Chapter 45
45 The Auction
45 The Auction
“You standing there so quietly scared the hell out of me,” Alice muttered, rolling her eyes at Eric as she walked over and grabbed the handles of his wheelchair.
“Mr. Eric, I gave you a front–row seat to that whole performance. Don’t you think you owe me a thank–you?”
Eric rubbed his arm where she’d jabbed him with the needle.
She hadn’t exactly been gentle.
And now she wanted him to thank her?
“At most,” he said slowly, “I’ll take you to a show tomorrow.”
Alice raised a brow. “But tomorrow’s still a long way off.”
Eric countered, “Then what are you suggesting?”
“I heard there’s a secret auction in Mapleford. You wouldn’t happen to have an invitation, would you?”
Eric paused.
The so–called secret auction of Mapleford required asset verification just to enter.
Even before his coma, he’d only been there once.
That was the night he was poisoned.
Even if Alice hadn’t brought it up, he’d already been planning to go again–to dig up truth behind what happened that night.
He had a gut feeling he knew the person who poisoned him.
the
“What else do you know?” he asked instead, trying to figure out what exactly Alice wanted to bid on.
Because while he was still the heir, the Nolan Group was now tightly controlled by Ruby. If he tried to move funds, it wouldn’t go unnoticed.
Of course, he didn’t need her permission to get money, but before making a move, he
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45 The Auction
needed to know–was it worth it?
Alice leaned casually against the doorframe, lips curved in a slow, confident smile , laced with mischief.
“There’s a herb your condition needs. I heard it’s showing up at tonight’s auction.”
Eric was speechless.
Well, that was hard to argue with.
“I can take you,” he said. “But-
“I know the rules.”
Alice smiled and lifted a hand to lightly cover her eyes. “Everyone wears masks to conceal their identity. I’ll bring my own.”
Eric narrowed his eyes.
This auction wasn’t something just anyone in Mapleford even knew about.
She’d been in the countryside for years–how could she know about it?
And she didn’t just know about it–she knew the rules.
Of course, he also knew that even if he asked, she wouldn’t give him a straight answer.
And if she did–it’d be a lie.
So he didn’t bother.
Eric said in a calm tone, “You’ll follow my lead once we’re there.”
Alice suddenly leaned in close, eyes sparkling with amusement.
“In what aspect, exactly?”
Her face was flawless up close–silky–smooth with barely a visible pore
Long, curled lashes framed her bright eyes, and somehow, they seemed to flutter right at his
heart.
It made him feel somewhat itchy.
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45 The Auction
Something warm and electric zipped through him, tightening in his chest, and shooting through his limbs.
Even his breathing stalled for a moment.
He completely forgot to answer her question.
Just then, Alice straightened back up, lazily leaning against the door again.
“If I listen to you, will you be the one footing the bill if I decide to buy something?”
Eric’s thoughts finally settled.
“What do you think?”
Alice never played coy.
She nodded instantly, thumbs–up.
“Mr. Eric, you’re so generous.”
The implication was clear: Eric had just allowed her to buy whatever she wanted, and the Nolan Group would foot the bill.
Eric muttered, “Your comprehension skills-
“Are top–notch, right?”
She grinned. “ No need to flatter me. I might get cocky.”
Eric was once again speechless.
Now he finally understood why Henry left looking like a ghost.
-Alice’s ability to drive people insane was nothing short of an art form.
That evening, Alice stepped out of the car and realized they were in the ‘urbs,
Before her, there was a towering Wynsteria – style castle, big enough to hold several thousand people.
Despite the crowd, the roads were broad and smooth. Traffic flowed easily, and parking was
Chagnes 13 The Aation
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45 The Auction
plentiful.
However, the lot was deliberately set far from the building–an intentional move to keep visitors‘ identities private.
Alice glanced at the cars around her.
All the cars had their license plates concealed, and most were modest, mid–range models worth no more than a few hundred thousand dollars.
Clearly, no one wanted to attract attention. Everyone here was taking privacy to a near- paranoid level.
“Damon, we have to win that Imperius Ink tonight.”
The voice was unmistakable. Even if she wanted to pretend otherwise, Alice couldn’t.
The Spencers knew about this auction too.
She turned toward the sound–and sure enough, there they were: her five Spencer brothers and the so–called “princess.”
Normally, Scott and Boston were too busy to show up at events like this. And Boston–being a celebrity–was rarely seen in public.
Yet tonight, they had time to accompany Linda to this auction.
C