"Bianca!"
Suddenly, a smooth, cultured voice drifted over from nearby.
The tone was mild and refined, yet it carried an undeniable weight of authority.
Just by calling her name.
It managed to instantly snap the rage-blinded Bianca back to reality.
Her hand, which was midway through a swing, halted stiffly in the air.
A second later.
The owner of the voice had clamped his fingers around Bianca's wrist. "Bianca, they are our guests. Do not be rude."
The newcomer wasn't wearing a mask. He was dressed in a pristine white suit and wore gold-rimmed glasses.
In his early thirties, he looked incredibly polished and intellectual, a graceful, measured smile playing on his lips.
Every movement he made exuded the elegance of a refined gentleman.
However, the moment Serena laid eyes on this man, she frowned slightly.
There was a distinct vibe rolling off him.
It was the rank, damp aura of something that had spent years festering in dark, wet corners.
He looked gentle.
But the eyes hidden behind those lenses held a slimy, sinister gleam, completely reminiscent of a venomous snake flicking its tongue.
This man made her skin crawl.
With her wrist firmly caught, Bianca's blazing arrogance was visibly extinguished.
She pressed her lips together, lowering her voice. Her tone was defensive but laced with obvious fear. "Sebastian... they were the ones bullying me. They're causing trouble at our event..."
This man was the eldest son of the Doyle family, Sebastian Doyle.
"Shut up," Sebastian said, a smile still plastered on his face as he shot his sister a fleeting glance.
Bianca instantly fell silent, clearly terrified of her older brother.
Sebastian lifted his head, turning his attention to Serena and Nicholas.
"However... since we are all here for an auction, it is best we let our resources do the talking."
"This is a battlefield of wealth and status, after all. It's not a place where fists or sharp tongues claim victory."
His gaze deliberately drifted over the unbranded evening gown and suit that Serena and Nicholas were wearing.
He smirked. "Why don't we see what everyone is truly made of on the auction floor? Tonight's items are quite spectacular, though... some price tags can burn quite fiercely."
He grabbed Bianca's arm and turned to leave.
Still furious, Bianca put up a minor struggle.
The instant Sebastian turned his back, his refined, gentle facade shattered into something entirely sinister.
He shot Bianca a venomous glare. "Shut your mouth. Do you have any idea where we are right now?"
"Maintain your dignity as the heiress of this family. Stop acting like a street shrew and making us a laughingstock."
"Look at you right now. You couldn't even compare to a fraction of the grace Isabella Lancaster used to have."
Bianca's eyes turned red.

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