"Why aren’t you bidding, Advika? Scared?" Eris taunted, her gaze sharp and unwavering as she fixed it on Advika.
A sudden voice cut through the tense atmosphere. "Why so many people?"
Advika, Murphy, and every other person present in the boutique turned their heads in unison towards the unexpected interruption.
"Christopher?" Murphy’s surprise was minimal, a mere flicker in her eyes. She had already deduced that Christopher was the only individual capable of coaxing Advika into such a setting. Yet, a nagging thought lingered.
’Why had he remained silent until this precise moment?’ she wondered, her brow furrowing slightly.
Christopher moved with an air of quiet confidence through the small gathering, his focus solely on Advika. Reaching her side, he extended a hand, his touch possessive as he circled her waist and drew her firmly against his body.
Advika was rendered speechless, her thoughts momentarily suspended.
"Who dares mess with my woman?" His voice, though calm, carried an undercurrent of steel as his gaze swept over the stunned faces before him.
Eris, completely oblivious to Christopher’s identity or significance, scoffed. "Who is this dog? Oh... So you brought her here! I should have known, a bitch and a dog---"
The sound reverberated through the boutique, a sharp crack that silenced all other noise. Eris stumbled backward, her hand flying to her stinging cheek as she collapsed onto the floor. Tears of rage welled in her eyes as she glared up at Jim, who stood with his hand still outstretched.
"Why did you hit me, Jim?!" she shrieked, her voice laced with disbelief and fury.
"Shut up!!" Jim roared back, his face contorted with a mixture of fear and anger. He then pivoted, his gaze fixed on Christopher, his posture stiff and subservient. "Master Christopher, is she your woman?" he stammered, beads of sweat trickling down his temples.
"What do you think?" Christopher countered, his voice even, but with an edge that sent a shiver down Jim’s spine.
"This?" Jim was utterly aghast, his mind reeling.
’How could I have been so foolish as to cross Master Christopher’s woman?! This slut is to blame for everything! But... Master James, yes! I still have Master James!’ A desperate hope flickered within him.
He turned to the phone. Even Kristy, the phone holder, was frozen in stunned silence, her eyes wide with disbelief. She finally managed to stammer into the receiver, her voice barely a whisper.
"Master James, the lady... she is Master Christopher’s woman."
A pregnant silence hung in the air on the other end of the line. Then, James’ voice, tinged with a nonchalance, finally broke through.
"Christopher, I know your type... You use the women, then discard them, moving on to the next conquest. So let’s be reasonable. Give me face, and let me have the dress."
"Why do you need this particular dress so desperately?" Christopher inquired, his gaze unwavering. "Willing to pay a hundred thousand dollars for it."
"It’s for someone... someone who is beyond your reach! Someone you cannot afford to offend! So what do you say?!" James’ voice held a note of desperation now.
"Hmm... Let me think about it," Christopher mused, a slight smile playing on his lips. Then, he shook his head decisively. "No." He turned to Murphy. "I bid double his price."
An absolute silence descended upon the boutique, thick and heavy. Only Murphy maintained her composure, a knowing smile gracing her lips. She understood her friend’s nature and the vastness of his wealth. With a simple nod, she turned to the phone.
"Master James, your bid?" she prompted, her voice calm and professional.
Advika, still reeling from the sudden turn of events, shifted her gaze to Christopher’s sharp side-profile.
’Is what James said the truth? Does he truly use girls and discard them so casually? What kind of heartless person would do that?’ She pause:
’But... he has helped me and my family immensely, even willing to spend two hundred thousand dollars on this dress... My interactions with him haven’t suggested he’s a bad person. Is James simply trying to manipulate the situation? Even so, I need to remain cautious. If anything untoward happens, I will protect myself.’
A resolve hardened within her, and she turned her attention back to the ongoing conversation.
"Christopher, who exactly is this girl to you?!" James’ voice demanded, laced with incredulity. "Are you truly willing to spend so much on her?"
"Oh..." Christopher drawled, a smirk now evident on his face. "It seems I made a slight miscalculation in my initial bid."
"Oh... Is he backing down?" Eris muttered from her position on the floor, a flicker of hope igniting within her, as she slowly stood up.
"It should be five hundred thousand dollars."
Eris collapsed back onto the floor, her eyes wide and unseeing. A collective gasp swept through the boutique as everyone present stared at Christopher in utter disbelief.
"Five hundred thousand dollars for a dress that originally cost fifty thousand?! Is this a purchase or outright robbery?!" someone whispered, voicing the thoughts of many.
"Good!" Murphy exclaimed, a wide, genuine smile spreading across her face.
’At least I can feast on your money again!’ She thought gleefully.
Kristy stared at Christopher for a long moment, her expression unreadable, before lowering her gaze to her phone.
"Alright, Christopher, you have won this round... If I may ask, are you planning to attend the auction?"
"Yes," Christopher replied, his answer direct and unwavering.
"In that case, I will be interested to see what else you might acquire... Kristy, come back. You are accompanying me to the auction. We might find something else of interest there."
"Yes, young master," Kristy responded, her voice subdued. With a sigh, she turned and walked out of the boutique.
"This?" Jim stammered, his mind racing. He hesitated for a few seconds, then began to slowly back away, a desperate plan of escape forming in his mind.
"Where are you going?" Christopher’s voice, calm yet laced with menace, cut through the silence as he turned his attention to Jim and Eris