I Walked Away And He Lost His Mind (Zephyra and Steven) novel Chapter 343

The room filled with whispers. The hairpin wasn't worth three million, but since Mrs. Lancaster kept raising the price right after I bid, it was obvious to everyone she was just trying to mess with me.

A cold smile appeared on Ryan's fair, handsome face, his youthful bravado on full display.

"So she really wants to compete. That old witch. I'll make her regret crossing…"

I placed a hand on his, my eyes fixed on Mrs. Lancaster's smug expression. "I'll handle this one," I said calmly.

I raised my paddle. "Four million."

Someone gasped, "Good lord, the starting price for this hairpin was only 100,000! It’s worth 500,000 at most, and now it's up to four million!"

"Four million from Room Three! Any other bids?" the auctioneer called out. The moment he finished, Mrs. Lancaster raised her paddle again, her voice ringing out, "Five million."

She said something to the woman beside her, her gaze remaining on me, triumphant and challenging, waiting for my next move. But I didn't raise my paddle again.

Ryan craned his neck, looking at me quizzically. "Aren't you going to bid again?"

I shook my head, a slight smile touching my lips. "It's nothing special. Let her have it. She's got money to burn, so we should help her spend it."

Ryan's eyebrows shot up, and a mischievous grin spread across his face.

"Got it!"

The auctioneer began the final call. "Five million from Room Six. Any more bids?"

Mrs. Lancaster's perfectly made-up face tightened into a frown. She shot me a contemptuous look, as if mocking my cowardice, but I remained unfazed. Finally, the auctioneer brought down the gavel with a cheerful bang, looking toward her.

"Congratulations to Room Six! The Pear Blossom Jade Hairpin will be delivered to your room shortly."

Mrs. Lancaster's expression stiffened. I couldn't hear what she was saying to the other woman from this distance, but based on her lip movements, it seemed to be about how much she'd overpaid and how that little bitch didn't fall for the trap.

I smiled sweetly at Mrs. Lancaster, applauding and giving her a thumbs-up in a silent show of praise.

Ryan followed my lead, joining me in congratulating her.

Mrs. Lancaster looked so furious she almost jumped to her feet. The other woman held her back, and she finally gripped the armrest of her chair, forcing herself to stay seated.

I bid on the next item, and Mrs. Lancaster, true to form, went head-to-head with me again. I graciously led her to the peak price and then stopped. She won again, this time for nine million.

Having spent fourteen million in a flash, Mrs. Lancaster couldn't sit still any longer. Her face was ashen, and she glared at me as if she wanted to eat me alive. She slammed the door and stormed out, the other woman trailing behind her, looking lost.

Ryan was doubled over with laughter. "Did you see the look on that old witch's face? It was black as soot! It's hilarious how she kept trying to one-up you and ended up screwing herself over every time."

After Mrs. Lancaster left, the auction continued. I managed to acquire everything Ron wanted, and without her interference, the prices were all within the expected range.

However, the eighth item wasn't the jade Go set, but something else entirely. I frowned, and Ryan whispered, "Maybe it was postponed? Let's wait and see."

But we waited until the final, featured item, and the Go set never appeared.

After the auction ended and people began to leave, Ryan, holding two of our purchases, approached the auctioneer. "What happened to the eighth item, the jade Go set? It was in the catalog."

The auctioneer, a very beautiful and capable woman, smiled. "It was originally on the list, but Mr. Woods decided to hold it for a friend, so we pulled it from the auction."

Mr. Woods?

A flicker of confusion crossed my face.

The name sounded vaguely familiar.

Ryan pressed his lips together. "We really wanted that item. Do you know the name of Mr. Woods's friend? Could you give us their contact information?"

The auctioneer smiled at us. "I can't give out contact information, of course. But the collector didn't request privacy, so I can give you his name. He is Mr. Lancaster of Aether Studio—Steven."