Chapter 503
Ragnar’s eyes snapped to Belinda. His voice dropped low, sharp as a blade.
“Tell me the truth. Did you set this up with that dirty bastard just to scam me p>
Belinda’s face drained of color. “No-no. I didn’t know. I swear p>
“Oh, come on,” Alex said lazily. “You promised me ten percent of whatever price I managed to squeeze out of Ragnar. Now he’s on the hook for a hundred thousand. That means you owe me ten thousand, as agreed p>
“Shut up,” Belinda snapped. “I don’t even know you p>
She knew Alex was deliberately trying to drive a wedge between her and Ragnar.
She was only a baron’s daughter. If Ragnar struck her, she had no power to fight back. All she could do was swallow the fear-and the pain.
Ragnar stepped closer, his shadow swallowing her. His gaze bored into her face. “Then tell me,” he said coldly, “who do you think should pay for that ring p>
Belinda swallowed hard. “R-Ragnar… according to the rules, the bidder has to pay p>
His hand flashed.
Slap.
Pain tore across her cheek. Her ears rang.
“Say it again,” Ragnar said, his voice flat, daring her to repeat it.
“I—I mean,” she stammered, her voice trembling, “the winner of the ring is the last person who placed the bid p>
Slap.
Harder.
Ragnar leaned in. “Are you saying I have to pay for the ring p>
“No-no,” Belinda blurted out in panic. She knew the truth. She also knew that if she
held on to her principles, Ragnar would destroy her without hesitation.
Ragnar’s voice dropped to a whisper, more terrifying than a shout.
“Belinda, if you don’t make this clear,” he said slowly, “I promise you your entire family will be crushed by my hand p>
Belinda panicked. Her belief shattered under fear.
“I mean—the last bid I heard was Alex. He said ninety thousand. He should pay p>
“No!” Alex shouted instantly. “Not me. I’m not paying ninety thousand for a ring worth one thousand. Ask Ragnar-he was the last bidder. Everyone heard it p>
“Alex,” Ragnar said, smiling thinly. “That ring was meant for Sofina. Feelings matter. Even if you buy another one, the first meaning is already gone. So pay the ninety thousand p>
Alex laughed, sharp and cruel.
“Everyone knows you wanted the ring. You were willing to throw one hundred thousand at a one-thousand-dollar fake p>
His eyes cut into Ragnar, sharp and merciless. “I’ve taken plenty of money from you —millions. Don’t mistake this for me not having the money to pay.” His voice hardened.
“But paying ninety thousand for trash worth a thousand? That’s something only a loser does. And I’m not the loser here. I’m not the idiot p>
He leaned forward slightly.
“You idiot. You made the final bid—one hundred thousand dollars. You’d better pay it.” His eyes narrowed. “And don’t forget, I still get my ten percent cut from it.” Ragnar’s face drained of color.
He had the money—but paying it would brand him forever.
A fool with too much pride.
A duke’s son humiliated in front of everyone.
“Alex, you made the last bid,” Belinda shouted. “So take your ring and pay ninety thousand dollars p>
Her bracelet lit up instantly. An invoice formed in midair and shot straight to Alex.
“No p>
Alex’s voice cut through the room. “You can’t do that to me p>
“Yes, I can,” Belinda snapped. “So you’d better pay p>
The air in the hall tightened. Every breath felt heavy.
Then a calm voice broke through the tension.
“Fine. I’ll pay for the ring p>
All eyes turned at once.
Sofina.
“Sofina,” Alex said quickly, alarmed. “Please don’t. Don’t pay ninety thousand for a ring worth one thousand. That is stupid p>
Sofina shook her head gently. “It’s okay, Alex. Even if the ring itself is cheap- even
if people call me an idiot—the feeling behind you giving me that ring matters more than money p>
She tapped her bracelet and looked straight at Belinda.
“I’ve transferred ninety thousand dollars to your account. The transaction is complete p>
Belinda checked her balance. A slow, satisfied smile spread across her face. She wrapped the ring back into its box and handed it to Sofina.
“Thank you very much. Here’s your ring p>
Ragnar burst out laughing. “You put your ring on the table, let it get auctioned for ninety thousand, and then paid for it yourself p>
He shook his head. “Damn. That’s stupid p>
People around the room laughed along with him. Classmates or not, it didn’t stop them from thinking the same thing.
Sofina was foolish.
Alex ignored them.
He took the ring from the box, held Sofina’s hand, and slowly slid it onto her finger.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I made you pay ninety thousand for this ring p>
“It’s okay,” Sofina replied softly. “This was my mistake too p>
Alex let out a slow breath. “That ring was once worn by the last Princess of Xia, before she fled to Prussia. Its true value is fifty million dollars. That was the real price to acquire it p>
Laughter exploded across the hall.
Ragnar laughed the loudest. “Sure, sure. Maybe the real one is worth fifty million p>
He sneered. “But didn’t you say that replica is only worth one thousand? Who are you trying to fool p>
The laughter sharpened-mocking, cruel, relentless.
“Alex,” Sofina said softly, looking
straight at him. “It’s okay. I don’t care
about the price or the value only care that you were willing to give me this ring p>
She paused, her voice steady. “And if
you say this ring is real and worth fifty million, then to me, it’s worth that much. No matter what, wiff never sell it. Not at any price p>
Laughter crashes over them again.
Sharp. Endless.
Ragnar shakes his head. “Look at her face. She actually believes it p>
Belinda wipes a tear from laughing too hard. “That’s not love. That’s delusion p>
Sofina doesn’t flinch. Her hand stays raised, her eyes fixed on the ring.
“I don’t need proof,” she says quietly. “I need him p>
‘Love believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things p>
Ragnar scoffs. “That’s what poor people say when they have nothing of value. All
they can do is invent empty dreams to survive their miserable lives p>
Alex finally looks up. His gaze is gentle-yet unshakably steady.
“Happiness is still happiness,” he says calmly. “With money or without it. With dreams or without them p>
A faint smile touches his lips. “Funny thing I’ve noticed p>
The laughter in the room falters.
“People who mock belief usually do it because no one ever believed in them. And
people who laugh at sincerity do so because they’ve never had anything real to
lose p>
Ragnar sneers. “You think faith can change reality? You think dreams can create anything p>
Alex smiles, faint but certain. “No. Faith doesn’t create reality—it reveals it. And dreams are what keep people standing when everything else is taken away p>
He picked up the antique painting Sofina had bought for five hundred dollars and gently pressed it against the ring.
“I heard the original ring of Princess Xia also functioned as an interspace storage ring p>
Belinda burst out laughing. “Yeah, sure. An interspace storage ring.” She sneered openly.
“Do you even know how rare those are in all of Prussia? Fewer than a hundred people own one. And you think your one-thousand-dollar fake has that ability?” The room exploded with laughter.
“Oh wow,” someone mocked. “The Eden Group cleaning service handing out original royal artifacts p>
Sofina glanced at Alex. “Don’t listen to them. I like that kind of dream. It’s romantic p>
Alex smiled faintly. “Then would you like to pretend it’s real and say “
He lowered his voice playfully. “Storage ring. Collect the painting p>
“Why not?” Sofina said softly, smiling at him. She loved him. And to her, Alex’s feelings mattered more than anything else.
“Storage ring, collect the painting,” she said gently, playing along without hesitation.
Whether the ring was real or fake didn’t matter to her. If Alex believed in it then she would believe in in it too Even the smallest dream was worth protecting if it came from him.
She would treasure the ring as her most precious possession.
Because no matter how small the dream was, cheering for Alex—and guarding his feelings was what mattered most to her.
Alex saw it clearly-the absolute trust in her eyes.
Pure. Unquestioning.
The crowd laughed harder at their childish fantasy.
Ragnar scoffed. “That’s the dream of poor people. Rich people buy reality. Poor
people like you can only dream about it p>
Then-
Silence.
Renata spoke first. “The painting is gone p>
Silence.
Renata’s voice trembles. “I’m not joking. The painting… it’s gone p>
Belinda snaps, spinning around. “Stop playing along. This isn’t funny p>
She rushes to the table, throws the box open. Empty.
Her smile dies.
“No,” she whispers. “That’s impossible p>
Ragnar steps forward sharply. “Check again p>
Belinda’s hands shake as she scans the table, the floor, the walls.
“It was here. I swear it was here p>
The room fills with confused murmurs.
Sofina looks down at the ring, breath hitching.
“Alex p>
Alex didn’t even turn. His eyes never left Sofina. A faint smile curved his lips.
“The painting isn’t gone,” he said calmly. “It’s being stored inside your ring p>
Sofina froze. Her eyes widened, shock flooding her face. She stared at Alex, barely
breathing.
“How p>
“I told you,” Alex said, smiling now, clearly enjoying the moment. “It’s the real ring. Worth fifty million dollars p>
Ragnar and Belinda stiffened. Their minds scrambled to catch up. Around them, the room fell into stunned silence as everyone processed the same terrifying thought— Had they just let a fifty-million-dollar ring slip away for ninety thousand?