I Forgot I Ever Loved You (Zoe and Hayden) novel Chapter 530

Sienna's astronomical bid sent shockwaves through the room.

When neither the guests nor the host recognized her, someone quietly pointed out that she was Mrs. Thorne, the reigning force behind Easton Group.

The room exchanged loaded glances, with a few openly questioning her right to even be in the building.

Tonight's auction was strictly reserved for the inner sanctum of the elite. Having money was not the sole entry requirement.

The Kendalls were undisputed royalty in these circles. As for the Thorne family Sienna had married into—they were viewed as ruthless new-money corporate raiders. How had she even gotten past the door?

As the crowd murmured over Sienna's aggressive bid, Mrs. Winters sat up perfectly straight, practically glowing with arrogance.

Yet, beneath her bravado, she whispered nervously.

"Isn't that a bit too steep?"

"Hardly," Sienna replied with a dismissive smirk.

"Our company generates billions in revenue daily. This is spare change. Mom, I bought this gemstone to serve as a base for your private shrine. What do you think?"

It was a beautiful stone, but more importantly, it was a stone the Kendalls wanted for Zoe. And for that reason alone, Sienna was desperate to snatch it away.

"Mrs. Thorne, bid rejected. This is your first official warning."

Instead of excitedly dropping the gavel, the host frowned deeply, his eyes flashing with irritation as he locked onto Sienna.

The Winters family stared in total bewilderment, the smugness instantly draining from Sienna's face.

What did that mean?

Bid rejected?

She had the money. Why couldn't she buy it?

Sienna was visibly furious.

But the host didn't give her a chance to argue, immediately softening his expression as he turned back to the rest of the room.

"Sylvia holds the current bid at ten million dollars. Do we have any other reasonable offers from the floor?"

Sienna aggressively shoved her paddle into the air again. "One hundred million!"

Immediately, disgusted mutters rippled through the audience.

"Who let her in?"

"What is this nonsense? Did someone invite new-money trash to flex their bank accounts?"

Aside from the Winters family, virtually everyone in the room belonged to the absolute apex of the capital's social hierarchy.

It was a tight-knit circle of political titans and old money who understood decorum. No one dared cross that line.

Sienna had broken the unwritten rules the second she opened her mouth. And compared to the influential matriarchs in attendance, nobody cared who she was.

At best, a few trust-fund kids who vaguely followed corporate gossip recognized her name.

She genuinely believed her net worth made her a god among mortals.

She never realized she had crashed a room full of apex predators. Here, her aggressive cash-waving didn't buy respect—it only bought overwhelming contempt.

"Sylvia, why are you wasting your breath on these people? Have security throw them out!"

Mrs. Winters panicked. Desperate to deflect the heat and terrified of being arrested again, she pointed a trembling finger at Zoe and shrieked.

Zoe was her biological daughter, which meant she was an easy target for her venom.

"Zoe, look at what you've done! I refuse to acknowledge you as my child. Who do you think you are, trying to steal from Sienna? She was buying that stone as a gift for me! She actually has a heart!

"I don't care what kind of strings the Kendalls are pulling for you. It's bad enough you refuse to show your own mother any respect, but now you're sabotaging your sister when she tries to do something nice? You are truly despicable!"