"Pay attention," Steve interrupted smoothly, still holding her wrist, prompting her to look ahead.
"Nat," Mia murmured helplessly, hoping to get her out of here.
She was sure, no one would bid on Natalie, leaving her embarrassed in front of hall full of entire business world or rather a scum would bid on her.
"She is strong enough to deal with it. Don’t worry," Steve assured, though his voice remained cold and far from any genuine concern.
Mia shot him a glare. "I don’t need you to tell me that. And if you think you can mess with this best friend of mine, then you can dream on. Natalie is not like that slut Nora...Ugh..."
The grip on her wrist tightened the next moment, making her wince in pain. Steve’s calm facade slipping for just a moment as his eyes flashed with anger.
Mia, ever defiant, didn’t back down. "Are you angry because I said my best friend is out of your reach, or because I called your precious ’love’ a slut?"
Steve’s eyes darkened with anger, but before he could respond, the emcee’s voice and a loud cheer pulled their attention back to the stage.
"Five hundred million for Ms. Briena! That’s a new record, even beating Mr. Davis’s bid. Mr. Ivan Brown, you sure love your fiancée! We can all see it!"
The crowd erupted into applause, cheering for Ivan and Briena.
Ivan remained calm and composed in his place, seemingly enjoying the attention and praise and it was all thanks to Briena. He could see the men around him felt envious of him for having a beautiful and capable woman like Briena with him.
Mia fumed, her gaze flicking to Steve. "You bid first and then stepped back so your friend Ivan could swoop in and be the star of the night, didn’t you?"
Steve’s cold, mocking glare met hers. "Would you rather I stayed in and bid on your best friend?"
"You couldn’t afford her," Mia shot back, her voice low but fierce. She glanced at Natalie, thinking, If only I could bid, I’d offer my entire company for her.
"Seems like tonight’s dance of honor is going to be with Mr. and Mrs. Brown," the emcee teased, causing the crowd to cheer louder for the couple.
Briena, basking in the attention, blushed slightly at being called "Mrs. Brown," her shy smile perfectly timed for the cameras.
The emcee, sensing the energy, continued. "Anyone willing to bid higher? This is the last chance to claim the honor of the first dance of the evening. Ms. Briena and Ms. Natalie are still here. Has anyone decided to bid on Ms. Natalie?"
A tense silence followed. No one in the hall moved, the lack of response making it painfully clear that no one wanted to associate with Natalie, the woman tarnished by scandal.
Rowan, who had already bid on two other women, silently thanked his stars. He saved his family image by bidding already, and didn’t have to bet on Natalie, for the compulsion on beading someone.
He glanced around, relieved. ’If Justin were here, he’d probably have bid on that troublemaker, given his recent interest in Natalie Ford. Thank God he chose not to come tonight. I want him to have nothing to do with her.
Natalie stood there, unmoved by the awkward silence.
"Alright, no one wants to bid on Ms Natalie, then let’s see if anyone else is interested in bidding more on Ms Briena, our star of the night?"
"One billion."
Heads turned, and a collective murmur spread through the crowd as a tall, imposing man in an expensive suit entered the event hall, commanding attention with his presence.
One billion? Murmured rose in the hall. who is this man who is bidding this high for Ms Briena?
Briena, still stunned, stared at the newcomer, her curiosity mirroring the crowd’s. She didn’t recognize him, and neither did anyone else. The rich, confident figure seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
Natalie simply glanced over him out of instinct, not bothering to pay attention. But at the same time she was thankful that he bid on Briena, so he and Ivan could continued fighting over her and she could make her escape from this annoyance.
Steve, Rowan, and Mia—heirs to the wealthiest families—were equally perplexed. None of them had seen this man before, which made his sudden appearance all the more puzzling. Where had he come from, and how could he so casually throw around such a staggering amount?
The man stood confidently, his hands casually tucked into his pockets, his gaze fixed squarely on the center of the hall, where Briena and Natalie stood.
On the sidelines, Clara and Sephina exchanged proud glances. The fact that another wealthy bidder had taken an interest in Briena only inflated their egos further.
"My daughter is amazing, isn’t she, Mother?" Clara chirped, practically beaming with pride.
"My granddaughter was always meant to be extraordinary," Sephina added, clearly taking credit for Briena’s allure. "I’ve always doted on her for a reason."
As the murmurs continued, all eyes remained on the mystery man, waiting for what would happen next.
The emcee’s voice broke through the tension. "Mr. Brown, would you like to bid more?"
Ivan opened his mouth to respond, but his father placed a firm hand on his arm, stopping him. "There’s no need to bid more for just a dance," his father said quietly.
Briena glanced at Ivan and gave him an approving nod. She didn’t mind at all. In fact, she didn’t want Ivan wasting a fortune on a charity dance when they could be using that money for their future.
Besides, she had already secured her victory over Natalie. Whether Ivan or someone else won the bid, it didn’t matter. It only proved how desirable she was, even with her engagement to Ivan.
The crowd murmured as it became clear that Ivan wouldn’t be bidding further.
"One billion... going once... going twice..." the emcee declared with enthusiasm, "And sold! Tonight’s honor of the first dance goes to this gentleman. Please step forward to your dance partner Ms Briena and—"
"Correction," the man interrupted smoothly, his voice steady and commanding. "The bid of one billion is for Ms. Natalie."
What?!
The entire hall fell into stunned silence, every single guest in shock. Did he just say Natalie? The whispers quickly grew louder as people tried to process what had just happened.
Natalie, who was about to slip away, froze in place. She turned to look at the man with a conflicted gaze. Is he new to the city? Does he not know my scandalous image, or has he simply lost his mind?
Every eye in the room was now on Natalie—and the mysterious bidder.