
Even if the wealthy elite weren’t short on cash, spending two hundred million in one go on a jewelry set worth no more than twenty million was a rare sight.
Seeing this, the organizer stepped in to mediate. "Miss Ainsworth, Miss Evelynn, there are more jewelry pieces up for auction later. Perhaps we can look at the other items. If a better piece comes up, I will be sure to contact you both immediately."
’If they keep this up, there’s no telling when it will end, and there are other items waiting.’
Rachel Royce looked at the organizer and said softly, "I saw a sapphire diamond ring. I was wondering if Director Tate would be willing to sell it to me directly? I’ll pay double the price."
Since she had put it that way, Director Tate had no choice but to agree. "Of course, you can."
Rachel smiled. "Thank you, Director Tate."
Then she turned to Claire Ainsworth and said flatly, "In that case, congratulations, Miss Ainsworth."
’My money is no match for Tristan Sterling’s.’
’No matter how high I bid, Claire Ainsworth is in a mood where she’ll never back down.’
’And Tristan Sterling can afford to pay any price for her.’
’Making him waste over a hundred million is letting him off easy.’
’Of course, since Director Tate already stepped in, I might as well take the opportunity to bow out gracefully.’
Claire Ainsworth listened to the woman’s calm and composed tone. Even as she heard the auctioneer announce that she had won the jewelry set, she felt no sense of triumph.
Director Tate saw the look on Claire Ainsworth’s face and simply offered his congratulations to Tristan Sterling instead.
A faint, inscrutable smile touched Tristan Sterling’s lips.
Tristan Sterling looked at Claire Ainsworth and asked gently, "Why are you still unhappy?"
Claire Ainsworth looked up at him. Seeing the tenderness in his eyes, her mood improved significantly. A smile returned to her lips as she said, "I’m not unhappy. Thank you, Tristan."
"As long as you’re happy."
Claire Ainsworth looked up at Rachel Royce across from them, her eyes full of smug satisfaction.
Rachel Royce was speaking in a low voice with Julian Jennings. Though she wanted to ignore them, she had still heard their exchange during the brief moment of silence.
’It’s really quite disgusting.’
Director Tate got up to make a call, telling someone to set aside the sapphire diamond ring and remove it from the auction.
The auction continued.
Finally, it was time for the ancient Ming Dynasty painting that Julian Jennings had his eye on.
Rachel had expected Tristan Sterling to compete with Julian Jennings for it, or at least try to annoy him. After all, their peace was only superficial; their private competition was incredibly fierce.
But now it seemed her perspective had been too narrow.
For men like them, competing in such an insignificant setting was meaningless—nothing more than a waste of time.
So, in the end, there were no surprises.
Julian Jennings won the ancient painting for one hundred and fifty million.
Director Tate congratulated Julian Jennings.
"So, President Jennings is interested in ancient paintings."
Julian Jennings said, "It’s a birthday gift for an elder in my family who is turning eighty."
"I see! Then this is certainly the most fitting birthday gift. The old master will surely be delighted. Allow me to offer my early wishes for Master Jennings’s health and long-lasting fortune."
"Thank you."
The two exchanged a few polite pleasantries.
Next among the lots was a set of the Four Treasures of the Study.
The bidding for this set was not fierce.
Rachel Royce raised her paddle to bid.
"That set would be a suitable gift for your father," Julian Jennings said.
Rachel gave a slight nod but didn’t speak.
This time, Claire Ainsworth behaved herself and didn’t compete with her.
In the end, Rachel Royce won it for three million.
After confirming the win, Rachel Royce said to Julian Jennings, "Grandpa Jennings should like this set of the Four Treasures of the Study, right?"
Julian Jennings was taken aback for a moment.
Rachel Royce had indeed intended to buy an item to give to Master Jennings. Last week, for Florence Preston’s birthday, Julian Jennings had given her a set of jewelry.
So, she definitely had to return the gesture.
She hadn’t told him beforehand because she was afraid Julian Jennings would tell her not to bid.
Julian understood her intention and smiled gently. "He loves to practice calligraphy in his spare time. He’ll definitely like it."
"That’s good."
As Rachel retracted her gaze, she inadvertently met Tristan Sterling’s eyes. Her expression darkened, and she looked away.
「Half an hour later.」
The auction came to an end after Tristan Sterling won the final, headline-making antique.
After it was over, the guests who had won items needed to go backstage to register the transactions.
Director Tate had set aside the sapphire diamond ring for Rachel Royce, who ultimately purchased it for fifteen million.
There were no issues with the auction confirmation form, so she signed it.
The payment had to be made within three days.
Once the payment was successful, the items would be delivered to her home.
While Julian Jennings’s ancient painting was being appraised, Rachel Royce’s phone vibrated. She stepped out to take the call. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎
The call was from Melissa.
"Aunt Evelynn, when are you coming back?" Melissa asked in a wheedling tone.
During the school term, she stayed with Melissa at Silvermist Bay. She hadn’t expected Tristan Sterling to return today, however, and had no idea if he would be coming home tonight.
If he wasn’t going home with Claire Ainsworth, then she definitely wouldn’t be going back there.
