Chapter 52
Brilliant flashes of light swept through the hall before settling into two beams that spotlighted both Brandon and the striking blue tanzanite.
While the room shone inside, fireworks erupted beyond the mansion's walls, lighting up the night sky in a burst of color that held everyone's gaze until the last sparks disappeared.
Inside, the lights grew even brighter, and suddenly the once-silent audience broke into thunderous applause and animated chatter, louder than anything that had come before.
The excitement was so overwhelming that the noise spilled out, reaching even those standing beyond the mansion's well-sealed doors.
"Something big must have just happened!"
"Check it out! We have been waiting for ages, and nobody is sharing any details!"
"Everyone who knows anything is staying tight-lipped.The wealthy crowd won't say a word, no matter how much money we offer!"
"What's really going on in there? I need to know!"
"Go get everyone else! As soon as this ends,we'll block every door and get the full story!"
"Absolutely!"
"Hurry and call everyone! The more people we have,the better!"
Reporters and paparazzi gathered outside, dialing their contacts and summoning more people and vehicles, determined not to miss a single detail.
The energy inside the mansion was even wilder.
"I can't believe I witnessed that! This is the kind of story I'll tell my family forever!"
"I feel the same! My heart's still racing. Whoever bidder 823 is, she has nerves of steel-even I have to admit I respect her."
"Mr. Watson put on quite a show too, outbidding everyone and taking home the prize. Those two were perfectly matched!"
"Honestly, I have to hand it to bidder 823. She stood her ground even without any advantage,outmaneuvered Brandon's strategies, and knew exactly when to bow out. That's inspiring!"
"Who could have imagined it? I thought it would be a routine auction for a plain tanzanite worth maybe a million, but it turned into something unforgettable!And Mr. Evans ran the auction himself-this is one for the history books!"
In the middle of all the applause and lively talk,Vivian's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Brandon, you really did all this for me..." A sheen of tears brightened her gaze. "Thank you, Brandon. I could die happy now."
Waves of emotion crashed over Vivian as she spoke.
For her sake, he had put on a dazzling show, pushing the price over twenty-five times higher than it began When the charity event ended, she knew she would be the talk of the city's social scene.
Millie's place in Brandon's life no longer seemed important.
It made no difference that Millie had once been his wife, or that she had spent seven years by his side,even carrying his child.
Nothing about Millie could match up to Vivian at this point.
She was convinced that the title of Mrs. Watson would belong to her sooner than later.
While Vivian expressed her gratitude, Brandon only spared her a glance and kept silent.
Earlier, he had asked Vivian if she liked the tanzanite,but after the break and his conversation with Serena,he somehow realized his bidding had nothing to do with Vivian.
His attention shifted to the woman who had quietly slipped back into the shadows, his eyes darkening with suspicion.
This woman had an uncanny way of unsettling his thoughts and shaking his resolve.
A simple conversation on the terrace had made him realize the stone wvas never about Vivian.
Every move at the auction, from the sudden bids to the silent challenges, she always seemed to have a plan,while he felt exposed whenever she was near.
A sharp glint crossed Brandon's eyes.
He had told her to stop bidding on the terrace,but maybe she had predicted every step from the beginning.
Right after he made his statement, she responded with perfectly timed bids of five and ten million, each jump calculated.
Once Napier appeared, their battle heated up. Her bids of fifteen and twenty mllion kept testing him,and she watched him closely each time, gauging his reaction until she finally bowed out at the perfect moment.
He realized she had managed to steer everything exactly as she wanted. Even as Brandon thought about all the money she had forced him to spend and the public spectacle she had caused, he could not bring himself to resent her.
If anything, he found himself in awe.
It was her bravery, her calculated approach, and the way she seemed to know exactly what was happening in his mind that set her apart.
He had walked away with the prize, but it felt like a loss in other ways.
She might have lost the bidding, but she had found her own victory by outsmarting him.
Who was this woman,really?
Up in the dimming mezzanine, Napier's gaze followed Millie as she slipped away into the shadows. "She truly is her father's daughter. If only he were still here..."
Darkness finally overtook the hall, and Napier's quiet sigh seemed to echo in the emptiness.
Life held no room for what-ifs. The reality remained that his own son had been claimed by the sea, and Millie's father had tumbled from a rooftop, dying right in front of his cherished daughter.
"Take me back. I feel so very tired." Napier's words sounded older than ever.
Time had caught up with him, leaving him just another elderly man nearing his eighth decade.
A loyal attendant gently wheeled him away.
On the second floor, Millie sat quietly in her seat.
Weariness swept over her, and she leaned into the sofa for support.
Her body had not yet recovered from the injuries caused by her recent fall from the stairs and miscarriage that followed.
Nearby,Charles had watched everything unfold,barely able to contain his excitement.
"Serena, I'm amazed by you!" Charles whispered,struggling to keep his voice down. "You managed to resolve things with my grandfather, and even when Brandon had every advantage, you turned the tables.There were moments I thought the situation was impossible, but you pulled it off. How did you manage all of this?"
Millie watched the scented candle on the table, its gentle flame filling the space with a soft, golden glow.
How had she managed all of this?
A memory of her father's kind smile flickered through her thoughts.
It was just that the weight of everything she had lost had become her greatest teacher.
Having once loved Brandon with her whole heart, she knew him better than anyone else ever could.
From the moment he confronted her on the terrace garden, she realized some things would never work out,yet she had chosen to see them through anyway.
Her childhood with the Bennett family and all the challenges she had faced shaped her. She was no longer just Brandon's wife at that moment-she stood proudly as Millie Bennett in her own right.
"But what happens to the tanzanite now?" Charles finally asked, worry coloring his voice. "Are we just going to let Brandon give it to Vivian?"
He remembered it was something Millie had set aside for the child she once hoped to have.
This auction had meant raising money for children in need, and since she lost her own child, Millie decided to donate the tanzanite to charity.
If Vivian were the one to claim it in the end...
Millie kept quiet for a moment, and then lifted her eyes to Brandon, who still lingered across the room.