She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 140

After hearing Evelyn’s explanation, Dominic remained silent, but his expression made it clear—he believed her.

Since that was the case, Melanie decided there was nothing left for her to explain.

It would be a waste of breath, like talking to a brick wall.

On stage, the auctioneer was giving the guests a detailed introduction to the blockbuster item.

“This is a revolutionary piece of equipment developed by NexBio Innovations over twenty years of painstaking effort and countless investment—the integrated AI bioprinter.”

“Although the technology is not yet mature and has not been officially released to the market, this is the world's first and only Alpha-1 engineering prototype. It holds monumental, epoch-making significance, and I trust our knowledgeable guests understand its value.”

“With that, the starting bid is three hundred million dollars. Let the bidding begin.”

Upon hearing the auctioneer, Dominic was stunned.

“Three hundred million?!”

He had thought that if the starting bid was within six figures, he would have been generous and bought it for Melanie.

Even though he thought it was useless.

An integrated AI bioprinter—it sounded high-tech, but due to technical barriers and bottlenecks, it was neither efficient nor cost-effective in practice.

That's why it was just an engineering prototype.

In other words, it was a half-finished product.

Dominic couldn't fathom why Melanie would pass on so many dazzling jewels, only to fixate on this half-baked machine.

She wouldn't even know how to use it.

Besides, it cost at least three hundred million. In Dominic’s view, only someone with a screw loose would buy it.

“You said before… you would buy me anything I liked…”

Suddenly, Melanie’s whisper reached his ear.

Dominic’s expression changed.

Before he could argue, Evelyn interjected again, “Melanie, this machine costs three hundred million! Are you complaining that Dominic doesn’t have that kind of money? Saying that in a place like this, aren’t you just embarrassing him in public!”

Dominic’s face instantly fell. The more he thought about it, the more he agreed with Evelyn that Melanie was being incredibly thoughtless.

Originally, he had been filled with guilt towards Melanie.

“I think your dad will find this more refreshing,” he'd claimed.

…

Back then, Melanie realized she had spent years dancing to his tune, mistaking his control for devotion.

And she had been willing.

Because she thought those were all proofs of his love and care for her.

A beautiful smile graced her lips. Melanie laughed.

Seeing her smile, Dominic let out a sigh of relief. It seemed Melanie had finally given up on the useless machine.

However, he didn't notice that while her lips were smiling, her eyes were filled with an icy, self-mocking coldness.

Melanie couldn't even raise a paddle for a device with a starting bid of three hundred million. Even if she used her own personal funds, without touching their joint marital assets, three hundred million was far beyond her budget.

If she really had that kind of money, the research and development funds for her new anti-cancer drug wouldn't still be so hard to secure.

To someone in the industry, the value of the world's first and only integrated AI bioprinter was far greater than three hundred million.