Chapter 53

The charity auction pressed on.

Many more items were set to go under the hammer,with guests making occasional bids, though none matched the energy of the earlier showdown.

Millie waited quietly.

Her fingers drifted down the auction list until she paused on a certain entry. She tapped it gently, her interest clear.

Moments later, the announcer declared, "Up next, we have a six-carat ruby pendant..."

For the second time that night, Brandon joined the bidding.

He ended up securing the ruby pendant for twenty-eight million.

A faint smirk crossed Millie's lips.

Brandon had not changed at all.

She thought back to a month earlier, remembering how he dismissed the meaning behind tanzanite and turquoise birthstones. He said, "None of that matters.My child deserves the very best-like the pink diamond."

Millie could almost hear his thoughts now. "Only the finest ruby pendant is good enough for the woman l love. I would never give her a cheap,one-million-dollar-worth tanzanite. That would be beneath me."

The night continued to drift by, and at last, the final item was introduced.

"This last offering isn't a typical auction piece," the announcer explained. "It's a collection of twenty paintings, all created by children in need. Everyone may bid on one or more, and every dollar raised will go directly to charity."

Usually, auctions ended with something rare or extravagant. Tonight, the children's artwork, while not costly, carried a special weight.

Millie studied the paintings without lifting her paddle,number 823.

She turned instead to Charles, who sat beside her.

Catching her meaning, Charles leaned closer. "Which one do you have your eye on?"

Millie smiled softly and pointed to a picture displayed on the tablet. "This one by Ari Combs."

A single cactus stood beneath a bright sun-simple,childishly innocent, yet it spoke to her.

Charles nodded and raised his paddle to place a bid. Neither of them wanted to use number 823 again.

Still, as both were listed as invited guests, they each had their own paddle.

Charles' paddle, marked with the number 811, blended in easily, making it no problem for the two to sit together and take part. Mixing among the second-floor seats was a common practice, and no one minded if a guest joined from another table.

When the auction finally ended, the gala was nearly finished. Only the performances and a final group photo session remained.

Brandon usually avoided these photo sessions, but Vivian looked at him with such pleading eyes that he reluctantly agreed to join.

Everyone tried to put him at the center,but he only frowned and moved to the far end of the back row.

Millie stood with Charles at the opposite end, keeping as much distance from Brandon as possible.

The central spots quickly filled up as socialites scrambled for the best position.

"Everyone, eyes on the camera! On three-one,two,three!"

The first photo was taken.

"Let's try one more. One, two, three!" As the second picture was snapped, Brandon's patience wore thin, and for reasons he couldn't tell, he found himself glancing over at the pair standing across from him.

He saw the masked woman quietly leaning in to say something to Charles, a gentle smile on her face. She looked soft and relaxed-a far cry from her demeanor around himn earlier that night.

Brandon muttered to himself, "Charles finally brought someone impressive. His taste has improved."

The camera clicked again, capturing the moment.

Brandon shook himself from his thoughts and turned his attention back to Vivian, who was still completely caught up in posing.

"Last one! Everyone look this way!"

Millie's spirits soared.

Her phone vibrated with an alert-a payment had just come through.

She had once owned that tanzanite, and she had suggested to sell it to Charles so he could be the legit new owner and donate it to charity for her without revealing her involvement. Charles had agreed to help but insisted she keep the money.

At tonight's auction, the antique used to kick things off had 50% of the hammer price donated to charity, and the earning from the collection of paintings by the children showcased at last went entirely to charity.Except for these two, everything else followed the 70%donation rate-seventy percent went to the charity and the donor received remaining thirty.

For the tanzanite's twenty-five million sale, Millie would receive seven and a half million. She had to take out the taxes and pay for the commission fees and everything later, but still, she had enough left.

Evans Group wasted no time. They transferred the money to Charles, who then quickly sent the funds to her.

She intended to collect the cactus painting later.Keepsakes like that made perfect additions to her collection.

With a satisfied nod, Millie turned to Charles. "When all's said and done, things turned out just fine."

She had expected the tanzanite to be sold only a little more than a million; but now, even after the seventy percent donation, taxes and the commission fees, she still walked away with a comfortable profit.

Charles let out a sigh. "Still, he ended up with the tanzanite after all."

A gentle smile played on Millie's lips as she shook her head."Honestly, this is the best outcome we could hope for. The real purpose was to raise money for the children. I made a little on the side, and the charity funds got a nice boost too. Everybody wins."

A few days ago, she and Brandon had signed a property division agreement when filing for a divorce.

Since the Watson Group was such a major company,their prenuptial agreement focused on protecting its interests. She had willingly let go of plenty, just to make sure she could reclaim her family's old holdings with a small loophole in the contract.

Standing on the terrace garden during the intermission earlier, she had already decided that twenty million would be her absolute limit for bidding.

These thoughts drifted through her mind as she glanced toward Brandon, who stood at the far end of the room.

He was staring down at Vivian, his face giving nothing away.

The camera clicked again, capturing the third and final group photo.

"That's a wrap! Thank you, everyone!" the photographer called out, drawing Millie's focus back.

With the pictures finished, she and Charles headed for the exit.

Across the room, Brandon and Vivian found themselves surrounded.

"Mr. Watson, I represent a construction firm..."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Watson. May I introduce myself?"

"Mr. Watson, if you have a moment..."

People kept trying to start a conversation with Brandon,but he hardly responded.

Soon enough,attention shifted to Vivian instead.

"You look stunning tonight, Miss Simpson. I've seen your stories online. You really inspire me."

"It's wonderful to see someone as compassionate as you supporting tonight's cause."

"Are you working on any new projects? Our company is starting something soon..."

Vivian greeted every compliment with an unfailing,pleasant smile.

Standing next to her, Brandon began to lose patience.His eyes wandered past the crowd and landed on Millie and Charles as they quietly slipped out together.

A sudden wave of annoyance crept up on him for reasons he could not quite explain.

He shifted his attention back to Vivian, who was still enjoying the attention of the crowd.

"It's time to go," he said.

Vivian paused, glancing at him. "Oh, all right."

The crowd stepped aside instantly, clearing a path for them.

Some guests lingered inside the villa, still trying to mingle, but the majority had already made their way out.

Outside, news crews stood ready with cameras and microphones at hand.

"Are they almost done in there?"

"Yeah, the last group photo just wrapped up. They'll be outside any minute now."

"Stay alert, everyone. The second they step out,grab the best angle!"

"Understood!"

Just then, the villa's heavy doors, shut tight all night,slowly began to swing open