Chapter 47

A deep breath steadied Millie as she lifted her eyes to the stars above.

This time, she truly felt herself letting go. When she lowered her gaze again, she took a moment to regain her calm.

Her attention shifted and she managed a gentle smile."Forgive me, Mr. Watson. I may have spoken out of turn since we barely know each other."

Her glass was empty by the time she set it down."The break is ending soon, so I'll head down now."

Without another word, Millie walked right past Brandon.

His voice followed her just as she neared the stairs."You should stop bidding."

How many times had Brandon pleaded on VVivian's behalf, openly fighting for her in front of Millie?

Anything for Vivian-there were no limits for him.

Not once did Millie hesitate or glance back;her steps carried her straight down the corridor, while Brandon stood watching as she disappeared from view.

A cool breeze slipped through, and a heartbeat later,Brandon's own figure vanished at the corridor's end as well.

From the garden, bits of lively conversation floated on the air.

"I'm putting five million on 888 coming out on top!"

"That's a bold move."

"Keep in mind who's holding badge 888-Brandon never loses when he sets his sights on something!"

"You're not wrong, but that kind of certainty takes the thrill away."

"There's still plenty of fun. What if we bet on how many times 823 will even dare to raise her paddle and challenge Brandon?"

"That's actually a good bet! I say zero times!"

"I'll say once!"

"Anyone else think she'll go for more?"

"You're hilarious. That woman might find the nerve to bid once, but more than that is hard to believe!"

Their laughter rose together, everyone just enjoying the moment without a care.

At that moment, Vivian was using a secondary account called "V" to chat with someone online.

V typed out a question. "What's Napier's stance on Serena now? I heard she walked out looking totally composed after their talk. Or are you just too useless to keep her in check?"

The man using the screen name "Blade Joker"retorted, "What a load of nonsense! Don't ever call a man 'useless'! Relax. Charles even got riled up and started a fight after Serena stepped out, which means he's rattled. I know Napier well; he doesn't get swayed easily. Serena taking on Brandon is going to end badly for her. Just sit back and watch Charles trip up, and after that,you can go after anyone you like."

Vivian's lips curled into a faint smile as she responded,"Hearing you say that puts me at ease. I got nervous when Napier wanted to meet her."

Blade Joker answered, "You worry too much."

Their messages kept flying back and forth, the tone growing sharper, while elsewhere Brandon returned and happened to glance over.

Sensing his arrival, Vivian hurried to lock her screen. A sweet smile crossed her face. "You're back,Brandon."

A simple nod was all Brandon offered.

His habit was never to pry into anyone else's business,so he let his gaze wander and thought nothing of it.

Still, something about Vivian's avatar on that account stuck in his mind.

That wasn't the profile she used for their chats; it had to be a backup account. Yet, there was something oddly familiar about that image, as if he'd come across it before.

On the second floor, tucked away in the shadows,Jayceon watched the party below, a grin on his lips.He kept whispering things to himself, when suddenly the gorgeous woman beside him lost her patience and gave him a sharp kick.

"Hey! That hurt! Adriana, what was that for?" shouted Jayceon as he grabbed his face in pain.

His sister-Adriana Elliott-only responded with another swift kick.

That was enough to send Jayceon scrambling away,muttering complaints as he made for the corner.

Once he was out of the way, Adriana rolled her eyes and went back to sipping her wine.

A sense of injustice lingered with Jayceon. The Elliott family, counted among Crobert's three major powerhouses,always prided themselves on unity.

Things were different for the Watsons, where Brandon carried the weight of the entire Watson Group alone,or the Evans family, where cutthroat sibling rivalry was the norm and every move was calculated. In contrast,the Elliott siblings managed to keep their relationships peaceful.

Within the Elliott family, everyone had a clear role.The eldest son, gifted with strong leadership, ran the company, but both Jayceon Adriana were also given meaningful responsibilities and regularly took part in major decisions thanks to their brother's trust.

Teamwork was at the heart of the Elliott family's rise as one of Crobert's elite families.

Being the youngest however, Jayceon sometimes truly feared a well-placed kick from his sister.

Adriana took a slow sip of her wine and said, "If you don't understand the importance of customer privacy,Jayceon,you'd be better off quitting the Elliott Group than putting our reputation at risk."

Her words landed, and Jayceon quickly nodded in agreement.

He had just gotten swept up in the moment-interesting things like this didn't happen often.

"I promise I won't do it again, Adriana," Jayceon murmured.

A tiny nod from Adriana showed she'd let him off the hook this time.

In the darkness nearby, someone watched the entire scene unfold, their expression hidden.

Time slipped by, and soon enough, the breakcame to an end with everyone's eyes fixed on the stage.

Guests moved back to their seats as the auction resumed.

Stepping onto the stage, the auctioneer greeted the crowd and introduced the tanzanite. "Welcome back,distinguished guests. Our intermission has ended.It's time to resume the exciting bidding!" The auctioneer motioned to the display. "Earlier, the highest bid for the tanzanite reached 1.5 million from bidder 823.Now,the competition continues!"

Vivian sat quietly on the second floor, listening to every word, her eyes shining with anticipation.

With quick movements, she recorded the new bid and raised her badge 888 to enter the fray.

"The bid from 823 has been topped-bidder 888steps in with an offer of 1.8 million!" announced the auctioneer at once, declaring Vivian's newest move without delay.

A rush of excitement swept through the room.

"Just as I thought, Brandon jumped into the bidding war.At this point, it's not about the tanzanite-it's all about his pride!"

"Right, what's 823 going to do now? Surely she knows how much money Brandon has. Is she really planning to raise the bid again?"

"I have no idea. I don't even understand why she kept bidding in the earlier rounds."

Vivian gave Brandon a sheepish smile and said,"Brandon, I didn't bring enough money with me tonight. I'll cover the rest later, so you can still count this as my purchase."

Not once did Brandon glance in her direction. His response was short. "That won't be necessary."

All his attention was on the seats where Serena and Charles were sitting.

He searched the crowd but couldn't make out their faces in the dim light.

Vivian's eyes followed his, and she quickly realized he was waiting to see if Serena and Charles would place another bid. A smug look spread across her face as she stared in their direction.

Just then, the familiar hand rose again, lifting the 823paddle.

"Bidder 823 has now upped the bid to 2 millionl"

A look of disbelief froze Vivian's smile in place.

The room instantly filled with the sound of excited whispers and frantic conversations.

"Unbelievable-she actually dared to raise it!"

"I'm shocked too. There was plenty of time during the break for them to settle things quietly. What's giving her the nerve to keep challenging Brandon like this?"

"Could there be more going on behind the scenes?"

"I want to know the truth! Someone, spill it already!"

While everyone argued and speculated, Vivian kept glancing at Brandon to see his reaction. Out of nowhere, he stood and strode over to the railing above the auction floor.

"Look, Brandon's getting up-he's making a move!"

Everyone turned as Brandon stopped at the railing,lifting his right hand to get a staff member's attention.After taking the microphone, he spoke into it clearly."No matter what bids come in, I will continue to bid."

There was no mistaking it-he had every intention of winning.