Chapter 36: The Cost Of A Name
The auction hall was deathly silent after Gabriel’s bid.
Two hundred million...
The auctioneer hesitated for a moment, clearly trying to gauge whether anyone else dared to continue.
But Gabriel’s words suffocated any opposition.
Diane could feel all eyes shifting between her and him, as if they were no longer people but objects up for spectacle.
She swallowed hard, keeping herself firmly on the polished floor beneath her heels.
Gabriel, on the other hand, leaned back in his chair with that same damnable smile, his fingers drummed lazily against the armrest.
He had won, and he knew it.
The auctioneer, sensing no further bids, cleared his throat and forced a smile.
"Well, ladies and gentlemen, it appears we have our final bid. Two hundred million going once... going twice... sold!" He struck his gavel against the podium.
A few scattered claps followed, hesitant and awkward.
"And with that," the auctioneer continued, forcing a pleasant tone, "the date for Mr. Gabriel Frost and Mrs. Diane Hoffman-Frost will be scheduled. Details will be shared privately."
Diane felt a sickening lurch in her stomach.
A date.
As if they were some fairytale couple being brought together by fate and not a twisted, evil game made by a man who refused to let her go.
Gabriel stood up from his seat, straightening his suit.
He didn’t spare her another glance before turning on his heel and walking out of the hall, leaving a wake of whispers behind him.
The moment he disappeared through the doors, a slow, sarcastic clap filled the tense air.
Micha.
He leaned back in his seat, shaking his head with a grin.
"Well, that was entertaining," he mused.
Then his smile faded, and his dark eyes turned toward Diane. "Do you want me to end him?"
Diane’s head snapped up. "What?"
Micha’s expression was calm, almost too casual, as if he were suggesting a simple business transaction.
"Gabriel. If you want me to, I can end him. Quickly, or painfully—your choice."
Riot coughed into his fist, but the smirk playing at his lips said he wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea.
Leon, however, was having none of it.
"Enough," he barked, standing abruptly.
He looked at Richard and Adrian, who were still seated across the room, whispering amongst themselves.
Diane followed his line of sight, feeling the temperature in the room drop.
Leon had tolerated their interference long enough.
So, he decided to make his way toward their table.
The chatter in the room quieted as people noticed him.
Even Rachel, who had been lurking nearby, watching everything happen, shrank back into the shadows.
Diane had seen her father angry before. But this... this was something else.
Leon stopped just short of their table, placing both hands on the polished surface, leaning in slightly.
"Remove your names," he said in a deadly calm voice.
Richard didn’t flinch. "And if we don’t?"
Leon smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Then I’ll erase them for you."
Adrian chuckled, shaking his head. "You don’t scare us, old man."
Leon’s smile widened.
"No?" He reached into his suit pocket, pulled out a sleek black phone, and tapped the screen. Within seconds, Richard’s own phone vibrated against the table.
He frowned, picking it up.
The moment he looked at the message, his eyebrows and wrinkles twisted into a frown.
Adrian snatched the phone, his smirk disappeared as he scanned the screen.
"You son of a—" Richard slammed his fist onto the table, drawing more attention.
Leon leaned in further, lowering his voice.
"I told you. I will do to you what you did to my daughter. And this—" He gestured toward their phones. "—is just the beginning."
Diane shifted uncomfortably.
’What had he done?’
Richard was seething, his jaw clenched so tightly it looked like he might snap his teeth.
Adrian, for once, looked concerned.
"I don’t think you understand the kind of war you’re starting," Richard finally said, keeping his tone down.
Leon straightened, adjusting his cuffs. "I’ve fought wars before, boy. This one is already over."
Rachel, still standing a few feet away, bit her lip, clearly too afraid to interfere.
Then, as if the situation wasn’t tense enough, Richard’s eyes moved past them and landed on Micha.
His teeth and jaw hardened instantly.
"And you," he said, his tone sounded full of barely concealed disgust.
Micha raised his hands as if he was surrendering. "What? I didn’t even do anything."
Richard’s glare could have frozen fire.
"You, of all people, have no business interfering in this business or my life."
Micha chuckled, completely unbothered. "And yet, here I am."
Richard took a step closer, lowering his voice.
"I know exactly who you are, Micha. I know what you’ve done. If you think for a second that I’ll let you anywhere near me, my son or Diane—"
Micha tilted his head, cutting him off smoothly.
"You mean closer than Gabriel already has?"
Richard’s eyes flashed like a fire from volcano.
Riot tensed beside Diane, ready to step in if needed.
Diane felt the pressure closing in, the room felt suffocating with unspoken threats and old grudges.
She wanted to leave, to disappear from this endless game of power struggles and revenge.
But there was no escape.
Not from Gabriel. Not from her step- father. Not from any of them.
Richard let out a slow breath. "This isn’t over, Leon."
Leon smirked. "No, Richard. It’s just beginning."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Richard and Adrian seething in his wake.
Micha let out a low whistle, watching the scene as if he was in some play.
"Well, that was fun."
Diane closed her eyes for a short moment, willing herself to breathe.
Two hundred million.
One date with Gabriel.
And a war she wasn’t sure she’d actually participate in.
"Father, what did you do?" She asked him silently.
"I removed their names from their banks, savings, and any properties they had. What they’ve done to you, I’ll do it even worse, my darling."