His Ex-Wife Is A Billionaire (Evadne and Thaddeus) novel Chapter 41

Thaddeus’ face darkened even further, his lips drawn tight.

Already bidding up to nine hundred grand, so a million was definitely not a big deal.

Ilana suddenly stopped bidding. Not because she couldn't afford it, but because she chose to give up. She did it on purpose!

But he couldn't say a thing. After all, nobody forced Acacia to spend big bucks on this painting. It was her choice.

In the following auctions, Evadne kept her cool and didn't make a move.

Thaddeus only wanted to win the Dante Chair, so he too didn't make a move.

Next up for auction was a Victorian antique table lamp donated by Elspeth on behalf of the Abernathy group. Starting bid: two hundred grand.

Evadne snorted lightly and shook her head in disdain.

She’d rather buy the first knockoff than spend a fortune on this piece of junk. She figured whoever bought it was a sucker.

As expected, the bidding was thin. Despite the auctioneer's best efforts, it only sold for two hundred and sixty grand.

The smile on Elspeth's face gradually faded.

She was just thankful the price didn't go below two hundred and fifty grand.

Thaddeus, however, appeared utterly calm.

After all, whatever Elspeth did, the one losing face could only be Frederic. Although they were father and son, spouses were one entity.

“Next up for auction is a 17th-century European royal silver conch cup, donated by Suri Bright Ashbourne from the K Group!”

All the collectors' interests were instantly piqued!

Evadne was taken aback and quickly turned around.

Finally, she spotted Suri's elegant figure in the back rows.

[Suri’s here? Why didn’t you give me a heads-up?]

Evadne nervously texted Jason.

Jason replied. [I just found out too! It might be Chairman Emeric who sent Suri here at the last minute.]

Evadne felt a bit flustered.

Almost all of the Abernathy family was here at today's event so she was really scared of revealing her true identity if she didn't handle things well.

Just then, she noticed Suri giving her an “ok” gesture, filled with an understanding only besties share.

A warm feeling spread through Evadne, and she immediately understood.

Suri was really clever!

Everyone was eager to bid on this item from the K Group.

People praised the Ashbourne Group’s generosity, showing the status of a big corporation.

In comparison, the Abernathy Group’s performance was lackluster. The two items they donated were even less valuable than the decorations in their foyer.

People began to question Elspeth's taste.

Elspeth felt incredibly awkward. She felt like she was on pins and needles.

The collection she brought was worlds apart from Suri's. In comparison, her taste seemed even more narrow-minded so it was embarrassing!

Up until now, there had finally been a spark of interest in Thaddeus' eyes as he twirled his bidding paddle.

“This is a good piece.”

"The color of the sky after the rain probably described the color of this cup."

When Thaddeus heard Evadne say this, he couldn't help but turn his head and look at her with a hint of surprise.

Evadne was immersed in the charm of the antique. Her skin was extremely delicate, and under the light, it seemed even more enchanting, beautiful enough to take one's breath away.

Although Ilana was very beautiful, he never paid much attention to her beauty because he already had someone he liked.

So sometimes, Thaddeus even felt that Ilana following him was a waste of her life, wasting her beauty.

Thaddeus's gaze unconsciously slid down, finally stopping on Evadne's wrist.

Sure enough, she was still wearing the bracelet his grandfather gave her. Despite it not matching her outfit today, she still couldn't bear to take it off. It seemed she really liked it.

Thaddeus squinted, and his heart jumped involuntarily.

The silver conch cup sparked a fierce bidding war, and the auctioneer was swamped!

“One million!”

“Two and a half million!”

“Two point seven million!”

“Four million.”

Thaddeus gracefully raised his paddle, nonchalantly calling out the highest number in the room.

Everyone was amazed.

Evadne was taken aback and instinctively looked at Thaddeus.

It seemed this man, who wasn’t picky about women, had a good eye for antiques.

Thaddeus felt her gaze. He moved his eyes slightly, meeting her gaze.

In an instant, the man was pricked by her overly rational and cold eyes, and his heart tightened.

Evadne quickly withdrew her gaze, avoiding his stare.

In the end, Mr. Thaddeus successfully won the bid for the cup, drawing envious glances from everyone.

“Next time I come over for a drink, you should serve me with this cup! It's a price that matches my status.” Jareth joked.

"Seven and a half million."

Evadne was still calm and, without hesitation, raised her paddle again.

Everyone gasped once more!

Even worldly-wise Jareth didn't dare to speak.

He felt like he was watching a duel between two masters, with their powerful auras clashing, and any second now, sparks would fly and the earth would shake.

"Eight million." Thaddeus was calm, but there was a hint of irritation in his eyes.

She was really going all out to help Cassius win this bid!

Evadne bit her lip, anger burning in her heart.

Even if she didn't need Cassius to reimburse her, her own stash was more than enough to take on Thaddeus.

But she knew when to cut her losses and weigh the pros and cons.

Antiques indeed had high value due to their historical significance, but she had a price limit in mind. Eight million was the max. Anything more would be just a pissing contest, and that was pointless.

"Thad, with your high IQ, did you spend it all on EQ?"

Jareth saw Evadne looking unhappy and hurriedly whispered in his ear, "Ms. Ilana clearly wants that chair. Can't you just let her have it? Besides, you guys were married before. Ms. Ilana is a girl; isn't it a bit rude to compete with her in front of so many people?"

"She's sitting there, representing Cassius. It's Cassius I'm competing with. What does she have to do with it?" Thaddeus looked straight ahead, his eyes cold and emotionless.

Jareth took a sharp breath and gave him a thumbs-up, saying, "No problem, man!"

"Eight million going once! Eight million going twice!"

"Ten million!"

Wow!

A crisp voice came from the back, like water hitting ice. Thaddeus raised an eyebrow but didn't turn around.

Everyone's eyes were on the beautiful lady who had bid, it was Suri!

Evadne's eyes twinkled, and she suddenly understood why Suri was here.

Emeric must have sent her because he was worried that Cassius wouldn't want to spend a lot of money, so she was here to make sure he got the item!

Thaddeus's eyes were hazy. He hesitated for a moment and then didn't bid again.

Not that he couldn't afford it, but to keep bidding would seem ungentlemanly.

In the end, the Dante Chair was successfully won by the K Group. The applause was deafening.

Just as everyone thought the auction was about to end, the auctioneer suddenly smiled and said, "Next up is our final item for tonight's charity auction, donated by the K Group! This is a top-tier jewel, 'Ruby Enigma,' created by a renowned jewelry designer and crafted over a month!"

At this point, Thaddeus's pupils contracted sharply. His heart felt like it had been shot, and it stopped beating.