Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 278

Eleanor gripped her paddle tightly, her eyes turning cold. 2.6 million was already beyond her expected budget, but if she didn't secure the Buddha head now, all her groundwork and promises to Milton would be entirely pointless.

"Director Prescott, it seems my destiny with this White Jade Buddha Head is falling a bit short," Milton sighed, a mocking smile touching his lips. "Honestly, you don't need to push yourself so hard. After all, Southern Heritage Antiques doesn't have much cash flow left."

Eleanor took a deep breath and raised her paddle. "2.8 million."

She had to win this item, not just for her business, but for her own pride.

She absolutely refused to let this failure reach the Prescott family and give that old man a reason to laugh at her.

"Three million," Phoenix called out again, almost without hesitation. Her calm and composed demeanor contrasted sharply with Eleanor's visible tension.

"Miss, you look very unfamiliar," Eleanor said, forcing a smile as she turned toward Phoenix. "Not from Cloudhaven?"

Phoenix adjusted the tinted sunglasses on her nose and replied smoothly, "Director Prescott, I am indeed from Cloudhaven."

Eleanor narrowed her eyes. If she was local and interested in antiques, there was no way she didn't know who she was. It was obvious now: this woman was deliberately targeting her.

"My apologies. Perhaps you're covered up too well, which threw off my judgment. But the true value of the White Jade Buddha Head is only understood by those who appreciate it. It seems you're not part of the antique circle?"

Her words carried both a probe and a warning.

Phoenix naturally understood the subtext.

But today, she absolutely had to secure that Buddha head.

Only by winning it would Eleanor recognize her true power, and only then would Phoenix hold the absolute advantage.

"You're joking, Director Prescott. I may not be in the antique business, but I just think this White Jade Buddha Head looks nice. It'd make a great decoration to take home."

"Very well then... let the best bidder win."

Eleanor turned back around, her smile vanishing instantly as a chilling glare filled her eyes.

"Four million!!" she called out, suddenly adding a massive million dollars to the bid. Such an aggressive jump was meant to overwhelm the competition and force them to back down with an absurd premium.

"4.2 million."

However, the counteroffer didn't come from Phoenix, but from Caspian, sitting near the front.

Phoenix blinked, looking at the man in confusion. From what she knew, neither Caspian nor Pierce had any interest in antiques.

So why the hell was this playboy getting involved?

Eleanor's headache just worsened. Dealing with Phoenix was hard enough; now she had another rival.

She wasn't holding back anymore. Since her opponent was now Caspian, there was no point inching the price up little by little. She instantly added a staggering 1.8 million to the bid.

Caspian froze, whipping his head around to stare at Phoenix.

What was wrong with this woman? Was she picking a fight with him? If Pierce hadn't specifically ordered him to win it, he absolutely wouldn't have kept bidding. The price was already absurdly inflated.

But looking at her... why did she look somewhat familiar?

"6.2 million."

Caspian threw out another bid, wondering if he should just make a massive, unbeatable offer to assert dominance.

His eyes lit up at the thought, and he immediately texted Pierce to see if he could show off a little.

Caspian: "Pierce, someone just bid six million for the Buddha head! What do we do? It looks like they are dead set on winning it."

Pierce was contemplating his next move when he saw the message. His brows instantly knitted together.

Pierce: "Win it at any cost."

Caspian sent back an evil grin emoji, followed by a text: "Then... should I just blow them out of the water?"