Chapter 96: 96 | Auction
’Since when...?’ Marcus kept his head down, fists clenched at his sides. ’Since when did this bastard grow a spine?’
As far as he knew, Emma had been away from the States and only returned a few days ago. Dante didn’t go with her. So how did their relationship change this much in such a short time?
He looked up and saw Emma feeding Dante with that gentle expression on her face, not paying him a shred of attention. His body started trembling.
’That should be me...! I should be the one getting fed...! That look should be reserved only for me...!’
The guests at nearby tables who had been watching the scene started whispering among themselves.
"Did I just see that right? Marcus Devereux got shut down?"
"Must suck to be Young Master Marcus. He’s been chasing Ms. Emma for the past two years and she didn’t even spare him a word."
"And she fed that guy? Right in front of Marcus? That woman has ice in her veins."
"Marcus tried to humiliate him but he probably didn’t expect a reversal like that."
"But did you see the look on Ms. Emma’s face? She really likes that guy."
The whispers spread through the hall.
Marcus was standing in the center and heard all of it. He swept the room with a cold glare and the whispers died on the spot.
Everyone in the room had heard stories about people who offended Marcus mysteriously disappearing.
Even the son of Raven Group’s previous CEO had "accidentally" fallen off a cliff after getting into a fight with him.
Marcus forced himself to calm down. His brain scrambled to rationalize the situation, trying to keep him from losing it completely.
’Their relationship was already in shambles. There’s no way they made up that quickly. Emma is just doing this to get me off her back. Yeah, that has to be it.’ A look of clarity appeared in his eyes as everything clicked into place.
And the confidence returned to his face.
"Emma, you don’t have to force yourself." He said with a grin. "I’ll take my leave."
He turned and walked away, leaving all three of them with confused expressions.
"What is he talking about? Did he go insane from watching his goddess feed another man?" Aria had question marks all over her face, pity forming in her eyes as she looked at his back.
As she turned to the side, she caught Emma pulling out a tissue and gently wiping Dante’s mouth.
Emma noticed her stare and a flustered look flashed in her eyes.
"What do you have to say now? Are you still going to tell me there’s nothing going on between you two?" Aria covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes curving into a smile. "Go on, wipe his mouth properly."
Emma kept her expression under control and continued wiping his mouth, but the red tips of her ears gave her away.
"Fufu~" Aria took the silence as her answer and glanced at Dante with some surprise.
"You finally grew some balls, huh."
Dante nearly choked on his food and looked at her with a speechless face. ’Why does she have to compliment me like that? What kind of impression did she have of me before?’
Emma instinctively shot a glare at her friend, signaling her to stop teasing him.
"Stop glaring at me like that. I’ll stop." Aria raised her hands with a shrug.
Seeing her friend being this protective over her man was enviable, but watching the two of them finally together after all these years put a smile on her face.
’I swear, If he breaks her heart again....’ She stopped the thought there. No point tempting fate when things were finally going right.
Marcus found a table with a clear view of the trio and sat down alone. Watching the three of them chat and laugh made his blood boil.
But he wasn’t leaving.
Although he truly believed Emma was doing this just to piss him off, who knew what those two would do the moment he left?
At the very least, him being here should keep them from getting too comfortable.
***
An hour passed with Marcus watching from the corner like a hawk while the three of them enjoyed their dinner.
At some point, Aria dragged Emma away to meet a few of her contacts and Dante was left alone at the table, scrolling through his phone.
He checked Natasha’s feed briefly.
She was cultivating in her room with a focused expression, but her brows kept furrowing from time to time. Her mind was clearly somewhere else tonight.
A few minutes later, the lights dimmed and a spotlight hit the stage. A man in a silver suit walked up to the podium.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience. We will now begin the evening’s auction."
Two staff members wheeled out the first display case as the crowd settled into their seats. Emma and Aria returned to the table just as the bidding started.
"Interested in anything?" Emma asked as she sat down beside him.
"Not really." Dante said, barely glancing at the stage. ’For now.’
In the novel, Emma and Ryan attended the next gala three months later and Ryan obtained a weapon from the auction. Dante was planning to show up next time and snatch it before that bastard could.
The auction moved at a steady pace. Rare paintings, vintage jewelry, antique weapons. They came up one by one, rich people raising their paddles and competing over things most of them would lock in a vault and never look at again.
Dante sat through it with a bored expression. Nine items came and went without him lifting a finger.
Then the tenth item was wheeled out.
A small dark metallic case sat on a velvet cushion under a glass dome. There weren’t any markings or engravings on it. It looked unremarkable compared to everything that came before it.
"Item ten." The auctioneer cleared his throat, his enthusiasm dropping a notch.
"A metallic object of unknown origin. Our appraisers were unable to identify its purpose or function. The only thing confirmed is that it contains a high concentration of mana."
He paused and read the next line on his card with a strained smile. "The seller claims it was recovered from a high-level dungeon. However, none of this has been verified by our team."
A murmur passed through the crowd.
"Claims" and "not verified" were the two words nobody wanted to hear at an auction.
It was the polite way of saying we have no idea what this is and we’re not responsible if you waste your money.
"Starting bid: 500,000 rollads."
Nobody raised a paddle.
Dante’s fingers stopped scrolling.
’No way...!’ His eyes locked onto the case with some shock. ’This was supposed to appear three months from now. Why is it already here?’
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