[EVE]
With a regretful sigh, Queen Emilia placed a firm hand on Raelan's arm. "Come along, Raelan. Eve, I am so terribly sorry. Rest assured, I will see to it that my grandson learns the respect he clearly lacks."
I gave a polite nod, but Sinclair wasn't done. He leveled one last, searing look at the prince. Discover hidden stories at empire
"I'd suggest teaching him some manners before setting him loose on the world," Sinclair said, his voice low and hissing. "Even my dog Sebastian has a stronger grasp of courtesy."
I stifled a laugh as Queen Emilia led her grandson away, her face taut with the faintest hint of embarrassment.
Though I pitied the Queen, it was clear she'd pampered Raelan far too much, letting his arrogance grow unchecked.
I knew that Queen Emilia's apology was sincere, but as for actually disciplining her grandson . . . that seemed unlikely. Raelan was her favorite, her indulgence; I doubted she'd truly rein him in.
As they walked away, however, I caught Raelan glancing back over his shoulder. His amber eyes narrowed, simmering with a challenge I could practically feel. He clearly didn't take well to being put in his place, especially not in public.
I offered him a bright, mocking smile before casually raising my middle finger in his direction, my eyes daring him to react.
Raelan's expression flickered in shock, a hint of red staining his cheeks before he quickly looked away, his back rigid with frustration.
Satisfied, I turned back to the auction, suppressing a smirk. If he thought he could fluster me with a few shallow insults, he was in for a very rude awakening.
As they disappeared from sight, I turned to Sinclair, feeling a wave of satisfaction. His words had been as sharp as any retort I could have made, and he'd defended me without hesitation.
"Thank you, Grandfather," I said with a sweet smile.
Sinclair's expression darkened. "Don't let that wretch get too close," he sneered. "That boy might be royalty, but his character's worth less than the dirt under my boots. At least common folk know how to show some respect."
I chuckled softly. "No worries. He's hardly my type, and trust me, there's no chance I'd fall for him." I was sure that the idiot prince have his sight on someone else.
The auction continued, item after item paraded across the stage, and I found myself growing increasingly bored.
Just as I stifled a yawn, a striking piece appeared that immediately drew me in.
It was a painting by Zoe Lee, one of the most renowned painters in the world, her works treasured across continents.
Though Zoe wasn't present at the auction, her masterpiece stole the show. This particular painting was from her early days, when she was still carving out her path to fame.
Pieces like this were incredibly rare—and incredibly valuable.
I felt my heart race. Art had always been one of my passions, especially rare pieces that held a unique history.
Without hesitation, I raised my paddle, my gaze steady as I called out my bid. "Two million."
I'd intended to close the deal with my opening bid—two million was already high for a relatively small piece, and I thought I'd intimidated any potential competition.
No one else raised a paddle, so I began to relax, feeling the excitement of acquiring my first piece for my budding art collection.
But then, a voice I recognized all too well broke the silence.
"Two-point-five million."
I glanced sharply to the side, only to see Prince Raelan flashing me a smug, mocking grin.
The nerve of this guy!
I narrowed my eyes and raised my paddle again. "Three million."
"Four million," came another voice from across the room—Cole.
Fantastic.
Now he was joining in on the bidding war, too. What did he needed this small piece of art for? He had already a ton of rare collections.
I shot him a glare, silently telling him to back off. "Five million," I announced, hoping to end this once and for all.
The prince didn't hesitate. "Six million."
What was his problem? Was this about me flipping him off earlier? How petty could he be?
"Seven million," Cole countered with that poker face of his.
Enough was enough. Five million was my limit. I folded my arms and leaned back.
If they wanted to throw ridiculous amounts of money around, let them. My budget was already stretched thin from recent investments, and this was going way past my limit.
I took a deep breath, ready to let them duke it out.
The prince wasn't backing down, though.
"Eight million!"
I had to admit, he had guts challenging Cole. But this was getting absurd.
"Nine million," Cole shot back.
And just as the prince was about to raise his paddle again, a firm, resounding voice interrupted, making everyone fall silent.
"Twenty million."
I turned, startled, to find Sinclair seated beside me, as calm and poised as ever. I blinked, unable to hide my surprise. "Old man . . ."
He glanced at me with a smirk. "Call me grandfather."
With Sinclair's massive bid, the room went quiet. The auctioneer, recovering from the shock, quickly called it.
"Sold to Sinclair Rosette for twenty million!"
The staff brought the painting over, and I couldn't resist leaning in to admire it up close—it was even more breathtaking than I'd imagined.
"You're drooling," Sinclair pointed out dryly.
I wiped at my lips, feigning innocence. "Huh? Of course not."
"Take it," he said, nodding to the painting.
I froze. "Wait . . . you're giving it to me?"
Sinclair gave a casual shrug, lifting his glass to take another sip. "Consider it a birthday gift."
My jaw dropped as his words sank in. "Today's my . . . birthday?"
Sinclair shook his head, looking amused at my dazed expression. "You really didn't remember?"
It hit me like a ton of bricks—I had completely forgotten that my supposed birthday was today. I managed a sheepish smile.
"Wait, isn't it your birthday today, too? And Sebastian!"
He gave a dismissive snort. "Yes, but don't worry about it. I already have everything I need."
I chuckled, feeling a rare warmth. "Thank you, Grandfather. I promise, I'll repay the favor someday."
Sinclair waved his hand with a small smile. "Don't think about."