The price of betrayal (Jack and Ashley) novel Chapter 72

Archie frowned at the sight of this. He glanced at Lincoln and asked, "Lincoln, if Mr. Greene likes the painting so much, how about we take it off the auction and gift it to him outright?"

Lincoln smiled at this and countered, "I know you want to stay on good terms with Mr. Greene, but it would be unfair for the others if you do this. We can't have the audience think we're untrustworthy.

"Besides, knowing Mr. Greene, he wouldn't take kindly to being shown biased treatment. I think you're better off letting nature take its course. I'm sure Mr. Greene wouldn't want your family to get involved, either."

Archie nodded in agreement and said quietly, "In that case, we'll just have to see how this plays out. But if you see Mr. Greene later, do tell him that he is free to bid for anything he likes.

"The Baxters are happy to pay for him. We have to show him we are grateful even if he refuses to accept our gesture."

Only then did Lincoln nod in acquiescence. Archie's suggestion did not bother him. The Baxters could afford to pull a stunt like this, and it was the best arrangement they could come up with.

The Baxters and Lincoln himself had no idea of the history between Megan and Nolan. They could easily look into it if they wanted, but they refrained from doing so out of respect for Nolan.

But now, it seemed Nolan and Megan knew each other well, and things between them might be more complex than they initially thought. Archie couldn't help his curiosity then.

Over at Nolan's table, Audrey flashed him a wry smile as she said, "Let's just forget about the painting, Nolan. I like Harmon's work, but not so much that I must have one of his pieces, and at such an outrageous price, too. It's not worth it."

Nolan shook his head, chuckling. "Don't worry. It'll be worth it. The price for that painting is more than 30 million dollars. It's just that none of you have realized it yet."

Audrey stiffened at this. She shot him an incredulous look and demanded, "Really? How did you come to know so much about art, anyway? I remember you liked it enough to dabble in it for a while, but you weren't particularly invested."

She wasn't belittling him. She was simply surprised that he bothered to read up on art.

Nolan explained, "I didn't go to prison for three years for nothing. I met a lot of intellectuals who were serving time with me, and they taught me a couple of things.

Audrey pursed her lips to hide her smile as the sweet talk sank in.

The last two days had been complete bliss for her. She used to love Nolan in secret and would settle for any form of acknowledgment. Whenever she saw him and Megan together, she would stake out a quiet corner and pine for him.

And now, after Nolan was released from prison and divorced from Megan, Audrey had risked everything just to see him. Looking back, the effort had been worth it.

While Nolan never outright defined their relationship, Audrey was happy that they had bonded and became closer over the days. She was sure that with time, he would work through his emotional baggage and learn to open up to her.

"I believe you," she said firmly. "But it doesn't matter if we don't get the painting. It's too expensive."

Nolan gave her a smile and raised his hand, calling out to the auctioneer, "30.6 million dollars!"