Three years of loving him, three days to erase myself from his world novel Chapter 280

Back in the ballroom.

Quentin aggressively drove the price of Seraphina's design up to a staggering six million dollars.

It was a moment of absolute glory.

The entire room stared in sheer envy, marveling at how incredibly generous Julian was to her.

Seraphina was intoxicated by the victory. The humiliation she had suffered earlier evaporated completely beneath the crowd's adulation.

Clara remained completely expressionless.

The auctioneer grinned from ear to ear. "Do we have any other bids? If not, we will close at six million dollars!"

"Six million going once, six million going twice, it seems..."

Right at that moment, a chilling, authoritative voice echoed through the room.

"One dollar."

Seraphina froze, thinking she had misheard. Furrowing her brows, she turned toward the voice—and the color instantly drained from her face.

The crowd erupted in shock, whipping their heads around to see who had the nerve to make such an insulting bid. A few were ready to shout their outrage, but the moment they saw the man holding the paddle, they snapped their mouths shut.

Dominic Jarrett.

The absolute titan of Somerset. A man whose power and influence made him utterly untouchable.

Clara was just as stunned. She had never expected Dominic to interfere.

He didn't have any personal vendetta against Seraphina. There was no logical reason for him to do this.

Realizing the implication, Clara's heart skipped a beat, and she twisted her fingers nervously in her lap.

The auctioneer swallowed hard, trying to salvage the situation. "Mr. Jarrett sure knows how to make a joke..."

Slouched comfortably in his chair, Dominic's expression was glacial. "I wasn't joking. If anyone else wants to bid higher for this sketch, be my guest."

He said "be my guest," but the underlying threat was deafening. Every person in the room understood exactly what was at stake. No one in their right mind would dare bid against him.

Dominic offered a cold smile. "Since no one is bidding, can we move on to the next piece?"

Sweat beaded on the auctioneer's forehead. "Y-Yes, of course. Ms. Shaw's design goes for... one dollar."

Hearing the final price, someone in the crowd couldn't hold back a snicker. "One dollar. Hahaha, that is brutal. Lowest price of the night. If I were her, I'd dig a hole and bury myself."

"..."

Seraphina's face turned ashen, hot tears of absolute humiliation welling in her eyes. She had never crossed Dominic Jarrett. Why was he destroying her like this?

Then, a horrifying realization struck her.

Seraphina glared at Clara, piecing together the events of the past few days. It all made perfect sense.

Dominic Jarrett was in love with Clara!

Seraphina's eyes burned crimson with rabid jealousy.

Why did Clara always get so lucky?!

She refused to accept this!

If tonight's disaster got out, she would become the laughingstock of the industry.

Desperate, she scanned the room, praying to find Julian.

But he wasn't there.

Trembling, Clara lifted her gaze and looked across the room at Dominic.

He had been watching her the entire time.

Their eyes locked instantly, his deep, dark gaze pulling her in like an inescapable undertow.

In that silent, deafening moment, something unspoken shattered between them, breaking through the surface once and for all.

Clara's heart skipped a beat.

Terrified by the intensity of it, she quickly looked away. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it might tear through her chest. She stared blankly at the fabric of her skirt, her mind spinning in absolute chaos.

Ultimately, her sketch sold for a staggering ten million dollars—the highest price of the night, and a record-breaking figure in the history of the event.

Amidst the waves of envy and applause, Leo and Marcus hurried over to congratulate her. Oblivious to her history with Dominic, they laughed and said, "Dominic Jarrett doesn't mess around! He really is the king of Somerset!"

Clara pressed her lips together, completely at a loss for words. She was absolutely going to return that ten million dollars to him.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dominic stand up, adjust his suit jacket, and walk out of the ballroom.

She quickly made an excuse and hurried after him. "Professor, Leo, I have to take care of something. I'll be right back."

"Alright, go ahead. We'll chat later."

"..."

...

Outside the ballroom.

Clara pushed through the bustling crowd, chasing after the man's towering figure. Breathless, she called out, "Mr. Jarrett, wait!"

Dominic stopped and turned to look at her, a warm, indulgent smile playing on his lips. "Don't rush. I'm waiting right here. I'm not going anywhere."