Chapter 277
Charlotte sat next to Anthony, lounging on the sofa with her phone, barely sparing the glittering diamond a second look. She didn’t seem the least bit interested, even though everyone else was losing their minds over it.
“Open up,” Anthony said in that gentle voice of his. He had peeled an apple, sliced off a piece, and tasted it first to make sure it wasn’t too tart. Then he held it up to her lips. “Just half. That’s all you get.”
She was supposed to avoid cold foods right now, so he was extra careful.
Charlotte’s thick lashes lifted as she glanced up at him. Her lips curved in a tiny, secret smile before she let him feed her the apple.
“Good?” he asked.
Charlotte made a little face, scrunching her nose. Anthony didn’t miss a beat. He put the apple aside and reached for a bowl of grapes. “Try these. They’re not too sweet.”
She looked at the grapes and paused, surprised. They were a soft, rosy red, looking almost too perfect to be real. Charlotte recognized them right away. Ruby Roman grapes, the seedless kind that had once sold at auction for seventy thousand dollars a bunch. And that was for just twenty-four grapes. The box in front of her had to weigh a couple of pounds. At those prices, each grape was practically worth its own little treasure chest.
Anthony was clearly even richer than she’d thought.
She tried one. The taste was just right, sweet but not overpowering. She couldn’t help herself and ate a few more in quick succession. When she reached for another, a warm hand closed gently around her wrist.
“Hmm?” she murmured, glancing at him.
“They’re a little cold. Too many and you’ll feel sick,” Anthony said softly, as if coaxing a child. He picked up a napkin and wiped her fingers with care. “You can have more when you’re feeling better, okay?”
He gave Hans a quiet look, and Hans whisked the grapes away. Charlotte turned off her phone and set it aside, pouting like she’d just been unfairly punished. She stared at her lap, sulking. Being a woman could really be a pain sometimes. Next life, she decided, she’d be a man.
While the two of them shared their quiet moment, the atmosphere in the auction house was electric. Every new bid sent the crowd into a frenzy.
“Bidder eight, one hundred eighty million!” the auctioneer shouted, his voice growing hoarse from all the excitement.
“Bidder seven, one hundred ninety million!”
In her private suite, Patricia was pacing in circles, anxious and irritated. Every time she raised here bid, bidder seven followed matching ortopping hert was making her crazy. “Who is this person? Why are they so determined to take this diamond from me?” she muttered.
Anne sat nearby, stunned by the numbers flashing across the screen. One hundred ninety million. That was more money than she could even imagine in a lifetime of
dreams. This was just met?
This wasn’t just expensiv
it was downright insane.
“Anne, raise the bid. Do it,” Patricia demanded, marching to the bidding device and slamming her hand down.
“Bidder eight, one hundred ninety million!” the auctioneer called out, barely able to keep up.
In the next room, Roger sat frozen, brow furrowed. His entire fortune barely added up to a little over a hundred million. It was obvious now that the other bidder wasn’t going to stop no matter how high the price climbed. If he kept going, he’d just drive the number up to something ridiculous.
He stared down at the main floor, fingers tapping on the table as he weighed his options.
“One hundred ninety million, going once
“One hundred ninety million, going twice
The auctioneer’s countdown filled the room, tension thick in the air. With the final call, the gavel would fall and the diamond would finally have an owner.
When bidder seven stayed silent, Patricia’s face broke into a huge smile. She was already imagining how she’d present the diamond, planning every detail in her mind.