Messing With Her? Are You Crazy! novel Chapter 1772

A dead silence fell over the entire room. Even the frantic blur of the bidding screen froze in place. Everyone stared at the new alias and the utterly unhinged price attached to it. The hall erupted into absolute chaos. "Anonymous Bidder 01? Who the hell is that?" "They just raised the pot by eight billion in one shot? That's insane!" "Was that alias active earlier?" "No way. I haven't seen that tag all night." "Did they just open a new anonymous channel?" Anonymous bidding wasn't exactly rare on Project Zero-Transit. The crew allowed buyers to hide their identities to protect high-profile clients from unwanted attention. So the tag itself wasn't shocking. What was bizarre was that once an anonymous number was registered, it stayed locked for the entire night. This Anonymous Bidder 01 was making their very first appearance right now. And more importantly... their opening bet was sixty billion dollars! What kind of low-level buyer casually tossed around that kind of cash? Usually, anyone playing with that much money had a massive global reputation, and they preferred to show off their names. A terrifying reputation was a weapon in itself—it often intimidated smaller rivals into folding early. Yet this person had waited in the shadows until AWS-14 hit fifty billion, only to jump into the fray with a brand-new alias. The curiosity in the room skyrocketed. "Who could it be? They sat out the whole time and are just now dropping a nuke?" "Sixty billion right out of the gate..." "Which faction are they from?" "Hiding until the very end... they must be dead set on taking AWS-14." "Is it another silent billionaire who finally decided to join the game?" Wild speculation tore through the crowd. But up in the private suite, Serena—who had returned to Nicholas's side after finishing the medical evaluation—stared at the new alias on the screen. A slow, wicked smirk spread across her lips. So, the rat finally cracked. Noticing her expression, Nicholas cast a lazy glance downward. Serena looked up, meeting his gaze. They didn't need to exchange a single word. They both knew exactly who "Anonymous Bidder 01" really was. A playful, predatory glint flashed in her eyes. She leaned over, practically draping herself across him, wiggling closer until she could reach the bidding terminal resting near his hand. The second her fingers brushed the device, his arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her firmly onto his lap. His grip was entirely possessive, the pressure heavy and intentional. Even his breath, brushing against the top of her head, felt a degree hotter. Serena looked up and caught the faint, seductive flush in his gorgeous eyes. Beneath his usual calculating calm, there was a raw, captivating heat. And she was acutely aware of the dangerous, solid tension building against her lower stomach... Serena’s eyes widened, shooting him a warning glare. This manipulative romantic... they were in the middle of a high-stakes war, and he was getting distracted? She tried to squirm out of his grasp, but Nicholas only pulled her tighter against his chest. The flush in his eyes deepened into something far more predatory. He didn't say a word, but his gaze screamed a clear warning: Move again, and you'll face the consequences. Serena froze. Deciding it was easier to just stay curled up in his lap, she reached out and tapped the terminal. Her slender finger pressed the button. In an instant, the anonymous sixty billion dollar bid that had just shocked the room was brutally crushed.