Chapter 3 The Auction

• Amelia Snyder.
• I stood by the railing of the second-floor staircase, watching Angelica and my mother comforting each other. To be honest, I found it somewhat laughable. Ever since Venus showed up in my life, my hearing had become far more acute than that of ordinary human beings. I had heard every word of their conversation.
• I had spent 1.5 billion in Morania to purchase this bracelet, but they both thought it was an imitation.
• They probably assumed I was absolutely penniless, which naturally meant they also assumed I was a vain, poverty-stricken girl wearing cheap knock-off jewelry.
• It seemed as though Angelica had more to her than met the eye at first; she was certainly not as simple as she appeared. Perhaps the hypocritical little wench was scared right now because I had come back to the Snyder family, and she was afraid that I might usurp her parents' love.
• No matter, though. As long as she didn't provoke me, I had no reason to play tricks on her.
• The next morning, I was sitting on the couch with my headphones on and listening to music, when a knock sounded on the door. Angelica hurried to see who the visitor was, and I glanced over.
• Apparently, it was one of my mother's friends. She had heard that Heather had finally found her long-lost biological daughter, so she had come over to see for herself.
• Angelica greeted her with a warm smile. "Hello, Mrs. Larrabee!"
• My mother hurried over to greet her as well. "Mrs. Larrabee! How nice of you to come and visit!"
• Mrs. Larrabee chuckled and replied, "It's been a while, Angelica. My, my, you've grown taller and prettier since the last time I saw you."
• Angelica blushed in embarrassment and hid her face in her hands, smiling. "Thank you."
• The three of them chatted for quite a while before they finally noticed me.
• "Oh my, is that young lady your biological daughter?"
• I noticed my mother was gripping her hands tightly, and her expression was a trifle wooden. "Yes, she is…"
• I remained seated on the couch.
• Mrs. Larrabee smiled and cooed, "What a lovely girl she is! She looks just like you, Heather. What a lucky woman you are, to have two such beautiful daughters."
• "You're teasing me, aren't you, Mrs. Larrabee? Sometimes, one can have too much of a good thing, you know."
• When my mother said this, I looked up and turned my attention to the three women.
• "We haven't seen each other for a while now, Heather. I've heard that a new restaurant just opened recently in the Grand Mall, and they use imported ingredients like air-flown sirloin steaks. Why don't we go have lunch there?"
• Angelica's face lit up with a bright smile. "Really? I haven't had imported steak in ages."
• Mrs. Larrabee chuckled. "Yes, really. I haven't had any for ages, either. That's right, Heather, why don't you bring your other daughter along as well? We'll all have lunch together."
• My mother's expression froze briefly as if she were worried about something. However, she regained her composure very quickly. "Very well. She doesn't speak very well, and she's just a bit shy. Let me go talk to her." She came over to me and yanked off my earphones.
• I merely stared at her.
• In a low voice, she instructed, "Afterwards, when we go for lunch with Mrs. Larrabee, tell her that you don't like steak and you'd prefer to have pasta. Alright?"
• I studied Heather for a moment, then gave her a curt smile. "I won't go with you," I informed her blandly, then added in a deliberately mocking tone, "After all, I don't speak very well, and I don't know how to appreciate steak, right?"
• "I…" My mother was momentarily bereft of speech. She fell silent and said nothing more after that.
• Not long after the three of them had left, I received a message on my phone. It was Gerald, who was still trying to persuade me to attend the UN auction. "Ames, are you really going to give this a miss? The main item up for auction today is a bronze bull's head. A ton of big shots from all over the country are here to bid for it; from the looks of things, there's going to be a bidding war."
• I considered for a little while, then sent him a brief message. "Ok. I'll come."
• By the time I arrived at the auction house, the bidding had already started.
• When Gerald saw me, he gave me a huge, gleeful grin. "Ames! You showed up after all!"
• "When is that bronze bull's head coming up for auction?"
• "Pretty soon, actually. Probably in about half an hour or so," Gerald replied, still grinning as he rubbed his chin.
• I leaned back in my chair and crossed my legs, lazily taking stock of my surroundings. As expected, auction houses in the big city were always full of hustle and bustle.
• "Next will be the main highlight of today's auction; a bronze bull's head." The auctioneer's voice rang out loud and clear through the entire assembly.
• I turned my attention to where a large bronze bull's head was being carried in by the auction house staff. It looked very grand indeed.
• The auctioneer announced, "I believe everybody is familiar with this particular national treasure. The auction will begin now with an opening bid of 10 million."
• "11 million."
• "13 million."
• "15 million."
• The individuals who could afford to attend today's auction were all wealthy, prominent persons of note. The bronze bull's head was a national treasure, so the bidding was fierce and intense.
• "20 million."
• "50 million." A male voice spoke from the balcony. Most likely, it was another big shot. Nonetheless, this got everyone's attention, and all eyes went in that direction.
• The item was only a bronze bull's head, but the price had already soared to five times the starting bid.
• These individuals were certainly willing to go to any lengths to acquire what they wanted!
• "50 million, going twice. Do I hear any other bids?" The auctioneer had already asked once. If there were no other bids when he asked the third time, the item would be considered sold.
• "80 million!" Gerald raised his paddle, grinning broadly. Of course, he wasn't the one who wanted the bull's head; I had asked him to bid for me.
• "80 million!" The auctioneer's voice nearly cracked; it took him a little to regain his composure. "80 million, do I hear any higher bids? 80 million going once, going twice, sold for 80 million."
• Since there were no other bidders, Gerald and I acquired the bronze bull's head for 80 million in the end. To be honest, I wasn't particularly taken with this particular bronze sculpture. I couldn't bring it around with me or wear it, so I decided I would donate it to the country as a national treasure.
• Satisfied, I stood up and put on my sunglasses, getting ready to leave.
• "Ladies and gentlemen, if you would hold on, please? We've just received word that there's one last item behind the stage. Please wait for a moment," the auctioneer announced quickly, having only just received the news in question.
• Gerald and I turned our attention in his direction. For a moment, our eyes met, and we smiled at him before both of us sat down again.
• The auctioneer smiled politely. "Today, Mr. Watson, the UN person-in-charge, has specially chosen a gift for everyone to enjoy. Please do take a look before you leave."
• "Eh? Mr. Watson's arranged an extra event for us? How thoughtful!" Someone from the audience commented.
• Mr. Watson smiled broadly at the audience and clapped his hands twice.
• The lights dimmed suddenly, leaving only a soft light shining down on the very middle of the auction stage. A large black metal cage had been placed there at some point, goodness knows when. Not only that, there was someone inside the cage.
• It was a man, in fact.
• He was reclining against the side of the cage, and the light caught his near-perfect profile, which was practically a work of art. His features were exquisite, touched with a flirtatious allure. In short, he was virtually irresistible.
• It was something one might only see once in a lifetime, if even that!
• "My god! Ames, is that a man or a woman? What a face!" Gerald nudged my shoulder.
• I stared expressionlessly at the man in the cage, only to see him turn his eyes in our direction. In a voice so soft it could barely be heard, he mouthed, "Buy me!"